Panama Canal 2011

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Hi-lites of our Panama Canal cruise aboard the Coral Princess, November 22 - December 6, 2011.

Join the Brewers & Figarts for our 2 week Panama Canal cruise.	Our ship for our 14 day Panama Canal cruise, the Coral Princess.	We set sail from Los Angeles. The lights of Long Beach pass by in the background as cruisers dance during the sail-away party.	What to do with 5 days at sea to start the cruise? Mary Nelle spent a lot of time working jigsaw puzzles.
Ginger & Mary Nelle soaking up sun on top deck.	Mary Nelle takes a soak in the hot tub.	Jack relaxes with a good book on their balcony.	Ginger & Jerry spent a lot of time on their balcony reading and watching sea turles & dolphins.
Thanksgiving is formal night.	Jack & Mary Nelle on their way to formal night dinner.	Elaborate sets, beautiful costumes and great talent highlighted the musical shows onboard ship.	We board a restored antique train car for our ride through the Costa Rican jungle.
We take a boat ride on a Costa Rican river to look for wildlife in the surrounding jungle.	We saw herons peeking out from the foilage.	We saw several crocodiles.	We saw macaws and camera shy howler monkeys.
Jack gives a thumbs up for our Costa Rican tour guide, Carlos.	Shopping along the seawall of Puntarenas, Costa Rica.	Our cruise ship is docked next to a Chinese hospital ship in Puntarenas.	We anchor across the bay from the Panama City skyline. Tenders ferry us between the ship and Puerto Amador.
Our transportation across the isthmus of Panama.	The Panama Canal Railway takes us on a journey paralleling the canal from the Pacific to the Atlantic.	"All Aboard"!	Our restored antique train car is very comfortable.
Jack & Mary Nelle enjoying the train ride in Panama.	We view the canal from the railway. The crane is the "Titan", a massive structure used in Germany during WWII.	Ginger & Jerry enjoying the open air platform while cruising through the jungle.	We pass by a container ship navigating the canal.
We're entertained on the train by our cast of conductors.	Lunch with a view of Panama City across the bay.	Our luinchtime view of Panama City across the bay.	On the seawall in Panama.
We hoist anchor at sunrise and move into position to join the convoy of ships sailing through the Panama Canal.	There are 2 lanes of locks. The arrow directs us to the lock on the right while a container ship occupies the left lock. Our ship is designated a...	Ships navigate the locks under their own power. The "Mules" keep it from ramming the walls or doors.	We watch the container ship rise in the left hand lock. We have 2 feet clearance on each side and 3 feet on each end.
We've been raised to the next level and are ready to exit the lock. In the distance the Millinneum Bridge spans the canal, one of 3 bridges...	The electric "mules" help guide ships through the locks.	Our shadow tug follows alongside our ship while excavation work is in progress for new locks that will allow even larger ships to navigate between...	The view from our stateroom balcony is great.
We are now in the 3rd of three locks on the Pacific side. Soon we'll cross under the Millenneum Bridge on our way to Gatun Lake.	The "Titan" crane holds one of the lock gates in suspension for maintenance. Note the white suited workers on top of the gate.	Crossing under the Millenneum Bridge.	Gatun Lake is the mid point of the transit. Here we meet many ships travelling from the Atlantic to the Pacific.
Another container ship on it's way to the Pacific Ocean.	Another series of 3 locks lower us to the level of the Atlantic Ocean. Here we're joined by another cruise ship, the "P&O Aurora".	We begin our descent to the Atlantic Ocean. The canal terminus, Colon City, Panama, can be seen on the horizon.	Clear sailing ahead as we follow the P&O Aurora into the Atlantic Ocean.
As we pull into the bay at Cartagena, Columbia, we are awed by its impressive skyline.	Cartagena is a beautiful city with many sculptures scattered throughout.	We pose with one of the "fruit ladies" of Cartagena.	Part of the massive walls that were constructed during the 17th & 18th centuries to protect Cartagena from attack.
Cartagena has a well preserved, colorful historic district.	These beautiful colonial buildings house shops on the ground floor with apartments above.	Many gold relics adorn Cartagena's Gold Museum.	France, Spain, and pirates were among the many groups attracted to Cartagena by its gold.
Cartagena street performers.	Cartagena street performers.	More life like statues on the streets of Cartagena.	One of the "life like statues" poses with a tourist.
Street vendors offer colorful wares for sale.	Some of the many goods for sale outside the cathedral.	Santo Domingo Church.	Santo Domingo Church
Cartagena cityscape viewed from inside Santo Domingo Church.	The dome inside Santo Domingo Church.	Its "Motown" night onboard the ship.	The "Supremes" entertain us for "Motown" night.
The sign says it all.	A wierd tourist stands in one of the wierd rock formations on Aruba.	A Troupial (a member of the oriole family) entertained us by flitting among the cacti.	One of Aruba's colorful banana buses.
Even the cemetaries in Aruba are colorfully decorated.	A roadside vendor sells coconut milk direct from the source.	Our Lady of Alta Vista Chapel overlooking the ocean.	Our Lady of Alta Vista Chapel.
Aruba! "One Happy Island!"	California Lighthouse stands watch over the coastline of Aruba.	Being a Dutch territory, Aruba boasts a Dutch windmill.	Trendy resort hotels line Aruba's white sandy beaches.
We cruise along the resort lined coast of Aruba.	Downtown Oranjesta, as seen from the harbor.	A sample of the lovely architecture in downtown Oranjesta.	Ginger makes a last minute shopping excursion in Aruba before we board ship and sail away.
The Coral Princess is decorated for Christmas.	We have 2 days at sea before our jouney ends.	The last production show onboard is "Down on the Bayou" featuring music and tradions of New Orleans and Cajun Louisiana. We enjoyed it so much we...	We tour the ship's galley where our meals are prepared.
A bit of kitchen artistry on display during the galley tour.	We're given a backstage tour by Ana from UK, one of the Princess dancers.	A few of the wigs used during the shows.	A section of the backstage control panel.
We're docked in Ft. Lauderdale where we take advantage of our last chance to check out the view from our stateroom balcony.	So long Coral Princess. Time to disembark and start planning our next adventure.

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