AN MLG CREW IN NIGHT OP; OVER WATER; BECAME SLIGHTLY DISORIENTED AND HAD A GPWS WARNING.

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SITUATION OCCURRED AFTER TKOF FROM FLL AT NIGHT. DEP WAS TO THE E OVER WATER AND NO HORIZON WAS VISIBLE. FLT VISIBILITY WAS LIMITED IN THAT DIRECTION DUE TO HAZE. AFTER TKOF THERE WERE NUMEROUS LIGHTS AHEAD INCLUDING 1 LARGE OBJECT WITH MANY LIGHTS; DEFINITION WAS VAGUE AND NO SHADE WAS DISCERNABLE. FLT PROFILE WAS NORMAL THROUGH 1000 FT AND FLAP RETRACTION WAS INITIATED. I BECAME INCREASINGLY CONCERNED ABOUT THE LARGE LIGHTED OBJECT AND REDUCED RATE OF CLB; IT APPEARED TO BE ABOVE US. AT THIS POINT I WAS CONVINCED IT WAS AN INFLT HAZARD BUT HAD NO IDEA WHAT IT WAS; POSSIBLY A BLIMP (?). MY ATTITUDE CHANGE RESULTED IN A DSCNT WHICH CONTINUED TO NEAR 500 FT. A GPWS WARNING WAS RECEIVED AND A CLB WAS INITIATED. AT ABOUT THIS TIME; OUR LIGHTED OBJECT WAS RECOGNIZED; WITH GREAT RELIEF; AS A CRUISE SHIP. DEP ASKED IF WE HAD PROBLEMS AND WE ADVISED THEM THAT WE WERE CLBING AND EXPLAINED BRIEFLY WHAT HAD HAPPENED. FLT PROCEEDED WITHOUT FURTHER COMPLICATIONS. I MADE SOME BAD DECISIONS RESULTING FROM THE CONFUSING AND PUZZLING VISUAL PICTURE. I ALLOWED MYSELF TO BECOME MOMENTARILY DISORIENTED WHILE OVER-CONCENTRATING ON THE VISUAL CONTACT. A BETTER AVOIDANCE TECHNIQUE WOULD HAVE BEEN TO TURN RATHER THAN CHANGE NOSE ATTITUDE. I THINK I DID NOT DO THAT BECAUSE OF THE NUMBER OF OTHER LIGHTS AHEAD; ALSO PROBABLY SURFACE CRAFT; AND NO HAZARD-FREE RTE WAS OBVIOUS TO ME.