29th January 2019 In my last blog, I forgot to mention an amusing incident during our visit to Antigua. We had been resting our feet on a bench in the main square, seeking refuge from the midday heat beneath a pretty mimosa tree, when Sue decided she fancied some cashew nuts from a passing vendor.… Continue Reading

26th January 2019 Now that we are heading north along the coast of Central America, we are beginning to see more signs of life in the sea around us. Occasionally, we encounter a freighter swiftly passing a mile or so away in the opposite direction, something we did not witness during our entire Atlantic crossing.… Continue Reading

23rd January 2019 There was a full cruise day after Aruba before we reached the entrance to the Panama Canal, a farewell to the Caribbean, which had treated us well: calm seas, blue skies, heat, and plenty of great views and memories. We picked up the pilot somewhere out to sea at 5.30 am. The… Continue Reading

22nd January 2019 When you share a tin can with 1,800 people for any length of time, you’re bound to encounter some interesting characters. Previous cruises have shown us that the human form can reach truly eye-watering proportions in both size and shape, undoubtedly exacerbated by the constant availability of food. However, in Columbus, such… Continue Reading

19th January 2019 We are now fully settled into the ship’s routine of entertainment and mealtimes, supplementing it with visits to the cabin, gym, and deck. Of course, we have the flexibility to eat whenever we wish, skip an activity, or even reconsider a club or group we initially dismissed, whether for being too energetic… Continue Reading

8th January 2019 A delay in refuelling meant we didn’t leave our berth in Amsterdam until midnight, by which time we were snug in our cabin, asleep. The following sea day meant that, on waking, we read the ship’s daily magazine in earnest and planned our activities between meals and the evening entertainment. I had… Continue Reading

7th January 2019 Whether we made it onto our next cruise depended on Sue getting well. Neither of us wanted to repeat last January’s disappointment of cancelling our trip down the Amazon. With that in mind, Sue resolutely stuck to the task, staying in her pyjamas for four days, keeping herself warm, dosing herself with… Continue Reading