THE PAST WEEK

Hello all. First off I just wanted to say I am sooooo sorry for not keeping up with the blog this week. It has been a crazy yet exciting week here on the ship. To start off the week we went through the Panama Canal. This has been the highlight of the cruise and for many passengers the reason to come on this specific cruise. The day starts off as the ship sails towards the first set of locks(110ft wide by 1000 long). The whole operation is a very big deal starting with pilots (who actually steer the ship) coming aboard early into the morning. I woke up at 5:45am and began to wake everyone else up. We were supposed to begin the first set of locks at 6am but that’s of course an approximate. As you approach the canal many tug boats come and follow just in case they are needed. Then the ship hooks up to the famous "mules." These are locomotives that "hold" the ship in place as it is in the canal. Remember once inside the canal there is only about 2-4 feet on each side. For the bigger ships such as a "Paramax"(Maximum length and width for the canal), there is only about 6 inches really on each side. The first gate opens up and the ship enters. Gates close and then the water from the next lock empties and flows into our lock slowly lifting the ship up. This is amazing to see done cause lets face it, these ships weigh A LOT. Once to the proper level the gate opens and the process is repeated twice more. This set of locks on the Atlantic side is the famous Gatun Locks. It has the most set of locks with three and takes about 2 hours and 15 minutes to get through. The total length of this area is less then half a mile. Lets just say its slow going. After you exit the locks you enter into Gatun Lake and travel towards the next set of locks. This take about 2 hours as well and is beautiful. Lush rainforests are all around with the occasional cargo ship going the opposite direction. I was hoping to see some crocodiles or alligators. Did I see any? Of course not, but they were out there and rumors spread that some people saw them.
As we were about a mile from the next set of locks we had to slow cause there was a cargo ship and a US Submarine that were coming the opposite direction. At this time it’s a one way "road" so to say and is an area called the Gillard Cut. They are in the process of widening the canal in places to speed up the process. You can see the construction throughout the canal. As we passed the submarine it was amazing. To actually see an actual in service submarine is pretty amazing. There were a group of sailors on top of it as well as 7 -8 security boats along side it. They were given a warm reception by our passengers as they passed. This was something that took your breath away. After the submarine we came across a Panama penitentiary that is still in operation. It looks like a set for a movie and lets just say I would not want to be housed in there. There are still commanders of high ranking government officials for crimes committed many years ago. As you pass you can actually see into the yard and see prisoners walking around. This was very interesting and sort of creepy at the same time. I was only able to get one picture cause it passes quickly.
As we travel further we finally approach the second set of locks, the Pedro Miguel Locks. This set of locks as the third set, the Miraflores Locks lower you down into the Pacific level of water. Unfortunately we had rehearsal right when we began our decent into the locks but it was still amazing. As you exit the Miraflores locks you begin to see Panama City to the south. A huge city with skyscrapers everywhere. We then began to travel to our next port. Besides a bad sunburn on my face and forearms it was something I recommend to everyone.

The next two days were sea days, the first, scenic cruising of Costa Rica. This was cool with the very high rainforests and dolphins swimming with the ship. This night the ship had a crew party. It was located on the top deck in what is called the Oasis. It’s an area teens can hang out with hammocks, a waterfall and more. Most of the crew turned out to free food, drinks and music. It was a perfect night with no clouds, warm weather and very light winds. Its nice to get to see all the crew hanging out. You get to see people that you rarely see and its fun to relax with them. Again most crew are from Indonesia and the Phillippines with the rest coming from the US (not many), England, Australia, South America, etc, etc, etc. The second sea day was due to a change of plans regarding porting in Nicaragua. Due to unsafe weather conditions we skipped that port. No worries though cause it was made up by the scenery. By that I mean the handful of dolphins and dozens of sea turtles that were in the water with the ship. The "show" lasted for approximately 90 minutes. The dolphins were so cute and they swam side by side in groups occasionally jumping out of the water for fun. There was also a baby with his parents...pretty adorable. The giant sea turtles would float by every couple minutes as they moved south. Their little heads poking up out of the water was a treat for all. We also saw some flying fish and one fish that was snake like, being very long and thin, but had electric blue fins that reflected the sun. We could not figure out what it was but it was cool to see.
As for now we are moving up the coast getting closer and closer to San Diego (Yay) by way of the Mexican Rivera. I will be sure to post some pictures of the past weeks adventures. I still yet to figure it out and do not have a fast enough internet connection to accomplish this.
Oh if anybody has any questions regarding the ship, shows, or life on the ship let me know and I will answer them. For now take care and talk to you soon.