Our Carnival Pride Repo Journeys Cruise (with pics) - 2/26/17

[lildolphin08]

My question about Wine Packages I wonder if anyone can answer, if you buy a wine package on the first day of a back to back is the wine usable on both legs?

 

Do you know if you get these only at dinner or can you also get them in your room?

[Jamman54]

Do you know if you get these only at dinner or can you also get them in your room?

 

Since we have never gotten a wine package I can't help you, but maybe someone else can.

[azjim66]

Hey Jamman, Really enjoying this review. Beers and breakfast Burritos!! I like your style!! You can't drink all day if you don't start in the morning!! We have a few cruises coming up so this has been a great appetizer!! Thanks for taking the time to post this amazing journey!

[Princess Cruiser27]

Jeff, another great read from Limon. :)

[Jamman54]

Hey Jamman, Really enjoying this review. Beers and breakfast Burritos!! I like your style!! You can't drink all day if you don't start in the morning!! We have a few cruises coming up so this has been a great appetizer!! Thanks for taking the time to post this amazing journey!

 

Thanks for following along!!! :D

[Jamman54]

Jeff, another great read from Limon. :)

 

Thanks Barb!!! :cool:

[Sturmin]

Thank you for doing another review.

[Alaskan Joe]

JAMMAN54: I'm sorry but I feel like I am hi-jacking your post, but you and your wife seem to be the most knowledgeable, if I am please just say so. I have more questions about the steak house free wine...(or shall I say my wife does). I do not drink wine I am in to beer however, my wife loves wine. She wants to know, does she get a choice of sweet, dry, white, red (known all choices will be cheap)??? Also is there a corkage fee when you get the free bottle?? Thanks in advance, also I did get too look at your Splendor reviews, they are great:D.

[springs741]

JAMMAN54: I'm sorry but I feel like I am hi-jacking your post, but you and your wife seem to be the most knowledgeable, if I am please just say so. I have more questions about the steak house free wine...(or shall I say my wife does). I do not drink wine I am in to beer however, my wife loves wine. She wants to know, does she get a choice of sweet, dry, white, red (known all choices will be cheap)??? Also is there a corkage fee when you get the free bottle?? Thanks in advance, also I did get too look at your Splendor reviews, they are great:D.

 

The wine is either a white or red. Both are dry and really not palatable. Trust me when I tell you to take advantage of the 1/2 off bottle of wine. Hubby choose a $44 bottle so paid $22 and got 4 glasses. You can't beat a glass of wine for $5.50.

 

There is no corkage fee for wine purchased or gifted on board.

[pghsteelerfan]

 

 

Jose is handling some spooky looking spiders, which I can only assume are not poisonous!

 

To be continued…..

 

That's a banana spider, harmless but I certainly wouldn't handle one. :eek: We saw one several years ago in South Carolina at the Congaree National Park, which is located just outside of Columbia. It's an old, hardwood forest in a swampy setting, so there are raised boardwalks to walk through. The spider we saw was in a huge web between two trees and the railing of the boardwalk. The spider's body was the size of my thumb and with legs included, probably the size of a saucer. I had never seen a spider that big before (or that had feet that looked like little "brushes"), so I looked it up to find the answer (with pictures). My picture was taken in the morning (looks like night, but had to use flash).

 

 

I'm all caught up now and really enjoyed your section on Costa Rica and looking forward to the rest.

 

 

[marty1950]

Hi Jeff, Got my beer,chips and dip. Ready for another great cruise with you and Patti. Thanks for taking us along. Gary:D

[Jamman54]

Thank you for doing another review.

 

And thank you for coming along for the ride again! :D

 

The Journey's cruises always bring menu surprises. Some of those offerings look really good!e

 

We enjoyed most of the menus. There were 14 different ones. :)

[Jamman54]

The wine is either a white or red. Both are dry and really not palatable. Trust me when I tell you to take advantage of the 1/2 off bottle of wine. Hubby choose a $44 bottle so paid $22 and got 4 glasses. You can't beat a glass of wine for $5.50.

There is no corkage fee for wine purchased or gifted on board.

 

Thanks for jumping in and answering Alaskan Joe's questions! (y)

[Jamman54]

That's a banana spider, harmless but I certainly wouldn't handle one. :eek: We saw one several years ago in South Carolina at the Congaree National Park, which is located just outside of Columbia. It's an old, hardwood forest in a swampy setting, so there are raised boardwalks to walk through. The spider we saw was in a huge web between two trees and the railing of the boardwalk. The spider's body was the size of my thumb and with legs included, probably the size of a saucer. I had never seen a spider that big before (or that had feet that looked like little "brushes"), so I looked it up to find the answer (with pictures). My picture was taken in the morning (looks like night, but had to use flash).

 

I'm all caught up now and really enjoyed your section on Costa Rica and looking forward to the rest.

 

Beautiful picture! Thanks for sharing. Spiders are not my favorite things!! :eek: Glad you enjoyed Costa Rica. Panama Canal will be going up later today!

 

Hi Jeff, Got my beer,chips and dip. Ready for another great cruise with you and Patti. Thanks for taking us along. Gary:D

 

Hey Gary!! Glad to have you along again! :D

[tjmaher]

Leaving on the Pride on May 28. Thank you so much for posting such a GREAT review. Can't wait to sail

[Alaskan Joe]

The wine is either a white or red. Both are dry and really not palatable. Trust me when I tell you to take advantage of the 1/2 off bottle of wine. Hubby choose a $44 bottle so paid $22 and got 4 glasses. You can't beat a glass of wine for $5.50.

 

There is no corkage fee for wine purchased or gifted on board.

 

Thank you Springs741, that is the kind of answers my DW was looking for. DW absolutely does not like dry wines, she likes them on the sweet side. Also great to know about corkage fee:D. Lastly, I know a lot about beer, but nothing about wines:(. However I would love to get her a good bottle of wine (1/2 off of course;)), I know taste is subjective but in your honest opinion what is a great sweet wine. I don't care about the price at all (maybe:o), the DW deserves too be treated like a queen. Just a pointer about her taste she likes her wines sweet, but I have heard her say before "this wine is too sweet". One of her favorite wine is a 'Pink Catawba' (I think that's what it is called). Thanks in advance.

[springs741]

Thank you Springs741, that is the kind of answers my DW was looking for. DW absolutely does not like dry wines, she likes them on the sweet side. Also great to know about corkage fee:D. Lastly, I know a lot about beer, but nothing about wines:(. However I would love to get her a good bottle of wine (1/2 off of course;)), I know taste is subjective but in your honest opinion what is a great sweet wine. I don't care about the price at all (maybe:o), the DW deserves too be treated like a queen. Just a pointer about her taste she likes her wines sweet, but I have heard her say before "this wine is too sweet". One of her favorite wine is a 'Pink Catawba' (I think that's what it is called). Thanks in advance.

Joe--go with a moscato. She will love it. Light sweet wine.

[Jamman54]

Leaving on the Pride on May 28. Thank you so much for posting such a GREAT review. Can't wait to sail

 

Thanks for following along!! :)

[Jamman54]

Friday, March 3rd - Partial transit of the Panama Canal - 9:15am to 3:55pm (times are approximate).

 

Here are today’s Fun Times……

 

 

 

 

 

We awoke to a beautiful day, though the seas were a little choppy……

 

 

We were excited about today, as we had never been to the Panama Canal before. We decided that instead of fighting with the masses up on deck for a prime viewing spot, we would watch our transit from the comfort of our balcony. This way if it got too hot, we could just slip inside to cool off.

But first,we would head up to the Lido for some breakfast. I grabbed my usual breakfast burrito from the Blue Iguana, and Patti had an omelet. After breakfast we made our way back to the cabin, but first I stopped at the Red Frog Rum Bar to say hello to Winston, and get a bucket of beer to enjoy while we watched the action from our balcony.

Okay folks, Patti and I, well mostly Patti, took a boatload of pictures today, and though we won’t be showing you every one, we will be showing you quite a few. This was a great experience, so sit back, relax, and enjoy our presentation of the Panama Canal…..

 

 

To be continued…….

Edited March 27, 2017 by Jamman54

[Jamman54]

First, an explanation of what a partial canal transit is. We will be going through the Gatun locks, a set of three locks that will raise the Pride from sea level, about 85’ to the level of Gatun Lake. Once we exit the locks, we will cruise into Gatun Lake, where we will anchor for a couple of hours. Then, we will return through the Gatun locks, back to sea level, and out into the Caribbean Sea.

We are now sailing past the port of Colon on our way to the Gatun locks…

 

There is a split in the waterway off to the left which leads to the new Panama Canal expansion, a single lane which can handle larger ships that couldn’t fit through the old locks. We will be going through the old locks…..

 

Now, where are those guys, and more importantly, who are those guys?

 

Those guys are way up there, and they are helping to build a new bridge over the Panama Canal……….

 

Here are a couple more far away views of the Panama Canal expansion……

 

 

After this point you really couldn’t see it anymore, so let me give you a few facts. They began the expansion in 2007, and it opened just last year. The three locks on both the Caribbean and the Pacific sides are each 1,400ft in length, and 180ft wide. They can handle just about any ship BUT, Royal Caribbean’s Oasis Class is still too big to fit!!

The old locks are each 1,000ft in length, and 110ft wide. The Pride, which is 106ft wide, has two feet to spare on each side!

 

To be continued…..

[Jamman54]

This is where we will be going…..

 

There is a fleet of canal tugs to give any ship a helping hand if needed…..

 

 

The Avila Star has just exited the last lock, and is heading out towards the Caribbean Sea…..

 

We will be following the Maersk Batur through the locks…..

 

 

To be continued…..

[Jamman54]

Now that’s a tight fit!

 

The guys in the rowboat row lines out to the ship so that the “mules” can be attached on both sides…..

 

These are the “mule” drivers…..

 

 

The Maersk Batur is in the first lock and the gates are starting to close. Notice the roadway in front of the gates? When both gates are closed, traffic will be allowed to cross…..

 

 

To be continued……

[Jamman54]

The gates are just about closed…..

 

The “mules”are attached. There will be two in the front, and two in the back, on each side. The purpose of the “mules” is to keep the ship from scraping the sides of the locks. The ship moves through the locks under it’s own power. Of course, there is a certified Panama Canal Pilot on the bridge the whole time…..

 

Now that both lock gates are closed, traffic is allowed to cross…..

 

 

Most of the pictures of the canal that you see are taken from the air, so you really don’t realize what a marvel of engineering this is until you see the height of the locks. These next two shots let you see the height that these ships are raised and lowered…..

 

To be continued….

[Jamman54]

The two “mules”on the left will be attached to the stern of the Carnival Pride…..

 

The Federal Clyde is entering the lower lock…..

 

 

 

Once she is completely in the lock, and the gates behind her have been closed, the valves are opened and the water in the lock is lowered…..

 

 

To be continued…..

[Jamman54]

The Federal Clyde is lowered to sea level…..

 

 

 

The last few vehicles scurry across…..

 

The roadway begins to swing open…..

 

 

To be continued……