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

[jt1120]

 

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.

 

As usual, I'm enjoying every detail of the cruise we are to travel on 11/20. I had a question about this particular picture: where is the ship, or was this taken from the ship heading towards the port at Cristobal? Also, I realize you didn't have much time, but did you notice any places to eat near the port? I'm a foddie, which is why I'm asking. Thanks again, angel!

[jfv379]

Thanks for the detailed review on the Panama Canal by Boat excursion. I always thought this would be a great way to see the canal. Now I'm glad we are doing the full transit.

 

Your "Live From" is great and the picture are fantastic.

 

Thanks for the review

[lovetocruise1960]

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.

 

 

Just think one month ago today we were almost sailing away:( Miss you guys too!

 

Sara

[addictedtotravel1]

Hi Angel

 

We are booked for this tour on our cruise coming up in Feb., but after reading your review I am having second thoughts about taking it. Was wondering about the availability of washrooms. How long was the bus ride? How long were you actually on the boat? Thanks again for your wonderful review...look forward to each new day of posting.

[SweetAngel]

We are booked for this tour on our cruise coming up in Feb., but after reading your review I am having second thoughts about taking it. Was wondering about the availability of washrooms. How long was the bus ride? How long were you actually on the boat?

 

I definitely thought the Panama Canal by Boat tour was worth it. I would hate to have missed it. The positives more than outweighed the negatives.

Just the chance to go through to the Pacific made the whole thing worth it to me.

The day was long and tiring, yes, but never a dull moment (at least not until I fell asleep on the bus ride home).

There were washrooms on the boat. There was no wait to use them.

I didn't pay attention to the time while on the tour, but according to the time on my pictures:

the bus ride to the boat was 1.5 hours

the boat ride was 5.5 hours

the bus ride back was 2 hours

There was also a washroom on the bus.

[SweetAngel]

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

 

Funny, funny.

[SweetAngel]

I had a question about this particular picture: where is the ship, or was this taken from the ship heading towards the port at Cristobal? Also, I realize you didn't have much time, but did you notice any places to eat near the port?

 

It was actually pitch dark when the ship left Cristobal. I had snapped this picture earlier in the morning when we passed by the Cristobal pier on the way through the Panama Canal to Gatun Lake.

 

 

No, I didn't notice any place to eat. Sorry.

 

The yellow building is big and full of shops, so there is likely food in there as well. Maybe someone else could answer this question???

 

There are also big apartment buildings in this picture, so I would bet that restaurants aren't too far away.

[SweetAngel]

Interesting note:

 

You also get to cross the continental divide on the boat during the Panama by Boat tour. That was a high point of the tour. :D

[sabookkeeper]

Thank you so much for you posts. We are doing the Panama Canal in January 2011. It is great to see you pictures and get some ideas of what we need to see.

[aggie1]

I have loved your thread!! My DH and I have done a full transit of the Panama Canal on the Serenade of the Seas and a partial transit on the Coral Princess. I have one question to ask you. Is the Lee Miles that you took a tour with, the Lee Miles that has an emerald store in the emerald mall in Cartegna. Also is he from Texas? We have been o Cartegna twice and the first time found a taxi driver that gave us a wonderful tour of the city. He was a retired pro baseball player from Columbia and my DH and he got along wonderful. My DH is very fluent in spanish so there was no problem with that. We did stop at the emerald mall and met Lee Miles (I think) at his store. We walked in and he welcomed us with "Howdy folks". He was born in the Rio Grande valley and raised in San Antonio. I think he is the same one. We have bought several emerald pieces at his store. We loved the Panama Canal, on full transit we did not stop at all. One of the highlights was sailing under the Bridge of the Americas and the other was sailing under the Golden Gate in San Francisco. We also did Costa Rica on the Pacific side and then Huatalco, Acapulco, Los Cabos and then San Francisco. Also liked Aruba, the beaches were beautiful. Continue with your review. I am really enjoying it and a safe journey home.

[SweetAngel]

Day 7 – Costa Rica

 

When I opened the curtains at 6:30 am, we were approaching the shores of Costa Rica. In the pre-dawn light, Costa Rica looked beautiful. This was a land of lush greenery and impressively tall mountains, the prettiest of all the places we’ve been. As soon as I stepped out onto the balcony, I sensed something different in the air, something special. I can’t describe it, but JD felt it too, something drawing us, making us long to explore this enchanting place. The air was perfectly warm and filled with the scent of flowers. Once more, I was fondly reminded of Hawaii.

 

 

JD and I went straight to Horizon Court for breakfast. Today I tried the salmon, eggs Benedict, cottage cheese and Chinese noodles along with my regulars. I really liked the variety of breakfast selections on Princess, a few new items added each day. The pastries were still so nice and soft, even on this seventh day away from home.

 

 

JD was loving his daily omelettes. The French toast today had strawberry sauce, at last! But, unfortunately, it really wasn’t to my liking … no pieces of fruit in it, bright neon color, and very artificial tasting.

 

 

For my excursion, I chose another long, 10-hour tour, “Highlights of San Jose with Lunch.” This was a good excursion, but it involved the longest bus ride I have ever seen on an excursion, 3 hours … each way! That was 6 hours riding a bus … definitely not for everyone. For that reason, JD chose not to go along. He wanted to go out and explore Costa Rica, though, so he ventured out alone and hired his own driver for the day. That, he will tell you about later.

[SweetAngel]

Is the Lee Miles that you took a tour with, the Lee Miles that has an emerald store in the emerald mall in Cartegna. Also is he from Texas? We have been o Cartegna twice and we did stop at the emerald mall and met Lee Miles (I think) at his store. We walked in and he welcomed us with "Howdy folks". He was born in the Rio Grande valley and raised in San Antonio. I think he is the same one. We have bought several emerald pieces at his store.

 

Yes, Lee Miles is an American living in Cartegena. He is known as Mr. Emerald, and he owns the Emerald Store.

 

Here is the web page for his tours:

http://www.destinationcartagena.com/privatetours

[SweetAngel]

Day 7 – Highlights of San Jose with Lunch

 

This tour met at 7:30 am in the Wheelhouse Bar. As our group exited the ship, we were greeted by Costa Rican ladies giving out flowers. What a nice touch … again, like Hawaii. I wore the flower in my hair all day.

 

Here is a picture of my flower along with some fruit that our tour guide passed around.

 

 

There was only one bus for San Jose, and it wasn’t quite full, so I got to spread out across the double seat again. It was a long drive ... no doubt about that ... but this was the only tour that actually took you up and over those beautiful mountains.

 

 

The great tour guide and the alluring scenery kept me captivated the whole time.

 

 

The guide told us about everything … earthquakes, snakes, coffee, bananas, pineapples. He passed around a branch from a coffee plant.

 

 

He told us that the country is very small, yet Costa Rica is #1 in pineapple production and #2 in banana production.

 

Here is a banana plantation – the blue bags protect the fruit and help it ripen more quickly.

 

Even with all the fruit plantations, 30% of Costa Rica remains forest and 20% of the land is national park.

 

 

The bus paused so that we could take a picture through the windows of the great volcano, still smoking.

[SweetAngel]

Day 7 – Highlights of San Jose with Lunch

 

About two hours into our ride, we passed the ecotourism and research facility. A couple of the ship tours go here for a rainforest tour, gondola adventure, and covered boat tour. This is where Braulio Carrillo National Park begins.

 

 

Our guide pointed out a yellow river that was colored by the sulfur in this volcanic area.

 

 

The rainforest is enchantingly beautiful.

 

 

I kept wishing the bus would make some short stops so that we could step out into the scenery. I had to keep taking pictures out the window as the scenery flashed by.

 

We spent about 30 minutes driving through this beautiful national park. As far as our eyes could see, this whole country was a garden of greenery and delicate ferns surrounded by a landscape of high mountain peaks.

 

 

Every rocky mountainside was covered by lush greenery.

 

 

We crossed the continental divide at the far boundary of Braulio Carrillo National Park.

 

 

From there, it was a short drive down to the capital city of San Jose.

[SweetAngel]

Day 7 – Highlights of San Jose

 

As we headed down the mountainside to San Jose, the forests opened up to expose stately homes …

 

 

… and coffee plantations.

 

 

Before very long, we were in the heart of the city, on a narrow one-way street with shops on both sides. The shops were all open-air, without doors.

 

A barber shop, a snack shop …

 

 

 

… a furniture store …

 

 

 

… a car sales lot … All were wide open.

 

 

Giant garage-style doors would come down from the wall at night and close the stores up. Bunches of people were walking the streets and shopping.

 

And of course, as in all of these Caribbean countries, there were police.

 

 

Then, after the three-hour ride over the mountains and through San Jose, we would finally arrive at our first stop, the National Theater of Costa Rica.

[SweetAngel]

Day 7 – Stop #1: National Theater of Costa Rica

 

Although there was cloud cover in the mountains, the weather down in the capital city was bright and sunny. The temperature was absolutely perfect, a gorgeous day. Our first stop was the National Theater.

 

 

As you enter the historic building, you are taken back to a different era. Beautiful artwork is found everywhere throughout the lobby.

 

 

Our guide was very conscientious about planning our restroom breaks (although there is a restroom on the bus). So we started our theater tour with the ladies’ room.

 

 

While we waited for the group to assemble, we were free to walk around the lobby and take pictures. Lamps were intertwined with statues and turned into decorative art.

 

 

Because this entire building is a piece of art, you may not use the flash on your camera. It is wise to take the time to learn how to turn off your flash before you begin your vacation. Some people had difficulty with this, and security was quick to reprimand them.

 

 

The lobby has a great open entry with tall ceilings. This picture is looking up toward the balcony entrance from below.

 

[SweetAngel]

Day 7 – National Theater of Costa Rica

 

The National Theater is San Jose’s foremost architectural showpiece. When we entered the main theater, I had the feeling of being suddenly transported to 19th Century Europe. Our guide told stories that put images in our mind of what it would have been like in the days of old as well as in modern times.

 

 

The ceiling was painted with colorful Italian frescos. It was difficult to get a good picture in the dark room. This picture is best viewed in its small size, but it gives you an idea of the artwork.

 

 

In the center of the ceiling was the huge chandelier, which could be lowered on a chain for routine maintenance.

 

 

In the center balcony, right above the entryway, was the box seat used for the most elite of guests. John F. Kennedy sat in this seat when he visited Costa Rica in 1963.

 

 

Our guide also talked about the meaning of the symbols on the Costa Rican Coat of Arms, which hangs above the entryway and also above the stage.

 

 

The number of stars across the top represents the number of provinces (Today there are seven). The three volcanoes stand for the three mountain ranges. The ship shows the maritime history of the country. The oceans in front and behind are the two great seas (Pacific Ocean and Caribbean Sea). On the horizon is a rising sun, and the golden frame represents the golden bead (coffee).

 

Coat of Arms today:

 

[SweetAngel]

Day 7 – National Theater of Costa Rica – Teatro Nacional

 

After touring the main theater, we went upstairs, listening to the tour guide all the way.

 

 

A close up on this lamp post shows the exquisite detail of the artwork and the surrounding walls.

 

 

There was a splendid waiting room at the top, all lavishly decorated with elegant table settings and luxurious furnishings.

 

Marble columns and arched windows adorned the waiting room.

 

 

An impressive winged statue was strategically placed at the front entry to the room.

 

 

After the tour, there were Costa Ricans waiting outside the gate to sell us nicely packaged sets of coins for $1.00 each. Most of the people on our tour bought a set.

 

Across from the theater was the beautiful Gran Hotel Costa Rica. Famous guests included John F. Kennedy, Jimmy Carter, Harry Truman, and John Wayne as well as presidents from other countries.

 

[milagarcia]

Hi SweetAngel,

 

Thank you so much for your review, I have really enjoyed reading it.

 

I am scheduled to do a PC cruise and was thinking about doing this very tour to San Jose, but the description says the drive to San Jose is 2 hours while you said it was 3 hours. While I am willing to do 4 hours on a bus, 6 hours seems too long. Did you think it was too long? Would you recommend doing this tour? Was the landscape worth doing the drive?

 

I really appreciate any feedback.

 

Thank you

Mila

[SweetAngel]

I am scheduled to do a PC cruise and was thinking about doing this very tour to San Jose, but the description says the drive to San Jose is 2 hours while you said it was 3 hours. While I am willing to do 4 hours on a bus, 6 hours seems too long. Did you think it was too long? Would you recommend doing this tour? Was the landscape worth doing the drive?

 

Here is the description from the Princess webpage:

 

"Board your air-conditioned transportation and travel the new highway on the approximately two-and-a-half hour drive to San Jose. Your route travels through the lush rainforest, cloud forest, and volcanic mountains of BraulioCarrilloNational Park. In San Jose your scenic drive passes by the Yellow House, Central Park residential areas, and the Metropolitan Cathedral. Visit the NationalMuseum, a former fortress that today houses impressive collections of archaeological and historical artifacts. Tour the ornate 19th-century National Theater with its neoclassical murals and baroque fixtures. Lunch is served at a French and international cuisine restaurant and your trip includes a brief shopping stop in Moravia, noted for its arts and crafts. Enjoy snacks and soft drinks onboard the bus during the return trip to the ship."

 

The straight drive probably is 2 1/2 hours, but with the loading and unloading of the bus and one quick photo stop, the time onboard really is about 3 hours each way. (I just looked at the signature on my pictures to verify that time - 3 hours exactly between the pictures from the final stop at the gift shop to the Limon pier).

 

I didn't mind the bus ride because we had a good guide and because I really loved the scenery all the way. For me, the scenery was the best reason to take this tour. I wanted to see the mountains and the national park, and no other tour went there.

 

I've taken many long-distance rides, though, and I am very tolerant of travel. Everybody has their own tolerance level. Some people bring books to read. My kids even do well on long tours when they have their Gameboys. My 12-year-old daughter took a 4 hour (round trip) bus ride with me to the Mayan ruins last April, and she thought the whole tour was great. Again, we had a wonderful guide that time. The guide can make all the difference.

 

On this San Jose tour, there were a couple people who got up and walked the aisles of the bus or stood in the back from time to time during the ride.

 

I would recommend the tour to anyone who wants to see these particular sites. You may never get the chance again, so don't let the bus ride hold you back. The ride was long, but never uncomfortable or miserable.

 

However, there are many good excursions offered in Limon. If there are other activities that interest you just as much as these, then you may want to choose something closer to the ship.

[SweetAngel]

Day 7 – Stop 2: National Museum of Costa Rica – Museo Nacional

 

The National Museum is a former fortress that now houses historical exhibits and archaeological artifacts.

 

 

It is a rather small museum, but there are a few interesting pieces. Our guide talked way too much here (which he apologized for when he saw how much time had passed). Unfortunately, now we would not have time to stop at the pineapple plantation that our guide had wanted to show us on the way back to Limon.

 

 

One thing I noticed about the pottery is how intricate it was. There were many pieces with attached appendages or shaped like animals. Several pieces were phallic symbols (as you can see in the above picture). Again, no camera flashes were allowed here

 

 

There was a very nice wildlife display of native animals. Each animal was displayed beside a piece of art that represented that animal.

 

 

The harpy eagle is the world’s most powerful bird of prey (and also the national bird of Panama). It can have a six-foot wingspan and carry large prey (such as sloths) through the air in its talons.

 

 

Here is a look down the street from the National Museum with the Costa Rican flag flying high and the tall mountains setting the background.

 

[SweetAngel]

Day 7 – Stop #3: Le Chandelier Restaurante

 

The hilly streets of San Jose reminded me a lot of San Francisco, especially at Le Chandelier, the restaurant where we would be eating lunch.

 

 

Now I have taken many tours that claim to take you to a “restaurant” or claim to give you an “authentic” native lunch, but I have to say this one is the best of the best! The “restaurants” I have been to on ship tours were usually nothing more than snack shops or little huts set up just for the tour groups. This one was not only real, it was pure elegance!

 

I know we could have seen more sites if we had a box lunch on the bus (like on many other tours I’ve taken), but this restaurant was indeed a site of its own.

 

The décor was so charming. All the details … the walls, the floor, the artwork. There were different rooms within the restaurant, and each room seemed to have a flavor of its own.

 

 

I loved my table! Just look at it:

 

 

The table was set near the open windows, and as I said earlier, the weather today was perfect. The ceiling was lifted a foot or so above the walls, and the gentlest of breezes was filling the open-air room. The flowery scent of all the plants in the garden outside was pleasingly aromatic. The rich woods of the building and the furniture left you with a feeling of grandeur, and they complimented the ornate upholstery of the chairs.

 

 

The above is not a good picture, but I include it to show you the beautiful room and the open ceilings. The people at the table in front were all native South and Central Americans who were cruising aboard Island Princess. They were very complimentary of the native Costa Rican food.

 

 

Lunch was traditional: chicken, rice and beans served from a buffet. The delicious chicken was cut into chunks and served with peas in a yellow cream sauce. Everyone raved about the black beans which had the nice taste of cilantro. There was also salad, French bread, iced tea, and coffee or hot tea.

 

The dessert was a delightful fruit mousse. A lady from Brazil was certain it was passion fruit, and the other South Americans agreed. Later I found out that passion fruit is a specialty of this particular restaurant.

 

 

Don’t just take my word for it. Fodor’s Member Reviews ranks the restaurant 4.8 out of 5 stars. Here’s what Fodor’s says:

 

“San José does not get classier than this restaurant, where formal service and traditional sauce-heavy French dishes are part of the experience. The dining room is elegant, with wicker chairs, a tile floor, and original paintings. Le Chandelier is indeed French...but the clever use of local ingredients makes this as much as gourmet Costa Rican restaurant as a French restaurant that happens to be in Costa Rica. It's very expensive compared to most other restaurants, but the romantic atmosphere, attentive service and wonderful food make it the perfect place.”

[sunsetbeachgal]

Sweet Angel,

 

You are providing the CC readers with one of the best reviews I have seen. Thank you again!

 

I have noticed the times of your posts-you must be staying up all night doing this for us!! I hope you don't have to get up early to be at work!! :D

[SweetAngel]

I have noticed the times of your posts-you must be staying up all night doing this for us!! I hope you don't have to get up early to be at work!! :D

 

Monday is my day off ... and as you can tell from my posts, I am a nightowl.

 

Journaling is such a great way to re-live an experience. Everyone should do it, really. Now, finding the time to do it is a different matter entirely.

 

I am getting a better understanding of all these places by going through and labeling the pictures in this way.

 

When you are on a cruise, everything goes by in such a whirlwind, and then it's over. If you don't label your pictures, you very quickly forget what they were all about. So journaling about this trip is as much for my benefit as for all of you.

 

Everything is making so much more sense the second time through. Plus, I am really enjoying it.

[texasgirl29]

Another note of thanks, Angel, I look forward to your posts. I will be sorry when it all comes to an end. (But my journey starts in 33 days!) I am one of those people who loves to go into old buildings and wonder what it would have been like in the "olden days."

 

JoAnn