For cruise traditionalists the three “must do” voyages are an Atlantic crossing and the two great canals – the Suez and Panama. I’m determined to savour every minute of the Panama Canal. But there’s a timelessness in an inside cabin so my alarm bleats in the dark. I turn on the TV and the bow cam shows we are approaching the entrance of the Panama Canal and it’s bright daylight outside. That certainly galvanizes me into action and a few minutes later I’m dressed and on the bow with a few hundred others. Looking up I see similar crowds on the open spaces facing forward on the upper decks.
For most of us, Colon is just a jumping off point to the nearby feature synonymous with the whole country of Panama – the Panama Canal. There are some human achievements that show that grand plans can come to fruition and we should be proud of what we can achieve. In an age when laying national broadband cables seems all too difficult, it’s hard to imagine looking at 77 kilometres of mountains and disease-ridden jungle and picking up pick and shovel and thinking “we can dig a ditch through this and link two oceans”...
Not visiting Colombia in general and Cartagena in particular is one of the regrets of my travel life. I’ve seen Romancing the Stone and remembered the dramatically beautiful scenes around the port of Cartagena.The first port of call on this Radiance of the Seas voyage is Cartagena, so one travel regret is about to be redressed.
I expect there are people who walk on to a ship for the first time with a deck plan etched into their brains. Not me – I read the reviews and get a feeling for the ship but I love the joy of discovering things for myself. It’s even better if the journey of discovery finds enough hidden nooks and crannies that it continues for a few days.
My alarm went off at 8 am and I woke to complete darkness. There was a moment of fear. Had Cuban pirates boarded the ship in the night and consigned me to a barrel?
Together with her sibling, Azamara Journey, the launch of Quest into the market created an intriguing new category in the cruise industry, called "luxury lite"......
We left Piraeus at six o’clock last night after a seamless boarding process, during which we discovered we’d been upgraded to the top-of-the-range Club World Owner’s Suite – an amazingly spacious suite at the aft of the ship on Deck 8 that comes with the services of Sooria, our Indian 'English' butler.
We spent most of our on board time in our new favourite place, the bar lounge, where we could sit in comfort on large leather chairs and watch the fantastic scenery drift slowly by.
We all know the big tourist attraction in ports such as Istanbul, Singapore and San Francisco – here, we talk to savvy expats and travel experts to find out what the locals love.
What can you say about New York that hasn't already been said? New York is an imposing city, packed with history and culture, energy and vitality, and it's a city which is always on the move..........
Cruising up the Tagus River is one of many reasons why cruising is so special, and if your ship docks at the new Alfama terminal your backdrop will be the the small hillside occupied the city's stunning Moorish Alfama district.....
Located on the southern shore of the island of Zealand, Scandinavia's largest city is also the historic gateway to the Baltic Sea. A charming and architecturally interesting city, it is great for exploring at leisure on foot, an interesting blend of cobblestone streets......
This popular port of call, located at the southern tip of the Baja Peninsula on the Mexican Riviera, has a reputation for being a playground, a party haven and a winter retreat for North Americans........
She's the most specious ship yet from luxury line Oceania Cruises. James Sitters tells Rose Kelly and Peter Lynch what's on board the new class of ship, including restaurants, spas and suites.
