Coral Princess Panama Canal Review with Photos

[h20skibum]

Panama Canal - Part 1

 

The Panama Canal, that's why we are here. 2014 is the 100 year anniversary, so we decided that would be the year to do it. As we approached the Gatun locks, you could see the gates for the expansion project along the left side awaiting installation. Although we had a port side balcony, the best vantage point for photos is deck 15 forward. There is enough space between the glass panels for your camera lens. I was on deck at 6:15, and there were already quite a few passengers there.

 

The ship entered the first of the three chambers at 7:30, and entered Gatun Lake at 8:50. The Gatun locks have three chambers that raise the ship 85 feet from the level of the Atlantic to the lake level. Each chamber has a useable length of 1,000 feet and a width of 110 feet. Our ship is 964 feet long and 105 feet wide, so it is about the largest ship that can pass through the Canal.

 

After passing through the first lock, I moved aft for more photos, and went to deck 7 jogging track for different photo vantage points.

 

 

New gates awaiting installation.

 

Traffic crosses the swing bridge below the gates while the "mules" await the ship.

 

The gates open as the ship enters the first lock.

 

A mule passes in front of the lighthouse at the Gatun locks.

 

Everyone awaits our entry into Gatun Lake.

 

Next - Panama Canal - Part 2

[Redwing55]

Thanks for the review. We did this in Feb. and loved it. It's bringing back some great memories. And I like the watch you're rocking in Colombia.:)

[h20skibum]

Thanks for the review. We did this in Feb. and loved it. It's bringing back some great memories. And I like the watch you're rocking in Colombia.:)

 

I know. I had to crop my ugly face out of the picture so everyone could tell which one was the sloth.:)

[catmand]

Thanks for taking the time to post this great review. Loved the pictures, especially the sloth...:D

[h20skibum]

Panama Canal - Part 2

 

Two of us scheduled the Panama Canal and Locks transit by Boat, and the other two scheduled the Scenic Drive and Walking tour of Old Panama City. I will first cover the Locks transit since that is the excursion I took. For the Locks transit, this group is the first to tender off the ship. It is potentially the longest tour since the entry time into the locks is controlled by the Panama Canal Authority. The excursion brochure lists this as a 6 hour tour that can take up to 8 hours depending on traffic in the locks. Our experience would take us much longer, with the time from tendering from the ship to the return to the ship around 11 hours.

 

Although we were among the last to board the first tender to the Gatun Yacht Club, we were the first off the tender boat to get on lucky bus number one. There were eight bus loads, or about 320 who took this tour. The busses transport you to Gamboa where you board the ferry boat for transit through the remaining locks to the Pacific. When we reached the exit from the thruway to Gamboa, the exit ramp was closed. We could see a dump truck crashed into the hillside, and the guide pointed out that there was a fatality since you could see a body under a sheet and a wagon to haul the body away. Thus, we had a 30 mile detour that took us to places most do not get to see. The remaining busses took the opposite ramp and went against traffic instead of following the lead bus on the detour. With the detour, it took about two and a quarter hours to reach the ferry boat which worked out fine, since the ferry boat was just arriving.

 

After boarding the ferry, we had to wait for a smaller ship to go through the locks with us. As we started toward the Pedro Miguel locks, we passed the prison holding Manuel Noriega.

 

 

Tendering from the ship

 

The new Rod Carew Baseball Stadium on our detour route.

 

the Centennial Bridge as seen from our detour.

 

The bridge in to Gamboa.

 

The ferry boat, TURIA II.

 

The prison that holds Manuel Noriega along the Canal.

 

Next - Panama Canal Part 3

[h20skibum]

Panama Canal - Part 3

 

 

We traversed through the Culebra Cut and arrived at the Pedro Miguel locks about two and a half hours after boarding. It was interesting that they use a couple of guys in a rowboat to gather the lines to attach the ship lines to the mules. The locks are a sight to see from a small boat.

 

The Culebra Cut

 

The Centennial Bridge

 

Centennial Bridge

 

Gathering lines for the mules

 

One of the mules at the Pedro Miguel locks

 

You can appreciate the size of the locks and gates from a lower vantage point.

 

Next - Panama Canal Part 4

[h20skibum]

Panama Canal - Part 4

 

After going through the Pedro Miguel single stage lock that lowers the boat 31 feet, we entered Miraflores Lake for the short trip to the Miraflores locks. This is a two stage lock that lowers the boat 54 feet to the level of the Pacific.

 

On the remainder of the trip to the Pacific we pass beneath the bridge of the Americas, and view the new Frank Gehry Biodiversity Museum that has been under construction for the past 10 years. Finally, we reach the dock at Balboa to get our bus for the return cross country to Colon.

 

Unfortunately, we had arrived during rush hour, and we were just leaving for a one and a half hour trip cross country as the ship was scheduled to sail. As the bus navigated a two left turn intersection in Balboa, a lady ran her car into the side of the bus. This is when we found out a little about the traffic laws in Panama. The police were on the scene almost as soon as it happened. Our tour guide used to be a police officer there, so he told us that as long as one person admits fault, it pretty much ends there. However, the bus driver said it was not his fault, and the lady said it was not her fault. The driver and the lady would have to appear before a judge in a couple of weeks ( I guess to figure out which one is lying). Although several on the bus said it was the lady's fault, our guide said they do not take witness statements, and any witnesses would have to go to the judge with them in a couple of weeks if they wanted to help out.

 

As it turns out, this tour had an empty bus following the tour in the event any would break down, so our replacement bus was there in a matter of minutes. Once we got to the thruway, we were flying low across country. Our guide liked to point out that Panama had no regulations about lights on vehicles, and sure enough, no trucks on the road had tail lights but only reflective tape. Vehicles coming toward use were lit up light Christmas trees with lots of red lights or blue lights.

 

As we approached the interchange where the ramp was closed that started our morning detour, the guide pointed out that is where we were at. Our new bus driver then filled in some information from the news about it. As it turns out, the driver of the dump truck had some type of conflict with the drug cartel, and drug cartel members had driven by and shot him causing the truck to crash. We were about an hour and a half late getting back to the ship, so there was no time for shopping. The ship left as soon as we got onboard.

 

All in all it was quite an adventure. Would I do it again? Absolutely, if it was my first time there. To experience the locks from a smaller boat gives you a much different perspective than that from 15 decks up. I feel like we got a bonus with our tour. A drug shooting, a detour to see much of the country you would not normally see on the tour, and a bus wreck. All for no extra charge. Not to make light of any of the events, but is gives you colorful stories to tell.

 

Miraflores locks.

 

Exiting Miraflores locks.

 

The ships look much bigger from down here.

 

Bridge of the Americas

 

Boats along the way. where did the water go?

 

Frank Gehry designed Biodiversity Museum.

 

 

Next - Panama Canal Part 5

[h20skibum]

Panama Canal - Part 5

 

This part of the review will just touch briefly on the Old Panama City tour that DW took that will include a few of her photos. Their tour was not nearly as eventful, but they did have a little time for shopping. They visited the Old Panama City Ruins and saw a few of the major buildings from their tour bus. Sorry I can not offer a recommendation for this tour, but they were not overly impressed. Anyway, here are a few of their photos.

 

The F&F tower (the spiral skyscraper) - they built this after how many drinks?

 

Ruins in Old Panama City

 

More Ruins

 

French Embassy

 

San Francisco de Asis Church

 

Next - Limon, Costa Rica

[SeagoingMom]

I know. I had to crop my ugly face out of the picture so everyone could tell which one was the sloth.:)

I am sure you are too modest...The sloth, anyway, is adorable!! I want a sloth of my own!

[SeagoingMom]

The Ship - Dining and Bars

 

Besides the Horizon Court Buffet, the Coral has the Provence Main Dining Room and the Bordeaux My Time Dining Room as the main dining areas. Other options for food include the Pizzeria and the ice cream bar on deck 14 and the Grill on deck 15, and a small International Cafe on deck 6. For fee restaurants include Sabatini's and the Bayou Cafe on deck 7.

 

 

 

 

 

 

We did not use any of the specialty restaurants. Our lunch favorites was to get something from the Grill. Here, they offered cooked to order hamburgers, hot dogs, knock wurst, bratwurst, and chicken sandwiches. The Pizzeria usually offered a specialty pizza each day as well as plain or pepperoni. We had no complaints from anything we ordered at either place.

 

We had a table for 10 in the Main Dining Room at the early dinner seating, and we are all of our dinners there. Our table mates were all thoroughly enjoyable. The meal choices were usually six main entrees, four "always available" entrees, a couple of pasta choices, and three or four soup, salad and appetizer choices. Most of the food was good, but was not up to the same level we have experienced on other cruises. Maybe we just notice this more the longer we cruise. The meal choices seemed to be very similar, to almost repeat some options later in the cruise.

 

There are eight bars or bar/lounge areas, with some only being open if there are activities going on there. Most beers were 4.25 to 5.95 plus tip, and cocktails averaged 7.95 plus tip. Crooners had the best Dirty Banana. I guess all bartenders are not created equal.

Next - Fitness Options

All your photos show the ship to great advantage -- well done. I did have a chuckle when I saw that the "paint by number" murals on Coral are pretty much in the same style as those on Caribbean Princess. I remember doing paint by number "art" when I was about 9. I should have kept at it -- it might have ended up on a Princess ship...

[ar1950]

h20skibum, thanks for the great review! Just the type of review that I really enjoy reading. And, yes, all of the extra events "for no extra charge" plus a picture of a sloth........ Who could ask for more?? :cool:

[Susie51]

Great review and pics!

[h20skibum]

Costa Rica - Part 1

 

Our tour in Costa Rica was one of our favorites after the Panama Canal. We were on the tour of a banana plantation, a train ride through the rain forest, and a boat trip on the Tortuguero canals. We started at the Delmonte banana plantation and saw the banana plants and their processing center. All the banana bunches are covered in blue plastic as they grow. They have a pulley system that takes the bananas to the center, and takes bags of calcium to the fields. In the plant, they have washing bins before packaging the bananas for shipment.

 

The next portion of the tour was a train ride through the tropical forest. We saw three towed sloths in the trees, as well as howler monkeys. It was amazing the noise they would make when a bunch of them started howling.

 

Banana plants.

 

Bananas covered in plastic on the plants.

 

Bananas ready for processing

 

Train ride through the tropical forest.

 

Sloth viewed fro the train.

 

Howler monkey viewed from the train.

 

Next - Costa Rica Part 2

[h20skibum]

Costa Rica - Part 2

 

After the train, we traveled a short distance to the canals. In the canals, we saw iguana in the trees, crocodiles, and more sloths and monkeys. The guide said the sloth in the photo below was expecting. The guides were very keen at picking out the wildlife, and they would turn to boat and stay there to make sure everyone could see the wildlife. It was definitely a worthwhile tour.

 

Iguana in tree along Tortuguero Canals

 

Blue Heron along canal.

 

Sloth along canal.

 

Crocodile along canal

 

The last tour boat that didn't make it back.

 

A "Choice" establishment for sale.

 

There was an artists market by the pier where we found a few things to bring back, so there was some time for shopping here. As you travel here and at the other stops in Panama and Columbia, you will note the poor living conditions, and even the poorest places have bars on the doors and windows and razor wire on the fences.

 

Next - How much of your stateroom furniture fits on your balcony?

[ar1950]

Costa Rica - Part 2

 

Next - How much of your stateroom furniture fits on your balcony?

 

OK, waiting to hear this story......:cool:

[Woobstr112G]

Great review and awesome pictures......:):):)

 

Bob

[shredie]

Thanks for the memories! That was one of my favorite cruises, and I love the Coral.

[h20skibum]

And now the answer to the question "How much of your stateroom furniture fits on your balcony?"

 

The answer is "All of it!!!"

 

 

Around 2:00 a.m., the night we left Costa Rica, a pipe broke in the adjoining stateroom. Water soaked their entire stateroom and ran into the corridor and down to our stateroom. We had a little wet area by our bath, but nothing excessive. I thought it came from our swimsuits, but found out in the morning it came from next door. It did soak our entryway enough that they had to remove our entryway carpet. However, Princess spent most of the sea day removing wet carpet from the adjoining stateroom, drying out the stateroom and placing new carpet. They had to move all the furniture to the balcony while they laid carpet. It is a good thing it was a sunny day that they could move things out. The passageway was filled with fans for a couple of days to dry the passageway carpet out.

 

Princess left us a small plate of chocolates for our inconvenience. I don't know what kind of comp our neighbors got, but I joked they probably got two plates of chocolates.

 

Since the ship was full, there was nowhere to move them.

 

Drying out the corridor.

 

Getting ready for our new entry carpet.

 

Next - Grand Cayman

[h20skibum]

Grand Cayman

 

We had been to Grand Cayman several times before, so we chose the Seven Mile Beach Tiki Get Away. This was a nice way to relax. The beach bar had free wifi fast enough we were able to facetime. Due to the exchange rate of 1.22 US dollars to 1.00 CI dollar, things were more expensive here. The Beach Break came with a rum punch drink and a lounge chair. An umbrella was $10 more. Drinks here averaged $7 for a beer and $14 for a specialty drink.

 

What stop in Grand Cayman wouldn't be complete without a visit to Margarittaville? Our lunch for 4 there ran about $100. Much more time to shop here, so we picked up several rum gift packs and Tortuga Rum Cakes to take back home.

 

Lowering the tender

 

Tiki Beach

 

Tiki Beach

 

Tiki Beach

 

Margarittaville

 

Next - The Ship's Galley

[we3peas]

Great pictures and commentary. We were told to not pay the people with the sloths in the street by our guide in Costa Rica because they pay kids to steal the baby sloths from their moms in the jungle and then keep them in bags and feed them junk food. The moms cannot protect their babies since they do not move fast enough. Most baby sloths die within 2 years of being taken so now there is a decline in the sloth population.

 

I was amazed coming from the US where we tend to be more careful with our wildlife and the lackadaisical attitude of the Central Americans. My daughter could not believe they would allow us to pick up and hold the sea turtles in Grand Cayman since she's been to many Sea World camps and they are always stressing to look but not touch especially in the wild, they don't even get to do anything but put a finger on their shell in camp and then have to wash their hands immediately to not spread diseases to them before touching anything else.

[Woobstr112G]

Grand Cayman

 

We had been to Grand Cayman several times before, so we chose the Seven Mile Beach Tiki Get Away. This was a nice way to relax. The beach bar had free wifi fast enough we were able to facetime. Due to the exchange rate of 1.22 US dollars to 1.00 CI dollar, things were more expensive here. The Beach Break came with a rum punch drink and a lounge chair. An umbrella was $10 more. Drinks here averaged $7 for a beer and $14 for a specialty drink.

 

What stop in Grand Cayman wouldn't be complete without a visit to Margarittaville? Our lunch for 4 there ran about $100. Much more time to shop here, so we picked up several rum gift packs and Tortuga Rum Cakes to take back home.

 

Tiki Beach

 

Tiki Beach

 

Tiki Beach

 

Margarittaville

 

Next - The Ship's Galley

 

More great pictures. I just gotta get back to Grand Cayman. 21 years is just too long.....:)

 

Bob

[SeagoingMom]

Honestly, you have to get a job in Princess PR. Your photos are so stunning that they would make anyone and everyone want to take that cruise on that ship immediately! They certainly did for me!

[hllwdcruiser]

Thank you so much for this amazing review. Your photos are brilliant - we are booked on the Coral in 2015/Alaska - and your pictures are so vivid I feel like I am taking the tour. I wish Princess brochures showed as much! Horizon Court looks fantastic compared to the Ruby and Crown - it is so much better laid out.

 

Thanks, too, for your amazing Panama Canal and excursion review. It is on our bucket list, but one we won't be able to afford for quite a while. I am totally enjoying living vicariously through you!

[Loonbeam]

Check with your tour guide. Some are more reputable than others. When we were in Cartagena, there was someone with a sloth outside his shop and our tour arranger said they were there most days with the same sloth for over 5 years and were known for treating her well. We were specifically told NOT to patronize the ones in the larger tourist trap malls for the reasons you mention.

 

As far as sea creatures, yeah that bothers me too. It's why I never do a Dolphin experience outside of Disney or SeaWorld. Don't trust the keepers

 

Great pictures and commentary. We were told to not pay the people with the sloths in the street by our guide in Costa Rica because they pay kids to steal the baby sloths from their moms in the jungle and then keep them in bags and feed them junk food. The moms cannot protect their babies since they do not move fast enough. Most baby sloths die within 2 years of being taken so now there is a decline in the sloth population.

 

I was amazed coming from the US where we tend to be more careful with our wildlife and the lackadaisical attitude of the Central Americans. My daughter could not believe they would allow us to pick up and hold the sea turtles in Grand Cayman since she's been to many Sea World camps and they are always stressing to look but not touch especially in the wild, they don't even get to do anything but put a finger on their shell in camp and then have to wash their hands immediately to not spread diseases to them before touching anything else.

[h20skibum]

The Ship's Galley

 

I had never taken a Ship's Galley tour, or a ship tour for that matter before. The last sea day, Princess offered a culinary demonstration and galley tour. It was an entertaining and informative experience. The culinary demonstration by the Head Chef, Thomas Ulrich, and the Maître D, Silvio Zampieri was excellent. Their routine could pass for a comedy show, so the comedian may need to watch out. Never knew they had escalators on the ship in the galley. I guess this is so they can service the dining areas on both decks.

 

 

 

Maître D, Head Chef and Cruise director

 

My kind of cooking ingredients

 

Are we having fish tonight?

 

The kitchen help says Hi.

 

Preparing the meat for tonight's dinner.

 

 

Next - you found what floating out there?