Travel from SF to Montreal on RSSC Navigator with Bill & Mary Ann for 31 days 9/12/11

[NCCruzQueen]

Bill & Mary Ann,

 

Your daily reports are such a treat. The day by the pool sounds like one of the safest you could have taken. Nice and lazy like a cruise is supposed to be. The sailaway party could have been dinner for me. All that food would have been just great with a margarita or two!!

 

Thanks......

[BARBYQ]

Thank you all for posting . Once again , we are traveling with you . Are you expecting trouble from " Ophelia " ? It looks like she AND you will be in ( or near ) Puntarenas at the same time. We are interested in the engine repair ,also. We will be joining the ship soon . Thanks again !!! Good luck with the typhoon !!!

[BARBYQ]

WHOOPS!! I meant " Hilary " !! Sorry ! UIt's hard keeping up with these storms.

[WCB]

Report # 7 September 18, 2011 Sunday Huatulco, Mexico

 

Today's port of call was Huatulco, Mexico, a laid back resort area with beautiful beaches and bays. Once a tiny settlement, this town has been developed over the last 30 years into a very desirable place for vacationers that seek a quieter respite. Since we have been here on two different occassions, we chose a tour that would take us into the interior to a rural community.

 

Our two minivans took about 20 of us to the hillsides about 1/2 hour out of town. Many years ago, the government gave plots of land to the locals to farm and ranch. Modest homes built of adobe brick and thatched or tin roofs are the norm here. Every parcel was given a well, and from there they planted crops and raised chickens and perhaps a few goats or cattle.

 

Every small community had a church and a school with a large basketball court. These courts have a double purpose for sports as well as meetings or dances. Most of the homes add to their income by selling food and supplies from town. The typical family consists of grandparents, their adult children, and grandkids. A few of the young adults work in town, while the grandparents tend the kids and work the farms.

 

There are no doctors, but a nurse visits each community and gives vaccinations to young children and their moms. Most medicines that are used here are natural or plant based.

 

We made stops at three venues to have the locals share their traditions and food with us. The first was in one grandma's kitchen, a very small adobe building with a very hot firepit in one corner. We saw how the white corn was milled by hand, then mixed with water to make the dough for tortillas. She placed a small handful of dough in a press, and produced a perfect shell, which went directly on the hot skillet. In a few minutes, the shells were done. She had made some black bean tamales, which were put in the tortilla shells. We added some hot sauce, and thoroughly enjoyed every bite.

 

Next, we stopped at a cactus plantation. This was a first for us, since we got to sample a bit of edible cactus. It is considered a vegetable here, and is surprisingly delicious. Under a large hut, we tasted a cactus salsa, grilled cactus, and a cactus salad made with lime and cilantro. These dishes were served with tortillas, of course. We were told that the properties of cactus are extremely good for your health, specifically the joints and stomach. Sure worth a try........

 

Then we went to another home where we saw how hats, purses, and bowls were made from the palm leaves, dyed from the flowers of bouganvilla, coffee beans, etc. A large collections of their handicrafts were for sale, and many people bought something, including us. Also there we tasted the local citrus fruit and drank some juices.

 

The final stop included an adobe brick-making demonstration and a walk through a medicinal plant garden. Along with colorful butterflies, we saw chamelions, lizards, and iguanas.

 

We left with a much better understanding of how people can survive even in the harshest of conditions. Few people had cars in these villages, but a shuttle (covered truck) transported the locals to the main highway for a few pesos. From there, they could collectively take taxis, sharing the fare. Our guide mentioned that the locals would go to town perhaps once a week for supplies.

 

We got back to the pier by 3:30pm, and glad to get back on the air-conditioned ship. Today had to be one of the hottest days yet. Missing lunch in the dining room and La Veranda, we opted for chef salads in our room. Only took 15 minutes to arrive. Good service.

 

The ship departed by 6pm as we cooled off in the pool. By the way, the water is salt water, but does a good job of keeping us floating. We usually like to go in the spa, but these are just too hot. Don't know how some guests sit in there drinking wine. Can be dangerous, we think.

 

We had cocktails in Galileo, then dinner at 7:30pm with our friends. We have noticed that the service has been slow, stretching our dinnertime to 2 hours or more. The waiters blame the long lines they have to wait for picking up the orders. What we have noticed is that when 2 people come in at 8:30pm or so, they are served quicker and are finishing dessert the same time we do. So perhaps it is better to come later, and be served quicker. We'll have to try that.

 

We are now headed for Puerto Chiapas, 224 nautical miles from Huatulco.

 

By the way, the latest news on the engine is that the needed part will be delivered to Punarenas, Costa Rica, but it will not be fixed until we reach Cartagena, Colombia. Seems we lack the technician to install it.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

[OrpingtonT]

Great report. We, too, liked Huatulco on our visit some time ago but we stayed in town opting for a catamaran ride around the bay. Your trip sounded most interesting.

 

I, personally, like leisurely dinners with plenty of time to eat and wait for the next course. In fact we often tell the waiter to serve others ahead of us if he is busy.

[RachelG]

Your shore excursion sounds really interesting. I like ones where you can learn a little about local culture.

 

Have to agree with Tom about leisurely dinners though--love them. But if we are in a hurry, we eat in La Veranda.

[jhp]

WCB, Loved hearing about your excursion. Have seen the same brick-making demonstration (and tile firing) on a cruise to this area before, I think in Mazatlan when we went inland on a private tour. The brick making is back breaking and most interesting to see. Those guys work so hard.

 

Yes, always seems to take longer for service for a larger table, but somehow I don't seem to mind, but just know it when "the moment comes" and it needs to move a little faster. Nothing like closing time when not many diners left to make service suddenly faster for a party of two. As Rachel G said, if you are in a hurry, just go to La Veranda.

 

Took 2 of my children to Huatulco maybe 15 years ago on a land trip. Even way more laid back then. It was beautiful. What I remember is trying to kayak in the ocean with my son, who was maybe 13. I let him be in the front, so he couldn't see the miserable contribution I was making to keeping that little vessel moving.

 

Your information about the engine part confirms what Queasy cruiser posted a couple of days ago. Sometimes they have to fly in those techs/mechanics, but no reports you've missed more ports or have slowed down, and that is good! Hey Queasy, don't be a stranger here!

[WCB]

Report # 8 September 19, 2011 Monday Puerto Chiapas, Mexico

 

Chiapas is the southernmost state in Mexico, and Puerto Chiapas was our destination today. This is the largest city in the south part of the country. Travel a bit further south, and you are in Guatemala.

 

The port was pretty much like we remembered it when we stopped here in 2009. Laid back and fairly quiet, Puerto Chiapas is mainly an industrial port where most of all exports and imports are brought in and out of the state. Just recently, in 2005, this port for cruise ships was constructed. What is impressive are the two pyramids constructed of bamboo and palm leaves.In fact, the larger one is the second largest in the world. It houses several shops and restaurants that surround a sunken stage in the center. Apparently, local shows are held here during the height of the cruising season. We are just at the beginning of their tourist run, so we don't believe a show had been planned for us in the domed palapa.

 

We booked an early tour today, leaving the ship around 9am. It was a 4 1/2 hour excursion to a banana plantation and factory, then a tour of the nearest city called Tapachula. We had about a 45 minute ride, partly on the Pan-American highway, south to the Carmelita Banana Factory. Our guide was a young fellow who looked more Mayan than Mexican. He was well-educated and gave an interesting narration on the ride. He was also very polite when one elderly man asked him how old he was, how much land did he own (he had both a modest banana and coffee plantation), how much money did he make, and was he married with kids. Golly.....some people are rude. The guide began answering the first few questions, then nicely turned the same questions to the inquiring guest. Hah, there was silence......no more inquisition.

 

On one stretch of highway, we slowed to go through the immigration checkpoint. We never saw so many policemen at one of these stops. The police had dozens of cars pulled over with the people out on the shoulder. Our guide said that many Guatemalans come over the border to work and shop, but also try to come to Mexico illegally. Funny, we never hear about Mexico having immigration problems, but they obviously do.

 

At the factory, we had a very comprehensive tour of the facility, seeing the entire process of cutting the heavy stems of bananas, washing and sorting them, cutting them into 8 fingers (bananas) per bunch, spraying, then packing them in boxes. The most tedious job was separating the bruised bananas from the best, then cutting them into 8 bananas per bunch. This work was being done by the young women, who were better suited to do this job quicker than the men. The heavy lifting and pulling was for the fellows to do. Packing the bunches in boxes looked back-breaking. Thirty eight boxes could be packed in one hour by each packer. If we heard correctly, each packer got one peso for every box packed. In an 8 to 10 hour day, that would be considered to be a very good wage. Our only disappointment was that we were not offered any bananas to taste. In fact, only green bananas are picked, depending on how far they are transported. A fully ripe banana is 15 weeks old, where fruit shipped to Europe is picked at 9 weeks, then is gassed to ripen quickly once it reaches its destination.

 

The next stop was at a small city called Tapachula, a very culturally diverse town. The older part of this city had a main square called Miguel Hidalgo Central Park. This square was full of food and drink vendors, handicrafts, and a mariachi and marimba band. Even though it was a Monday, the place was hopping with activity.

 

We toured an 18th century Catholic church by the name of St. Augustine. It was a very conservative church on the inside, but well maintained. In one side chapel, were three walls full of crypts of ashes of the locals. Our guide explained that many of the people were transitory and when they moved, they preferred to take their loved ones with them.

 

The next stop was across the street to see the Art Deco Cultural House. This old building was used for art shows and offices. Surrounding the central courtyard, were stands full of local arts and crafts. The most unusual pieces were earrings and bracelets made from coffee beans and dried & dyed corn seed. Had to have a pair of those colorful corn earrings with silver wires for a whopping $2.00. Lots of bargains here. But there was even more outside in the park.

 

The central park had dozens of vendors selling lots of stuff. A variety of drinks were being sold, poured into small plastic bags, instead of cups. The little kids were the biggest buyers of those drinks. Small shops lined the square selling everything from shoes, food, clothing, and fabrics. Pricing the fabrics in one store, we found some terrific deals, but ran out of time to buy anything here.

 

The drive out of the heart of the town took us past several private schools and colleges. Buildings began to get more modern. We past a real shopping mall with an Imax Theater, JC Penneys, Walmart, and even a Home Depot. Burger King and Straw Hat Pizza are probably very busy with so many schools nearby.

 

We got back to the pier in a short time, and did a little more shopping at the craft shops before the ship left at 6pm. The skies were getting darker, threatening rain, but it stayed dry until we were out of the port. It was a nice sailaway, but again, there was no party at the pool deck. So we watched the departure from our veranda, which we are enjoying very much.

 

There was an early show this evening, a young lady singer by the name of Stephanie Baldwin. We did hear that she was very good, but we used our time to make some free phone calls from our suite. We have 3 hours of phone time, and need to use them before this part of the cruise is over. It really is a nice perk.

 

Tomorrow will be a day at sea as we sail 587 nautical miles to Puntarenas, Costa Rica.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

[WCB]

Report # 9 September 20, 2011 Tuesday Day at Sea

 

We woke up to a pretty overcast and drizzly day, despite the fact that the temperatures were still in the low 80's. After another delicious breakfast in Compass Rose, we took our usual morning walk on deck 12 for about one hour. Keeping an eye on the surrounding seas, we saw nothing but water. What we did notice was that the shuffleboard court had been removed from the front of deck 12 to the starboard side. A few days ago when we hit some strong winds, the court almost blew overboard. Now it is weighed down with quite large metal hooks. It ain't going nowhere. The only problem we can predict is that if a game was in progress, the walkers would not be able to sroll around the court without disturbing the players.

 

Later in the morning, we were in for a nice surprise....dolphins, lots of them. We just happened to be on our veranda, when a pod of medium size dolphins came flying out of the water at least six feet in the air. They launched their porky bodies like missiles, then splashed down with a loud slap. Since they were performing this activity in all directions, we assume they may have been feeding. It was a joy to see. There was only one other time back in 2001 that was the best display we have ever seen. And that was on our way from Phuket to Sri Lanka. Spinner dolphins flanked both sides of the ship and jumped as high as they could, twirling on the way down and landing with a huge splash. We swear that these beautiful animals were definitely checking us out on the ship.

 

The sun did eventually peak out of the clouds long enough to get in some relaxing pool time. The deck fellows are spoiling us with their excellent service. They seem to be aware of when we are in need of refreshments such as cokes or margaritas. When the sun gets too hot, they are there to offer us iced face towels. We have even seen them serving sandwiches and burgers from the pool grill to the guests that are sitting on the lounges. You will not see this on most other ships.

 

We were delighted to secure a third reservation for Prime 7 Steakhouse for dinner. Their policy states that we would be able to reserve one dinner per cruise in order to give everyone a chance to dine there. We're not completely sure, but your Mariner status may give you an edge. Did we mention that on the Compass Rose dinner menu, there are always two Prime 7 entrees offered, such as filet mignon, lobster, rack of lamb, or dover sole? That should take the pressure off of that venue if one does not have the chance to dine there.

 

Before going to dinner, we were successful in making a few phone calls again from our room. Our first calls were cut off after 10 minutes of talking, so we asked if that was the norm. Fifteen minutes later, a repair man was ringing our doorbell, wanting to check our phones ( we have 3 of them), because they thought they were malfunctioning. No, we were questioning the timing, which the fellow said that was due to satellite problems and it happens often. To justify his visit, he made our phones ring, then left happy. We had also requested an extension cord, and that arrived by messenger within 15 minutes. Again, great service.

 

There was more excitement throughout the night in the form of lightening and thunder. Between the rumbling of the ship and the t-storm, sleep does not come easy.

 

Tomorrow we we be in Puntarenas, Costa Rica.

 

Mary Ann & Bill

[OrpingtonT]

We are really enjoying reading about your cruise, Mary Ann & Bill. You are showing Regent at it's best.

[xrvlcruiser]

Mary Ann and Bill,

 

Thanks so much for all of this - great to read!

 

Peggy

[Wendy The Wanderer]

I think it's great that you can now order some entrees from P7 in Compass Rose! I love the Dover Sole.

[TheSeaAroundUs]

Mary Ann and Bill,

 

I love your descriptive style! Terrific to follow along.

 

I *love* falling asleep to thunderstorms! My favorite!

[azgkrudi]

I agree with the others, your installments are a most enjoyable read, Maryann & Bill!

[RachelG]

I had heard that some entrees from Prime 7 (or main courses if you are European) are now available in CR. What a great idea if they maintain the same quality, esp on Navigator where P7 seems awfully cramped.

 

Enjoyed hearing about the dolphins. Too bad they weren't out for your walk.

 

I have had the same cut off issue with the phones on both Voyager and Navigator, but not Mariner, and yes, they told me it is due to the satellites. Pretty annoying but I don't know that it is fixable.

[scopewest]

I am enjoying your reviews, thanks for taking the time to post!

[WCB]

Report # 10 September 21, 2011 Wednesday Puntarenas, Costa Rica

This is really a "deja-vu" day since we were just here in Puntarenas last May, on our way home from a world cruise. The difference today is that there are very few vendors on the beach compared to the springtime. We have been told that we are the second ship to have stopped here since June. The weather is not so inviting to tourists, because it is the rainy season. Not only rainy, but very, very hot. The few ships that come down this way now are re-positioning from the Alaska cruises, which is the case for the Navigator.

Originally, we had booked a long tour that would take us to San Jose, about a 2 3/4 hour drive up the mountains on a twisting road all the way. The more we thought about it, we decided we did not want to ride for almost 6 hours on the bus. So we swapped our tickets for the shorter mangrove boat tour. A few years ago, we took the train ride and the mangrove excursion, and we really enjoyed it. Today's tour would keep us in the mangrove much longer

It took the bus about an hour to arrive at the boat landing, driving a short way out of Puntarenas, through the countryside, then onto a dirt road that paralleled the beach. We began to see hawks and vultures as we neared the mangrove river. Once at the boat landing facility on the Tarcoles River, we boarded two flat roof-covered riverboats.

The first birds we spotted were several pairs of red macaws, noisily hiding in the tall mangrove trees along the riverbanks. Even though they were brightly colored, it was hard to spot them on the branches. Also abundant were herons, snowy egrets, hawks, kingfishers, flycatchers, swallows, vultures, spoonbill storks, and some ducks. Larger animals we saw on the 2 hour ride were large iguanas and the river crocodiles laying harmless-looking (not) on sand bars in the middle of a huge pond area. Nearby, we could hear the unmistakable call of the howler monkeys. These critters were so high in the canopy, it was hard to spot them.

Once we were back to the boatlanding, we filmed the macaws again, and also had the chance to see a family of howler monkeys right over our heads. Time was running short, so we helped ourselves to a plateful of watermelon, pineapple, bananas, and some local beer. At the boat house, there were numerous and very clean restrooms, as well as a small area for shopping. They had many beautiful wooden items, made from Costa Rica's native trees. We also knew that these same items would be available at the pier, and at a much better price. One lady bought a three colored wooden cutting board for about $40. We'll have to check these out at the beachside stands to compare prices.

The skies were getting darker as we made our way back to the ship. We took the opportunity to go straight back to the vendor stands, since we could feel that rain was imminent. By the time we got there, the locals were already in the process of packing up. They knew that the huge thunder clouds were coming our way because the wind was suddenly blowing. What was good about that was they were perfectly happy to bargain with us for a few treasures. By the way, that same cutting board we saw at the river was only $20. on the beachfront.

Since we were not leaving the port until 10pm, the staff planned an outdoor BBQ on deck 10, poolside. We went up to take a few photos of the setup, thinking with the storm coming, it may be a "no-go". It did start to sprinkle, but the fellows kept putting the covers on the chairs and tablecloths on the tables. Many guests enjoy these BBQ's but we usually don't go. Our experience with these dinners is that once you get your food and find a place to sit, the meal is cold. It's dark outside also, so it is hard to see what you are eating. Nope, we chose to go to the dining room instead, and were glad we did. Luckily for the passengers, the rain held off and the outside dinner was a success.

We had wanted to try some of the Italian dishes, so we ordered an eggplant parmesan lasagna and another tube pasta with veal bolognese sauce. They were "to die for" tasty. Now when we see these specialites on the menu, we will order them often.

There was a local show advertised poolside at 9pm, so we went up to deck 11 to check it out. The group was called Arenas Y Sol, a traditional folkloric show. It was a bit underwhelming, but seemed to amuse the audience at the BBQ, especially when the young dancing ladies and fellows pulled the passengers up to dance with them. That is usually our cue to exit, which we did. Actually, the show only lasted 20 minutes, then the group had to disembark for the ship to leave on time.

The Navigator left quietly at 10pm, heading for the next port of Cartagena, 805 nautical miles away. But first, we would have to transit the Panama Canal, another fascinating way to spend a day at sea.

The clocks went ahead one hour this evening. We hate that.

Mary Ann & Bill

[RachelG]

Your post brings back fond memories of our first ever cruise, on the Temptress which was run by Lindblad, about 13 years ago. We embarked at Puntarenas. You were smart to avoid the bus trip to San Jose, as it is over very winding and not well maintained roads. I just closed my eyes and prayed most of the way.
Love the mangroves there. So many birds and other wildlife.

[WCB]

Report # 11 September 22, 2011 Thursday Day at Sea

The Navigator sailed on a southeasterly course towards the Panama Canal today. Usually, while we are passing this part of the Costa Rican coast, we take a detour to sail in the Gulfo Dulce, a serene bay full of sealife and spectacular views. However, this scenic cruising was never on this itinerary....too bad.

The weather continued to be hot and steamy, so we were able to get in some prime pooltime this afternoon. We have been skipping teatime and trivia, because it has been just too darn nice to go indoors.

Today is a good day to mention the interactive TV in our suite. Besides having a variety of news stations, and the usual ship channels, we have an extra perk of having 250 movies, documentaries, popular sitcoms and well-liked TV drama series. It is like movies on demand. When we choose to watch a movie, for instance, we can start and stop it when we wish. It is a brilliant idea to have on a cruise ship, we think.

Equally important, is the convenient access to our shipboard account. No need to have to check at the front office or wait for our preliminary invoice to know where we stand.

Finally, the daily menus for dinner are posted on one channel. There is one for the Compass Rose and another for La Veranda. Great idea. The norm is to have to wait until the menu is posted by the dining room entrance, or wait until cocktail time, and ask the bartender for the menu to read.

We have been enjoying the luxury of having lunch in our suite, mainly because we eat a bit later than most...between 3 and 4pm. The room service menu offers great salads, cold and hot sandwiches, a few entrees, and an assortment of desserts. Trying to keep it light, our lunches have been chef or chicken caesar salads or half of a toasted ham and cheese, roast beef or turkey sandwiches. They are all excellent. This is the first time we have enjoyed the hot, crispy french fries too. But only occassionally....they are dangerously good.

Before meeting friends Don and Alene for dinner, we were treated to a display of dolphins, feeding in a frenzy a short distance from the ship. Again, they disappeared just as quickly as we saw them. The give away for their location were dozens of birds flying over the spot they were feeding. The birds benefit from this activity, since they get the cast offs. Smart.

We've all discovered that every Italian dish, whether it be an appetizer or an entree, in the dining room is superb. We look forward each night to see how creative the chefs are incorporating different vegetables and meats with their spicy sauces. The best thing that has saved our waists is the fact that the serving sizes are reasonably small.

When we went back to our room tonight, we had a surprise. The door to our room was wide open, with no one in sight. The suite doors are not auto-closing, they stay open. No room stewards were anywhere to be seen, and we had not requested anything special. All was well, but the incident left us a bit uneasy. We'll have to ask our room steward tomorrow how that could have happened.

Bill & Mary Ann

[WCB]

Report # 12 September 23, 2011 Friday Transiting the Panama Canal

It should be no surprise for you to read that it was extremely hot and sticky again early this morning. We enjoyed a nice breakfast of eggs benedict and English bacon as we entered the entrance of the Panama Canal. This will be the first time that we have transited the canal from the Pacific Ocean to the Caribbean. Another first for us is that this will be the third transit this year, having sailed through in January on the beginning of the world cruise, then again as we returned from Ft. Lauderdale after the world cruise in May. What would be different today was the weather.......it would turn out to be one "hum-dinger".

After breakfast, we took a walk up on deck 11 and 12 to see a number of "melting" passengers sitting in chairs to watch the beginning of the transit. There was no way they were going to last long in the intense heat, since there is no shelter whatsoever on those decks. Waiters were very attendant, passing water and juice to everyone who needed it. From the looks of the skies, these decks will be cleared very soon.

Poolside, there were some souveniers being sold such as t-shirts, keyrings, and other little Canal keepsakes. Another popular item available were mola items, a multi-layered fabric embroidered with colorful designs made popular by the Cuna Indians.

Contrary to what two Panamanian passengers told other guests, the pool was full of water today. The girls told people that swimming pools stayed empty during the crossing. In all of the times we have done this, perhaps close to a dozen, the pools have always been full.

We retreated to our veranda, realizing that would be the best place to comfortably view the sites. We passed under the Bridge of the Americas, or the Pan-American Highway that connects Central America with South America. We entered the first set of locks, then proceeded under the Centennial Bridge. That was when the weather turned on a dime. Those black skies that we had seen was a massive thunder and lightening storm that hit so hard and fast, we could hardly see the bridge when we went under. Driving sheets of rain came down so heavy, that the hillsides turned into streams of waterfalls.

Being creative earlier, we had brought the desk fan out on the veranda and set it on the small wicker table. It worked beautifully cooling us off and keeping the flying insects away. That sure brought a lot of attention from the workers near the locks. As we rose from one level to the next, the canal workers spotted the fan and gave us a wave with a laugh. Of course, when the rain and lightening began, we had to shut it down. In fact, we thought it wise not to put our feet on the metal railings of our veranda. That could really hurt if lightening hit. The one good thing about the rain was that it brought the temperature down by 20 degrees.Thank goodness. The worst of the rain did end by the time we reached Gatun Lake, but the sun never did return.

We continued watching the transit until we exited the last of the locks and began our journey in the Caribbean Sea. What we did learn today added to the facts we have acquired during our previous transits. In a nutshell, the Panama Canal saves 7872 miles by not having to go around the horn to sail from NYC to San Francisco. Most of the canal in the Gatun Lake area is 85 feet above sea level. Simply explained, it takes three locks at each end to raise and lower ships from sea to sea.

The length of the locks averages 1000 feet long and 110 feet wide. That was adequate many years ago to handle most vessels. However with today's mega ships, it is not. Therefore, a few years ago, construction of new and larger locks began. They will be 1400 feet wide and 180 feet wide, and should be completed by the end of 2014, we are told.
Much more dredging will need to be done at the narrow points in the canal, as well as Gatun lake and the Calebra Cut. As far as the operation of the new locks is concerned, modern technology has produced a better method of using less water for filling and draining of the locks. New gates will be rolling from one side to the other much quicker than the two gates work now. We can predict that the new locks will change the itineraries for larger cruise ships in the future, and also provide massive cargo ships quicker access. It's a win-win on all sides, especially for the Canal authorities that charge a pretty penny for the transit. Now the highest toll paid was over $249,000 for a large cargo vessel, and the lowest was 36 cents for a man named Halliburton, who swam the canal in 1928. He must have been nuts. There are snakes and crocodiles on the banks. We have seen them.

Finally, a sobering fact we read was that for every mile of canal that was built (50 miles to be exact), over 500 workers lost their lives from disease or accidents. The most prevalent problem was malaria and yellow fever. Once the cause of the diseases, the mosquito, were identified, spraying helped to control future outbreaks. Today we never saw one mosquito.

The Navigator was out of the last lock by 3:30pm, well ahead of the scheduled exit time of 5pm. The traffic was considerably light today, and we never did see another cruise ship, only a few cargo vessels and freighters.

Since we had eaten a late lunch in our room, we had a quick dinner around 8:30pm in the Compass Rose by ourselves. We ordered the Prime 7 filet mignons, and they were cooked to perfection. We added a baked potato in place of risotto, and were pleased to find it reasonably small. Topped with a little sour cream and smoky bacon bits, it was perfect with the small steak. Yep, we are really enjoying the fine food on this trip and the excellent service too.

Tomorrow, we will be in Cartagena, Colombia, but not until around noontime. That's nice because we can sleep in a bit later, maybe.

Mary Ann & Bill

[Two Happy Cruisers]

What an interesting and detailed report you've written (and continue to write)! I especially enjoyed reading about your Panama Canal transit, as we'll be on the January 6th cruise on the Mariner from Ft. Lauderdale to Lima, Peru, and this will be our first time through the Canal. Thank you!:)

[nana541]

Two Happy Cruisers - you will love the Mariner for your crossing... We did Christmas and New years West Coast thru the canal and it was wonderful! Fabulous weather and the Mariner has a forward observation lounge where we could watch the ship enter the canal and the full transit! Great trip....we won't forget it....

[mimito4]

So enjoying. Thanks for the "enrichment" posts. I learned a lot.

Best wishes for continued enjoyment and safe travels!

[count florida]

What a great review-report of the Navigator's repositioning from Alaska to Nor-East and Canada. Terrific. We will be boarding in Montreal heading back to Florida next week as you end your journey. Some year I'd like to do a triple back-to-back, from Vancouver up to Alaska then back to California, continuing on to New York and then on to Montreal. Too long though for my lovely lady; three weeks is about her limit now. We cruised for 43 days sailing from San Francisco around South America to Rio on a Mariner repositioning 6 or 7 years ago, but she said [i]'never again'[/i]. I’m afraid she meant it!

[Portrait24]

Will be boarding Navigator in NYC for cruise to Montreal. Thanks for your informative comments.