Where in the world Today Show, Canal, Coral Princess

[derf5585]

Matt Lauer is in the Canal Zone today and the next ship scheduled to go thru the locks is the Coral Princess.

[MrPete]

So far, all I see are freight ships.....:(

[BettyB2]

WOW - very interesting!! Matt was so proud when he opened the locks to the canal for the Coral Princess. He is planning on trying to talk to cruisers on their balconies when they go thru in around 45 minutes or so.

 

Had to add that they just showed the Carnival Christmas commercial...

[mmsoko]

Matt hollered up to the cruisers on the Coral.

 

Fun to watch.

[musicexpressdj]

:D Too Cool! My parents are on the Coral Princess right now! Wish I had a chance to watch some of the show before I came in to work today. I leave for Grand Cayman and Jamaica in 4 days!:D :D :D

[dmc]

I'll be on the Coral this time next week...it was pretty cool seeing it on T.V.

I really want one of those baskets that Matt showed. My DH wants the Panama hat.

[TEXASMUNK]

Matt asked how the food was....one guy gave a demonstrative thumbs down!

 

Too much babble about gifts, not enough about ships.

[calikak]

My coworker is on the Coral right now, and luckily for me, we get the show 3 hours delayed here on the left coast! I'll have to see if I can sneak into the conference room and turn on the TV. :)

[divadiverfl]

We go feb 2 on the same cruise. Maybe there will be a tv show filming when we go through the lock. It was cool. Thank goodness we have a balcony.:cool:

[Lynda90]

Thanks for the heads up. Am watching it now on the west coast.

[Iamthesea]

I missed it all! Haven't watched the morning show since Friday when they gave the first clue. Forgot all about it! :(

 

The newspaper this morning said that Bush went to the canal yesterday. :)

[mii]

I also have been watching it. It really brings back great memories of when we did the partial transit through the Gatun Locks. Also good timing of the Coral Princess going though there. How I wish I was Matt Lauer right now being that he rode one of the "mules", going into the control center etc. How exciting.

 

Marilyn

[Iamthesea]

I just went to the Today Show website and watched all the videos. I learned and saw more from the video than I did while I was there last month! ;) Saw the Coral and some passengers.

 

I'll be on the Coral this time next week...it was pretty cool seeing it on T.V.

I really want one of those baskets that Matt showed. My DH wants the Panama hat.

Be prepared to shuck out a pretty penny for a basket of that size! I wanted one also, however backed down after seeing the price. I ended up with a 3" round, flat plate looking basket to use as a Christmas ornament. It cost $5. Kind of hard to negotiate prices with a pair of breast looking back at you. :D

[dchip]

Good job Iamthesea. I was sitting here at 9:35am bummed that I missed the show ;-))) Going to the website now.

 

Thanks, Denise

[Iamthesea]

Does anyone know what the clue for The Panama Canal was?

[suziehmkr]

It was something like:

 

People are still asking Matt about the one he received in 2002, almost 90 years after the original one was built.

 

Key to both pieces was "short cut" - Matt's short haircut in 2002 (or maybe it was 2001) and the shortcut of the canal. It was an awesome show. I knew cruise ships paid a bunch for the toll, but $265K?? Ouch. No wonder they moved to the "for profit" business model. Duh!

[derf5585]

It was something like:

Matt's short haircut in 2002 (or maybe it was 2001)

 

FBI issues final report on tragic Matt Lauer haircut

from

http://www.thespeciousreport.com/2003_lauerhaircut.html

[derf5585]

I knew cruise ships paid a bunch for the toll, but $265K?? Duh!

 

I wonder if the Captain has to give the toll takers his credit card?

 

Let go to the numbers

265,000 for 2000 passengers=$132.50 per pasenger.

[cruznliz]

They have to pay for the crew also. So it's 1950 passengers and about 900 crew. So that's $265,000 divided by 2850 equals "only" $93 per person. :eek:

[derf5585]

They have to pay for the crew also. So it's 1950 passengers and about 900 crew. So that's $265,000 divided by 2850 equals "only" $93 per person. :eek:

 

It's by "weight" not how many aboard

 

The toll for the canal is determined by vessel type, size, and the type of cargo carried

from

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

 

And also extra cost to cut in line.

[suziehmkr]

And also extra cost to cut in line.

No kidding!? I bet that is a huge charge.

 

So Derf - what does your research show that a ship the size of Coral had been paying prior to the turnover of the canal to Panama? They say they are going to make more this year then they did the entire time is was under US control... must have raised the prices dramatically when they moved to the new business model.

[suziehmkr]

FBI issues final report on tragic Matt Lauer haircut

from

http://www.thespeciousreport.com/2003_lauerhaircut.html

I don't care what he thinks... the haircut is awful. I imagine he DW has alot to do with it. ;)

[lannp]

Thanks for the heads up. Missed the show but did check it out on the website. I also learned a few facts and can't wait for our trip on the Coral in January. We have a starboard balcony - I could picture myself there waving to Matt Lauer.

[derf5585]

So Derf - what does your research show that a ship the size of Coral had been paying prior to the turnover of the canal to Panama?

 

Taking control of the canal also raises another concern for Panama. It will have to find some way to compensate for the loss of some $350 million a year from the U.S. military

from

http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/latin_america/panamacanal/canal_12-13.html

[Iamthesea]

It was something like:

 

People are still asking Matt about the one he received in 2002, almost 90 years after the original one was built.

 

Key to both pieces was "short cut" - Matt's short haircut in 2002 (or maybe it was 2001) and the shortcut of the canal. It was an awesome show. I knew cruise ships paid a bunch for the toll, but $265K?? Ouch. No wonder they moved to the "for profit" business model. Duh!

Thank you! Cute clue that I would have never guessed the answer.

 

I wonder if the Captain has to give the toll takers his credit card?

 

When we went through the canal on the Coral on October 18th?, we were told the fee was $246,000. I wonder what the difference was? While cruiselines are charged, the canal will not allow a credit card to be used. Other container ships and various boats must pay in cash! A ship also needs to have a reservation to go through the canal or they could face a wait of up to two days to a week before being allowed to go through. :eek: