HAPPY NEW YEAR 2026
from Martin!
This is my annual newsletter, I would welcome receiving your news too!
Last Christmas I was lecturing on board the Viking Saturn in the Ionian Sea. I gave five lectures on the cruise and got home at midnight on the 30th of December 2024. On New Year's Eve I attended Jane Eminson's line dance social.
One week later I was on my way to South America, lecturing on board the Azamara Journey. I flew out via Amsterdam to Aruba and back from Lima in Peru via Sao Paulo in Brazil. I went to five new ports and two new countries: Ecuador and Peru. I gave eight lectures and led eight Ballroom and Latin American dance classes. It was another fabulous cruise escorting five tours with one new cruise line and one new cruise ship to add to my record!
In February I went to South Africa, lecturing on board the Azamara Quest. I flew out via Dubai to Cape Town with Emirates and back via Frankfurt with Lufthansa. My two hundredth cruise was another fabulous voyage, with seven ballroom dance workshops, six lectures, five tours and one ship new to me. At the end of the month, I lunched in the brand new Ivy restaurant in Bournemouth with my friend David.
In March and April I went on three Viking Star cruises around the Mediterranean. My 201st cruise was most successful, the high point being the visit to the Postojna caves and Predjama castle in sLOVEnia. This was only my second visit to this beautiful country. I also greatly enjoyed the Paklenika National Park Hike in Croatia. My 202nd cruise was also most successful, the high point being the visit to Vincent van Gogh's asylum at St Remy-de-Provence. This provided useful photographs for my VvG lecture My 203rd cruise was most enjoyable, the high point being the visit to Leonardo's home town of Vinci. This provided useful photographs for my Leonardo da Vinci lecture.
In May I went on four Viking Sea cruises around the Mediterranean. The first cruise ended with TWO visits on successive days to the famous white marble quarries of Carrara. I returned to lovely Bari in Italy for the second time after seventeen years on the second cruise. The high point of the third cruise was the famous bridge at Mostar on my first visit to the country of Bosnia Herzegovina. The best highlights of the fourth cruise were the new Acropolis Museum in Athens, the Hillside Houses in Ephesus and the great edifices of Istanbul.
In June and July I spent two months relaxing at home during our FOUR heatwaves.
In August I lectured on two cruises on the Silversea Silver Muse. I was quite taken by the brand new coffee pod machine in my stateroom. I now have TWO machines at home for the TWO different types of coffee pod! The first Silversea cruise included a visit to the Hysterical Museum in Athens. The second Silversea cruise included a return to Monemvasia the Greek Gibraltar after twelve years, a train ride to Olympia from Katakolon and a first visit to Bodrum in Turkey. I thought the latter was even nicer than Kusadasi further up the coast.
In September I did a single cruise on the Viking Sky from Bergen in Norway to Barcelona in Spain. It included a great day trip to Paris and a first visit to Coimbra, the Portuguese university city. My two Open University (OU) MSc students submitted their dissertations and I gained just one new student for the next year.
In October I lectured on three Oceania Vista cruises. The first cruise included first visits to Sirince, Lassithi, Nea Kameni & Ano Mera. On the second cruise came a first visit to the Greek island of Milos in the Cyclades. The third cruise included a first trip to Lake Bled in sLOVEnia, the only country with LOVE in its name.
In November I did two cruises on the Viking Neptune. The first cruise included a day in Sorrento & Pompeii. I taught a ballroom waltz dance class for the first time on a Viking cruise. On the second cruise I spent a lovely day in Florence.
In December I stayed with my sister-in-law Pam for a couple of nights, before driving to Tilbury. Here I joined the Ambassador Ambience cruise going to the Scandinavian Christmas markets. Towards the end of the year I turned down a long haul cruise to Easter Island, Pitcairn & French Polynesia with Azamara. I can't face those long flights any more and they are tender ports which we might not have gotten into. I also declined to bid for a South African cruise with Azamara which was also going to Madagascar, Reunion and Mauritius.
I plan to have Christmas dinner with my friend Mark and New Year's Eve at Jane's line dance social. During the year I also danced at classes and socials with Karl Harry Winson, Sue Payne, Pauline Westcott, Alan Joy and Jenny Lee (no relation). When I was at home, I also went ballroom dancing with Sue Grahame at the Pavilion ballroom. During the year I watched some Bournemouth Natural Science Society (BNSS) lectures at home, via Zoom.
At the time of writing I have eight cruises booked for 2026. I hope you and your family and friends are keeping well. Do keep in touch!
Kindest regards,
Martin.
Martin's Website 2021 11 Cruises 2022 12 Cruises 2023 13 Cruises 2024 16 Cruises 2025 18 Cruises 2025 Cruises: 10 Viking 3 Oceania 2 Azamara 2 Silversea 1 Ambassador 18 Cruises