Princess/Island Princess/Panama Canal (OLD Locks)/ 14 days FLL to LA/ Jan 5 2023 to Jan 19, 2023

[MishelleMcc]

Who's with us on this voyage???  We are very excited!  This is our first Panama Canal Cruise!  We are particularly interested in the ports!  Any and all advise welcome!!

 

This is the first leg of the 2023, 111 Day World Cruise RT Ft Lauderdale to Ft Lauderdale.  We picked this cruise because it is one of only a few Passenger Cruise ships that can still navigate the Old Locks of the Panama Canal and we can only travel during the winter months because of our job.

 

We do feel like the demographic of this cruise will be different than on "regular cruises" because a large percentage of PAX will be staying on board after we disembark in LA, for the rest of the World Cruise.  There is a very busy Roll Call in the regular Princess RC board and there is a lot of discussion about other ports and other issues pertaining to long-term cruising that don't really apply to our trip but I diligently follow along, gleaning what I can that would be applicable to our leg of the cruise

 

I think the Embarkation experience will be different too because most folks will be boarding for a VERY long cruise!

 

Does anyone out there have any experiences to share?

 

Looking forward to your posts!  Any and all advise welcome!!

 

Mishelle & Sue

 

 

[kennetro]

Hi Mishelle & Sue.  We, too, are booked on this Cruise to LAX.  Thought we had the rest of 22 and all of 23 planned out & booked, but then out of the blue last week, DH decided he wanted to go somewhere "warm" for a couple of weeks in January before our already-planned "spring" trip.  So here we are.  We're Ken & Ray from Dallas.  We've actually done the Canal before, but this trip adds a couple of new countries that we didn't visit before.  We're seasoned travelers (a nice way of saying OLD), and have been to 67 countries.  This cruise will bring us up to 70.

 

Yes, we also wanted to do the old locks again.  Before, we went through them on a very small flat-bottomed "tourist boat".  It was fascinating being so low to the water that you could literally touch the slimy green concrete walls of the locks on both sides of the ship.  This time though, we'll be on a tall enough ship that we can watch the little 110+ year-old electric locomotives (or "Mules") pull us through by cables.  It's going to be fascinating. (again!)

 

But first, this fall, we'll be going to Romania, Bulgaria, Serbia, Croatia, & Hungary, (on a Tauck river cruise), then taking a train to Nuremberg &  Munich for our 3rd or 4th OKTOBERFEST!!  <-- obviously we LOVE it!  It's one of the most fun things we've ever done!

 

Looking forward to meeting you two!

 

Ken & Ray

 

 

Edited June 19, 2022 by kennetro

[MishelleMcc]

Hi Ken and Ray!!!  We are getting close to the cruise!!!!  I'm not sure if I saw your post back in June (One of busiest months) But I am so excited to meet you!!  I just read your post to Sue and we are both impressed by all your travels!!!  I bet you guys have some amazing stories!!! 

 

Also, you guys both look Young to us!  Ha!!  I am 63 and Sue is 59!!  We are not as well traveled as you are but we did win a trip to China in 2012!!  Fascinating!!  So we will all have some great stories to share with each other!! 

 

The latest Island Princess "patter" that I've seen listed the LGBTQ+ meet up is at the Wheelhouse Bar at 6:15pm  every evening.

 

The World Cruise roll-call is HUGE and 264 pages long! 

There will be a Meet & Greet is 10:00am Jan 6th in the Provence Dining room on Fiesta Deck #6.  Here is the Spreadsheet. https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1VgE0KF5t1SGlSFotN0Ak6FfQT0cmX0xd9nY4hMepLK4/edit#gid=0

 

There will be lots of activities on board too (In addition to regular Cruise line activities)  We don't usually participate in a lot of activities but may go to the Meet & Greet.

 

We really hope you two will still be going on the cruise with us!!!

 

Mishelle & Sue

[MishelleMcc]

Hey!  Maybe others will be on board too!?!?!?  Ahoy Mateys!!  Any of you coming with us???

[kennetro]

On 12/26/2022 at 8:48 PM, MishelleMcc said:

Hey!  Maybe others will be on board too!?!?!?  Ahoy Mateys!!  Any of you coming with us???

We have two friends from Denver joining us on this cruise.  "Bill & Gary"   We've cruised with them twice before, and Bill even flew here to Dallas to take care of our two big Weimaraners for us while we went to Antarctica last December.  Both are super nice, and super fun!  You'll enjoy them.

 

[MishelleMcc]

1 hour ago, kennetro said:

We have two friends from Denver joining us on this cruise.  "Bill & Gary"   We've cruised with them twice before, and Bill even flew here to Dallas to take care of our two big Weimaraners for us while we went to Antarctica last December.  Both are super nice, and super fun!  You'll enjoy them.

 

How fun!!  We look forward to meeting them!!!  This is going to be a great Cruise!!!!

[kennetro]

Just got an email from USPS Tracking.  Our Medallions are due to "arrive here January 3rd by 9:00 p.m."  They'd BETTER.  We leave early the following morning (the 4th) to fly to FLL!  If they don't arrive the night before, I'm gonna be p*ssed.  Wonder why they chose to wait until the very last second??  🤔

[MishelleMcc]

I just checked "tracking" and ours is scheduled NOW to arrive Sat Jan 31...  Our usps in our remote location is...  unreliable... a lot of snow in the forecast, so if we don't get it Saturday, we will have to wait until embarkation and will not have the upgraded version we paid $10 for cuz we drive to Boise for a park & fly on Sun Jan 1 and fly out Jan 2 for Florida...  I know Princess will make it right  but it will be a minor hassle to get that adjusted and get on the ship.  ...still...  We will be on the ship!  Crazy annoying but I just want to be on board...  Right now I am worried about our flights and getting to Florida...

[kennetro]

Yay!  Ours got here today! --- 3 days earlier than they said they would.  Guess now all we have to do is finish packing all those steamer trunks!  😉 

[MishelleMcc]

We got ours today too!!!  Packing done accept for last minute stuff!!  We leave for Boise tomorrow to do a park & fly!  fly to Florida on Monday!!!!    SOOOOO EXCITED!!!!!!!