Westerdam Panama Canal April 15, 2011

[user8]

Hi everyone. We are Lee & Virginia from Lake Jackson, Texas. We just booked this cruise day before yesterday and we're really looking forward to it. This will be our third time to sail through the Canal and I am eager to see what changes they have made down there.

[NoWhiners]

We are starting to look at where to stay when we get to Fort Lauderdale. We're trying to stay close to Port Everglades. Normally the hotels offered by the cruise company are pretty expensive. When we decide which hotel we'll stay at, those that are also staying in the area maybe we can get together for drinks and dinner the night before we sail.:D:D

 

Allan & Marlane:):)

 

ski

 

if you look at the florida departures board, Riverside is going for about $66/night around our time on price3line. In downtown area though. Westin has been going too (maybe $100??).

 

We snagged Summefield Suites by the airport on hotwire in July or august for $59!! Free full breakfast, internet, suite!!

 

sweet ;-) !!

 

ML

[rajkr74]

Hi everyone. We are Lee & Virginia from Lake Jackson, Texas. We just booked this cruise day before yesterday and we're really looking forward to it. This will be our third time to sail through the Canal and I am eager to see what changes they have made down there.

 

 

 

 

Welcome Lee & Virginia,

When was the last time you went thru the canal? Have you done your previous canal cruises on different cruise lines? We did this cruise in 2009 on the Westerdam and loved it so much we are doing it again. It will be a good time again.

Rick

[canuckcruiser0711]

Hi everyone. We are Terry and Jack from Calgary Alberta. Just booked this cruise last week and so looking forward to April. We are doing the B2B Caribbean/Panama Canal sailing April 8, Fort Lauderdale to Vancouver. This is our 5th HAL cruise. Looking forward to meeting you all.

 

Terry of Terry and Jack

[user8]

RAJKR74 - The first time we sailed through the Canal was in 2002 aboard the Volendam and the second time was in 2003 on the Zaandam. So I am guessing there have been a few changes since then. Both sailings went from Florida to San Diego. This will be our first time on the Westerdam.

Like you, we enjoyed our first trip through the Canal so much that we had to go again the next year. Since then, we have been busy cruising to other places and we just never got around to taking this cruise again, but I am as excited this time as I was the first time.

 

Lee

[cruz chic]

Hi everyone. We are Terry and Jack from Calgary Alberta. Just booked this cruise last week and so looking forward to April. We are doing the B2B Caribbean/Panama Canal sailing April 8, Fort Lauderdale to Vancouver. This is our 5th HAL cruise. Looking forward to meeting you all.

 

Terry of Terry and Jack

Good to see there is another Calgarian going:).

[rajkr74]

RAJKR74 - The first time we sailed through the Canal was in 2002 aboard the Volendam and the second time was in 2003 on the Zaandam. So I am guessing there have been a few changes since then. Both sailings went from Florida to San Diego. This will be our first time on the Westerdam.

 

Like you, we enjoyed our first trip through the Canal so much that we had to go again the next year. Since then, we have been busy cruising to other places and we just never got around to taking this cruise again, but I am as excited this time as I was the first time.

 

Lee

We saw some dredging going on in Gatun lake and excavation on the shore at the Culebra Cut last year. The actual new locks with the new gates were not visable from the ship. But it was still pretty amazing.

[rajkr74]

Hi everyone. We are Terry and Jack from Calgary Alberta. Just booked this cruise last week and so looking forward to April. We are doing the B2B Caribbean/Panama Canal sailing April 8, Fort Lauderdale to Vancouver. This is our 5th HAL cruise. Looking forward to meeting you all.

 

Terry of Terry and Jack

 

We are doing the same B2B as you but will get off in San Diego. The cruise from San Diego to Seattle goes to Astoria OR and Vancouver BC. We have been to Astoria before since it's only 3 hrs from home and we spent a week in Whistler BC and Vancouver this summer. Plus I run out of vacations days since I'm still working. Welcome to the board.

Rick

[ski ww]

We saw some dredging going on in Gatun lake and excavation on the shore at the Culebra Cut last year. The actual new locks with the new gates were not visable from the ship. But it was still pretty amazing.

 

There was a great show on the Discovery Channel awhile back about improvements to the canal. They showed the widing of the canal, new locks and how they plan on saving water, very interesting and informative. We're looking forward to seeing it all for real and up close. I think I'll spent all day up on deck taking lots of pictures.

Allan & Marlane:D:D

[Se4deb]

Hello everyone. When I was reading several different boards about Panama Canal cruises before I booked, I recall reading references to a book about the canal that appeared to universally accepted as the best book and almost required reading for anyone that is going through the canal. Unfortunately I can't recall the title. Does anyone know the title or are there other books that some of your readers feel are informative and a good read on the subject of the canal. My DH, Pat has a birthday coming up and would like to find one or two books for him. Any suggestions are always welcome. Thanks Debbie

[ski ww]

BC Irish, please email me please at gma11259@aol.com

I have some ideas for a meet and greet and sail a way.

Cordially,

George

 

I just got off the phone with HAL asking if they organize Meet & Mingle for CC groups. He didn't even know what I was talking about, never even heard of CC. So it looks like we'll have to organize our own thing. I'm sure on a sea day we can get a get together going. Talk to some one in the front office and find room that's not used for an hour or so.

 

Allan & Marlane:D:D

[user8]

Allan,

There is a "Sticky" at the top of the Holland America forum which tells how to go about organizing a meet and greet. It has some pretty good information in it.

Lee

[cruz chic]

Hello everyone. When I was reading several different boards about Panama Canal cruises before I booked, I recall reading references to a book about the canal that appeared to universally accepted as the best book and almost required reading for anyone that is going through the canal. Unfortunately I can't recall the title. Does anyone know the title or are there other books that some of your readers feel are informative and a good read on the subject of the canal. My DH, Pat has a birthday coming up and would like to find one or two books for him. Any suggestions are always welcome. Thanks Debbie

Is it called "The path between the seas" or something like that? I read that book. It was hard to get into at first but I enjoyed it. I'm not much of a book reader so that could be it too.

[NoWhiners]

I just got off the phone with HAL asking if they organize Meet & Mingle for CC groups. He didn't even know what I was talking about, never even heard of CC. So it looks like we'll have to organize our own thing. I'm sure on a sea day we can get a get together going. Talk to some one in the front office and find room that's not used for an hour or so.

 

Allan & Marlane:D:D

 

Allan

 

I believe bc is going to organize the meet and greet. They have done it before and know all the tricks!

 

ML

[Se4deb]

Lorekauf: Thanks off to Amazon.com I go. Debbie

[mjtigger]

:rolleyes:Hi to you all, I have had trouble getting on this site, but hopefully things will run smoothly from now on. Anyone else get frustrated when you forget something on the computer. So nice to read a few more people are signing up for the cruise, guess we are just about one of he first timers. Here we are just to about to start into Oct. first thing you know we will be meeting one another how exciting. Until next time, mjtigger

[rajkr74]

My turn....this board was dropping too low on the listing so I decided to post this to bring it back to the top.

Weather in Oregon is GREAT.....85 degrees the last two days. Summer has not ended. Saturday's football game in Corvallis for Oregon State will be warm and pleasant. Hope you all are all having great fall weather.

[ski ww]

We're looking into hotels near the port including shuttle from airport and to ship. Don't know what a taxi cost from airport to town or from hotel to ship. The difference for a cheaper hotel could be off set by cost of taxi. We've looked at hotwire, where I've found some very good deals and our TA is also looking for something close to the ship. Will make a decsion soon. Also have to start looking into flights. Starting to look forward to the cruise.:D:D

Allan & Marlane

[NoWhiners]

We're looking into hotels near the port including shuttle from airport and to ship. Don't know what a taxi cost from airport to town or from hotel to ship. The difference for a cheaper hotel could be off set by cost of taxi. We've looked at hotwire, where I've found some very good deals and our TA is also looking for something close to the ship. Will make a decsion soon. Also have to start looking into flights. Starting to look forward to the cruise.:D:D

Allan & Marlane

 

You should be able to get a hotel for less than $60, plus tax no problem for a 3-3.5* near FLL. Easy to get free airport shuttles, harder to find free port shuttle. Most hotels seem to offer a paid shuttle to port--~$8 pp. cab will be $15-20, depending on how far away you are. kind of a wash.

 

post what hotel you get if you go hotwire or where TA gets you a deal. Might help others.

 

ML

[fideauxdon]

Has anyone done any serious research on independent shore excursions? If they have, I'd be interested in sharing information, and considering the possibility of sharing costs and putting together small groups. We've had good success in doing this on European cruises, but I don't see much evidence on this board. One particular interest would be locating a good tour from Puerto Quetzal to Antigua, but there are time contraints that have to be observed, so that we leave plenty of time to board the ship before sailing. I've found some all-day, reasonably priced tours, but the timing concerns me. I've also found some companies that have tours which have been highly rated by TripAdvisor or VirtualTourist, but who don't conduct a tour when we're in port.

Ports that we're particularly interested in are:

Puntarenas

Corinto

Puerto Quetzal

Puerto Chiapas

Huatulco

Puerto Vallarta

We're not interested in Snorkel, Scuba, ATV, or Beach Getaways, more because of age than anything else, so that leaves us with sightseeing and history as our primary areas of interest. You can contact us directly at fideauxdon@att.net

[NoWhiners]

fideauxdon

 

I think we would be interested but haven't spent a lot of time on picking excursions yet. We will be travelling with a group of friends and family (10 so far!). I have been trying to drum up interest in discussing this but so far, no one is interested. i think its because there is still a long time to wait!

 

I know that by the time final payment is due, they will all be a lot more focussed. In the meantime, can you share what sorts of tours you have found already on this board?

 

ML

[mjtigger]

Hi folk's I am picking up so much information by reading the different posts of the canal. We booked our hotel and flight through Holland America as this being our first time,cruising we seem to know very little, but as time passes things will get easier I hope. Have a good one, MJTIGGER

[ski ww]

We're looking at excrusions on the HAL web site, there are a couple that we're interested in for our stops in Central America. Just have to fine tune which ones now.

Allan & Marlane:D:D

[NoWhiners]

Not sure there is any interest but i will post in hope that we can get the early cruise buzz we all had going again!!

 

ML

[rajkr74]

Not sure there is any interest but i will post in hope that we can get the early cruise buzz we all had going again!!

 

ML

 

Sorry, we have all been busy watching football!