Karen Wright: Hanging out with my new cruise buddies

It is a fact that wherever you travel in the world you are likely to meet someone you know or at least someone from your hometown. I recognised a Wakefield accent in the dining room a few days ago and couldn’t resist introducing myself and getting acquainted. Now we are bosom cruise buddies and really enjoy hanging out together. My new pals, Christine, Brian and Heather Shaw, are great fun and very active. They persuaded me to brave a dip in the sea and I was so thankful that I did. The water was turquoise and as clear as a bell and, once I got over the initial chill, it was absolutely wonderful. I felt totally rejuvenated afterwards and was ready for the next activity, which was an afternoon nap!!! That evening we met up in the grand atrium before heading to one of the many restaurants to share an evening meal together.

We have visited Madeira and all four of the main Canary Islands and now we are on the homeward stretch. However, there are still some exciting places to go as we have stops at Cadiz and Lisbon. I’ve really been enjoying the blue skies, the warmer weather and the slower pace of cruise travel.

Work doesn’t stop completely for me though as I have a very quick turnaround once back home. I will need to reset and head north to The Scottish Caravan and Motorhome Show in Glasgow where I am presenting along with Siobhan Daniels - a solo traveller and author - on the Caravan and Motorhome Club Stand. I have a showstopper cake already made to take with me and boxes of my book Meals on the Move: A Campsite Cooking Journey to promote.

In the meantime, I am looking forward to today at sea, taking in a talk, having a dip in the pool and joining my mum for bingo. Hasta la vista!