Monday, May 16, 2011
Background on the cruise
The Panama Canal. I’ve always heard such grand things about it that I figured it was time to check it out. Ok, actually, Royal Caribbean helped me decide. The cruise I was going to go on after the Radiance did the Canal was cancelled and the boat was to be dry docked for a major renovation before moving it permanently to a Australia & New Zealand run. To make up for the cancellation, Royal gave me the ability to take what I would have paid on an 11-day cruise to this 15-day canal cruise. There’s no way I could have afforded this trip any other way. A little background about me: male, doing this trip solo, 35yo. With that background shared, let’s get this trip started.
Sunday, May 15, 2011
Day 1 – Boarding and departure in Tampa
Normally I’m the crazy person who decided to catch a redeye flight the day before my cruise departure but this time I decided to fly out a whole day before. And am I glad I did! The flight I would have caught was cancelled due to mechanical problems and I would have missed my flight. If you’re going to do this long of a trip either come out the day before or book with the cruise line so they’ll hold the boat, should anything go wrong with your flight.
Tampa has to be the easiest port to get onto a ship. Miami, Ft Lauderdale, etc are all a circus. With Tampa you pull up to a small terminal, quickly go through security, and are on the boat within an hour max. My luggage even made it to my room within 3 hours. Try getting that from the other ports. I’m doing the canal on the Radiance of the Seas. Roughly 2500 people will be doing this trip with me. Given the boat is 13 stories I’m not expecting to feel like that many people are actually on here. Rooms are of average size. Enough to put your stuff away but not enough to really feel spacious. Closets are very nicely done and you should have no problem putting away all the items you brought with you. All-you-can-drink soda cards are $103 after gratitudly which isn’t bad seeing as a single soda will run $2.12. Here’s a little trick to save money on this cruise: bring your own water if you don’t like ship water. You can get it on as a carry-on bag IF the bottles are in a package and are shrink wrapped in the original bottler’s packaging. Water bottles are $3.79 each onboard.
We set sail at 5pm with first dining tonight at 6 and second dining at 9. Normally it’s either 5:30 or 8:45. Not a lot more to do tonight but relax and check out the boat.
Tampa has to be the easiest port to get onto a ship. Miami, Ft Lauderdale, etc are all a circus. With Tampa you pull up to a small terminal, quickly go through security, and are on the boat within an hour max. My luggage even made it to my room within 3 hours. Try getting that from the other ports. I’m doing the canal on the Radiance of the Seas. Roughly 2500 people will be doing this trip with me. Given the boat is 13 stories I’m not expecting to feel like that many people are actually on here. Rooms are of average size. Enough to put your stuff away but not enough to really feel spacious. Closets are very nicely done and you should have no problem putting away all the items you brought with you. All-you-can-drink soda cards are $103 after gratitudly which isn’t bad seeing as a single soda will run $2.12. Here’s a little trick to save money on this cruise: bring your own water if you don’t like ship water. You can get it on as a carry-on bag IF the bottles are in a package and are shrink wrapped in the original bottler’s packaging. Water bottles are $3.79 each onboard.
We set sail at 5pm with first dining tonight at 6 and second dining at 9. Normally it’s either 5:30 or 8:45. Not a lot more to do tonight but relax and check out the boat.
Saturday, May 14, 2011
Day 2 – Sea Day
The boat is 100% sold out though not at capacity (2160 onboard vs 2500 people possible). I can now safely say that of that 100% sold out, less than 40 people are under the age of 40. This is not a cruise you do if you’re young. Age of people here range from late 50s to mid 70s. Not many people over 70 and surprisingly most people here are in pretty good physical condition. Wheel chairs and walkers are the rarity compared to even the 7-day Alaska cruise I did. Yoga and other fitness classes are full with folks in their 60s. Maybe everyone’s here today because tonight is the first of three formal dinner nights.
Your activity level is something to consider when deciding what boat to do this canal with. Royal is more for the active, independent cruiser. Carnival is for anyone who just wants to get somewhere and is ok sacrificing various things for a cheaper price tag. Celebrity is for someone who wants a bit more luxury but not too much. Princess is for the people who is old and remembers the line from the 80’s tv show. A few friends have done Princess and have said the line has done down hill in quality since Carnival brought them a few years ago. All these lines will do a similar cruise so be honest in deciding what you want onboard the ship before picking a line – you’re going to be on the boat a LOT so pick the right boat for the excursion.
Your activity level is something to consider when deciding what boat to do this canal with. Royal is more for the active, independent cruiser. Carnival is for anyone who just wants to get somewhere and is ok sacrificing various things for a cheaper price tag. Celebrity is for someone who wants a bit more luxury but not too much. Princess is for the people who is old and remembers the line from the 80’s tv show. A few friends have done Princess and have said the line has done down hill in quality since Carnival brought them a few years ago. All these lines will do a similar cruise so be honest in deciding what you want onboard the ship before picking a line – you’re going to be on the boat a LOT so pick the right boat for the excursion.
Friday, May 13, 2011
Day 3 – Sea Day
Thank goodness tomorrow is our first stop as I’m getting a little boat and cabin fever. Yes the boat is so big that it barely fits in the canal but still I need to get off and do something. The day is activity filled but nothing interests me. Thank goodness for the solid gym on board as I’ve already been there 2x a day each day thus far. Remember how I mentioned the average age of people? Here’s another reason why that’s a big deal for me, no one is up past 11pm. NO ONE. The last three nights, the dance club has had a max of 10 people (crew included). Piano bar is deserted. Casino; basically a ghost town. Even the ever popular Newlywed Game in the theater is barely at a third capacity. Not too surprisingly the first seating for dinner is 100% full and there are three dozen tables that are 100% empty for second dining. I’m starting to wonder if at my age I’m suppose to just enjoy the Canal by watching shows on tv until I’m older. Last night for the formal night there as a noticeable drop-off in the number of people at dinner. It appears that a whole lot of folks don’t want to dress up on this cruise. We’ll have to wait until Night 8 to see if this was a fluke or not.
Again today, more pool time, relaxing in the room, people watching, eating (and the food is really good thus far), and really getting ready for tomorrow. We’re doing 22 knots and the boat is barely rocking. Yes you can feel it but it’s the open ocean with 7’ swells. This is very impressive.
Again today, more pool time, relaxing in the room, people watching, eating (and the food is really good thus far), and really getting ready for tomorrow. We’re doing 22 knots and the boat is barely rocking. Yes you can feel it but it’s the open ocean with 7’ swells. This is very impressive.
Thursday, May 12, 2011
Day 4 – Cartagena, Columbia
What a beautiful city. When you arrive you the boat will pull into a shipping port that’s a solid 45 minute walk from the Old City. It’s a little further from there to get to the old fort (which is an impressive and massive structure). I previously decided not to book an excursion with the boat and am so glad I didn’t. All the excursions consist of getting on a bus, driving a bit, stopping to shop, driving, shopping, & repeat. Save your money unless you want to pay $70 for that.
We’re here today from 9am – 5pm. When you get off the boat you can easily get a taxi for $15-20 total (not per person) to take you to the Old City. The City is stunning and easily explored on your own.
It’s not a big town and you can see the Old City and the Fort easily via taxi’s and well within the typical boat duration. Columbia is hot and very humid so pack an extra water bottle with you and wear light, breathable clothing. And don’t forget your camera. Buildings are painted with vivid, bright colors.
People are very friendly and I felt extremely safe walking around. Of all the things that blew me away were the nachos at the Hard Rock Café in the Old City. The beans and chips were very different and absolutely delicious! Merchants take US dollars or stick with credit cards if you want. Visa is preferred though it appeared some took AmEx. There is traffic in the city so don’t push your luck planning your return to the boat. Allow 40 minutes for the 15 minute drive. For those of you who bring your own laptop, where you catch a taxi you can get wifi. 2 hours for $5. This is easily a town I would come back to on my own and explore.
We’re here today from 9am – 5pm. When you get off the boat you can easily get a taxi for $15-20 total (not per person) to take you to the Old City. The City is stunning and easily explored on your own.
It’s not a big town and you can see the Old City and the Fort easily via taxi’s and well within the typical boat duration. Columbia is hot and very humid so pack an extra water bottle with you and wear light, breathable clothing. And don’t forget your camera. Buildings are painted with vivid, bright colors.
People are very friendly and I felt extremely safe walking around. Of all the things that blew me away were the nachos at the Hard Rock Café in the Old City. The beans and chips were very different and absolutely delicious! Merchants take US dollars or stick with credit cards if you want. Visa is preferred though it appeared some took AmEx. There is traffic in the city so don’t push your luck planning your return to the boat. Allow 40 minutes for the 15 minute drive. For those of you who bring your own laptop, where you catch a taxi you can get wifi. 2 hours for $5. This is easily a town I would come back to on my own and explore.
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
Day 5 – Colon, Panama
I’m checking out some of the pictures from yesterday and realized I need to learn to use my camera better. Yesterday there was this haze that seemed to linger all day. I’m guessing that’s because of the humidity. Either way, in pictures, it caused some over exposure where the sky was a major component of the shot. I’ll try to photoshop them to salvage some of the pictures. If you’re on a ship that offers a photo class (and ours did) I’d ask them how to handle this kind of lighting condition before getting to Columbia.
This morning we’re checking out Colon. This is the second largest free-trade zone / market in the world, after Hong Kong. You will pull up to a tiny dock but there is food and some shopping (even a CVS-like store). The country uses US dollars as their currency so no conversion is required when paying for things. Surrounding the dock is poverty. Get a few blocks away and it gets better. The average person makes $300 US /month. In comparison, for those people who guide boats through the Canal, they make $20,000 / month.
You may hear that the city isn’t safe to do things on your own. Our boat even told us not to go out without a boat-sponsored tour for fear of crime. I didn’t get that scared, in-danger feeling from the town. Yes, after the US turned over the Canal to the people of Panama drug dealers from South America came in and filled the void. Things look to be changing now. Why do I mention this? Several people on the boat I talked to decided to hire a taxi on their own outside on the pier for the day to show them some sights for $100 and they had a fantastic experience (of course, disclaimer - your experience may vary). Should you think that’s too dangerous for you, there are plenty of options from our boat to let you pick from.
Most excursions you will book will stop for 30-60 minutes at the Canal so you can see ships come in and out of the Canal locks. I’m doing a 5 hour kayaking trip. For kayaking, after the Canal stop, we made a 50 minute drive to a boat that took us up the lake behind the first locks for an hour of kayaking. It’s a beautiful boat ride and fantastic kayak. There is a surge in the water where you will kayak around and some wind. If you’re not ready to work then you may find yourself in the boat that follows the kayakers. To get away from all of mankind and go from little island to island, looking at the plants, listening to the monkeys, and watching the birds fly around, is a thing of beauty.
The captain has informed us that we will likely be at the first (there are three total) canal sets at 6:30am. Another casual dining tonight though tonight there is going to be a pool desk buffet and dance party. 100+ people turned out. Perhaps the rest of the trip I should check out where the food is to find everyone.
This morning we’re checking out Colon. This is the second largest free-trade zone / market in the world, after Hong Kong. You will pull up to a tiny dock but there is food and some shopping (even a CVS-like store). The country uses US dollars as their currency so no conversion is required when paying for things. Surrounding the dock is poverty. Get a few blocks away and it gets better. The average person makes $300 US /month. In comparison, for those people who guide boats through the Canal, they make $20,000 / month.
You may hear that the city isn’t safe to do things on your own. Our boat even told us not to go out without a boat-sponsored tour for fear of crime. I didn’t get that scared, in-danger feeling from the town. Yes, after the US turned over the Canal to the people of Panama drug dealers from South America came in and filled the void. Things look to be changing now. Why do I mention this? Several people on the boat I talked to decided to hire a taxi on their own outside on the pier for the day to show them some sights for $100 and they had a fantastic experience (of course, disclaimer - your experience may vary). Should you think that’s too dangerous for you, there are plenty of options from our boat to let you pick from.
Most excursions you will book will stop for 30-60 minutes at the Canal so you can see ships come in and out of the Canal locks. I’m doing a 5 hour kayaking trip. For kayaking, after the Canal stop, we made a 50 minute drive to a boat that took us up the lake behind the first locks for an hour of kayaking. It’s a beautiful boat ride and fantastic kayak. There is a surge in the water where you will kayak around and some wind. If you’re not ready to work then you may find yourself in the boat that follows the kayakers. To get away from all of mankind and go from little island to island, looking at the plants, listening to the monkeys, and watching the birds fly around, is a thing of beauty.
The captain has informed us that we will likely be at the first (there are three total) canal sets at 6:30am. Another casual dining tonight though tonight there is going to be a pool desk buffet and dance party. 100+ people turned out. Perhaps the rest of the trip I should check out where the food is to find everyone.
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
Day 6 – Traveling the Canal
5:30am and I’m waking up in hopes of getting a good place on the bow of the ship. Unfortunately for me there are 50 people who have been here for an hour or so. I find a nice place on the side of the bow and I’m glad I woke when I did. By 6am the bow is packed on all levels.
You don’t get to get off the boat to see the canal locks today so I hope everyone saw them yesterday. The boat squeezes into the first lock step at 6:45 and we’re at the second door 10 minutes later. It’s amazing to see the boat lift up so easily. I looked at the space between the boat and the canal wall and there’s maybe a foot of clearance.
Today the ship paid the Canal $300,120 in fees to travel through from the Caribbean Sea and the Pacific. There’s a streaming webcam so friends at home can watch your ship go through the canal. After an hour or so I’m already beginning to feel a sunburn so I give up and watch from my cabin balcony. While on the man-made lake behind the Canal you see all the work that is being done to widen and deepen the canal for completion of 2013. It gave me an idea of the undertaking of 1912 to make this water body exist. By 5pm we’re now in the Pacific Ocean and are on our way to Costa Rica.
You don’t get to get off the boat to see the canal locks today so I hope everyone saw them yesterday. The boat squeezes into the first lock step at 6:45 and we’re at the second door 10 minutes later. It’s amazing to see the boat lift up so easily. I looked at the space between the boat and the canal wall and there’s maybe a foot of clearance.
Today the ship paid the Canal $300,120 in fees to travel through from the Caribbean Sea and the Pacific. There’s a streaming webcam so friends at home can watch your ship go through the canal. After an hour or so I’m already beginning to feel a sunburn so I give up and watch from my cabin balcony. While on the man-made lake behind the Canal you see all the work that is being done to widen and deepen the canal for completion of 2013. It gave me an idea of the undertaking of 1912 to make this water body exist. By 5pm we’re now in the Pacific Ocean and are on our way to Costa Rica.
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