Cruising the Panama Canal onboard NCL's Norwegian Pearl

The old city of Cartagena, a 10-minute, $20 ride from the cruise port, is a fabulous collection of historic Spanish architecture protected by thick defensive walls built after the city was ransacked by Sir Francis Drake in the 16th century.

Today it revels in its authentic ambience and colourful past, which attracts tourists by the thousands. Unfortunately, it seems to attract a similar number of hawkers too, but we soon become adept at batting off their sales pitches.

It’s a contrast to our first port stop at the Dutch Caribbean island of Aruba where we spend a lazy day at stunning Eagle Beach with its impressive expanse of blinding white sand.

But Costa Rica claims the top prize as we take a canopy tour that has us speeding through the treetops at up to 30mph.

It’s exhilarating and fun, but my highlight comes at the end when a large furry sloth climbs on to the last zip line – bringing everything to a standstill – and stubbornly refuses to budge.

There are more wild encounters on our boat ride through the jungle where we spot howler monkeys, sleepy sloths, exotic birds and even a baby crocodile.

This may have been our final port call, but with two days of sailing back to Miami we can throw ourselves into life onboard Norwegian Pearl. From line-dancing and salsa sessions to fitness classes and an entertaining Mr Sexy Legs contest that we watch with much amusement by the pool.

We are among the first Brits to enjoy NCL’s new Premium All Inclusive plan, which covers gratuities and drinks (up to $15). Not having to think about such extras makes it all so much more enjoyable.

However, we’re not so sure about the 40 bottles of water that appear in our cabin as part of the litre a day per person allowance, though we’re kept well hydrated.

With so many restaurants, we dine at a different venue nearly every night; from delicious pastas and pizzas at Italian La Cucina to succulent meats carved from skewers by “gaucho” waiters at Brazilian steakhouse Moderno Churrascaria.

Speciality restaurants like these carry a charge (or you can buy a dining package, $69 for three meals), but everywhere we eat, including the impressive Garden Cafe buffet, the cuisine is of a similarly high standard.

However, our favourite, by far, is the Japanese Teppanyaki, where boisterous chefs add singing and showmanship to their culinary skills by juggling knives and eggs as they cook up a delicious feast of egg-fried rice and succulent meats.

It’s an experience, like so many others on this cruise, which leaves us wanting to come back for more.

Book it: A 13-night package including an 11-night round-trip sailing into the Panama Canal from Miami and an overnight stay in Miami pre-cruise starts from £2,254pp including flights, transfers, drinks and gratuities. Price is based on two sharing and a March 11, 2018 departure. ncl.co.uk

A six-hour Adventure Combo Shared Tour at Puerto Limon in Costa Rica with a rainforest zip-line experience and a nature cruise through the jungle canals, costs from £135pp. cruisingexcursions.com