Blog Archive

Hanging out in Havana

‘Do you want a piece of toast?’ I joked to the man next to me on deck, as the ship manoeuvred into Havana harbour. The man in question was John Lenahan, comedian and magician whose cv in the ship’s daily programme revealed that he was also the voice of the toaster in comedy sci fi continue reading »


From Panama to Mexico… and back again

We’re heading south again, down the Pacific coast. In the last few days we’ve called at Acapulco, then Guatemala, then Nicaragua. By the time the cruise is over we will have dipped our toes into every Latin American country from Colombia to Mexico; each visit is frustratingly short but fascinating and now at least I continue reading »


Ukuleles on the Spanish Main

Arriving in a new country by air, everywhere looks very similar. Arriving by sea is a slow reveal, especially when we approach in daylight. Our first view of St Lucia was of glorious forested mountains, neat multicoloured houses and small harbour and bays. Port of Spain, Trinidad was a noisy city, Aruba affluent and low continue reading »


Oh no, not Biscay again!

Where lies the land to which the ship must go? Far far ahead is all her seamen know And where the land she travels from? Away, Far, far behind, is all that they can say   (A H Clough) It is impossible to comprehend what it must have been like to sail south west across continue reading »


Running away to sea (again!)

They say there are two stages to seasickness; the first is when you’re afraid you’re going to die and the second is when you’re afraid you’re not. Conditions were not particularly severe in the Bay of Biscay on Oceana’s first day out from Southampton, just a bit of an echoing swell from storm Barbara further continue reading »