Coral Panama Canal Dec 9-23 TR

[Red Rox]

We spent almost a week in FL before embarking on the Coral on Dec 9th. Because of this we took our time on embarkation day. We enjoyed lunch with some friends at Bimini Boatyard. It was less than 10 minutes away from the airport for our rental car return, and Port Everglades. We left the restaurant at about 2:30 and even with construction traffic, we returned the car and caught a cab to the port and the ship. We arrived at the check in desk around 3:20PM and we were the only passengers in the building! I've never experienced a smoother check in. And after being told that the early arrivals were forced to wait due to a coast guard inspection, I resolved to make late check ins a habit for all future cruises. The only downside was that we had to wait a while for our bags to be delivered to our minisuite so we could unpack. But it was nice to be back on the Coral again. And the other result of the CG inspection was that we didn't sail until almost midnight that evening. Although that was almost 7 hours behind schedule, the captain assured us all that he would make up the time at sea and he was true to his word. We enjoyed 2 sea days and arrived in Aruba on time.

The weather was warm and sunny every day for the entire voyage up until the last sea day as we approached Los Angeles. We enjoyed Anytime Dining and used the Bordeaux dining room for most of our breakfasts as well as dinner. I made a standing reservation for 6:15 each night with the understanding that we were willing to share a table as long as it was no larger than a six top. We find that at larger tables it's harder to hear and converse with our table mates. We also enjoyed dinner at Sabatinis on two nights. Both evenings were delightful and the dining experience was well worth the price. We met new people almost every day and made new friends during the whole trip. Thanks to CC we had a head start with a new friends list and met most of our roll call buddies at the Meet & Greet in the Wheelhouse bar on the first sea day at 1PM. That night was also the first (of three) formal night of the cruise and the traditional Captain's Welcome party.

Aruba, our first port of call, was a bit of a disappointment for us since we only had a few hours to explore. We chose to wander around the business district and found the typical array of port shops and Caribbean jewelry and watches. Some of our fellow passengers enjoyed the snorkling tour and a few others reported on their quick visits to Palm Beach. But most of the day long tours and activities in Aruba were not possible as we were scheduled to depart and had to be back on the ship by 12 noon.

After spending the rest of that day and night at sea we arrived in Cartegena Colombia at 9AM. We had arranged a tour here with Lee Miles through our CC group. We filled a small bus with 18 passengers and our tour included a visit to the historic San Filipe fortress, the monestary at La Popa, a walking tour of the old city including the Museum of the Inquisition and the Gold Museum. It also included stops for shopping (had to buy some coffee from Juan Valdez) plus a delightful lunch and we returned to the ship, with minutes to spare before departure.

We woke up early the next morning as were approaching the Gatun Locks at the Panama Canal. This was the highlight of the cruise for me and together we enjoyed the wonder of the entire canal for the whole day. Having read David McCullough's The Path Between The Seas before the trip made this so much more interesting for me personally. The ship's TV was broadcasting a series of documentary shows about the canal and its history throughout the day, but knowing what I had learned, I just spent as much time outdoors as I could. This was also the hottest day weatherwise, with temperatures in the 90s and high humidity, but all in all, the day was a thrill, and as we passed through the Mira Flores Locks we agreed that we want to go back and do it again some day. I understand that future Princess itineraries will include an overnight and land tour options at Panama.

We had another day at sea before our next stop at Puntarenas Costa Rica. We really enjoyed all of the sea days. The activity around the pool was just enough to keep us happy. I read three books during the trip and because the weather was just perfect, the pool and the days at sea were relaxing and fun. I was the fortunate winner of 500 free minutes of internet time, so we found time each evening to check email and monitor CruiseCritic and TripAdvisor. We didn't spend all that much time on the computers though and we actually left about 150 minutes on the account. I also won a massage in the spa drawing that took place and so I took advantage of that on day 12.

At Costa Rica I had prebooked a private tour with TucanLimo from San Jose. We were supposed to visit the Arenal Volcano and then spend a few hours at a hot spring resort. Our driver was late, and by the time he showed up, we had made alternate arrangements that actually turned out to be better. Together with four of our fellow passengers we hooked up with Karine Hayman from Heavenly Tours. She and her driver, Roger took us to the park at Turi Bari. First we stopped to observe and feed some local wildlife including white faced monkeys and coatimundis. At the park we chose the tram ride instead of the zip lines and then did a guided walking tour where we learned about local flora and fauna, ate termites, got up close and personal with bats and a toucan, ate a fabulous authentic luncheon and spent some time with crocodiles. Karine then offered to take us on to another park option that would include a boat ride on the Tarcoles river for birdwatching and more crocs. We agreed and off we went. This proved to be the highlight of the day! Our one hour boat tour was filled with sightings of many local birds and lizards and dozens of crocodiles. We observed the boat pilot actually feeding two of the beasts and our photos are amazing. Finally Karine took us back to the ship by way of her local grocery where we purchased more coffee, this time at local prices. We found Costa Rican coffee on sale for $1.50 per pound! We would all recommend using Karine for day tours at Puntarenas. She speaks English very clearly, as she has recently moved to CR from her home in Canada.

The next day we were at San Jaun del Sur Nicaragua. This was our only tender port. We had not booked any tours for this day. The most popular destination there is Granada. However it requires a long bus ride and we decided we didn't want to do that. Our friends who did told us that they enjoyed the day very much. Some of the other closer tours were reported as disappointing. A church visit was a bust since it was closed, etc. We walked around the port town on our own. It was interesting, but I doubt that I'll return there willingly.

The next day brought us to Puerto Quetzal Guatemala. Here again the popular tour destination was via a long bus ride to Antigua. We regretted not booking this one when we heard from our fellow passengers about how much they had enjoyed their day despite the long ride. The other tour option promoted heavily by Princess is the shopping tour at Massaya where you can find arts and crafts of the Mayan Culture. However, those who did this one told us that they saw the exact same merchandise at the local market at the port. This was where we spent most of our time off the ship along with a large number of our fellow cruisers. There were plenty of vendors, lots to choose from, a few cantinas with $2 cervecas, tasty margaritas and more good coffee. Here we paid about $5 per pound. This was also the only port where we found a place to have our passports stamped.

Our final port stop was Huatalco Mexico. We had heard that this little port is still developing, and indeed it is, but there is plenty there just the same. Our choice was a day on the beach. The beach area adjacent to the pier is very nice and a popular spot. Cabanas with chaise lounges are $10 for the day and beverage service was cheap and efficient. Nearby shops and vendors offer better quality merchandise and indications are that this port town will continue to grow in size and popularity.

Our last three days at sea were pleasant and over all I have to say that we loved this cruise. The Coral remains one of our favorite ships. It never seems crowded. The food and service are above average. We enjoyed most of the shows in the theatre and the lounge. We played trvia games and danced at night. The value that we received was certainly worth while. As always, we purchased another FCC and so we'll begin the task of deciding where to cruise next.

[sunsetbeachgal]

Thanks Red, enjoyed your review!

[mii]

I was very interested in reading your review as we are doing the same cruise but next april on the coral. Having done a partial and a full transit on her I am particarly interested in Nicaguara and guatamala as they are new stops for us. In Guatamala we plan to take the excursion to Antigua but are still unsure about Nicaguara. Thanks for this interesting review.

 

Marilyn

[Colo Cruiser]

Thanks for the review. :)

[Caribbean Sunsets]

I really enjoyed reading your review. Thanks for taking the time to share your experience.:)

[cmarshall9]

Red Rox,

 

Thank you so much for your review especially the information about the ports. We leave on the same itinerary in a week and it was helpful to know your port experiences.

[davidnsteph]

Thanks for taking the time to write this detailed review!

 

DavidnSteph

[mike35]

Excellent review, Alex! We enjoyed meeting you and Frankie, and we look forward to seeing you when you're in our neck of the woods.

 

I'll add just a few comments regarding the ports:

 

 

• San Juan de Sur, Nicaragua. We seldom take ship tours, but since we had never been to Nicaragua and were quite interested in seeing as much as possible, we took the all-day (5:30 a.m.!!) tour. DW enjoyed exploring the Mayasa market, while I walked to the town square looking for photo ops. There were plenty! The children love having their pictures taken, and they delight at seeing the results on a digital camera. The town square is lovely with a gazebo, surrounded by water containing huge turtles! I met DW back at Mayasa, and I managed to buy some excellent local rum and - of course - a couple of pounds of Nicaraguan coffee (I ended up with 12 pounds of coffee altogether - purchased at every port except Aruba and Mexico). We then drove to an active volcano - again experiencing fabulous photo ops. Finally, our guide had us explore Granada, a thriving city with a lovely cathedral and museum. Another highlight for me was discussing the political situation with our knowledgable guide. Nicaragua's president Ortega is very close to Hugo Chavez and Cuba's Castros, and relations with the U. S. are strained. He expressed optimism and hope that the relations would improve under Obama...we'll just have to wait and see.
  
• Puerto Quetzal -- we took the ship excursion "Antigua on your own". On the way to Antigua, we passed a VERY active volcano, and our driver stopped so that we could get photos of the volcano "blowing its top" with a huge plume of smoke and ash. Antigua was the highlight city of the cruise for us. The art galleries, jade factories, cathedral, 500-year old buildings, and restaurants were amazing. We ate lunch in La Fonda de la Calle Real, upon the recommendation of locals whom we met. The Guatemalan food and ambiance were superb!
  
• Huatulco -- We explored the area on our own, taking a cab to the nearest town - kind of a waste of time. Back by the beach in Huatalco, we ate lunch in one of the shoreside restaurants. None of these restaurants take credit cards (kind of hard to believe, as their entire business appears to be derived from cruise ship passengers). I had figured the bill to be USD $32. Imagine my surprise when the waiter presented me a check for USD $54! He had charged 30 pesos for the 3 cervezas we had (menu price - $22), plus he used a 10:1 exchange rate (the official rate is 13.2:1). I speak fluent Spanish and explained this to the waiter; he wouldn't budge. So - I had him take me to the nearest ATM (about 300 yards away), used my ATM card to get pesos, and even with the service charges and foreign conversion fees, my bill, paid in pesos, was $43. Was it worth $11 to go to the ATM? As our friend from Wasilla would say, "you betcha!". I only bring this up to emphasize caveat emptor when it comes to Huatulco!
  

All in all, we had a wonderful cruise! I had also just finished McCullough's fascinating book, which made this second Canal passage much better than our first.

 

We hope to meet many of you on future cruises!

[SHIPMEOUT]

Thanks for the detailed review. :) We are also boarding the Coral in a week to do the same east-west itinerary.

 

Glad the weather was great...I'm looking forward to escaping the snow.

 

Cindy

[Red Rox]

Mike, Thanks for your additional comments. I'm sure they will be helpful for others who are planing stops at these ports.

[Red Rox]

Thanks for the detailed review. :) We are also boarding the Coral in a week to do the same east-west itinerary.

 

Glad the weather was great...I'm looking forward to escaping the snow.

 

Cindy

 

Don't be surprised if you find many of your Canadian friends on board. I think we met more people from Canada, than from anywhere else on this trip.

[sherman931]

Thanks for a great review.

[Bobby Jones]

Just wondering if insect repellent would be good to bring. We're on the Coral the 6th of January for the same cruise. Thanks for the review - very helpful!

[cudder]

Great review Alex, it was a pleasure meeting you and Frankie, I hope our paths cross again in the future, your advice and past expieriences were enjoyed by all, Rosemary and I wish you and yours "ALL THE BEST IN 2009".CUDDER.

[Red Rox]

Just wondering if insect repellent would be good to bring. We're on the Coral the 6th of January for the same cruise. Thanks for the review - very helpful!

 

BJ, I wouldn't worry about insects. We never had any flying critters around us anywhere. Other than the termites that we learned about (and ate) in CR, I can't recall any bugs at all.

Have a great cruise! We were just talking with another friend here in Sedona who is leaving on Friday for a simialr trip on the Azamara Journey.

[Red Rox]

Great review Alex, it was a pleasure meeting you and Frankie, I hope our paths cross again in the future, your advice and past expieriences were enjoyed by all, Rosemary and I wish you and yours "ALL THE BEST IN 2009".CUDDER.

John, I'm sure that we'll see you again someday. We'll be calling you and some of the others in BC when we go there again to visit Frankie's cousins. BTW, We just got a copy of the Sept 29th issue of Hello Canada magazine. It had a great article about her cousin Jacqui.

[RickEk]

Thanks for the detailed review. This is a voyage that I long to take! One of these days... :)

[pinksuit]

Red and others,

 

Glad you had a wonderful time and return safely. Where are you sailing next? Perhaps, DH and I will be meeting with some of you in the near future across the sea.

 

Have a "Wonderful New Year"!

 

Pinkie

[Red Rox]

Red and others,

 

Glad you had a wonderful time and return safely. Where are you sailing next? Perhaps, DH and I will be meeting with some of you in the near future across the sea.

 

Have a "Wonderful New Year"!

 

Pinkie

Hey Pinkie! Hope you and Gary have a safe and happy 2009. I'll keep you posted about our future travel plans.

[laughing husky]

Thanks for the great review. Jim and I enjoyed meeting you and Frankie and if you are ever in our area of the world, I hope you will give us a call. I agree with insect repellant....Not necessary....at least in Dec., however, on the Macaw tour which was excellent, there was a man who complained about the mosquitos. Neither on of us was bitten however, or even saw any. The macaw tour was great. There was the boat ride down the river. Saw wild white collared capuchin monkees...formerly known as White faced capuchins....crocs by the barrel, lots of birdlife and numerous small furry things. Then there was a short bus ride out in the boonies to the Macaw sanctuary, where they rehabilitate birds that have been smuggled out illegally. They are doing a breeding program to try to revive the scarlet macaw population in CR. It was fascinating to both of us and an excellent value. We both loved Nicuragua. We went to Granada and had a wonderful time. We felt that the people were very friendly. The kids were clean and well taken care of no matter how poor the family was. We also heard about the political situation from our guide and it is very sad when political parties of any side raped and pillage a country. I would go back in a minute. In Haultoco we took a cab to the next town and found it charming. Crafts at half the price and and beautiful little church right of the town square that had a beautifully painted ceiling and walls in folkart. We also like Antigua for its ancient building. Antiqua is what central America would look like if the Swiss took it over. (That is a quote from Lonely Planet) There are underground utility lines, it is clean, the people are "picturesque" The food is great, no stray dogs....they apparently "disappear in the middle of the night" another quote form Lonely Planet....but I am not sure that this all represents the "real Guatamala" but it sure was fun...This was the most enjoyable cruise we have been on and I must say....take Red Rox's suggestion and read the book he reccomends....it is well worth it. Thanks again.....Another note. We boarded at 1:30 and it took no more than 10 minutes. We just walked on.....So, go figure. Well, back to reality and work. Bonnie

[reggielew]

Hi!

 

My husband and I were on the 10 day Island Princess round trip Panama Canal trip in November and were very glad that we had brought insect repellent. We used it on our tour in Limon, Costa Rica, and while we didn't get bitten at all, a couple of passengers on our bus who didn't have insect repellent got many bites. My suggestion is to pack a small bottle--better safe than sorry!

 

Reggie

[imacruizer]

Hi!

 

My husband and I were on the 10 day Island Princess round trip Panama Canal trip in November and were very glad that we had brought insect repellent. We used it on our tour in Limon, Costa Rica, and while we didn't get bitten at all, a couple of passengers on our bus who didn't have insect repellent got many bites. My suggestion is to pack a small bottle--better safe than sorry!

 

Reggie

 

Which tour was this?

[Putterdude]

Thanks for all of the information, we are with Bobby Jones and Shipmeout next week on the Coral next week and looking forward to it.:D

[reggielew]

Hi!

 

I can't remember the name of the tour we took in Limon, (we booked it through the ship) but it wasn't very good. It was something like a highlights tour for about 3 hours which stopped at an area that had a small butterfly garden, small rain forest, and a snack and a couple of Cost Rican entertainers who danced. We passed some banana plantations, stopped for a few minutes at a small cave (tourist trap), and then returned to the ship. There wasn't much of great interest, but there were MOSQUITOES.

 

Reggie