Island Princess 10-Day Panama Canal Review - Not quite LIVE ... but close

[darkenstormy]

Hi,

I have that room when we sail in the next few weeks! Hope it's a good one!

 

Yes, we were quite happy with C403. Good mid-ship location, big Caribe balcony, a shower that, although tiny, drained well. My only complaint was the AC - my travel alarm has a thermometer, and with the room thermostat set to the coldest, the coolest it ever got in the room was 72-73 degrees. We found we needed to keep the balcony curtains closed a lot more than we would have liked to keep the cabin reasonably cool.

[MissLemon]

Sweet Angel,

 

Thanks for taking the time to detail your trip.

My husband & I are going on Island Princess 20NOV..and enjoyed your pictures.

 

~Holly & Bob

[m steve]

I don't have you on my list for the M&G on the 21st. Check tghe roll call for details.

[Dannifer]

Yes, we were quite happy with C403. Good mid-ship location, big Caribe balcony, a shower that, although tiny, drained well. My only complaint was the AC - my travel alarm has a thermometer, and with the room thermostat set to the coldest, the coolest it ever got in the room was 72-73 degrees. We found we needed to keep the balcony curtains closed a lot more than we would have liked to keep the cabin reasonably cool.

Thanks for your feedback!

[SweetAngel]

Day 6 – Going Through the Gatun Locks

 

I took pictures up on the front of Caribe Deck until we entered the second lock. Then I moved down to Fiesta deck to look out the windows of the Patisserie. Cruise Critic advisors had said to move about to try the different vantage points, and I’m glad I did. It was interesting and strange to see the canal walls right there outside the windows, just inches away from the ship.

 

 

Then I went up to the Promenade deck, which was at land level. Now Island Princess had about 18 inches to spare on each side of the ship. That put us practically close enough to reach out and shake hands with the Panamanians. The friendly Canal workers waved at us and even danced for us as we passed by, treating us like royalty.

 

 

As you can see by the pictures, there was plenty of rail space available. Most people never got to see the view from land level, which is too bad, because it really gives you a better experience to see the canal from the different perspectives.

 

 

I went to the room and got JD for the third and final lock. I told him you really haven’t seen the Panama Canal until you’ve seen it head on. So I took him to the front. He was glad I did. Up front, you can see the shape of the canal, the gates swinging open and the big ships moving along beside us.

 

 

Ahead of us was the final gate and GatunLake.

 

 

Beside us was the Principal Office and the flag of Panama.

 

 

As the water began to rise in the last lock, I took JD down to the Patisserie to look out the windows with me. He ordered a mocktail in the bar there, and we sat together watching as the ship slowly rose high enough for land to appear again outside the window. Then we went back to the room together.

 

This was a very relaxing morning. I thought it was perfect how we enjoyed the early canal time from our balcony and then moved around once we hit the locks to see all the viewpoints. There was plenty of time to see it all, so we never felt rushed. Once again, we lucked out with sunny, blue skies. It was definitely hot, though. As soon as the sun rose, it beamed down hot, even at 7 am.

[SweetAngel]

Day 6 - Panama Canal Experience by Boat

 

Around 8:30 am, we exited the Gatun Locks and entered Gatun Lake.

 

 

As soon as the ship cleared the three locks, we anchored in Gatun Lake. At this point, those who had Princess excursions were called down to the Wheelhouse Bar. (NOTE – You can not get off the ship here unless you have a Princess excursion. All tours were full too, so reserve early. There are no private tours allowed here.) My tour group, “Panama Canal Experience by Boat,” was the first one to be called. We were put on small tender boats, taken ashore, and transferred to buses. This was a big tour … three big busloads of people.

 

 

JD chose to stay onboard and go back through the three locks again. He also tried out some of the ship activities and had a massage in the spa. All of the tour groups would catch up with Island Princess later at the pier in Cristobal.

 

I chose the Panama by Boat tour because of the opportunity to go through all six locks in the Panama Canal and reach the Pacific Ocean. No tour goes through the entire canal by water. This is as close as you can get. You DO get a certificate for making the full transit since you enter at one ocean, pass through all the locks, and exit at the other ocean. The only thing you miss is the long winding way through Gatun Lake. The bus takes you around to the far side of Gatun Lake where you meet up with the other two buses and board the boat.

 

On the bus ride, we got to see wildlife such as coatimundis as well as the beautiful wild grasses of Panama.

 

 

Our guide spoke about the history and economy of the country as he passed around Panamanian currency, old and new. The smallest coin in the world is from Panama.

 

 

The guide used a map to describe the geography of the area, and he encouraged us to buy a map of our own (It’s a really smart idea – very helpful to see where you are at as you traverse the canal).

 

 

I didn’t look at a map until I got home, but when I did, it sure helped everything make a lot more sense.

 

 

The guide explained some of the peculiarities of the canal, like how you have to travel east to get to the Pacific Ocean – and how the Atlantic is on the west side -- due to the twisting of the Panama isthmus.

[sunsetbeachgal]

Can't wait to read the rest...we also booked this same excursion and look forward to hearing your recommendation!

[sloney]

Once again, Thank you so much for the pictures!

 

susan

[karmacruiser]

Wonderful job on the review and pictures! We are booked on the Island in December and it is great to have your preview available. Thanks!:)

[SweetAngel]

Day 6 - Panama Canal Experience by Boat

 

The Chagres River

 

On the far side of Gatun Lake, at the Chagres River, all three busloads of people got onto a single tour boat. There were three decks on the boat and enough chairs for all the people, but the chairs on the open top deck were extremely tightly packed, making it feel crowded and very hard to move around.

 

 

Even though my bus was the last one to load the boat, I still found a good seat along the rail of the open back deck near some fellow Panamaniacs. Refreshments were complimentary, and there was a cooler filled with water bottles, Uni Cola, and Luni Toronja (tastes like Mountain Dew).

 

 

We had barely begun our journey before the first rainstorm hit. It was a downpour. Our guides pulled down the curtains on the front of the top deck so that we had a dry place to stand. The storm was refreshing since it was short-lived, and it cooled down the temperatures.

 

This is a rainforest, after all. You have to expect some rain.

 

 

During the rain, most people smartly went downstairs and filled their plates at the buffet. Don’t wait too long. Food was first-come, first-served, and those who waited missed out on the delicious barbecue chicken and pepper shish kebobs.

 

 

There were also sliced barbecue wienies, an interesting corn tortilla loaf, pasta salad, cold sandwiches, watermelon, and pineapples.

 

[SweetAngel]

Day 6 - Panama Canal Experience by Boat

 

The first notable landmark on the tour was the Centennial Bridge. The hills on both sides of the bridge are terraced.

 

 

 

The first lock you reach is the Pedro Miguel Lock. We waited for our turn behind the MSC Cordoba.

 

 

After the Cordoba moved on, the lock was refilled with water so that we could enter.

 

 

The Katrine Star followed behind us and shared our lock. It was a bit unsettling to see such a big ship pull up so close to our tiny boat. The workers on all of these ships were friendly and waved to us.

 

[SweetAngel]

Day 6 - Panama Canal Experience by Boat

 

Here are some pictures to show you the Pedro Miguel Lock as it looked both full and empty:

 

Pedro Miguel Lock - Full

 

Pedro Miguel Lock - Empty

 

Pedro Miguel Lock - Empty - Gate Opens

 

Katrine Star in Pedro Miguel Lock - Full

 

Katrine Star in Pedro Miguel Lock - Empty

 

As we exited the Pedro Miguel Lock, we were serenaded with streams of water from the Fire Boat.

[SweetAngel]

Day 6 - Panama Canal Experience by Boat

 

Looking back at the Pedro Miguel Lock

 

At the final set of locks, the Miraflores Locks, another rainstorm moved in.

 

 

This one came complete with lightning and thunder. Some of the lightning strikes were close by and a bit unnerving.

 

 

Again, the storm was short-lived, and the chairs dried quickly. The temperature remained a bit cool, though. (Unfortunately, my sandals stayed wet all day, and I wished I had a jacket for the chilly bus ride home).

 

In these final locks, the boat stayed so close to the canal walls that you could touch them.

 

 

And I did!!!

 

 

When the water-level dropped, you could see the old ladder and hooks along the canal wall.

 

[jimmarge]

We are going from Ft. Lauderdale to Acapulco, which is different than what you did.. On Dec.30th Island Princess. We are trying to follow your trip, but not sure where you started and ended. I assume we will go through all 6 locks......Great job, we really enjoy your writings........

Jim and Marge, Oxford, Miss.

[SweetAngel]

Our Itinerary:

This was a partial Panama Canal Crossing.

 

 

1

Ft. Lauderdale, Florida Depart 5:00PM

2

At Sea

3

At Sea

4

Aruba Arrive 7:00AM Depart 1:00PM

5

Cartagena, Colombia Arrive 9:00AM Depart 3:00PM

6

Panama Canal, Panama Arrive 5:00AM Depart 3:30PM

6

Colon (Cristobal), Panama Arrive 4:00PM Depart 7:00PM

7

Limon, Costa Rica Arrive 7:00AM Depart 6:00PM

8

At Sea

9

Ocho Rios, Jamaica Arrive 9:00AM Depart 4:00PM

10

At Sea

11

Ft. Lauderdale, Florida Arrive

[SweetAngel]

Here is a sequence of pictures showing one of the gates as it opened.

 

 

 

After the locks. we slowly headed out to sea. This was a good time to check out the souvenirs, which were being sold downstairs. There would not be much time for shopping at the pier after the tour, so I got my shot glass and magnet onboard. I also got a tiny snack-size package of Panamanian chocolate chip cookies for $2. It was overpriced, but I like to find snacks from different countries to bring home to the kids.

[SweetAngel]

Day 6 – Panama Canal Experience by Boat

 

At the Pacific entrance to the canal, we passed under the Bridge of the Americas.

 

 

It was a great feeling to see the Pacific Ocean and to know that you just crossed the Panama Canal, the eighth wonder of the world.

 

Pacific Ocean

 

Panama City, situated at the end of the canal, is another megalopolis of over one million people.

 

 

Back on the bus, we took a short driving tour through Panama City before heading back on the long road to Cristobal, where Island Princess was waiting for us.

 

We stopped by the YMCA …

 

 

… and a very nice monument that I was too tired to catch the name of.

 

 

If anyone can use that picture-clue to tell me anything about that monument, I would appreciate it.

 

I was exhausted and slept on and off during the bus ride back. The seats were not the greatest for napping, but at least I had both seats to myself.

 

The pier in Cristobal

 

When we reached the pier, we had only five minutes to shop. The Panamanians were closing down their stores and covering their tables, but I managed to buy an ornament and a darling headband ($5) for my daughter. The headband had twelve little native dolls going across it, and all the girls at my daughter's school loved it.

 

Our tour was nearly 10 hours long!

Those who stayed onboard the Island Princess sat in Gatun Lake for 4 ½ hours and then went back through the same three locks to Cristobal (3 hours). In Cristobal, they had another 2 ½ hours to walk around and shop at the pier.

 

I am glad I took the “Panama Canal Experience by Boat Tour” for these reasons:

1) To finish the canal, traverse all six locks and reach the Pacific Ocean.

2) To actually touch the historic canal walls from the boat.

3) To see the surrounding countryside of Panama.

4) To get a better understanding and learn more about the Panama Canal.

5) To drink actual Panamanian soda pop.

 

The things I did not like about this tour:

1) It was expensive ($169) … probably due to the high cost of going through the locks and also having a buffet lunch.

2) It was very crowded and hard to move around the boat.

3) It was a very long day. The bus ride back was long. It could not be helped, yet still was unpleasant.

4) The bus died at several stoplights and was sometimes hard to get started again, making me wonder if we’d be walking back to the ship. It was dark, and the neighborhoods near the pier did not exactly look the safest.

 

When talking to others on the boat tour, most of them seemed to feel that this tour, with its small boat, gave them a better, more intimate view of the locks. I, on the other hand, felt that I got the best views on Island Princess. Most people were stationary on Island Princess and did not move about like I did. Most were either on their balconies (getting a side view of the surrounding land) or crowded up trying to see through the plexiglass windows on Lido Deck. Too bad, because it was easy and relaxing to move around the Island Princess.

 

Moving around on the small boat was sometimes difficult, especially when the rainstorms blew in and everyone crowded even tighter. There were seats up front on the small boat, and if you were lucky enough to be the first to grab those, you would have a great view. I could not get into that area. Even to get close to that area, I had to squeeze my way through. I ended up standing precariously on a bench lifting my camera high into the air to get the sequence of pictures I took from the front. Side views were good, though, and there were plenty of those. The boat even angled itself so that you could see better from the side.

 

Even with the few unpleasantries, I am glad I took the tour, if only for one reason: that opportunity to finish the canal! And, yes, everyone on the tour got certificates for making the transit.

[jlq3d3]

That building you asked about looks like a Mormon temple.

[SweetAngel]

Day 6 – Dinner

 

All aboard was 6:30 pm. It was now dark. Those from our tour with early dinner missed it and had to eat in Horizon Court. Since we had Anytime Dining, and there were no major shows tonight, JD and I took our time getting ready for dinner. We had much to tell each other about our adventures apart.

 

 

Dinner was, once again, delicious! I was definitely hungry after my long tour, and dinner re-energized me. The appetizer was something delectable with mushrooms and bean sprouts. Then I chose the prickly pear fruit salad, which I thought was pretty special. For my entrée, I had the pan-grilled salmon, leek, and new potatoes … wonderful! JD tried the crawfish, which was delightfully different. I also really enjoyed my Black Forest Cake, very moist, very ambrosial. You can probably guess what JD had for dessert.

 

At 9:15, we went to Mega Movie Trivia in Explorer’s Lounge. JD was exceptional at this, and everyone appreciated having him on our team. However, we didn’t score enough to win. JD did win some prizes earlier today during his afternoon onboard, a Princess ball cap and shopping bag. I have been trying to win something, but no luck for me yet … still four more days to go.

 

Tonight, the piano player, Roger Carr, gave a concert in Princess Theater. There was also a movie, “Not Easily Broken,” playing in Universe Lounge. Those who wanted to dance could try the band in Wheelhouse Bar or the DJ in Explorer’s Lounge. Most people were exhausted, though, from the long, long day. JD and I decided to retire early. Tomorrow would be another 7:00 am excursion in Costa Rica.

[SweetAngel]

That building you asked about looks like a Mormon temple.

 

Haha, very good!! I just found it online, and you are right. It's the Panama City Mormon Temple.

 

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panama_Temple

 

If you are interested in seeing my other pictures from the Panama Canal, go to:

http://s362.photobucket.com/albums/oo65/moonbutterfly1/Island%20Princess%20Oct%202009/Island%20Princess%20Ports/Panama%20Canal/?start=0

[Seaphantom]

Hi, Angel. Not sure what thread i'm at here as I just followed the link from your post in "our" thread (Island Princess/panama/10-11-09). Thanks for the pics. Brought back good memories-even the lonnnng day. I had no idea that the bus we were on died at several lights! Just glad the driver was able to resuscitate it.

 

Its cool to see our thread still active. Thanks for taking the time to post the pics/Tony

[SweetAngel]

Thanks for the pics. Brought back good memories-even the lonnnng day. I had no idea that the bus we were on died at several lights! Just glad the driver was able to resuscitate it.

 

Hi Tony,

I'm not sure which bus you took back ... we were probably on different ones, though. I'm sure you'd remember this if you were on that bus. One time it died as the driver slammed on the brakes to avoid a near collision. Then it died a few times in the same intersection, and we had trouble pulling out into the busy, honking traffic.

 

Oh, and, silly me ... I worded that sentence badly: "The bus died at several stoplights "

because, actually, THERE ARE NO STOPLIGHTS at most intersections in Panama!!!!!

Driving through city streets at rush hour is like playing bumper cars.

[SweetAngel]

Here's the cute little headband I picked up for my daughter in Cristobal, Panama for $5. It has twelve little dolls dancing across it.

 

 

These are some of the snacks I picked up in various countries to bring home to the kids.

 

[Pat & Jimmy]

Hi, Angel! You are doing a fantastic job with this review! I am impressed! Thank goodness you are great to detail our trip. Being one of the Panamanics, I am reliving the experience when I read your posts. And, I certainly agree with you on the Panama By Boat tour...by far my least favorite! :(

 

Look forward to the rest of the review of our cruise!

 

(I miss all of my CC buddies.... Great new friends...)

 

Pat C.

[m steve]

your pictures covered everything I planned to do so I'll save the tour money and drink on my balcony.:rolleyes: