Rica


me the opportunity to explore. Artfully combining naval tradition with modern technology, there are 85 air-conditioned cabins decked out with mahogany and brass fittings, en suite bathrooms, TVs and double beds, where sailors of yesteryear once slept in hammocks. The fore and aft decks each have small plunge pools; the dignified wood-panelled Library boasts a fascinating array of books; and the relaxing lounge area is an ideal place to find respite from the heat. However, my favourite perch quickly became the cat’s cradle of netting under- neath the Bow Sprit – once known as the widow-maker thanks to the number of sailors who fell off – watching for the pods of dolphins that often swam alongside us.


The dining room is intimate and informal with free seating, which leads to a convivial atmosphere and – usually – drinks in the open-sided Tropical Bar.


T


he evening entertainment was homespun and fun: no lavish shows but music every night from the


resident singer, as well as performances of folk music and dancing by local artists. We even had comical – and competitive – frog races, using large, flat wooden frogs. On my second night at sea, the gentle motion of the ship was like being rocked in a cradle. I slept like a baby and woke to find we’d anchored in Panama’s Gulf of Chiriquí and a landscape dotted with dozens of islets.


 Summer 2011 I WORLD OF CRUISING 61


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