Panama City and The Canal!

Day 10--December 23rd

A very early rise this morning. We had a shore excursion into Panama City, both the old "vieja" and the new. I'm not quite sure why this is called Fuerte Amador and not Panama City, but there you are.

The interior of the tender taking us ashore in Panama.

Old town Panama City.

Here we were required to take a tender ashore. These boats double as life boats and normally tuck nicely up above the Promenade Deck. They must hold a good 60-70 people. It took about a 10-15 minute cruise into the breakwater and then we disembarked onto Flemenco Island just adjacent to a rather ritzy marina with, conveniently, plenty of fancy shops and restaurants. This is the outer most of the islands that sit adjacent to the canal entrance and were utilized as bases for protecting the canal entrance until recently. They were catacombed with tunnels for everything from storage to a safe haven for officers and their families during the cold war. The Smithsonian uses most of one island as a research facility and museum. Each of these islands are connected by a causeway built of the debris excavated out of the canal.

 We were whisked around in a small, well air conditioned shuttle led by a very knowledgeable, english speaking guide. He took us through the old city which is mostly either ruins, run down or on its way towards being restored depending upon where you are and its historic significance. We went into an old church with a beautiful gold alter, then a souvenir shop, then a short walk through the historic French area, then passed more souvenirs, etc. We did purchase a lovely bird mask for the walls in our office.

It rained and rained. We were soaked to the skin but we walked anyway. Back on the bus, we headed through the high rise new town much of which has been built since the Panamanian take-over of the canal. It is truly amazing to see from the sea. It looks like a modern, cosmopolitan city and it is. A new subway system, new roads, a new sewer system and restoration projects of the historic sites, long ignored, are all going on at a fast pace.

By about 12:30 we were back at the dock where we'd been picked up. Leslie decided to walk around the area ashore. She managed to overheat herself as the heat and humidity do not agree with either of us. I hopped on the next tender back to the ship, had a bit of lunch and hauled my aching heel up for a rest.

View back towards the new Panama City.

Leslie arrived back onboard about 4, too close for comfort for me. I was beginning to get worried and imagined all the horrible things that could have happened to her. Safe and sound, she walked in with a smile and a bottle of champagne she'd purchased at the duty free store on shore.

A tender heading back to the Coral Princess.

We walked up to dinner about 5:30, tired and ready for the evening. The dinner tonight, I must admit after all my complaining in yesterday's blog entry, was a huge improvement over the previous night, though my appie didn't start things out well. I ordered a calamari  dish which arrived colorless (after all, calamari alone is pretty much white). Leslie got the Swiss dried beef , which in hindsight I knew I should have ordered what with a Swiss Executive Chef. It was fantastic. I also ordered a wagon wheel pasta with a deliciously rich ox-tail ragout.

Our mains arrived next. My roasted rack of pork was perfect. It was accompanied by artichoke hearts, asparagus, carrots and potatoes with a rich sauce.

Leslie ordered a coq au vin to die for. A generous pile of her favorite mashed potatoes was the accompaniment.

We ordered a French Pinot Noir to go with our dinner and as we had every other time, asked for it to be decanted and, as before, our wait person went off a bit confused. But she returned a short time later with the sommelier we had met on our first night. He came to suggest we not decant this wine as it is a French wine and meant to open a bit at a time. He explained it in terms only a sommelier could and we learned a lot from his discussing it with us. He was still willing to decant it if we'd like. We appreciated his suggestion and went with it.

The dessert, an apple strudel and cheesecake were disappointing. We had our coffee and called it a night.

By the time we got back to our room and got comfortable, it wasn't long before we had turned out the light. Morning was going to come early with our transit of the canal.

Day 11: December 24th--Christmas Eve 2012

The Bridge of the Americas, the Pacific coast entrance
 to the canal.

We heard the tooting of horns and Leslie popped out of bed and drew the drapes back. There outside our cabin loomed the famous Bridge of the Americas. It spans the canal near Panama City and the opening of the canal. This bridge is the access for the Pan American highway that runs all the way from Alaska to near here. There is no highway into Columbia and no plans for one. You'd have to put your car on a ship and transport it south before connecting with the highway again. I'd read that the problem really is one of the incredible terrain in the way.

We passed under the bridge and into the Mira Flores locks, a set of two locks before entering Mira Flores Lake at 85 feet above sea level. The process was amazing to watch and as we'd been directed into the west lock, we were able to see the entire operation from our balcony seats. Four locomotives, or mules, drug us into place and held us in position as we eased into the narrow chamber. Only two feet of water on either side of the ship kept us from scrapping the side of the ship against the concrete lined chamber. The little electric locomotives were connected to us by 1-inch cables that were tightened and slackened as necessary, holding just enough tension to keep our bulk in line.

One of the friendly drivers of the mules.

The ride up was almost imperceptible. I only sensed our rise because I looked out the door, across the balcony and to a distant object which I could see moving in relation to my position.

Following the two locks at Mira Flores, we headed slowly across small Mira Flores Lake to the Pedro Miguel Lock, a single lock, a kind of bottle neck on the canal, and a further rise of 31 feet putting us at the 85 foot level of the Culebra Cut that leads into the giant Gatun Lake for the journey to the opposite coast. This lock was really cool because from  our 8th deck balcony we were almost level with the top of the chamber. As we rose in the lock chamber, we could dramatically watch as our ship rose up.

Off to our port side in the distance, we could see the new locks under construction. This would also be evident as we neared the Atlantic side on the canal at the Gatun Locks.

About 9:00 our breakfast was delivered by room service. We'd ordered it the night before figuring we'd be too wrapped up with the transit to go sit down in the dining room. So we watched the canal go by as we sat out on the balcony and ate our breakfast of mueslis, coffee, croissant and mimosas. Not a bad way to spend a morning.

Into the Culebra Cut we sailed next. The shoreline was so close on our starboard. I would judge the distance from our hull to the buoys marking the edge of the channel at no more than 25-50 yards. The land stretched away in a terraced fashion in order to cut down on the land slides which are, nevertheless, fairly common here. Evidence of the most recent one could be seen on our starboard.

Lining up the lock and preparing to enter.

Another site of interest to me were the many range markers that lined the shore. Lining up two or more of these in your sight line helps keep you in the middle of the channel.

Gatun Lake, at the time of its creation, was the largest man-made lake in the world until the Hoover Dam was built to contain Lake Mead.

The weather for our transit was bright and sunny, hot and humid. But at least there was no rain or clouds to muddle the photo ops.

Gatun Lake, the 2nd largest man-made lake in the world.

Along the way, as we entered Gatun Lake, the channel widened and our distance to those buoys lengthened to a more comfortable distance in some places. As we passed through the lake, along our port side, was a Celebrity cruise ship and one of the Windjammer ships--all in very close proximity given our sizes.

We came upon several types of dredging operations. The first was the oldest dredge on the canal which was outfitted with a grinding head that could crunch up harder materials and send them down a pipe system that lead to shore and into an area in the jungle. The water would eventually end up back in the canal while the sludge stayed ashore.

The oldest dredge in the fleet and the pipeline that carries
debris off into the jungle. 

Another dredge just dredged material off the bottom that had either sloughed off the shore or that had been dynamited by another rig whose job it was to drill holes in the bottom and pack them with the dynamite. After detonation, the dredge would come in and scrape the newly loosened material off the bottom.

Around noon the clouds began piling up and humidity increased markedly. It became just intolerable for me to be outside on the balcony for more than short periods. I could see the water vapor in the air, I swear.

The arrow indicates the lock the next ship is to enter.

The ship had a guide who spoke over the loudspeaker system and the TV system to let us know what we were seeing and what to look for. As he pointed something out on the starboard side, I would runout on the balcony and shoot a few photos before ducking back inside the cool cabin.

A view of the excavation for the new locks being  built.

After an hour or so of sailing across Gatun Lake, we finally arrived at the Gatun Locks near the old city of Colon. Here we stepped down to the Atlantic in three steps of 26 feet each. Our little locomotive mules tied up to us, as they had at the previous locks, and began to gently guide us into each of the three chambers.

After an hour or so and would exit the canal and enter into the Caribbean where we would sail on to Cartegena, Columbia tonight. It is supposed to be even warmer there.

Nav aids indicating the channel location.

Speaking of warm, if you are coming down here to get away from the snow and frigid temperatures of your current location, do think twice. It can get damn hot down here. The temperature might not even be so bad if it weren't for the double whammy of the humidity. That one-two punch is enough to overwhelm a lot of people who don't take proper precautions. One word. Hydrate! Do NOT underestimate the importance of drinking plenty of water every day. While it may require more toilet stops than usual, it is far better than having to be picked up off the sidewalk and hauled off to the infirmary to be intravenously hydrated. In some extreme cases it can be deadly. So, if you don't have a bottle of water and it costs $3.50 for a half liter, as it does aboard our ship, shut up and pay it. THEN, don't toss the bottle. Keep it and refill it everyday. Put it in that little fridge they provide in every room that really has has no other use. In the morning before you head out on your next adventure, put the ice cold bottle in your daypack and take sips every few minutes through out the day. If you run out, take time to slow down and stop in a cafe along the way for a drink and to sit in some shade.

Water flooding into the lock.

At exactly 2:20 pm we exited the last lock and sailed out into Limon Bay, past the cities of Colon and Cristobal.  A short distance later we exited out through the breakwater and into the Caribbean Sea.

It was an exhilarating day, fun, hot, educational, a once in a lifetime experience and a great way to see this amazing wonder of the world.

Gatun locks. The mules have to descend 26
feet in each lock.

The icing on the cake was having dinner at Sabatini's on board. As I reflected earlier, we have been very disappointed in the dining aboard. The main dining rooms, which are white table cloth, with waiters and menus, etc. are so very inconsistent with the quality of service and the food. Not what we'd remembered years ago on our last Princess Cruise.

But there are two dining options available aboard that cost extra. We elected to try Sabatini's just to see what it was all about. Oh my goodness! So that was where the service and food I remembered before had gone. It turns out now that you have to pay $25 each plus tip for the privilege of a wait staff who are truly attentive, don't race around the room at high speed and encourage you to take you time. And the food! Oh, my! We tried several appies that were to die for and our mains were exquisite. I had a 10 ounce grass-fed steak that was cooked to perfection. Leslie had lobster cooked three ways including a risotto and two lobster tails. Even the desserts were wonderful. The tables weren't on top of each other, the service was wonderful and we just had a beautiful time there.

The site where the canal ends on the Atlantic side.

To wrap this day up, I must say I am concerned about the canal's future. New canals are being built for the bigger ships being built today and, though managed by the Republic of Panama, it is truly an international project. But, what of the old locks which they intend to continue using? The idea here isn't to replace the original locks, but to increase capacity. No construction holds up well and certainly not forever in this kind of environment. Everything is eaten away by termites, salt water, plants that root almost anywhere here and phenomena I'm probably not even thinking of. But as I look at the infrastructure I see signs of wear that should have long ago been repaired or replaced. Some buildings look pretty worn out while others look well maintained. I don't know, it just looks like it needs some serious work. My concern is whether Panama has the money or the political will to keep it maintained, or will things begin to break down and at some key international crisis, will the necessary ships and their cargo be unable to get through. Panama doesn't exactly have a great track record avoiding coup d'etat or dictators taking control of the government.  Or, will Panama skim income from the canal off to build other civic projects it wants built such as their new subway and monorail systems and many other projects mentioned to us while we were visiting. Will Panama allow the canal to fall apart until someone else has to step in to fix it and what nation will that be?

I wonder if the U.S. didn't find it easier to give the canal to Panama because they saw the writing on the wall and didn't want to be responsible for continuing to maintain this vast, amazingly expensive facility. Only time will tell.

Costa Rica and On To Panama

Day 8: December 21st

Costa Rican beach

The coast of Costa Rica appeared off the starboard bow this morning, a bit disconcerting until I realized we were just coming about in order to approach the Puntarenas dock into the wind. The pilot came aboard and performed an amazing feat docking this 900 plus behemoth. The channel is a narrow crooked channel passage. Red right return is what we learn in seamanship class. I found the red nav aid ahead. I watched as we crept up on it slowly, slowly, until I was sure it was too late to keep from taking it out and the pilot boat that had tied itself to it. Our forward momentum seemed too much to avoid a collision. But slowly, carefully, at the very last moment, our bow came to port just enough to get right around the buoy.

The Coral Princess docked in Puntarenas, Cost Rica

Almost immediately our bow came up on the end of the pier. Again the bow was on a heading that I would ensure we would take it out and once again the pilot brought the enormous ship right around the obstacle. There was still 900 feet of ship to get wrapped around the end of that pier and somehow, using the wind, current and I am sure not a little help from the thrusters, the pilot skillfully brought the Coral Princess right along side the pier. It was a thing of beauty. I don't know that I could have done what he or she did so gracefully and flawlessly if I had to do it in my little 31'.

We headed down to our muster station for the shore excursion and soon after, we descended the gangway to the bus for our shore excursion.

Our Mangrove forest tour boat

We were driven only a few blocks to a waiting tour boat. About 40 of us were herded onto an fairly unkempt but floating eco-tour motor catamaran.  We wound up in the front row with no real view. Leslie took it upon herself to move out on the bow with the permission of the captain. She grabbed our camera and propped herself up on the bow in a perfect position to take photos of the wildlife along the Mangrove Forest we headed into. Our capable guides pointed out whimbrells, herons, pelicans, hawks, iguanas and the occasional crocodile.

The tour lasted about an hour and then we cruised back to the dock to catch the bus to our next stop--the Macaw Sanctuary upcountry.

Every color of macaw were being kept, many with the idea of releasing them back into the wild after they'd been healed from the abuse they'd suffered.

Besides the macaws we saw toucans, parrots, as well as a couple of orphan tapirs and a few species of monkey.

An orphaned tapir

We were back to the ship around one, tired, and exhausted. We headed to our cabin and washed our faces, drank plenty of ice water and collapsed on the bed. After a nap, Leslie decided she'd walk down the pier into the town to see what she could see. She returned after an hour or so declaring the town pretty run down and trashy, but she had found a new mask for our office mask collection. We headed up to the Lido Deck for dinner and to watch a James Taylor concert on the jumbotron.

Immediately after the concert they began the film The Dark Night--a Batman movie. After about 45 minutes we'd had enough and we headed back to our cabin in time to watch the dockworkers cast off the lines and our ship slowly pulled away and out to sea toward our next stop--Panama!

Day 9--December 22nd

A lovely sleep in day. Still managed to wake up early but just rolled over and did another hour. Another hour was also added to the time overnight as we sailed into the eastern time zone due to the fact that there is no need for daylight savings time here. What with the amount of daylight and night nearly equal at the equator, daylight savings time would just be silly.

The sea has been only slightly impacted by the wind. Small white caps here and there to the horizon. The ship gently rolls with hardly a bump ever. The temperature in the morning is wonderful as is the evening. From late morning through the late afternoon, the temperature and humidity combine to make you really slow down and seek a cooler spot in the shade or air conditioned space aboard.

The occasional tanker or container ship sail by in the distance. Otherwise, the sea seems so vast and empty from our vantage point on the starboard side. The port side, facing land sees more shipping and the occasional fishing boat.  Just the nearness of the land makes the sea seem so much smaller. I chose the starboard for this reason. I wanted the feeling of being far out at sea.

It is nearly 10:15 now and I'll be heading up to breakfast. I plan to keep it light this morning. Last night's German-style dinner was as heavy as you might expect what with the sauerbraten and four kinds of bratwurst and  sauerkraut and spetzel and on and on. Heavy German food all. Time for some oatmeal and juice and coffee!

I am about half way through The Path Between the Seas by David McCullough; the story about the Panama Canal. I spent the better part of the day reading it. In between we checked out the art auction preview which was nothing but glicee prints, nothing much more than a fancy poster of an original, sometimes signed but unnumbered. These prints, artistically speaking, have little value yet they are selling from $500 on up. I suppose that pays for the fancy frames that surround the print. Oh, and they are including free shipping. Right! We passed.

The Lotus Pool area on the Lido deck.

We did spend a bit of time in the Lotus Pool area. I read, Leslie paddled around the pool a bit and read. About 4:30, we headed back to the room and dressed for dinner. On the way to the dining room we stopped and listened to our favorite musicians who were playing in the atrium again.

Dinner? What a disappointment. We thought it the worst food yet from the formal dining room. I ordered an Irish Stew and Leslie the Yorkshire Pudding. She did like the fresh peas, but the Yorkshire Pudding hadn't any gravy in the pudding and the roast beef was machine sliced into 3-4 thin slices. My Irish Stew had plenty of lamb, but the broth was thin like a soup, flavorless and there was little else in it in the way of vegetables. Just sad.

We ordered dessert, Leslie the Drambuie Soufflé which had no discernible Drambuie in its sauce and I ordered the Cherries Jubilee. The waiter said it would be flambeed but later said it was done ahead of time rather than at the table. So what came to me was a bowl with a spoon of vanilla ice cream and what looked like cherry pie filling. As with the Drambuie, there was no discernible liquor in the cherry sauce.

I am not sure what is going on with the food service on this ship but we are both very disappointed. The service is too fast, the waiters walk at high speed everywhere. They often forget parts of our order or left out courses we'd ordered. The service stations which were everywhere in the dining room became places where dishes piled up and waiters scrapped plates. The waiters were also the bussers so one minute they are serving fresh plates of food, the next they are scrapping dirty plates with no hand washing in between.  Our wine would sit out among these dirty plate stations, even be decanted there before coming to us as would the food when it came from the kitchen on its way to tables. Just not very appetizing. Speaking of decanting, we had to ask for this to be done every time and the waiters acted as if they didn't know what to do. They had to ask a head waiter what it was and then go find one. They did it, but it was obviously something they seldom did. We even had to ask for red wine glasses. Again, that vacant stare as if they'd never been asked for such a thing. Our water glasses were often empty which to me is the number one no-no of any restaurant considering itself outstanding.

All of this reflects on the training these guys are obviously not receiving and their high-speed movement and the lack of any bussers, shows the lack of concern by the cruise line for its clientele who, I suppose, the cruise line figures are in a hurry to eat and get on to whatever they next have planned.

I should say that the servers are generally very friendly and want to please. They are just in high gear all the time and this seriously takes away the joy of fine dining.

We have come to the conclusion that this is not our preferred method of travel. It is not what we had hopped. It has been relaxing in that we have not had to make up our room. Our cabin attendant, Domingo, has done an admirable job of keeping the room neat and tidy. But most of the shipboard activities are not our style. We don't gamble or party. We loved the art auction we attended on our first Princess Cruise, but the art on the last two cruises we've taken has not been our taste at all. We enjoyed the idea of the Movies Under the Stars concept but most of the films were not our taste or were films we've already seen. The stage shows aren't our style--just tacky in our opinion. So, that really narrows down the attraction of cruising for us.

I still think that the cruise was probably the best way to take in these four countries, none of which I would have probably come to individually. I felt the same way about our Alaska cruise, so I suppose there might be some advantages to this type of travel and I can see how for older travelers this could be a trouble-free way to see bits of places they might otherwise feel uncomfortable traveling to or find it too difficult due to language, culture or other perceived issues. Plus the cruise line does bend over backward for those who have disabilities making these places accessible to folks who might not otherwise even attempt it.

So, for us I think it will be back to road trips and land tours such as our Thailand tour last year. Each of these has its own draw backs but our experiences with land tours has been that we have more exposure to the locals, the culture and the cuisine. Our road trips require us to do a great deal of planning and research, but we enjoy doing that so it works for us. Perhaps in another 10-20 years, god willing, we may revisit the cruise again or if there is a cruise that takes us to a group of places that might otherwise be too difficult or expensive to do on a land tour, maybe then.

I did notice a Princess Cruise that goes out of Southampton, England and has ports of call in Russia, Latvia, Estonia, Lithuania, Finland, Sweden, Norway, Scotland, Iceland, Greenland and ends in New York City. There might have even been a couple of other stops in there I missed, but what a dream trip!

Off  Fuerte Amador and Panama City, Panama

Well, next morning we anchored near Fuerte Amador near the Panama Canal and got tendered in to shore for another shore excursion. The ride to shore was about 15-20 minutes. Tomorrow morning we head into the canal for our transit, what I hope will be the high point of the trip for me.

Me on our balcony and a balmy evening off Panama

It is only supposed to be about 82 degrees tomorrow but the humidity will probably be up around the same so it will be warm and muggy but not as bad as it surely could be. 

Day 3 & 4: At Sea

Day 3: December 16, 2012

Our cabin phone woke us this morning with someone looking for Jack. So, we got up and headed for breakfast, our first meal in a real dining room. We decided that the buffet was a bad idea and that eating 3 meals a day was also a bad idea. So breakfast and dinner will be our routine.

Leslie had pouched eggs and I had the Eggs Benedict. We also had coffee and a fresh fruit compote of mango, cantaloupe and banana.

Princess Theater, where many shows and lectures took place.

After breakfast, we had heard about a speaker who'd edited a famous book about the Titanic and I wanted to hear him so we headed to the Princess Theater for his presentation. It was a rambling, disorganized mess that I came close to suggesting we walk out on, but it didn't turn out to be that long so we hung in there.

Deck 7 Promenade Deck

Then off for a walk around the Promenade Deck. Deck 7 has a broad deck without any steps that allows you to circumnavigate the entire ship.  So we walked a mile, about 3 times around the ship and then I retired to the cabin to read The Path Between the Seas by David McCullough, the award winning history book about the creation of the Panama Canal. I started reading it before we left for the cruise but it is epic both in tale and length.

A nap in the afternoon followed by dinner in the Bordeaux Dining Room pretty much filled out the day.

We were hoping for more than we got in our formal dining experience. The menu was unimaginative and the presentation of each course equally so. Macaroni and cheese was a pasta option. There was a hamburger option as a main. Nothing at all grabbed our attention as something we just had to try. I could have created a more imaginative menu.

Another view of the Promenade deck.

We began with an appetizer, a shrimp cocktail that consisted of 5 small shrimp on a bed of shredded lettuce, a half slice of lemon and a bit of cocktail sauce. Leslie ordered the crab cake which was missing the lump crab that makes a fine crab cake so mouth-watering. She then ordered the Shrimp Bisque which was unmemorable and I the caesar salad which tasted like the parmesan cheese you sprinkle out of the green can. It had packaged croutons and the presence of any anchovy flavor was missing entirely.

I thought I'd try one of the "signature" dishes the cruise line brags about--the fettachini

Alfredo in a parmesan cheese basket. The fettchinni sauce was missing the parmesan cheese that would have given it a richer flavor. It just tasted like a cream sauce. The parmesan cheese bowl presented looked like it had been in an accident on the way out. It had a train wreck irregular shape rather than a carefully formed circle or oval and the bowl wasn't crisp but rubbery instead requiring me to pull it apart like taffy.

Our mains were equally disappointing. Leslie ordered the sea scallops which were tiny things plopped in a bowl with peas and a cream sauce. My tri-tip was cut so uniformly as to suggest it had been slipped out of a package and reheated.

For dessert, I ordered a chocolate sundae in which the ice cream had bits of ice embedded in it. A sure sign the ice cream had been around a while and or hadn't been properly sealed between uses. Leslie ordered a caramel nut tart that presented as a chocolate something.

Our biggest disappointment was in the way the food was presented. A sprig of parsley was the norm on nearly all the plates we were given at any meal, something more reminiscent of a coffee shop than a high end restaurant. Given the formality of the wait staff and maitre 'd one would think they were in for a really special experience.

The only high spot in our meal was the wine. We'd purchased a wine package when we first boarded which gave us 7 wines from the wine list up to $45 each. As the cost of the package equalled $31 per bottle, we thought this sounded like a good deal and a way to  try some wines we might not otherwise experience. Our Italian red was delicious.  Not as full bodied as we expected but after about an hour in the decanter, which we had to request (a request they were happy to fulfill) the wine opened up beautifully. With our decanting request we also gained the attention of the sommelier who gave us a lot of attention and even gave us a wine we should try the next night.

I have a theory as to why the food was so blasé. I suspect it has a great deal to do with the clientele. How many folks are willing to try something exotic or out of their comfort zone. Give me comfort food, food I am used to. Why waste time and money on garnishing the food when it isn't appreciated anyway. I don't know. Perhaps I am wrong but it seems that the cruise line just doesn't think the presentation is important. Nor do they spend much energy on the creativity of the sauces or the individual look of the plate. My tri-tip steak should not have looked like the gentleman's at the next table?

We went back to our room to watch a documentary on the making of the Panama Canal and by the time it was over we were ready to sleep.

Day 4: December 17, 2012

Another good night's sleep. The ship's gentle rocking and the distant vibration of the ship's engine's lulled us into a deep, restful sleep.

Up and off to breakfast in the Provence Dining Room as we did yesterday. I ordered poached eggs on whole grain toast with two sausage links, pineapple juice and coffee. Leslie ordered Eggs Florentine, pineapple juice, toast and coffee. The breakfast was fine. Nothing we couldn't have got at any nice coffee shop but at least it was white tablecloth and the service was very attentive.

We asked to be seated at a table for two so we could just be together and talk, but the way the dining rooms are laid out, two tables for two are set next to each other separating us from our neighbors by about 6-8 inches making you feel obligated to at least greet them civilly. Often enough that can lead to a very friendly conversation with a couple you've never met.

This morning we had another couple seated next to us despite there being ample seating all over the dining room for couples to be able to experience a more intimate breakfast experience. Leslie noticed the woman was wearing a Hilo, Hawaii t-shirt and used that as a means to break the ice. However, we quickly realized they were not in any mood for a conversation. We sort of rolled our eyes at each other and just continued on with our previous conversational heading. We were about done anyway, so we excused ourselves, with no reaction from our "table mates", and headed off to our next destination--Leslie to a Zoomba class and I to our cabin to read and journal.

Tonight is a formal night in the dining room. This should be interesting. I am hoping the chef realizes this and rises to the level of the dress code. We'll see.

Hold the presses! Now that was a dinner more like what I would expect and what my prior cruise experience on Princess was like. I saw no one that wasn't well dressed. Most gentlemen were in dark suits. A few were in tuxes and there were even a few in dress military uniform. Women were dressed to the nines as well.

We elected to try the smoked duck and a sushi with kimchi. We also chose a delicious onion soup and our main choices were a filet of Barramundi, a fish neither of us had tried before and leg of lamb. Dessert was an Oreo cookie, peanut butter pie and I forget what Leslie's choice was. 

Sunset on the Promenade after dinner.

On the way back to the cabin, we stopped in the atrium along with what appeared to be most of the passengers to hear the captain greet folks and watch the pouring of a champagne fountain. It was all part of the dinner experience that was the Welcome Aboard Dinner and reception. Had a brief Love Boat style promenade out on deck. Kissed my sweetheart at the rail.

Then, off to the cabin to watch a movie. The movie was not shown but by the time we'd figured it out we were pretty done in and decided to just go to bed and slept for 10 hours.

It was a relaxing, calm, quiet day at sea.

Our Panama Canal Cruise Adventure Begins

Day 1--December 14, 2012

Left home about noon today. Our neighbor Steve drove us to the B'ham airport where we checked in, getting through security and finding a seat to await our boarding time. The flight to LAX was a bit rough but not bad. MD80's are noisy beasts and with the added noise of flight attendant announcements broadcast way too loud and  non-stop yaking at the top of their lungs by some folks around us, I finally pulled out my secret weapon for just such situations.  Buy yourself a set of earplugs. Be selective though because they are not all created equal. In they go and problem solved. Ahhhhh.

We have stayed at the Comfort Inn Cockatoo about 15 minutes from LAX the last two times we've needed to lay over for a next day flight. It is comfortable, friendly, yes, predictable but it is one of the Choice Hotel chain's gold properties so it is clean and well managed. It includes a nice breakfast in the morning and has a lovely tropical courtyard with a pool.

Both times we've stayed we haven't had a car which in LA is pretty much a problem. The first time there we walked about three city blocks to a dinner spot. But you have to walk across two crazy 6 lane streets. This time we arrived after dark and I just wasn't walking that walk in LA after dark. We decided to order in. Leslie looked over the available options in the area and settled on an Indian restaurant that delivered free. What a nice surprise when the food arrived quickly. It turned to be really good.

Day 2--December 15, 2012

Next morning we had breakfast, finished packing and caught the free hotel shuttle, this time back to LAX where we waited for our Super Shuttle ride to the San Pedro cruise terminal. The shuttle was packed with folks all headed to the same cruise ship.  Everyone was in a great mood looking forward to their two week vacation cruise.

Our driver spotted the ship berthed off in the distance and everyone gazed out the windshield trying to spot it through all the cranes and port buildings. There she was. The M/V Coral Princess shining in the southern California sunshine.

A few minutes later we turned off the freeway and drove the short distance to the pier, first passing the newest addition to the local maritime museum--the U.S.S. Iowa. BB61 sat at the dock a short walk away from the cruise ship terminal. Open to the public for tours, the Iowa looked great in her battleship gray and covered in festive flags and Christmas lights.

We dropped off our luggage at the curb in front of the cruise terminal. Remember to always take plenty of small bills with you to tip your shuttle drivers (at least a dollar a bag) and the curb luggage attendants.  We'd miscalculated and had nothing to offer the attendant.  Embarrassed, we dropped off our bags and sort of slunk off quickly.

At the cruise terminal entrance we offered out passports and boarding passes as proof we belonged and were directed inside and through a maze of roped off areas to the check in desk. It all went very quickly with no lines at all. We got our boarding cards that identified us and that could be used to make purchases aboard. Then we walked into a cavernous room with hundreds of chairs where we sat chatting with folks around us and waited until our "group" was called to board. Most folks were very friendly and in a jolly mood.

When our group 6 was called we headed onto the ship where we were photographed (one of several times while aboard) and warmly greeted at each step.

My first reaction to the ship was my impression of the decking. The all wood decking was just stunning to look at. She also looked well cared for with very little sign of rust and every surface clean and bright. The interior was tastefully decorated. We especially admired the Wheelhouse bar with its wooden maritime decor.



Our cabin Emerald 625. Smallish quarters, but its a boat!

Our room, though small was well appointed. I expect small in a boat. I had heard the shower was small and difficult to maneuver in but I found it just fine. Again, I am used to small quarters on a boat. The room also had a flat screen tv, a writing desk, a comfortable queen sized bed, a dressing area with plenty of hanging space for clothes, a cabinet to store other clothes, a safe and adjacent to that was the head.

Domingo, our stateroom steward,  showed up early on to introduce himself and to sort of set the ground rules for what his services included. He was a very warm, friendly Filipino young man that we took an immediate liking to.

We headed to lunch in the Horizon Court Buffet, the only dining room open before we sailed. It was chaos! Crazy crowded. We were offered a plate which was a plastic oval, platter sized. We drifted around scoping things out and scooping dabs of this and that before heading into the seating area where we again found, chaos. We finally found two folks about to leave their spot at the bar and they offered it to us.

As to the food. Ehhh. It was fine. Good cafeteria style. A few salads, several options for mains, desserts, fruit, but nothing that bowled you over.

Leslie standing in the ship's atrium

Finished, we headed back to our room to get settled in. Our luggage had arrived and we needed to get the room ship shape.

We also walked around familiarizing ourselves with the ship. I discovered the Spa and Sanctuary out on the fantail but wondered what the foul smell was. When i got back to the room and opened the door to our balcony, I was really bowled over by the odor. Looking over the side I discovered that a fuel barge was rafted up to our ship.  There was the source of the odor. As the afternoon wore on the smell gave me a headache and the sound of the pumps loading the fuel into the Coral Princess was deafening. I wondered why this hadn't been done earlier in the day.

The fuel barge rafted right under our cabin. The smell gave me a
headache. It delayed our departure by an hour and a half.

The fueling process also delayed our departure by about an hour and a half. We'd been sent an email informing us that the ship would be departing at 4:00 rather than 5:00. We didn't wind up leaving until after 5:30. Oh, well, with nothing else to do and no place I needed to be...who cares.

I wasn't in the mood for a sit down dinner nor did I want that much food so we headed to the hamburger bar and grabbed a cheeseburger. Then we parked ourselves in a lounge chair waiting for the Movie Under the Stars to begin. We thought getting out there an hour early would ensure we got a prime spot. Turns out no one was there. It was too cold even with the blankets they provided.

Our first of many beautiful sunsets from our balcony.

We decided to try out the hot tubs that were also on the deck where the movie was to play. Great idea. So we sat in the hot tub and watched the movie. An attendant even brought us a bag of popcorn. But the hot tub turned out to be so loud we couldn't hear the movie, so we headed back to our room to watch another movie we wanted to see on the cabin TV. My Week With Marilyn was a great movie. Wish we could have seen Men in Black 3 out under the stars but this worked fine.

After the movie we turned in for the night. It was a bit rough for a while during the night according to Leslie but I slept through the entire ride.

Next up--5 days at sea...How do you spend the time?