NYE Panama Canal 2021-2022
Cruisers: Hairs and Kallinas
Greg and I drove to Port Everglades leaving Sanibel a little before 10. The ship was late arriving due to high winds in Jamaica. We were asked to arrive at 1:15. We dropped off the luggage and parked in the parking garage. As we were walking back we saw Roberta and John getting out of their Uber ride. We made it inside then through the queue only to stopped as we were the next in line to be checked in. We waited close to an hour, reason being said that the ship wasn’t ready and the waiting area above was full. We were the first ones helped after all the wheelchairs and a large group of blind travelers were checked in before us. It was the first time to check in with the medallion app. It all worked just fine but at no time did anyone want our QR code which we all made sure we had ready on our phones. After getting on the ship we were directed to 15th floor where we had a cocktail and light lunch. After lunch we headed to shore excursions and booked our tours. Muster is being done differently, you have to watch a video and check into your muster station. Order doesn’t matter so since we were on the muster floor we checked in and then went to our stateroom. Our luggage was waiting by our door so unpacking began and we watched the muster video. Because the ship arrived late, we will be leaving 3-4 hours late. To bad, we will miss the Ft Lauderdale citizens waving goodbye to us as we leave the port area.
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| View from our room |
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| Club class mini suite |
The evening started with a drink in the Crooners Bar (we would return here several times)
and dinner in Divinci. The left side is reserved for suite and club class. With club class you don’t need reservations and there is an additional entree offered each evening.
Dinner was ok tonight, nothing to write home about. After looking back, it was the weakest menu of the cruise. After dinner, we went to the theater for the show. It was a comedian Simon Cotter. The cruise director, Jodie, is not on the cruise but will be joining us in Grand Turk.
After the show we went to Skywalkers where the DJ was playing one hit wonders
but it sounded like all disco music so we went back to Crooners to listen to the piano player. He was ok, but not awesome and loud. Called it a night around 11.
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| ship nicely decorated for the holidays |
Thursday- sea day
The guys went to breakfast and I slept in. We attended the Cruise Critic meet and greet at 11 in Skywalkers. Maybe 20 attended with 5 officers present. Then we checked out a few stores and headed to lunch in the MDR. The guys and Roberta wanted to participate in the hole in one golf tourney. I went up with them but eventually came back to the room. Greg came in 2nd in the putting contest but no prizes awarded.
We hung out in the room reading, and Greg did his PT.
We started happy hour in the Wheelhouse with Guitarist David Barrett. Good but loud. 2 Cool Duo were next, sounded pretty good but still pretty loud. We came back several times to listen to this duo.
Headed to dinner where we were seated with server Michael again but at 2 two tops side by side. It was not as crowded and food was good. Two of us ordered the shrimp special and 2 ordered snapper. Both entrees were good. We caught the tail end of 60’s trivia in Explorers Lounge
and then to the show, Soul Sensation in the theater with the Princess singers. It was enjoyable. After the show, we did “I’ll take Trivia for 100”. It was a takeoff on Jeopardy and we didn’t embarrass ourselves but we didn’t come close to winning either!
Called it a night!
NYE. Grand Turk
Ship docked at 7 am which is when the alarm went off. Greg and I went to the MDR for breakfast. We were the only people there for awhile. Then all four of us went ashore around nine. Plan was to walk to the right on the beach where I found the queen conch shells the last time we docked here. Wrong, they had that access chain linked off and it looked totally different. So, we sat in some loungers for a few minutes then walked in the other direction to Jack’s Shack. It was still there! I had a Reef Recker and the guys had a round of local beer then switched to red stripe. Roberta and I walked down to water. A bit nippy, but warm enough to get wet which Roberta did.
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| Emerald Princess docked at Grand Turk |
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| The beach |
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| Jack's Shack |
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| entrance to Jack's Shack |
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| New beer |
We wandered back to the cruise area which was pretty deserted. After getting back on the boat we ate lunch at the grill and pizza station. I found a lounger and read for awhile, the others watched sail away and then headed back to the room.
We started NYE evening in the Wheelhouse where guitarist David Barett was playing. Dinner was excellent with three of us having lobster. Greg had tenderloin but he and I shared a second lobster. We then went to Beatles trivia where Roberta knew the title to 18 out of 20 songs. Impressive!
We walked upstairs to see what was going on but decided to go back to the Wheelhouse to listen to the 2 Cool Duo and then heading back pool side for the New Year Countdown. Quite the celebration! I think all 1200 people were on deck.
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| Wheelhouse |
New Years Day Sea Day
I slept way in. Greg went up to the buffet for a little breakfast. We then went to the Piazza to read then met John and Roberta for lunch. The Fritto Misto was excellent (fried calamari, shrimp, scallops, white fish, and scallops). They brought a 2nd plate for all of us to share. Seas are rough today and more cloudy than sunny so we opted to hang in the room.
Dining tonight was in Sabitinis, the Italian specialty restaurant, courtesy of our travel agency. We first had drinks in Adagio, the bar next to Sabitinis. We were the only people there. Dinner was 6 courses and took over 2 hours. Stuffed was an understatement!
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| Adagio |
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| Sabatinis |
Cartagena
Our excursion was at 10:30 so we had breakfast in the MDR. We literally were the only customers. We left the ship early and walked through the aviary right outside the port. They were feeding the macaws and it was somewhat cool. We have been to Cartagena before and have walked through the aviary but it was after a long tour and so hot, so we really enjoyed seeing the birds and wildlife today in a more pleasant environment,
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| A pink ibis which is a cross between a white ibis which we see all the time in Florida and a scarlet ibis which is rare but we did see on an excursion in Trinidad and Tabago |
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Our tour bus arrived so we were able to board early.
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| Emerald Princess from the entry to the port |
Cartagena de Indias, a former Spanish colony was an important port in the exporting of silver from Peru to Spain and the importation of slaves from Africa to the Spanish American colonies. It was founded in 1533
First stop was the San Felipe Fort
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| The castle is located on the Hill of San Lázaro in a strategic location, dominating approaches to the city by land or sea. It was built by the Spanish during the colonial era. Construction began in the year 1536, and it was originally known as the Castillo de San Lázaro, It was expanded in 1657. |
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| Don Blas de Lezo was a Spanish admiral who lost an arm, an eye, and a leg in service to the colonies, and famously led the defense of Cartagena against a vastly superior British force in 1741. His maimed appearance, accurately reflected on this statue, makes him look like a picture book pirate. |
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| beach on our tide to the horse carriages |
followed by the carriage ride.
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| shopping center |
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| part of the old city wall |
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| Bolivar Park |
We then went to San Pedro Claver Square, which is framed by the church with the same name and several restaurants and small jewelry and local handicraft shops.
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| church |
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| restaurant across from the church |
The guide took us to an emerald shop which had bathrooms. Yea!! We were given about an hour on our own. Greg and I went to another emerald store and then to the restaurant across from the church and enjoyed refreshments (beer and coke).
Views from the bus as we drive back to the port.
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| La Torre de Reloj, the main city gate in the historic old town and original entrance of the fortified city. Construction was started in 1704. |
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| Tower was rebuilt in the 1800's when the pendulum clock was added. |
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| Clock was replace in the 1900's with a Swiss clock which is still in operation today. |
We were brought straight back to the ship. Roberta and John did a tour with Dora which we had recommended from our previous stop a few years ago.
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| views of Cartagena from our stateroom as we sail away. |
After lunch in the buffet, Greg, Roberta and John watched the Cowboys and I read.
We went straight to dinner. Everyone had prime rib for their entree and it was nicely done. After dinner we headed to Wheelhouse but detoured into the jewelry store.
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| Effy |
Big mistake. After promising to think about the emerald necklace and earrings, we joined John in Wheelhouse. 2 Cool Duo were playing 60’s hits. Definitely the best music on the boat.
Panama Canal
John got up early and went up on the top observation deck and had a great view.
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| sunrise |
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| approaching the locks |
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| getting closer |
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| Locks in sight |
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| getting closer |
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| In the first lock |
Greg and I woke up at 6:30 and we had just passed under the bridge and was making our way slowly into the first lock. The new lock consists of 3 locks which began operation on June 26, 2016. The water rises so much faster than the old locks.
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| The bridge and the tug that stayed with us. The old locks use a train system to pull you through but the new locks are wide enough to use tug boats. |
After entering the 2nd lock we went to breakfast in the MDR. Not long after finishing the 3rd lock they began calling excursions.
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| Gate closing on the third lock |
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| Gutan lake, an artificial freshwater lake created between |
We were group 8 and headed to the theater around 10. After getting on the tender we were taken to the marina which was very close in Gutan lake.
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| marina |
From there we boarded a bus for an hour drive to the boats for our scenic tour. We started in the lower area of the river and then in Gutan Lake. Our tour was to see the wildlife and foliage. Certainly saw lots of different plants, white face monkey and howler monkeys, iguanas and some birds. Disappointed that we didn’t see a sloth or crocodiles.
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| White face monkey |
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| howler monkeys |
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| iguana |
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| bats |
After the boat tour, back to the bus which drove us to Port Cristopal in Colon. The ship had navigated the locks back to the Atlantic while we were on our excursion. Colon looked very dirty and poor, or at least the part of the city around the port.
We went straight from our bus to the ship, stopping only long enough to buy a magnet. We were supposed to sail at 6:30 but didn’t leave the port until after 8. Heard we were waiting on an excursion. After dinner in the MDR, I might have spent some money at Effy.
We finished the night at the Wheelhouse with 2 Cool Duo where they were playing 50’s and 60’s music.
Limon Costa Rica
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| Good morning from Limon, a new port for us. |
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| Banana Train, narrow gauge railway built to get the bananas from the interior to the ports. |
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| Line was completed in 1890 |
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| Ready for the train ride |
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| new beer for Greg, bought on the train. I had a diet coke. |
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| banana trees. Bananas are in blue sacks to protect the crop. |
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| Boat used on the Tortuguero Canal |
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| waiting to take off |
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| inside of a cocoa bean, shown by our tour guide |
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| cayman |
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| our first sloth sighting |
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| posing |
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| cayman |
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| crocodile |
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| showing off |
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| mama sloth with baby |
Back on board we had drinks in Crooners Bar and dinner in the MDR. The show was Jersey Tenors and they were really entertaining. We finished the evening in Wheelhouse with 2 Cool Duo singing Country tunes.
Sea Day
Again, I saw no need to leave the comfortable bed for breakfast. In fact, I didn’t even know Greg had left the room. Seas are rough and we are rocking pretty good. Overcast as well.
It was announced late in the afternoon that Ochos Rios had been cancelled. Jamaica was denying us entry due to increased Covid cases. We aren’t sure if they mean on our boat or in Jamaica. Drinks at Crooners. Waitstaff beginning to know us and our drink preferences.
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| Our favorite server in Crooners |
We ate in the MDR and talked too long to see the show in the theater and went to Explorers Lounge to watch the Marriage Match game.
Sea Day
Pretty much the same. Greg went down to breakfast and again I heard nada. Captain announced we would be going to Princess Cay tomorrow. I sat on the balcony a bit while Greg did his exercises. We had lunch in the MDR, John and Roberta came in as we were finishing so we sat and visited with them. I went to deck 15 to find sun. I was able to find a lounger and stayed until I lost the sunshine.
Tonight we were dining in Crown Grill at 7:10.
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| Greg and I both had the porterhouse and it was excellent. I only ate the filet side and was still stuffed. |
We went for drinks at Crooners earlier and watched Liars Gameshow in Explorers Lounge after dinner. I think everyone enjoyed dinner tonight. Liars Gameshow was pretty lame but entertaining.
Sea Day
Princess Cay was canceled so another lazy day. The beds are so comfortable it’s hard to make yourself get up! We left the room around 10:30 to take pictures of the ship. When we got to the theater we decided to listen to the presentation on Truk Lagoon. After the presentation, we went to the MDR for lunch. After that we read, packed, the guys went to the smoking area to smoke a cigar and then we got ready for dinner. We started in Crooners but was disappointed that our favorite server wasn’t there. We were going to give her a nice tip. Then we went to dinner. All the waiters were totally different tonight so we were going to ask the maitre d’ if we gave him money would he share with the servers. He disappeared right after he seated us and we didn’t see him again. Never had such a hard time giving money away! The Jersey Tenors were in the theater again. They were supposed to get off in Ochos Rio but couldn’t since we didn't go there, so they agreed to do a second show. Yeah for us. We finished the night in Explorers with Name that Tune. We only knew about half of the songs.
Going home day
We had to be out at 8 and assigned to DiVinci for 8:30 departure. John and Roberta asked for the same time and got an earlier time. They walked off with hardly anyone in front of them. We had to wait in a long windy line. After clearing customs, Greg went for the car and we loaded up. John found a cafe close by, Joe's.
Breakfast was quick and good. We dropped John and Roberta off at the airport and we headed home to Sanibel.
