Ship to shore
Set sail for a trip of a lifetime to Central America
As we sauntered down Jimmy Cliff Boulevard, the song Wonderful World, Beautiful People came into my head. It couldn’t have been more apt. We were returning to Jamaica from a fantastic adventure that had seen us zip lining in Costa Rica, visiting the world-famous Panama Canal and taking in the colour and beauty of the Colombian city of Cartagena.
Our trip had started at Montego Bay where, after dipping our toes into the crystal-blue water, we boarded our home for the week, the Marella Discovery 2. Our “Pride of Panama” itinerary was the perfect mix of downtime and excitement. And as we set sail, we raised our glasses to the most beautiful sunset of orange and red. It became a ritual we continued during the week.
Next stop was Santa Marta, the oldest town in Colombia.
It is teeming with cafés and restaurants and very easy to walk around, with the highlights being the cathedral and the huge monument to Simón Bolívar, known as The Liberator and a national icon in South America. (Bolivia is named after him and he spent his last days in Santa Marta
until his death in 1830.) We took in the sights of the artisan market and stopped off for a lovely Colombian coffee – what else? As we wanted to make the most of the day, we headed off to Rodadero Beach to swim in the Caribbean Sea. With the sun beating down on the white sand and coconut trees rustling in the breeze, it was heaven, and an image of Colombia many people wouldn’t expect.
After years of drug problems with cartels and Pablo Escobar, the King of Cocaine, Colombia is on a mission to change perceptions and it is working. Our next stop was Cartagena. It is picture-perfect, with colourful buildings, cobbled streets and heaps of history. It is the only walled town in the Americas and was built to protect against pirates. You can really imagine it in its swashbuckling days, helped by local ladies, known as palanqueras, wandering around in the traditional dress of the Colombian flag – as one local told us, yellow for the sun, blue for the sea and red for independence – selling pineapples and mangoes.
Cartagena, which is a UNESCO World Heritage site, played a key part in the Spanish Inquisition and at the Plaza de Bolívar, you can visit the Palacio de la Inquisición. The building is beautiful on the outside but hides a very dark secret as is clear from the
Ventana de la Denuncia, the window where people would go to denounce those who were not following the faith.
Every November, Cartagena also plays host to the Miss Colombia pageant – a huge deal in this country. The rich and famous travel in for the event as it ties in with their independence day and the city is mobbed. You can see street art on the pavement of all the winners going back decades. (In 2015 Miss Colombia was briefly and wrongly crowned Miss Universe when the host Steve Harvey got her mixed up with actual winner Miss Philippines.)
By now we were getting into the swing of life on the ship, and after a long day of sightseeing there was something really lovely about coming back knowing that everything was on hand. The toughest choices were where to eat and what – with seven restaurants to choose from you could eat somewhere different every evening, from Italian to surf and turf or Asian. Marella Cruises are all inclusive, too, including tips, which takes the stress out of wondering whether you are going to be landed with a hefty bill for drinks at the end and the awkwardness of who gets what.
The ship had a very fun and mixed vibe with seasoned cruisers as well as first-timers, groups of friends and young families. There were trivia quizzes around the pool and a brilliant DJ, who blasted a lot of tunes from the Caribbean and South America, as well as old favourites. But there were equally a lot of areas where you could retreat for peace and quiet,
including an adults-only deck and a library.
Next stop after Cartagena was the Panama Canal, where we found our inner geek. It is an incredible feat of engineering and eye-wateringly expensive to pass through – we are talking hundreds of thousands of pounds in some cases, depending on your cargo. The 82km route connects the Atlantic with the Pacific and takes between eight and 10 hours – compared to three weeks if you travel all the way around South America. We watched with fascination as the water levels dropped and the locks opened. A true modern wonder of the world.
Our final destination was Costa Rica where we took advantage of a fantastic ship excursion to go zip lining in the rainforest. With the safety lesson over and harnesses and hard hats on, we went to the highest platform and began to zigzag our way through the trees as beautiful birds chirruped around us. It really brought out the big kids in us – even more so when we munched on bananas and chocolate at the end, Costa Rica’s biggest exports. On terra firma, we headed to the Tortuguero National Park where we took a boat along the canal and spotted lizards camouflaged against the leaves and sloths being, well, slothful. Costa Ricans are said to be one of the happiest people in the world and it is easy to see why. With an extraordinary biodiversity, sunshine, beaches and chocolate, what’s not to like?
Back at the ship, we had one last day at sea before returning to Montego Bay. With 1,800 passengers and 750 crew, everyone is cared for brilliantly – and never once did we feel overwhelmed or overcrowded. The ship’s captain Chris Douglass ran a brilliant operation and his joy at being in charge certainly filtered down to the passengers.
On the home stretch, we left our balcony door open. There is something so blissful about hearing the water rippling against the sides, and the vastness of the ocean also makes you realise how small we are in the world. Now I just want to explore more of it…