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.
Some of the world’s most fascinating islands can only be reached by ship. Without airports or even bush strips, these remarkable destinations will always be reserved for committed expedition cruisers. Your 2011 Adventure Cruise Guide is out now, FREE with your latest issue of Cruise Passenger or by request here.
Planes, trains and automobiles…they’re all a hassle compared with stress-free, scenic river cruising – wherever you go. There are a lot of advantages to river cruising for experienced ocean cruisers and newcomers alike. Here are 10 of the most compelling.
Most travellers are loyal to a travel agent or have a particular website they like to use when booking a cruise ship holiday. But there are ways to save money regardless of how you like to book. Here, we look at some of them.
Cruise lingos form an integral part of cruise culture where guests and travellers get to be familiar with different nautical terms to fully enjoy cruising.
Think of a place you want to visit and it is highly likely you will find a cruise ship to take you there. Here are 10 of our favourite cruise destinations.
Picture the scene: you recline in a comfortable seat with your legs outstretched, sipping on a glass of Alsace white as you watch the French countryside flow past in a blur of yellow rapeseed fields, church steeples and fluffy skies.
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.
