During Lamb's adventures in Barcelona, Palma and Ibiza, he met an eclectic and diverse mixture of locals who all have a story to tell – known as ‘Cruise Mates’.
The challenge follows a recent study by Thomson Cruises and the Human Nature Research Lab at Yale University, which found that Brits who bond with up to five new people from different cultures whilst on holiday can experience a happiness boost of 10%.
In Barcelona, Lamb explored Boqueria market, where he met Junaito, the owner of Bar Pinotxo, which he runs with his nephew. He has worked at the restaurant for almost 70 years and it is often referred to as the most famous tapas bar in the Boqueria.
After a stroll down Las Ramblas, Lamb met with Christine Blanco Eslava and Raphael, who practice the traditional art of flamenco dance and music. The pair recruited Lamb to drum the Cajon, a wooden box instrument to keep the timings of the dance.
In Palma de Mallorca, Lamb was keen to discover a selection of outdoor pursuits. Palma sees pro-athletes visit the town for its flat terrain and warm climate. Here he met and cycled with Thelonious, a Mallorcan born cycling and hiking expert.
In his final Cruise Mate destination Lamb went in search of the freshest seafood in Ibiza and met with local fisherman Miguel, a native Ibizan who grew up in a traditional fishing family and catches seafood that is sold to local restaurants and markets.
Miguel invited Lamb to join him for a ride in his boat to learn about the local fishing scene and to sample the fresh daily catch. He then visited ‘El Chiringuito de Dona Maria’, commonly known as ‘the Fish Shack’ - to prepare and cook lunch with owner, Samar whose family has run the restaurant for the past 38 years.
Following his trip, Lamb commented: 'I have been lucky enough to travel the world during my career, meeting a diverse group of people from across the globe, but I’ve never had the opportunity to experience a cruise. I teamed up with Thomson Cruises to show there is a wealth of amazing people from different cultures and backgrounds that cruise-goers can meet when they step ashore at a new destination.'
Managing director of Thomson Cruises, Richard Sofer, said: 'We knew that Larry had a love of travel and meeting new people – made evident by his ability to speak five different languages. It was great to see him really get into the spirit of the trip.'
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