Day 2 and it is a sea day.

First up a delicious breakfast in The Conservatory.

Mary has decided to go to a craft workshop. She is making some Christmas decorations out of material. I decide to read and then meet up with Middy and Chris for a coffee and chat. At 11am we all attend a lecture with Harvey Mann, who talked about his work with the Mountain gorillas in Africa. He worked with and then later replaced Diana Fossey. His talk was fascinating. I was enthralled. I can't wait for part two.

In the afternoon it's time for a little rest by the pool. Then lunch in the Coral Dining Room. Again the food was delicious. In the afternoon it was time for the Name That Tune quiz. The questions were all from the 1960's (before my time, that's the excuse for not doing so good) Mark was the quiz master and he was very good and funny.

Prior to the quiz we attended the Art Auction. The champagne flowed nicely. Unfortunately not many turned up so there was very little interaction. A shame really as I enjoy the art auctions.

Tonight it is the Welcome Aboard cocktail party and the first formal night. A couple of nice wines. The Captain is David Box. He seems a very pleasant man with a sense of humour.

We met our dinner mates tonight. All very nice. The meal was enjoyable. It was nice to see everyone dressed up for formal night, a major difference from all the American cruiselines.

The entertainment tonight in the International Lounge was featuring Bob Curtiss. He was one of the original "The Comedians". I found him mildly amusing. I smiled a few times but did not find him hysterically funny. However, everyone else was laughing.

Afterwards we had a drink in Tiffanys and listened to the Pianist. A nice relaxing end to the evening. Tonight there was also the Ball, however, we did not attend.

Day 3 and we have arrived in Cartegena, Columbia. The view as we sailed up the Lagoon was not what I expected. The coastline was like something out of New York. The docking area is a working port and in front of us are a large number of containers. But right in the middle of them is a beautiful looking building, which I assume is the customs building. There are plenty of pelicans and hawks flying around.

It was very hot out and looked like rain.

We had no excursions booked. We did venture out but only as far as the port shops and bar. The local beer is Acquilla and it was very nice. They also serve up some delicious tropical fruit juices. Whilst having our drink a Spanish Galleon turns up. It looks nice but is not as big as I expected it to be.
We bumped into the local police and chatted with them. They were very friendly. In fact everyone seems very friendly here.

Lunch today was in the Coral Dining Room again.

It's was Mary’s birthday today. So we had some champagne and birthday cake in our cabin with our friends Middy and Chris. Our TA, Phil, had also given a bottle of champagne for Mary as a birthday gift. Very kind and nice of him.

Our Cabin steward is Karol. He is very nice and friendly.

Dinner was delicious. I had a game mixed grill which consisted of a rabbit medallion, Wild boar sausage and Ostrich medallion. I have never had rabbit or ostrich before. The ostrich was so good I am now converted.
The show was performed by the Ship's own company, who are called The Headliners. They performed a shown called Down the Lane. It was a song and dance show of all the golden oldie musicals. The singers can certainly sing, however, not all the song choices were my favourite. Everyone seemed to enjoy it.

We had another drink in Tiffany's after the show. The waitress, Angelina, had us in stitches. She is a lovely girl and in my opinion a real asset to P&O.

Day 4
We arrived in Colon, Panama about 30 minutes late. The lateness was due to the high sea temperatures affecting the engines. As we approached the docking area you can see all the ships queuing up to enter the Panama Canal.
The docking area at the cruise terminal is quite small. A new one is being built nearby. The Cruise terminal has a shopping centre. The Super 99 is a supermarket which sells very cheap alcohol.

The cost of stamps here is 43p (better than the £2.12 in Cartagena)

This is Artemis's first time in Colon so there was the customary exchanging of plaques.

We took a P&O excursion to Gatun Locks and Portobello. Arthur was our guide (an excellent guide).

En route to the locks our driver pulls up a few times for us to photo's of alligators, sloths and iguana's.

At the Gatun Locks you have to climb a few steps up to a viewing platform which is level with the locks. We were lucky to see 2 ships enter and leave the locks and another one just enter. About 40 ships will go through the locks each day. A live commentary is provided in both English and Spanish.
I was just in awe of seeing these freighters go through such small locks. It is truly an impressive sight.

At the entrance is a small tourist shop. We were able to buy a guide book.
At Portobello we saw two Spanish forts and several cannons aligning the fort. The views over the bay are beautiful and well worth the photo. We are also on the edge of the tropical forest.

The town of Portobello has a population of 3000 people. There are only 2 streets. One street was the historic market street of the 16th and 17th Centuries. The English were so impressed them name a market after it in London.

We visited the Customs House and saw a video on the town's history.
We were invited to go to the Church of the Black Christ for photo's and lighting of candles. However there was funeral about to commence. I felt it was a bit disrespectful to enter. The town has started 9 days of mourning and practically the whole town had turned out for the funeral.
We went next door and saw some very colourful and rich looking vestments.
There was opportunity to go to an Indian Market stall and purchase some hand made goods.

By the way the local beer costs 50 cents.

The cabaret on day 4 was a singer by the name of Suzanne Gayle. She was very good.

It was also Fiesta Party night on the Lido Deck. The bunting is out and everybody is singing and dancing. It is a good atmosphere and everyone is having fun. It is good to see the crew from all departments joining in.
We are at the end of a rainy season. In Panama it runs from April to December. One minute the sun is out and it is hot, the next moment the skies open. Most unusual. So be prepared and bring a light waterproof jacket.

Day 5
We have been woken up by an important announcement from the Captain. Due to the bad weather outside (during the night we came across Force 9 gales) there are big swells etc the Captain has decided that for our safety and that of the crew and ship the stop at Limon, Costa Rica has been cancelled. We had a Sea Day. All those on excursions are to have their monies refunded to their ship board accounts. It is sad as I was due to go the Sloth Sanctuary; it was to be one of the highlights of the trip. However the safety of everyone is paramount and the Captain has made the right decision. Some people moaned. They do need to get a life. The cruise director is hastily put together a revised entertainments plan for the day.

The cabaret for the night was changed as the performer was due to get on the ship in Limon.

I went to Part 2 of Harvey Mann’s "Gorilla in the Mists" talk. It was enthralling. If you get the opportunity to see one of his talks do go. For me it is one of the highlights of the cruise.

In the afternoon I went to the "Behind the Scenes with the Headliners". This was hosted by the Cruise Director. It was an informative Q&A session on how to put on a show. I enjoyed it.

However by 4pm I succumbed and went to bed. My stomach was all over the place. After a couple of hours it calmed down a bit, so we had dinner and watched Bob Curtiss in cabaret. I thought he was far better than his first night.

I have to say that considering the short notice in the port cancelation the ship's crew were quick to lay on a full entertainment schedule. Well done Artemis.

We have also found out that due to the bad weather many roads in Costa Rica had disappeared under flooding and landslides. This was on top of the 6.2 earthquake that shook the country that morning. I think we were very lucky

Day 6
We are up at 5:30am as Artemis approaches the Gatun Locks. The seas are calm. A tour guide has come on board to give us a talk on the canal, about its history and what we can see.

The canal also produces the electricity and fresh water for Panama. When they flooded the area a total of 17 villages disappeared. They are now in the process of building a new lock and canal system to cater for the larger ships.
In front of us a freighter is in the lock. At the back of the lock is a bridge where buses and cars are passing through. They are like little spots against the freighters.

As we enter the locks we are attached to the mules. I always thought that they pulled the ships along the locks, but they are used to stablelise the ships.

A helicopter is flying above us. P&O are doing a promo film for Artemis. So we may be featured. Some of the crew are alongside on the docks taking the ship's photos.

There are 3 locks to go through. Each takes 8 minutes to fill. It is fascinating to watch. As we leave the locks we enter Lake Gatun. A few ships are waiting to come in, but they will have to wait until this afternoon. The Lake is so beautiful. The water is calm. It is a bit like paradise. Parrots are flying around. This is certainly worth visiting.

The sun was out this afternoon and it is blisteringly hot.

The transit of the canal is truly remarkable; I would say one of Must Do things that should be done. Lake Gatun is so beautiful. We did not see much wildlife (unless you can include Middy & Chris). We saw a number of birds, vultures, pelicans and a few others. We also saw a turtle taking a ride through Pedro Miquel locks. As we leave the Miraforres Locks we anchor for 3 hours, The Captain was to pick up some lubricating oil as it is cheap here. As you look out to see there are 26 ships of various sizes waiting to enter the canal.

That afternoon I saw another talk with Harvey Mann. This time it was called "Big Cat Live". It was interesting. Tomorrow he is talking about Elephants.

During Harvey's talk an announcement was made for the "Assessment Team" to attend a cabin. A couple of minutes later they were advised to stand down. Rumour has it a smoker was smoking in her bathroom and set off the alarms. If that is true then I hope they through the book at her.

There was a BBQ on deck today. It drew a big crowd. There were also some party games around the pool.

Mary was back at her crafting class making decorations for Christmas.
The show was "Another Opening, Another Show" performed by the Ship's company. They sang 50 songs in 50 minutes. The show was good, although I did not like all the songs. The singers can really sing. One of the male singers is excellent but he lets himself down as he has a permanent smile on his face. I could slap him one. LOL. We were told yesterday that the two male singers had 2 left feet and could not dance. Well I think they did a good job tonight.

It was horse racing tonight. That appears to be were everyone is congregating. It appears to be a laugh.

Day 7

I went to the Cookery Demonstration. It was both informative and entertaining. The free Caribbean Rum punch went down well. Found out two fascinating facts, or not. The Indian people do not like Lamb or the smell of it, however they love mutton. The other fact is that the cruise ships are not allowed to source vegetables from local ports. They all have to be bought from America. It seems a bit protectionist and not a very eco friendly policy.

We have had our second "Assessment Alert". This time it was in the galley. They must have burnt the toast. All gangways hand to be cleared. The goods on sale in the Atrium disappeared before you knew it. Anyway we are on stand down now.

We have been lucky to have some dolphins swimming alongside the ship.
Harvey Mann's talk on the saving of elephants in Namibia was again very good. At the beginning of this trip I did not think I would be so interested in wildlife talks.

I took part in the Music Trivia quiz. I got 43 out of 55. The winner got 46, so I wasn't far off. The quizzes on board seem to be very popular.

Another art auction was held today. I didn’t find the auctioneer that exciting or indeed any of the paintings.

It's another Formal Night tonight and the theme for tonight is James Bond. Starlight room is set up for dancing, a mini fun casino, a quiz and other activities. It was good fun for the time I was there.

The evening cabaret was Bruce Morrison. He stepped in as one of the acts did not board as missed the port at Limon. Bruce Morrison is the Director of the Headliners group and came on board as the new group had also come on board. He saw songs from Andrew Lloyd Webber musicals. He was very good but seemed to show off quite a bit.

Day 8

We have been woken up this morning with a message from the Captain. Due to high winds in the approach to the berthing area at Puntarenas it has been decided that we will not stop here. The pilot had said it was too unsafe. We have gone done the coast about 5 miles and have anchored off the coast at Puerto Caldera.

There is nothing in this little port. There is a small pontoon for our tenders. The locals are rushing around to set up their stalls. Apart from a few containers there is nothing else to see. The bay here is beautiful. The seas are calm and the sun is out and it is hot.

I was booked on the Eco Mangroves Swamp Tour. Enroute we see a few sloths up in the trees as well as plenty of termite nests. The guide gave us a very good abridged history of Costa Rica. The swamp tour was excellent. We got to see a few crocodiles, iguanas, lizards, scarlet macaw's and many other colourful birds. The boat driver seems to spot the invisible, how he does it I do not know. The boat ride was comfortable and every opportunity was given for everyone to get a photograph of everything seen. The commentary was good. I would recommend this tour to anyone.

When the tour ended we were offered a local beer, water or fruit juice as well as some fruit (pineapple, melon and banana's, all had been washed and cleaned in purified water) There was a little souvenir shop on site for a few unusual gifts, none of the usual crap they sell.

The show was "The Swinging Sixties" presented by the Headliners group. The show was very good. One downside since the show I can't help singing those 60 classic "My boomerang won't come back". There is also a 60's and 70's party on the Lido deck tonight.

Day 9

We have arrived in San Juan Del Sor, Nicaragua. The sun is out and it's HOT.
We have a tour booked to visit Hacienda Palmerno. We need to use tenders to get to land. A steel band is out to greet us. After a short ride we arrive at the Hacienda. We are the first tourists to do this trip. It is a family run business. We were met by "The Boss" the 81 year old mother and two of her sons (one of which is the Mayor). Other members of the family also turn up as do the ranches workers. The ranch works cattle, sheep and horses. We are given a demonstration of how they gather their herd and then how they milk their cows. Later we have a demonstration on how to cook traditional tortillas. During the visit the tortillas were made continuously for us to eat. We could have them plain or with fillings. We are also offered fresh coconut water with or without rum. Coffee is also available.

We are then given a talk on the history of the Hacienda. And then offered some local sweets and biscuits. Then we have a folkloric dance in the gardens, followed by the beating of the piñata. The owner’s grandchildren enjoyed collecting the sweets and then offering them around.

The Hacienda also provides Horse riding trips and a Canopy Tour (Zip lining). A display was provided for us.

This was a lovely inactive tour to do. The family made us so welcome and chatted to each and every one of us. Highly recommended.

The local beer here is Tona.

This afternoon we tried out Afternoon Tea in the Coral Dining Room for the first time. It was very nice.

Staying on the theme of food we went to the Indian Buffet tonight. My that was delicious. 10 out 10 for Artemis.
.
Mike Read, the DJ, gave an after dinner speech. I didn't bother going. I had found him to be rude and a bit arrogant towards passengers on board. Other guests said all he did was name drop.

The show was Suzanne Gayle who sang some songs from the great female singers of all time. It was a good show. Well worth seeing

Day 10

An early arrival at Hualto, Mexico. This is a beautiful port. It looks like a little bit of paradise. This is one place I'll come back to. Apparently you can get a flight from Manchester direct to Hualto.

I went on a tour. It was the rural communities and traditions. We visited people’s homes and gardens. The first stop was a medicine garden. It was small but very informative. After that we went to Adobe bricks. We saw how they made bricks from clay. They also had a banana plantation. Followed by a tasting of various types of bananas, cooked and uncooked. Then we went to a cactus farm and had a taste of cactus both cooked and uncooked. All very nice. Another part of the trip was to a souvenir shop where everything is made of palm leaves. Then over to a lime plantation. A chance to taste some fruit and drink some. Finally we went to a family house where we were cooked some fresh tortilla and shown how they were made. Much tastier than those you get back in the supermarkets.

It was the Great British sailaway on the Riviera Deck. Everyone is waving their flags and singing along. A BBQ was also on the go.

By the way the postage here for a postcard to the UK is 94p.

The show was "Made in Britain" In my opinion the best show so far. The Headliners group put their heart and soul into it. A must see show especially if you like West End Musicals.

It was also Christmas today. We had a Christmas party in Horizons. It wasn't that lively whilst I was there. Others have said it was wild. I must have been on a different ship.