Live from Oosterdam, Santiago-FLL through the Canal!

[Mike B Landlubber]

20 minutes ago, Ian Ando said:

Hello, I have read your many posts with interest. I am looking at this cruise for 2025. I have a couple of questions you may be able to answer.
(1) how many hours were you docked at Fuerte Amador, Panama? The full day?

(2) was the cruise ship full? And do you know the numbers of Americans, Canadians, Australians etc?

Thanks Ian

 

We were docked overnight at Fuerte Amador, but didn’t get a second port day out of it. After spending the night, we lifted anchor before dawn to get “in line” and enter the Panama Canal at about sunrise.

 

i heard from another passenger that the ship was fully-booked, though it didn’t feel that way to me. Crowds were never a problem at all. So I’m not sure that was true. For those who do not want a crowded ship this was a good cruise. I never heard any official numbers on national make up. Anecdotally most of the passengers I talked to were from the USA or were from Canada, though I don’t remember any Australians. I noted a small percentage of Asians and some from Spanish-speaking countries. I was impressed that the population seemed even more geriatric than the usual Holland America cruise. I doubt there were 20 passengers who were under 40 on the whole ship. I’m in my mid-sixties, and (unscientifically) I thought I was younger than at least 80% of the passengers I saw. The length of the cruise, time of year, and being off the usual popular cruise routes was the reason, I’m sure. Most of these people were hardcore cruisers of great experience, though I did talk a couple of times with a couple who were on their first cruise!!! The wife had some sort of deal from her work, it wasn’t a newbie picking this cruise off a brochure. 🙂

Edited May 11 by Mike B Landlubber

[Ian Ando]

Thanks for the information. Much appreciated