On my first night in Toronto, I decided to do something I’d never done before…go on a night cruise aboard a ship that was out of the ordinary! I went on a 3 ½ hour salsa cruise 🙂
Mariposa Cruises has been the largest and most popular hospitality cruise operator in Toronto for nearly 30 years. They have been offering sightseeing tours, private charters and celebrations, scenic dining excursions, sunset dinners, cocktail cruises as well as daily harbor tours. Departing from their prime location at Queens Quay, in Toronto’s Harbourfront, it is the best way to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city, even if it’s for a few hours.
They teamed up with the organizers Salsa in Toronto Festival
which is celebrating its 11th edition in 2015 and they brought the party on board! 3 Latin-themed cruises are programmed in July (2, 8th (the one I went on) and the 16th).
Being a Salsa lover (I absolutely adore Marc Anthony & anyone can affirm that), I thought it would be a great idea to go and shake what my momma gave me!
Now even though I was on my own, it did not stop me from going and have some fun! After all I have that restless adventurous soul and trust me there’s hardly a dull moment. I never know what will happen and that keeps me on my toes and I just love it! Live life to the max right?
Getting to the quay where our ship, the Northern Spirit, was super easy. It is only a few minutes away from Union Station and can be reached via streetcar or by foot.
From there it is very easy to spot it and the only thing to do is to wait patiently in order to embark at 7 p.m.
Everything is done in an orderly manner and once inside,
you can walk around the ship and choose where you wish to be seated.
I was bold enough to ask a couple, Diana and her husband from Romania if it was okay for me to join them and they said yes! I was very happy to get to know them as we talked over a glass of Jackson Triggs Cabernet Sauvignon (yes, I love wine you know? 🙂
and discussed about our travels and life in general. I couldn’t have chosen better!
Since dinner is included in the price of the ticket, the staff prepared the Latin American style buffet and it was served shortly after leaving the quay at around 8:30.
I had done quite a lot of walking after arriving in the queen city, so I pretty much worked out an appetite so I was definitely ready to refuel!
Each table is numbered, so we got called and lined up. I opted for grilled chicken, dirty rice, corn on the cob and a small bun. Simple but delicious, yum!
As we enjoyed our food, we could admire the city skyline fading away and we went down on Lake Ontario. I loved the fact that it was almost time for sunset and that (along with the sunrise is one of my favorite times of the day).
After dinner, all guests were invited to go to the upper deck for a free salsa lesson from the pros. It is just some basic steps and then the music is played and it was fun to watch so many people, from all walks of life, to take two steps forward and two steps back!
I’ll be honest with you and tell you that I was only a spectator because I am already a dancer, I think we Latin Americans are born with it. It’s in our DNA 🙂
I also had the chance to talk with more great people (I was so surprised at how friendly the guests were and made you feel welcome); especially Jane and her husband Frank from Burlington. She came straight to me and started chatting as if we were old friends. I guess it says that I am a social butterfly on my forehead!
I really loved the spectacular views before me and once it got dark, the best show started. Toronto got illuminated and it was just incredible!
In all the years I have been going back and forth to the city (and living there for 2 years) I had never seen it from the water and that itself was a feat! Priceless if you ask me.
After going down for coffee, churros with chocolate (drool) and fresh fruit, we were treated to a sensational performance by Los Salsamanos who fired up the dance floor! Now they sure leave anyone speechless and make us say “wow!” They were spinning and twirling and owned the entire place 🙂 we all cheered and screamed in delight, which was unforgettable!
Believe it or not, 3 hours go by in a flash and before we knew it, we were coming back towards our departure point. It was past 11 p.m. and as we say in Spanish “Colorin, Colorado, este cuento se ha terminado” All good things (sadly) come to an end 😦
We docked at Harbourfront at around 11:30 p.m., disembarked and we all went our way. I waited for my travel companions on the Quay and bid farewell. It wouldn’t have been the same without them and it was an experience I will never forget.
If you are ever in Toronto, I recommend you go on a scenic cruise and admire the city from the water. Have a nice drink or a summerlicious (bbq-style) dinner and just enjoy it!
Mariposa cruises have the right cruise just for you! Check out their website for more information on upcoming events or why not follow them on their social media accounts
Twitter: https://twitter.com/MariposaCruises
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mariposa.cruises
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/mariposacruises
Now I’m curious and would like to know…
Are you a cruise fan?
When was last time you went on one and where was it?
I can’t wait to read from you!
Until next time, happy summer and happy cruising!
All the best
K 🙂
Note: I was a guest of Mariposa Cruises however all opinions are mine as always.
Traveller Soul 