The Panama Canal

Wow We Just Fit

Even though this was our second time going through the Panama Canal, it was just as exciting as the first. After waking to a jarring alarm clock ringing at 0500 (and this is supposed to be a vacation) we got up and went out to the bow of the ship where they had fresh coffee, juice, and Panama rolls. As we watched the sunrise, more people came out to view the sites. Although it was fascinating and we were getting ongoing commentary, it also was getting very hot and humid.

After a bit, we retreated back into the air-conditioned ship, had breakfast, and decided to watch the ship negotiate the canal from our balcony. The best thing about sitting on our balcony was that we could go back inside to the cool cabin when the heat became stifling.

 Sitting on the balcony we suddenly became aware of the fact that we were sitting high above the lock. We never felt the ship rise. We realized we were riding high when a tanker entered the canal going in the opposite direction and we were eye to eye with their upper decks.  They also seemed to rise up as if they were floating on an inflatable water toy. 

It was fascinating to watch the ship actually travel through the locks. Both our ship and the tanker were perilously close to the edges of the canal. I managed to get a close-up of the tanker negotiating the canal (see insert below).

Map & Legend of the Panama Canal

Visitor Center and Other Sites

As we progressed through the canal, we saw a “Hop on Hop Off” bus leaving the parking lot of the Visitor Center. Then at the Visitor Center, we heard cheering. The balcony at the Center was full of people waiting to get a closer look at us. As we got closer, we saw people being guided onto a walkway and down to a viewing platform. We waved and took pictures of each other. It was a neat experience.

Part of the expansion of the Canal was another lock. We watched as a Princess Cruise Ship was going through the upper lock. It was too far away to wave to the passengers, but I did manage to get a photo of the Princess Ship. Once we were out of the locks, we saw the Panama City skyline off in the distance. Now we knew where the Hop On Hop Off bus originated.

A Change In Course

Of course, everyone on the ship has been following the events in the Middle East. Lots of speculation was going around about how our original route would be modified. The original course included going through the Suez Canal into the Mediterranean Sea then back to Ft. Lauderdale. Our new route takes us around the southern tip and up the west coast of Africa. These new ports were on our bucket list to visit at a future date. We are happy with the new route. The world cruise certainly has been an adventure, one we hope to do again.