RevNeal's Panama Canal Cruise Photos

[RevNeal]

I've finished selecting which of my 3400 photos to upload, processing them for the internet, and uploading them. I managed to reduce 3.4 GB of photos to 18 MB. :) Not bad, really.

Click Here to View RevNeal's Panama Canal Cruise Photos (http://homepage.mac.com/revneal/panamacanal/Menu18.html)

Or, go to this web address: http://homepage.mac.com/revneal/panamacanal/Menu18.html

Clicking on the sample photo-thumbs in the index will take you to each album, categorized by topic and port. I've included several albums of photos taken around the Zaandam, of the ship and her various public rooms. Once you've gotten to the albums, clicking on the photo-thumbs will open each photo in a stand-alone window.

It's now time to start writing my review. These photos will help in that project.

[karensj]

Your pictures are fabulous. I still have 4 months to go before I am on the Zaandam. You have made the wait worth it. Thank you so much for posting. I loved every one of them. Thanks again

Karen

[LAFFNVEGAS]

Greg, Now I know where you have been. You have been a busy boy:D Putting together this Wonderful Photo Album. Oh I know how time consuming that was. That had to of taken Hours and Hours.:eek: Thanks so much for all your hard work. So far I have only had a chance to review all the Zaandam Tour pictures and HMC but what I have seen so far is absolutely fantastic.

Thanks again, you are such a great asset to this board.

[Gsel]

Thanks for such wonderful pictures. They really bring back some great memories.

[jollycruiser]

RevNeal - Spectacular photo treat! Glad to see some green returning at HMC, but could not help but notice that the beach is only half as wide as I remember, that's sad.

[jhannah]

Kudos! Bravo! Many thanks! As always, you do us a tremendous service by posting so thoroughly your wonderful pictures. We're booked on the Zaandam next May, and I know after her SOE enhancements that she'll be even more stunning.

[RevNeal]

Glad to see some green returning at HMC, but could not help but notice that the beach is only half as wide as I remember, that's sad.

I agree ... it is MUCH narrower than I remembered it. My photo's from my last time there confirm our memories.

[Cruising Jake]

Thank you for the lovely photos. And thank you even more for the time spent choosing, arranging and uploading them for us. Glad you enjoyed yourselves and gave us something to enjoy as well.

[cactuslady]

I've finished selecting which of my 3400 photos to upload, processing them for the internet, and uploading them.
Holy cow!!! :eek: At even a minute for one photo, that's over 3-1/2 full days (not counting 8 hours of sleep each night). Did you have any time to eat, play trivia, see a show, or snooze in a deck chair?

[obriendan]

RevNeal,

Absolutely stunning photos! It allowed me to redo our Panama Canal cruise on the Ryndam in 2000. With all the pictures you took, I hope you had enough time to enjoy the trip.

Thanks so much for posting these pictures.

[shipcafe]

Wonderful photos, Rev !! I loved all of your comments too :) hehe

[DFD1]

Greg: Thanks for sharing your trip with us. Your pictures are really first rate.

[Sue's Mom]

A wonderful treat to see all those photos. Excellent job. But 3,400 photos - did you have time for anything enjoyment!? Thank you for taking the time to take the photos and then to select and arrange them. Superb.

[RevNeal]

oly cow!!! At even a minute for one photo, that's over 3-1/2 full days (not counting 8 hours of sleep each night). Did you have any time to eat, play trivia, see a show, or snooze in a deck chair?

It's more like an average of about 10 a minute, in bursts of no more than about 2 or 3 minutes at a time. I keep a 512 MB CF Card and a 256 MB XD Picture Card in the camera all the time -- I can put ~250 on the XD Card and ~400 on the CF card. While going through the canal I began the day with both cards blank (I downloaded photos to my laptop every night). I ended Canal day with both cards FULL, and my second 512 MB CF in the camera and still taking pictures at dinner. I took a bit over 1000 photos during Canal day. I tend to take LOTS of multiple shots in an attempt to get just ONE photograph that I like. Due to the bright sunshine I found myself taking photos on automatic, then switching to manuel and trying to get better light and shadow balances. I took similar shots with no zoom, with mid-zoom, with max-zoom, with filters on and off. For any one excellent shot during the Canal day I must have had an average of 3 photos that didn't make the grade. And, of those that did make the grade, only a FEW of those photographs eventually made it onto the internet. Those were either outstanding, OR they were representative photos of which I had few others to choose. For instance, since I can't be in more than one place at a time, I frequently sent Chris to other areas of the ship with my old digital camera in order to get photos of canal operations from different angles. Of my 3400 photos, he must have taken about 200.

Let me give you an illustration of how one can easily rack up 1000+ photos in one day. In one of the locks, after I ran out of power on all 4 batteries of my video camera, I decided to record the descent of the ship in the lock with my digital camera. So ... I took a photo every 5 seconds for the entire time it took the ship to go down one full step. :) That's about 240 - 300 photos. I'm going to eventually put all those shots into a QT video clip. :)

I know ... 3400 photos sounds like a lot. And it is. But, in all truth, I spent the vast majority of my 21 days resting, playing, going on shore excursions, and enjoying myself big time ... and often times without my camera with me. Over the 21 days, 3400 photos would come to 162 per day. There were many days (particularly sea days) when I took fewer than 50 photos. There were several days when I took more than 500 ... sometimes many more.

No, I'm not a professional photographer ... even if I do find myself taking as many photos as the professionals do.

[Himself]

TO: Rev Greg Neal
FROM: Himself

Greg:

You did a really fine job with the pictures. Mt. St> Helen started to act up after you left there. The Panama Canal pictures brought back many memories. I agree with you on Cartagena.

Thanks for sharing them
J

[Yknot]

Great pics - I apprecaite the ones of the Oosterdam. I neglected to get many while cruising. I think Igo as many of the Zaandam and Volendam as I did of the ship I was on.

BTW - you did a great job blowing up my pic and finding yourself on it.

-anton-

I would appreciate if you would email me pic 21 unedited. It is the one captioned "The Oosterdam looms large behind us." Maybe I can do the same and find myself up on deck 6.

apgielen@mindspring.com

[superstein61]

nice pics Rev

[want2travelbad]

Rev. Greg, I so enjoyed your photos and am really looking forward to your review too! You know what they sometimes say about looking at another persons photos...but really yours is one of the best presentations I have seen (there were lots of oohs and aahs going on on my end!) I could imagine myself there! It appears you and Chris had a fabulous time on this trip! Thanks for taking the time to share it with the rest of us.

[SHayesShip]

revneal,
Your pictures are outstanding and truly tell a story. Thank you for all of the hard work.

[Randyk47]

RevNeal - Thanks for the pictures! Great presentation. They made me want to start packing and we don't sail until next March. I miss cruising! Thanks again. :)

[Pete&Cat]

What wonderful photos Rev! You got us all excited! :)

[gatour]

Thanks for the pictures even though you didn't get many of the Ocean Bar :)

I haven't been to Oche Rios on a cruise in 12-15 years and I remember the the dock that the Zaandam used on your cruise.

[Pudgesmom]

RevNeal

Thank you so much for your photos and travelogue. It was particularly thoughtful of you to separate the ports from the ship photos. It made it so easy for me to look at what I was interested in!

My particular favorite (of the ones I looked at), was the daytime shot of the Crow's Nest. The two men napping were the picture of relaxation. Boy, did you capture that feeling!

That will be me on the Oosterdam in 10 days!!!! Thanks again

Beth

[bobpatj]

WOW! Thank you so much for sharing your wonderful pictures with us. It was fun, too, to see two ships we've sailed on, the Oosterdam and the Summit.

[temple10]

Revneal, As a first timer coming up in December, I thank you so much for all the pictures on board. I had a vision in my head but of course, they did no justis to how beautiful everything is. And so now I can have some idea of things. Can you tell me Is the statendam very similar ?? That is the actual ship I will be cruising on, Are the public rooms about the same?? Thank you again-awsome Job:) Christine

[Peggy Sue]

RevNeal...Great photos .. love the ones of the ship, what a great tour!

All were great, but really enjoyed the Panama Canal pictures!

Thanks for sharing! Looking forward to seeing your final report!

Peggy Sue

[RevNeal]

Great pics - I apprecaite the ones of the Oosterdam. I neglected to get many while cruising. I think Igo as many of the Zaandam and Volendam as I did of the ship I was on.

If you'd like full-quality files of any of the other photos I took of the Oosterdam, please let me know. I'll be happy to email them to you.

BTW - you did a great job blowing up my pic and finding yourself on it.

Thank you so much. I greatly appreciate your letting me use the photo, and am glad to put the link to your album. You took excellent photos.

I would appreciate if you would email me pic 21 unedited. It is the one captioned "The Oosterdam looms large behind us." Maybe I can do the same and find myself up on deck 6.

I've sent it, along with the photo that has MUCH better resolution of people on the forward decks. I hope you can find yourself on one or both of those!

[Sailboater]

Thank you for the marvelous travelogue! We will be doing the reverse cruise on the Volendam next April and stopping at many of the same ports. It really is nice to have some idea of what we will be seeing.

[RevNeal]

TO ALL WHO HAVE WRITTEN THEIR THANKS:

I want to thank YOU for your wonderful words. They are greatly appreciated. I enjoyed taking the photos, then presenting them on the internet, GREATLY. And, I'm gratified that so many of you have expressed you thanks for them.

Again, thanks!

[Ziggy7]

Awesome photo's RevNeal !!! Wow thanks for sharing them!
pppssssttt ..... those victorians you thought were waving goodbye to you .... well you sure they were'nt left behind pax hehehehehe :)

[RevNeal]

Thanks for the pictures even though you didn't get many of the Ocean Bar

gatour, what photos/angles would you like?? You might also check the photos of the Ocean Bar on the Volendam. They're nearly identical.

[RevNeal]

Can you tell me Is the statendam very similar ?? That is the actual ship I will be cruising on, Are the public rooms about the same?? Thank you again-awsome Job

Thank you, Christine! You're precisely the kind of person I have in mind when I'm putting together my cruise photo presentations.

If you have your signatures active, click on the link at the bottom of this post. It will take you to a page on my website where I have a photo-tour of the Statendam. If you don't, click here:

http://www.revneal.org/cruiselinks.html

That will take you to my "Cruise Links" Page. :) It's being updated tonight with a link to my Zaandam Photos, but right now you can click on the link for the Circle-Hawaii Cruise on the Statendam and see what the lounges look like aboard her. She's a LOVELY ship ... my favorite HAL S-class ship.

[Bill S]

Greg: Well Done! Attaboy! Bravo! Cool! What a trip! Thanks for sharing!

[mrswynn]

Rev Neal,
Thank you for taking the time to share your wonderful pictures. I've never been to most of the places you visited on this trip, yet feel like I was along with you. Your commentary was very helpful and the pictures are fantastic. I've enjoyed all of your trips but have to say that this one is my favorite to date.
I hope we are on the same ship some day and I can meet you and thank you in person. I've really enjoyed all of your insights into cruising and your sense of humor!

Best wishes,
Leslie

[RevNeal]

Leslie,

Thank you, indeed! I pray we meet as well! Looking forward to finding out if I like the Oosterdam ... just 3 months and several days to go before my next cruise!

[doone]

GREAT pictures, thanks for sharing them.

[AlinaMaria]

RevNeal,
Thank you, thank you, thank you! These are magnificent photos! I have enjoyed them so much, they brought beautiful memories of my Panama Canal Cruise aboard the Rotterdam last February! Your photos of HMC reminded me why I booked another HAL cruise this Thanksgiving coming up: I just have to go back to that beautiful island this year once again!!! The Caribbean is so beautiful! Again, thank you for your hard work, for sharing these beautiful pictures. AHHH, those sunsets, mountains, God's creation is so magnificent, He has given us such a beautiful world for us to enjoy, every day is a reminder of His love for us, and let's not forget the important responsability to take care of it! I just can't wait for my next cruise (I'll be able to enjoy once again full moon at sea on Nov 26!!!): 23 DAYS LEFT TO PARADISE!!!!

AlinaMaria

[shipgirl56]

Hi Revneal. Thanks for the photos - awsome. We were right behind you in the canal on the Oosterdam. I have several shots of the Zaandam in the canal in front of us. I could email them to you if you want.

[DJP]

Thanks so much for the great photos! DH and I are going on the Zaandam in 3 weeks and I enjoyed getting a preview of the ship. Our 8th cruise, but first on HAL and we are looking forward to it very much. I appreciate you taking the time to post all those photos and comments.

[Roadwork]

Great photos. I enjoyed them.

P.S. I think the organ is ugly too.:eek:

[RevNeal]

I have several shots of the Zaandam in the canal in front of us. I could email them to you if you want.

I'd love to see them ... thank you!!!! :D

revneal@aol.com

Thanks!

[BCEagle78]

RevNeal,

What a great job. You have worked very hard to make these great pictures available to us. I have learned a lot from your experiences. I know now not to go to Cartagena and even though I have been on Zaandam, I never looked at it as closely as you did.

I am longing for my next cruise even more!!!!! (Nov 26-Volendam!-28 days!!!)

[desmon]

Thanks for taking time to post the photos. Great job.

[RevNeal]

BCEagle78,

You're very welcome. 28 days on the Volendam!? WONDERFUL! I love the Volendam ... she's a fantastic ship, sister to the Zaandam, with an excellent crew. I've been on her several times, and each time has been a joy.

Have a GREAT cruise!

[BCEagle78]

RevNeal...Oops...

Sorry to cause confusion... we are 28 days away from our departure although I would never complain about a 28 day cruise... Alas, this one is 10 days... (10 glorious days).... :D

[v702]

Thanks for the great album, Greg! Besides bringing back memories of a past Zaandam cruise it has me pumped for December's cruise.

I normally take 300-400 photos but I have promised myself to do better after seeing your effort!

[RaffinOrganGrinders]

RevNeal,

Have you tried shooting in a RAW CCD mode (raw image charge coupled device)? Captures the maximum image, but limits the number of images between downloads. Also, consider that CF type cards constandly drains your batteries, whether on or off. The XD cards are the best.

George

[RevNeal]

Dear George,

Have you tried shooting in a RAW CCD mode (raw image charge coupled device)? Captures the maximum image, but limits the number of images between downloads.

Yes. My 256 MB xD cards will only hold about 34 photos when the CCD is set at RAW. My experience is that the resulting photos really don't print any better than those shot at HG or SHG set at 3:2 (the settings I nominally use). And, might I add, in preparation for uploading to the internet, I have photoshop-processed my pictures to get them from 1-1.5 MB down to about 40-80k (which is the acceptable size for internet storage and download). In other words, the quality of the images you are seeing on the internet is NOT the quality of the images which I shot, and which I have and can and do print. Nevertheless, thank you for your constructive criticism.

Also, consider that CF type cards constandly drains your batteries, whether on or off. The xD cards are the best.

Interesting. I haven't noticed any shortage of battery time on my Olympus 5060 when using CF. Are you thinking of Microdrives? I use two 512 MB Type 1 CF cards, not Microdrives, in addition to two 256 MB Xd cards.

As for power, I have two batteries and always keep one charged and on standby in case my first one run low.

[RaffinOrganGrinders]

No criticism meant or needed. I'm one of those types that pushes every button on a camera or computer. Although you won't break anything I used to do destructive software testing, hard to stop old habits.

You may be correct about the microdrives, not to be confused with your memory cards.

George

[RevNeal]

No criticism meant or needed. I'm one of those types that pushes every button on a camera or computer. Although you won't break anything I used to do destructive software testing, hard to stop old habits.


I didn't take your post negatively, George. I really do appreciate all the helpful remarks, thoughts, and "constructive criticism" I can get. I just don't find the RAW setting to be cost/space effective relative to the results. IF I'm trying to photograph something at an extreme distance, or I will set the camera to RAW in order to leach out the very best resolution possible to the Olympus 5060.

Again, thanks for the remarks and suggestions.

[Himself]

Rev. Greg Neal:

You inspired me! I went out and purchased a digital camera. Now if I could just discipline myself to sit down and read the instructions, everything would be okey. If I ever learn to use it I owe you a big thanks. Will be on the Volendam a week from today.
Himself

[RevNeal]

Having been off the Zaandam for two weeks, now ... I wish I could go with you!!!!!!! :D

Have fun learning how to use your camera! bring back lots of photos!

[RuthC]

Greg, it's about time I also thank you for posting your pictures. I've been in and out of the various folders several times taking them all in. I especially like the interior views of the ship.

Thanks a bunch for all those beautiful shots.

[RevNeal]

You're welcome, Ruth. And thank you ... all of you ... for your wonderful words to me. They have been a blessing, indeed. I've enjoyed putting these photos up on the site. I'll probably be selected a few more, here and there, to upload over the next few weeks. I'll let you know if I add any.

In a few weeks I need to get down to business and process videotape and produce a few videos. :) That will take a few months, I'm sure.

[TedC]

Great pictures. I just bought my first digicam and wonder what resolution and compression settings you used on your pictures. I'm trying to decide the balance between quality of print and space on my CF card. I have a Canon Powershot A 95 with 5 megapix (or whatever you call 'em). Compression settings are superfine, fine and normal, I'm on fine now,

Thanks

[catlib55]

Thanks so much for the beautiful pictures of the Panama Canal and Costa Rica. We are going there next month on the Rotterdam, and are really looking forward to it.
Mary Ellen

[bas7]

Rev,

I'm on the Volendam, Dec 16th, first cruise ever. These pictures have me excited. Can't wait to see the Crow's Nest and the beautiful views.

Thanks again.

Bruce