Turtles06: my review of our 23 days aboard the Gem's B2B Panama Canal cruises, NY to Fuerte Amador and the return

[Turtles06]

1 hour ago, Longstockingpippi1 said:

Turtles06

thank you so much for a great and detailed cruise description, I too felt like I was there. And I will be there, boarding the Jewel in Colon on Saturday 😀. You provided a great introduction for me👏🏻👏🏻

 

Thank you, and thanks for reading along.  I hope you have a wonderful cruise on the Jewel!!

[Turtles06]

15 minutes ago, Maleficent's Dad said:

Wow, your review is great, and those pictures are amazing!  Thank you for sharing such details!

 

Thanks, I really appreciate your very kind words!

[Turtles06]

Some additional words about the Canal

 

I wanted to offer a few tips about transiting the Panama Canal for those who have never done it, whether partial or full.  First, before you go, please read David McCullough’s masterful book about the building of the Canal, The Path Between the Seas.  You'll appreciate even more how incredible and extraordinary it is that the Canal was even completed, let alone that the mechanisms developed then to operate the original locks are still in use today. 

 

Also, please don’t spend the entire day of the transit in the same place on the ship, including your own balcony.  Be sure to move around, especially as the ship goes through the locks, and see the operations from all perspectives  -- forward, aft, midships, high, low.  Things move slowly through the Canal; a full transit takes most of the day, and you’ll have plenty of time to get around the ship.  In addition, it will be hot and humid. The sun (assuming it’s out), will be intense; the Canal is only about 9 degrees north of the Equator.  Apply and re-apply sunscreen, wear a hat, and stay hydrated.  (Thanks, Mom!)

 

Fun factoid: Many people think of the Panama Canal as running East-West, since it takes a ship from the Atlantic to the Pacific (or vice versa).  But the actual direction is much more NW-SE.  When you transit from the Atlantic to the Pacific, you will end your day about 20 miles further East than where you started (and of course further South).    [A good clue for Final Jeopardy. 😊]

Edited March 1, 2023 by Turtles06

[Turtles06]

Seen around the ship

 

During the second leg of the trip, it appears that we took on some chocolate milk in the Dominican Republic.  This stuff was incredibly delicious.  (And not even whole milk!)  If you were on board, I hope you had some!

 

 

 

 

 

[Turtles06]

The Freestyle Daily

 

What?  Comments about the Freestyle Daily?  In all the cruises we’ve taken, I don’t think I’ve ever commented on the ship’s daily paper, but the Gem’s Freestyle Dailies on these cruises were an embarrassment.  Factually incorrect information, significant missing information, and poorly written. 

 

For example, on the day of our port call to Curacao (leg 2), the Daily gave the contact information for the port agent in the Dominican Republic -- a different country!  The Daily for that day also had information about Isla Catalina – also in the Dominican Republic and not even a port on that cruise.   (The Gem had called at Isla Catalina on leg 1.)  For both of our port calls to Aruba, no information at all was given for the port agent.

 

On each of the two days we transited the Panama Canal, the Freestyle Daily had several paragraphs containing some Canal facts, mostly about the Canal Expansion (seven years ago), and seemingly pulled from something written so long ago that it described the expanded Canal as though it had just opened.   (“The long awaited opening of the expanded Panama Canal is expected to double its capacity . . . .”)  In fact, the expanded Canal opened on June 26, 2016, which actually was stated at the very outset in this same piece in the Daily.  (“The Panama Canal Expansion has been completed at last with its official inauguration on June 16, 2016.”)  Apart from the use of dated material, I was hard pressed to understand the focus on the expanded Canal, since the Gem of course was going through the original locks.

 

Also, for both transit days, the Daily listed an anticipated arrival at the first set of locks, but neglected to include any information about the anticipated arrival under the bridges that mark the start of each transit, the Atlantic Bridge on the Atlantic side, and the Bridge of the Americas on the Pacific side.   As a result, our neighbors on leg 2 missed us going under the Bridge of the Americas at 5:35am on Feb. 7, and were quite upset about it.  I suspect they were not the only ones.  

 

Guest Services told me that the Dailies are reviewed before they are sent around the ship.  If so, then better review is needed.  I think it reflected poorly on the Gem that this sort of stuff was provided to guests.

[luvcruzing]

Your photos were the best I’ve ever seen of the Panama Canal crossing.  Also, loved your explanations and descriptions of what we were seeing.  Thank you for sharing.

[Turtles06]

16 hours ago, luvcruzing said:

Your photos were the best I’ve ever seen of the Panama Canal crossing.  Also, loved your explanations and descriptions of what we were seeing.  Thank you for sharing.

 

Thank you so much!  🙂 

[Turtles06]

 

One last port: Curacao

 

With the exception of Curacao, all of the ports on leg 2 of our B2B were ports where we’d also stopped on leg 1, and so I’ve already written about them above.   So now let’s turn to Curacao, which the Gem visited on February 11.

 

For this day, we’d planned our own walking tour of Willemstad, the historic center of which is a UNESCO World Heritage site.  The day turned out to have the worst weather of all our port days.  Grey skies, some sun, and sudden and intense tropical rain that had us fairly drenched despite having umbrellas and taking shelter.  Still, we managed to have a good walk, from the Otrobanda District in which the Gem was docked, across the Queen Emma Bridge  --  a pedestrian-only floating pontoon bridge that swings open periodically -- and into the Punda District on the other side.  Along the way, we of course got to enjoy the colorful buildings for which Willemstad is well known, as well as the more modern street art.

 

We started at the Rif Fort, not far from the cruise port.  This is a 19th Century fort that is now a touristy shopping center, but where you can still climb the original walls and have a great view of the Queen Emma Bridge and the beautiful buildings of Punda.

 

 

 

 

We walked along the water, and then over the bridge, which was fun.  I was hoping it would swing open while we were on it, but no such luck.

 

 

 

 

Dominating the skyline of Willemstad is the Queen Juliana Bridge, which sits 185 feet over St. Anna Bay and is the highest bridge in the Caribbean:

 

 

We made our way through the colorful streets of the Punda District 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As in Aruba, Willemstad also has a Queen Wilhelmina Park.  Nearby is the Curacao sign at the top of this post, as well as a Dushi sign (Dushi having a number of meanings in the local language of Papamiento, but generally expressing the warmth of the people of the island):

 

 

 

One of the most important buildings in the Punda District is the Mikvé Israel-Emanuel Synagogue, the oldest synagogue in continuous use in the Western Hemisphere.  Because it was a Saturday, the synagogue was not open to visitors, and so we could not see the interior and its famous sand floor (which I remember well from a visit when I was a teenager):

 

 

 

 

 

My feeling about license plates, if you have it, flaunt it:

 

 

Back at the Gem, with the rain having cleared out, we had some wonderful views of Willemstad, including of the Queen Emma Bridge lit up at night as we sailed away:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[sherrihall128]

4 hours ago, Turtles06 said:

 

One last port: Curacao

 

With the exception of Curacao, all of the ports on leg 2 of our B2B were ports where we’d also stopped on leg 1, and so I’ve already written about them above.   So now let’s turn to Curacao, which the Gem visited on February 11.

 

For this day, we’d planned our own walking tour of Willemstad, the historic center of which is a UNESCO World Heritage site.  The day turned out to have the worst weather of all our port days.  Grey skies, some sun, and sudden and intense tropical rain that had us fairly drenched despite having umbrellas and taking shelter.  Still, we managed to have a good walk, from the Otrobanda District in which the Gem was docked, across the Queen Emma Bridge  --  a pedestrian-only floating pontoon bridge that swings open periodically -- and into the Punda District on the other side.  Along the way, we of course got to enjoy the colorful buildings for which Willemstad is well known, as well as the more modern street art.

 

We started at the Rif Fort, not far from the cruise port.  This is a 19th Century fort that is now a touristy shopping center, but where you can still climb the original walls and have a great view of the Queen Emma Bridge and the beautiful buildings of Punda.

 

 

 

 

We walked along the water, and then over the bridge, which was fun.  I was hoping it would swing open while we were on it, but no such luck.

 

 

 

 

Dominating the skyline of Willemstad is the Queen Juliana Bridge, which sits 185 feet over St. Anna Bay and is the highest bridge in the Caribbean:

 

 

We made our way through the colorful streets of the Punda District 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As in Aruba, Willemstad also has a Queen Wilhelmina Park.  Nearby is the Curacao sign at the top of this post, as well as a Dushi sign (Dushi having a number of meanings in the local language of Papamiento, but generally expressing the warmth of the people of the island):

 

 

 

One of the most important buildings in the Punda District is the Mikvé Israel-Emanuel Synagogue, the oldest synagogue in continuous use in the Western Hemisphere.  Because it was a Saturday, the synagogue was not open to visitors, and so we could not see the interior and its famous sand floor (which I remember well from a visit when I was a teenager):

 

 

 

 

 

My feeling about license plates, if you have it, flaunt it:

 

 

Back at the Gem, with the rain having cleared out, we had some wonderful views of Willemstad, including of the Queen Emma Bridge lit up at night as we sailed away:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

One of my fondest cruise memories was of this view of Curacao. I remember waking up and seeing the colorful building outside of the window, and I was entranced. It was my first cruise as a teenager, and it's a core memory now. So pretty!

[Turtles06]

The penultimate sunset of our 23-day adventure was one of the most beautiful

 

[ggTexasGal]

9 minutes ago, Turtles06 said:

The penultimate sunset of our 23-day adventure was one of the most beautiful

 

Stunning!  Thank you for your review with the great pictures!!!

Edited March 3, 2023 by ggTexasGal
spelling correction

[Turtles06]

Return to New York

 

Alas, all good things must come to an end.  The Gem began her sail-in to Manhattan early on the morning of February 17.  Unlike the crystal clear, middle-of-the-night sailaway on January 26, it was quite foggy and misty out.  This, however, made for some dramatic visuals as we approached the Verrazzano, the Statue of Liberty, and lower Manhattan.

 

The original itinerary showed that we would be docking in NY at 10am, but several days before the end of the cruise, we were told it would be 7am.  As things turned out, it was 8:30am.   And that was that, we were off and on our way home.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Turtles06]

ONE LAST PHOTO

 

Yes, this photo tells it all. The day after we returned home from the Gem, I tested positive for covid, the first time since the pandemic began.  Fortunately (and thank you vaccines), my case was a mild one -- cold-like symptoms that resolved themselves quickly  --  but also some fatigue that lingered longer.  Happily, and amazingly, my wife did not get sick.

We certainly knew going into this trip (and the other trips we’ve taken in the past three years) that getting covid was a possibility, and obviously we took the risk.  Interestingly, there was almost no mention of covid on board the Gem, except that early during leg 1, we returned to our cabin one morning and saw all the cabin stewards suddenly wearing N95 masks.  (They had previously been unmasked.)  Our attendant told us a passenger had covid.  That’s all we knew, and by that afternoon, the attendants were again unmasked.  Not long after, on the other side of our deck, we saw a large plastic bag filled with towels tied to the outside of a cabin door.  Perhaps someone was isolating inside?  But that was it.  No other mentions or signs of covid, in three weeks. 

 

On February 16, Gem Captain Deep D’Souza ended his last daily announcement to guests by wishing everyone well and stating that, “if the last three years have taught us anything, it’s that the gift of good health is the most cherished one we can hope for.”  Indeed.

 

[Turtles06]

That’s All, Folks

 

I want to thank everyone who’s taken the time to read this review, and especially those of you who were also kind enough to comment along the way, either in words or with emoji reactions.  I really appreciate it.

 

If anyone has any questions, I’ll do my best to answer them.

 

Good health and safe and happy travels to all.

 

Judith

[njhorseman]

6 minutes ago, Turtles06 said:

 

Yes, this photo tells it all. The day after we returned home from the Gem, I tested positive for covid, the first time since the pandemic began.

☹️

7 minutes ago, Turtles06 said:

Fortunately (and thank you vaccines), my case was a mild one -- cold-like symptoms that resolved themselves quickly  --  but also some fatigue that lingered longer.  Happily, and amazingly, my wife did not get sick.

😊

[luvcruzing]

Thank you, Judith, for taking the time to do this review.  I found it to be very informative and enjoyed it very much.  
 

I do have one question.  You came in on a Friday, did you have any trouble getting a taxi or an Uber?

[sansroof]

Thank you for this terrific thread. I hope your symptoms continue to be mild and that your wife escapes completely! 

[2bthere]

Thank you for an informative and enlightened review.
Jewel was our first ship and after 2 more past  sailings has been a piece of our cruising history.
May all your adventures be blessed with happiness.

[GeezerCouple]

Thanks once again.

 

Your photo of Curaçao brought back memories.  Such colorful buildings.

We were able to go inside that Synagogue, and it was part of a private tour that we had arranged.

 

And thanks again for those wonderful photos!  They continue to amaze us! 🙂 

 

GC

[YVRteacher]

Thank you for sharing your cruise adventure.  This review is so informative and your photos and narrative are excellent.

[Turtles06]

12 hours ago, luvcruzing said:

Thank you, Judith, for taking the time to do this review.  I found it to be very informative and enjoyed it very much.  
 

I do have one question.  You came in on a Friday, did you have any trouble getting a taxi or an Uber?

 

 

Thanks so much! 

 

Not just a Friday -- it was also raining. 🙁 The trick in the Manhattan Cruise Terminal is to get a porter in the baggage claim area.   They put all your stuff on their cart, you go through immigration (which was a quick facial recognition process) and then they take you and all your luggage across 12th Avenue to the taxi line and put in you a cab. (And then you give them a very nice tip.  😊)  I have no reason to believe it would have been difficult to get an Uber, either, but we just went for a cab.   (The advice I've read about getting Uber or Lyft is to walk away from the cab line [turn the corner and walk down the block a bit], so the driver will have a place to find you.)

 

I hope that's helpful.

[Turtles06]

11 hours ago, sansroof said:

Thank you for this terrific thread. I hope your symptoms continue to be mild and that your wife escapes completely! 

 

Thank you so much, and thanks for the good wishes.  I seem to be fully recovered (unless there's a sneaky long covid thing that hasn't emerged), and enough time has passed (not to mention a negative PCR test) that I can say that my wife has escaped getting it from me.  (We're not the only couples I know where this has been the case, and I find it almost miraculous.) 

[Turtles06]

11 hours ago, 2bthere said:

Thank you for an informative and enlightened review.
Jewel was our first ship and after 2 more past  sailings has been a piece of our cruising history.
May all your adventures be blessed with happiness.

 

Thank you!  We love the Gem and the Jewel! 

[Turtles06]

10 hours ago, GeezerCouple said:

Thanks once again.

 

Your photo of Curaçao brought back memories.  Such colorful buildings.

We were able to go inside that Synagogue, and it was part of a private tour that we had arranged.

 

And thanks again for those wonderful photos!  They continue to amaze us! 🙂 

 

GC

 

Thanks!   I was happy to have my decades-old memories of Curacao, especially since the synagogue was closed. 

 

[Turtles06]

8 hours ago, YVRteacher said:

Thank you for sharing your cruise adventure.  This review is so informative and your photos and narrative are excellent.

 

Thank you so much!