Cruise M1106
on the M.S. Braemar
around Central America

(Please scroll down to see my photographs and report)


Date:	Port:	Escort:	Comment:
17/03/2011	Bridgetown Barbados	-	Lazaretto & Tyrol Cot
19/03/2011	St. George's Grenada	East Coast Drive	West Coast Drive!
21/03/2011	Santa Marta Colombia	Tayrona Natural National Park	Granite coast
22/03/2011	Cartagena de Indias Colombia	By land & sea	Castle, cruise & shops
24/03/2011	Colón Panamá	Panama Canal Cruise	3 locks, 2 bridges & 1 Subway lunch!
25/03/2011	Puerto Limón Costa Rica	Train, cruise & countryside	Bananas!
27/03/2011	Roatan Island Honduras	Snapshot	Iguanas, cruise & beach
28/03/2011	Belize City Belize	Lamanai & New River	Powerboat to the pyramids!
29/03/2011	Cozumel Island Mexico	Tulum Mayan Ruins	Again!
31/03/2011	Montego Bay Jamaica	-	Resorts

Maggie & me

Tulum Mayan Ruins

Here's my report on the cruise:

Just to let you know that I have just got back from my cruise around Central America on the Braemar. I drove up to Gatwick and left my car on Adrian Forward's drive in Purley. This was my second cruise as a port lecturer.

I gave 7 lectures which were well received and I was a tour escort in 8 ports. I danced most evenings as a fifth host but was able to go to bed at 10:30 if I was tired! I bumped into Debbie Snashall, proprietor of Dance Afloat, in Montego Bay. I watched the film "The King's Speech" on the flight back getting home at noon. The high spot, literally, was climbing the Mayan pyramid at Lamanai in Belize (British Honduras).

The Cruise Director wrote: "All of his talks were very well researched as he has been to almost every place he was lecturing on. He used his time as a dance host to go on the tours and visit the areas and both myself and Sandra the tours manager were impressed."

Good points were:

Eating in the Thistle Restaurant when two speciality buffets took place in the Palms Café.
Eating in the lovely triple aspect Palms Café for most meals.
Having a twin outside cabin all to myself!
First time in the Pacific Ocean.
No rain!

For the record ...

Food: Excellent, best in the fleet!
Tours: Eight (see table above).
Weather: Excellent, no rain.
New ports: Pacific Ocean on the Panama Canal Cruise tour.
Sailaways: Several.
Tea dance: One.
Masonics: Hosted by Steve Bumstead.
Service clubs: Hosted by Ivor Hadfield.
Dinner host: No.
Line dancing: Yes, one class led by me.
Sequence dancing: Some, particularly the Square Tango!
Ballroom dancing: Lots.
Western night: Yes, participation line dancing led my me.
Tropical night: Yes, participation tropical dancing led by the lovely Jackie Probert.
British (Red, White & Blue) night: Yes.
Singles party: Yes, but I didn't go.
Singles lunch: No.
Formal nights: Three.
Cocktail parties: Two.
Captain: Tom Hansen.
Cruise Director: Allan Tait.
Assistant Cruise Director: Jackie Probert.
Hostesses: Abigail Greening and Imee Tatel.
Hosts: Tom Grinstead and Elliot Taylor from BoMo.
Cabin mate: None!
Dance couple: The lovely Fiona & Steve Bumstead.
Other dance hosts: Gordon Jackson the Ofsted Inspector from North Hampshire & Ivor Hadfield from Birmingham.
Lecturer(s): Joe Harland (History) and me (Ports of call).
Musician(s): Jonathan Ainsworth (classical piano), Enrique Cabiluna (piano), Hubert Greaves (steel drums), Pat Shannon (troubador), 4th Dimension (pop) and the Rosario Trio (classical).
Comedian(s): Ron Dale from Scotland.
Singer(s): Jane Beaumont and Ma. Lou from the Philippines.
Magician: Mark Shortland from Northampton.
Cabin: 3015 outside twin.
Passenger(s): Angela, Maggie, Frances, Kate from London and Margaret from Oban.