Hello and welcome to our Travelblog for our 2011 summer vacation. During the holiday, we hope to record and share our experiences and observations, as we embark on a Panama Canal cruise. We'll be starting our cruise in Vancouver, BC, before travelling down the Pacific coast, transiting the Canal and emerging into the Caribbean Sea for the final leg to Fort Lauderdale.
We're hardly seasoned cruisers, but this will be our third cruise, and undoubtedly the most adventurous to date. Not knowing what to expect, we unwittingly caught the cruise 'bug' during our honeymoon in 2008 when we travelled around the western Mediterranean, visiting many beautiful areas of France, Spain and Italy. Having been so impressed by the cruise concept, we chose to cross the North Atlantic in 2009 from England to New York. This was a great opportunity to experience a real voyage across the ocean, combined with a few days sightseeing afterwards in the Big Apple. (Last year, we stayed on terra firma and travelled overland from Scotland to Spain - you can read all about that trip here.)
We're hardly seasoned cruisers, but this will be our third cruise, and undoubtedly the most adventurous to date. Not knowing what to expect, we unwittingly caught the cruise 'bug' during our honeymoon in 2008 when we travelled around the western Mediterranean, visiting many beautiful areas of France, Spain and Italy. Having been so impressed by the cruise concept, we chose to cross the North Atlantic in 2009 from England to New York. This was a great opportunity to experience a real voyage across the ocean, combined with a few days sightseeing afterwards in the Big Apple. (Last year, we stayed on terra firma and travelled overland from Scotland to Spain - you can read all about that trip here.)
As we were looking for something even more adventurous this year, we decided to take the plunge and reserve a cabin on the Panama Canal Grand Adventure - a 17 day voyage offered by Princess Cruises, leaving Vancouver on the 24th September. This holiday will encompass many 'firsts' for us, including new destinations in the USA and our first ever visit to the Central and South American continents. It will be a journey of contrasts from the fresh coastal climate and mountains of British Columbia, to the dry heat of Mexico, and the humidity of Central America and the Caribbean.
The canal transit, for most people, is a once in a lifetime experience and we are no exception. Opened for traffic in 1914, the canal cuts across the isthmus of the continent allowing ships from the Pacific to reach the Caribbean Sea (and ultimately the Atlantic) and vice versa. This 48 mile passage means ships can 'cross' the American continent and avoid travelling over 8000 extra miles round Cape Horn. The transit takes ships through a mixture of canal basins, channels and artificial lakes, and is usually completed in around 10 hours.
As is sadly the case with most cruises, the ports of call are visited all too briefly, often with just a few hours to spend in each location. Cynics will of course argue that this is 'whistle-stop' tourism and no one can possibly fully experience a city or country in such a short space of time. Point taken - but unless you have an endless budget with no time constraints, we can see no other practical way to sample so many interesting destinations in one holiday. Those places that we like, we may visit again in years to come. And those that we don't like will get crossed off the list!
Our 'home' for the 17 day trip will be Coral Princess, one of two ships in the fleet designed specifically to sail through the Panama Canal. With 15 decks and a multitude of on-board restaurants, bars, entertainment and leisure facilities, the ship is perfect for a voyage of this scale.
Internet access at sea is provided by satellite communications which is often slow, subject to weather interference, and will almost certainly be expensive at 75 cents per minute! Nevertheless, we hope to provide regular updates throughout the voyage, and possibly some low-resolution photos if there is sufficient bandwidth. We hope you will enjoy reading about our holiday!
As is sadly the case with most cruises, the ports of call are visited all too briefly, often with just a few hours to spend in each location. Cynics will of course argue that this is 'whistle-stop' tourism and no one can possibly fully experience a city or country in such a short space of time. Point taken - but unless you have an endless budget with no time constraints, we can see no other practical way to sample so many interesting destinations in one holiday. Those places that we like, we may visit again in years to come. And those that we don't like will get crossed off the list!
Our 'home' for the 17 day trip will be Coral Princess, one of two ships in the fleet designed specifically to sail through the Panama Canal. With 15 decks and a multitude of on-board restaurants, bars, entertainment and leisure facilities, the ship is perfect for a voyage of this scale.
Internet access at sea is provided by satellite communications which is often slow, subject to weather interference, and will almost certainly be expensive at 75 cents per minute! Nevertheless, we hope to provide regular updates throughout the voyage, and possibly some low-resolution photos if there is sufficient bandwidth. We hope you will enjoy reading about our holiday!Andrew & Christine
Scotland
