LAST week I left you as we emerged aboard Viking Mars from the monumental Panama Canal and eased into the Caribbean Sea. Ahead is no standard Caribbean itinerary. Captain Atle Knutsen is eschewing the usual Caribbean islands and setting course up Central America towards Costa Rica, Honduras, Belize and Mexico.
We may be bound for Florida, but en route is a world alive with wildlife and colour that feels more Jurassic Park than theme park.
The first morning sets the tone. I step onto my balcony for breakfast into a cloak of welcoming humidity. A collage of exotic birds I cannot name – one looks like a darker version of a gannet and hunts with a similar dive – swirl around the foreground. A rich necklace of white sand beaches is all that divides the aquarium-clear waters from the sea of emerald rainforest that stretches off towards a distant fold of mountains.
READ MORE: Panama: A bridge between two continents
Handily, Viking offers inclusive excursions at every port, but in Costa Rica, I opt for an extra river kayaking and guided nature walk that delves deep into that rainforest.
The modern world slips further and further away as we eke through the tree-shrouded narrows with large tortoises and hulking lizards lumbering around the banks within touching distance.
Monkeys skip across the canopy, risking rousing the real stars of the show from their slumber – this is the first time I’ve seen sloths outside a zoo. I could watch them splayed out across the trees, only moving for an occasional scratch, all day.
The island of Roatán welcomes us to Honduras, a desperately poor country where the comparatively rare cruise ship visits are a real boost to the local economy.
I shop locally for souvenirs, then head off to Tabyana Beach to sit by the coconut trees admiring the starched white sands. The clichéd Caribbean kicks in as my fellow passengers sip on cocktails and sway to Bob Marley, breaking only to check out the souvenirs the beach hawkers offer.
READ MORE: A fishy tale with happy ending to Gigha travels
The Caribbean Sea tempts for a swim, always a joy to a Scot whose first experience of the sea as a child was swimming off Aberdeen.
Belize brings the extra excursion I am looking forward to the most. The country is swathed in the second largest reef system in the world and I join a wee boat from our ship straight to it. After the group is split into first-timers and more experienced snorkellers, we are off for a guided snorkel safari.
Instantly a massive ray silkily swishes by. Then on the other side of me, the guide points out to a massive local lobster amidst the dizzyingly bright coral. I’m reassured that all the guides stress we mustn’t touch the coral at all and definitely not try and nab a souvenir piece of this living wonder.
Our last port of call is a poignant one for me. It’s almost a quarter of a century since seminal singer Kirsty MacColl died so tragically in front of her children a week before Christmas on the Mexican island of Cozumel. They had been diving off an island that is far more laidback than Cancun just across the water on the mainland and diving is still a huge draw here.
I join the standard tour that explores Mayan culture through a cultural performance before we delve inside a historic church and enjoy free time to explore the resort. We’ve got a decent chunk of time in port so I pop back ashore afterwards to explore the streets lined with brightly coloured houses.
Going back aboard a Viking ship is always a joy and Viking Mars proves the ideal base for this Caribbean adventure.
The food is superb, whether dining at proper Italian Manfredi’s or the ever-rotating tasting menu at the Chef’s Table. Everyone gets to dine here for no extra charge. The World Café is an excellent buffet restaurant; then there is The Restaurant, offering à la carte comfort food – their lobster night is always popular. For lunch, I love the burger bar as they always cook fresh, whether it’s a classic burger or a slab of perfectly pink tuna.
It’s easy to pile on the pounds on a cruise. Again, Viking helps here as their gym is better than most clubs gyms I’ve been in. I pop there for a wee workout each day and also use the free spa circuit. Swedish staff member Thomas assures me alternating stints in the steam room and freezing snow room are great for health. He also leads the Nordic Bathing Ritual I try, complete with birch slapping. They offer excellent massage treatments in the spa too.
I end my last night in the outdoor hot tub with a celebratory sundowner. I toast this cruise to a wilder, deeply dramatic slice of the Caribbean as we make a beeline for Fort Lauderdale and a very different part of the Americas. I know which one I prefer.
Viking Cruises (www.vikingcruises.com) operates a variety of Caribbean cruises, including the Panama City to Fort Lauderdale route Robin joined
TRAVEL TIP OF THE WEEK
Save cash at the airport
In these cash-strapped times, waiting at the airport can be ruinously expensive. To save cash, take an empty plastic bottle and fill it when you’re through security. If you have a lot of time and fancy food and drink, check out the cost of lounge access as it can stack up against airport restaurants, and lounges are usually much less busy. On arrival, if you don’t have inclusive data roaming, consider switching it off and buying a local sim card. You can often get e-sims on arrival these days.
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