The navigation team sailing the Americas has a tricky manoeuvre to manage. The highlight of the voyage for passengers is traversing the Panama Canal, but cruising the locks requires maximum skill and concentration. Meanwhile, in Europe, Nottinghamshire couple Claire and Graham are whale spotting in Tenerife. Unfamiliar with scouring the horizon, they could do with a tip from security officer Rich who, after four decades at sea, has a database filled with thousands of ship sightings.

The MS Nieuw Statendam prepares to set sail from Fort Lauderdale on a two-week voyage around the Caribbean, and it falls to British cruise and travel director Clare to get the party started. British travellers Richard and Jackie are in full holiday mode as the ship is carefully navigated out of the busy cruise port. Next stop is the Dominican Republic, where the couple visit a chocolate-making co-operative. However, it's the ship's 'Dressy Night' that's the icing on the cake as, under the direction of chef Sinu, the galley staff work hard to create a 'taste explosion' that blows away the cruisers.