Cruise for our 30th the Panama Canal. The cruise for our 30th anniversary was a trip to remember. We went on a 15-day Panama Canal Cruise on the Caribbean Princess. It was not disappointing!! Join us on our adventure.
We Are Off On Our Adventure
Our trip began with a late-night flight from Las Vegas Airport at 11 pm, which was not the ideal time for a flight. I don’t think I would ever do a flight like that again. You would think that on a flight leaving at 11 pm, people would go to sleep. However, we were not so lucky mostly the flight attendants and the children behind us, not the kid’s fault.
Once we landed we quickly picked up our luggage and were on our way to the hotel. We were so tired when we arrived in Flordia, but we were ready for our cruise for our cruise. When we are going on a cruise we leave one to two days before our cruise to enjoy the area. We went on a 12-day Panama Canal Cruise on the Caribbean Princess. It was not disappointing!! Join us on our adventure cruise. Panama Canal Cruise.
Fort Lauderdale, Flordia
Well, our first day in Fort Lauderdale was spent sleeping and catching up, my husband is an over-the-road truck driver, so he needed to start relaxing he didn’t get home until the day we left. He is an owner-operator so he decided to work until we left as he was going to be gone for over two weeks, It was worth it. He had to pay for the cruise.
Saturday, we went on an airboat ride, which was an amazing experience. Although we only saw one baby alligator, the ride was still fun. We also visited a zoo where we could pet baby alligators and saw some massive alligators—quite the sight! The zoo also had a variety of other animals like snakes and turtles. They even offered the option to sample alligator meat at the on-site restaurant. It was an amazing day. We live in Las Vegas, NV so we know heat, but we quickly learned that the heat in Flordia is humid. I think we changed our clothes two to three times a day, but we survived.
We wanted to see some of Fort Lauderdale since we had never been there, I was on the lookout for all those snakes they talk about. The only snakes we saw were at the zoo at the airboat place, I was not disappointed not seeing any.
Enjoying Our Relaxing Days in Fort Lauderdale
We found a great Chinese food restaurant within walking distance of our motel. The food was delicious and not overly expensive, it was an abundance of food. But, we all know you get full quickly with Chinese food but get hungry sooner. The motel that we stayed at was off the beaten track. There was shopping within walking distance but honestly, I’m not a shopper so we just hung around the motel. Which my husband did not mind.
At the motel, we enjoyed meeting other travelers who were also going on cruises departing on Sunday, just like us. Everybody talking about past cruises and if they had been on this particular cruise before. It was fun listening to all of the past experiences, this was our fourth cruise, and all the others had been to Alaska. It was fun hearing about why you should and shouldn’t go on this cruise. I think that it is a personal choice. The cruise line you go on depends on what your interest is, we like the Princess cruise line because we like more laid back and relaxing, not necessarily a party boat or a kids cruise. We are off to our Panama Canal Cruise.
Princess Caribbean the Ship-Our Impression
We had booked a mini-suite for our cruise, we were so pleased with the room, particularly the large bathroom with a large shower. If you have ever cruised before you know that the bathrooms, especially the showers are small in regular rooms. A bottle of wine was waiting for us to enjoy on the balcony. We loved spending time on our balcony, watching the activities at the port, and having complementary wine to start our trip. After completing the safety drill, we headed to the buffet for lunch. The salad bar was excellent, and there was a wide variety of food to choose from. Although we usually avoid buffets to prevent overeating, I stuck to the salad bar while my husband tried a bit of everything as always, especially the fish.
Amazing Food
We booked a suite with special dining, and throughout the entire cruise, we were treated to excellent food. Both of us enjoyed a variety of salads and pasta dishes, along with an abundance of fish and steak dinners. We also tried appetizers and dishes I might not have had the chance to try, or for that, matter even tired, too chicken. The wait staff was so nice and helpful. You had the same staff for every meal you ate there; they didn’t even need to ask for drink orders or anything special. They also helped so much in the meal selection. The desserts were amazing, including crème brûlée, baked Alaska, cakes, cookies, and more. All drinks, including wine, were included in the cruise price.
We indulged in escargot, shrimp cocktails, and delicious bread. The fish options were exceptional, including salmon, halibut, and trout. The steak choices were plentiful, offering any cut you wanted. We also had salads, pasta, and vegetables prepared in several ways. Breakfast and lunch didn’t disappoint either.
Breakfast was also served at the specialty dining area, with several options every day. My husband likes the eggs benedict or the omelets. I prefer the eggs and toast with fruit. The fruit was fresh and ripe. Of course, we can’t forget the pastries they had to offer.
More Amazing Food
There was also a soft cone ice cream, milkshakes, and a gelato parlor. We loved the gelato, something we don’t have often. On the pool deck was a hamburger and hot dog stand. It also had freshly cooked chicken for sandwiches, Also a great pizza place.
Who could forget the International Spot, coffee any coffee you were craving? An overabundance of pastries, depending on the time of day sandwiches, burritos, yogurt dishes along with fruit. My husband loves this and the soft cone was a daily stop.
Overall, the meals did not disappoint!”
The Panama Canal Cruise will be on our list of things to do again.
Falmouth, Jamaica
Our first port of call was Falmouth, Jamaica. We just walked around did a little shopping and sat and listened to a band playing. It was so relaxing. We wanted something to drink so we purchased a coconut, and put a straw in to drink, they also put some of the meat in a plastic container for us to take and eat later. It was so good!! I tried to get my passport stamped but they said we had to be there for 24 hours before they would stamp, so my passport only had Canada.
Cartagena, Columbia-The Stormy Experience
Our second port was Cartegna, Columbia, where we booked the hop-on hop-off bus. Originally we were not going to book any excursions, but after talking with other passengers and crew members we were advised to take an excursion. We were so happy we did the weather turned rainy and stayed warm and dry. We got off the bus at the city entrance and had a guided walking tour through the old part of town. Cartegena was a stop that had a lot of people selling merchandise, you were approached every step you took, and I didn’t enjoy that. I understand that this is how people make their living.
We saw old churches which were beautiful, military things from centuries ago. Then the downpour started and we saw ancient ruins and old military stuff, the town was an older city for the most part, and what was new was shopping malls, from the comfort of our dry bus, we got seats up front under the panels, we were so lucky.
When we returned to the ship there was a tourist shop and animals we could watch. A monkey was sitting on a chair and watching people. Flamingoes, pigs, peacocks, and parrots to name a few. My granddaughter collects snow globals, they are so hard to find but we did find them there so we snatched up two, one for each granddaughter. That was the only place on the whole trip we found them. I love it when we go somewhere and can bring home what they like. Our daughter collects shot glasses, always easy to find. She has them from all over the world, having been in the Navy.
Panama Canal-Amazing
We went through the Panama Canal, new locks, that was amazing. We had to wait a bit in line for the pilot to come aboard. Ship Captains do not pilot through the canal they have pilots there who complete that task. We saw alligators basking in the sun, in the water, and inside the locks, unbelievable. It was amazing, this was on our bucket list.
The Panama Canal was an interesting, gateway from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean. The Panama Canal was built to cut the distance around Cape Horn for ships. It’s a narrow canal and they have to stay on course, for sure. We went to the other side of the canal hung out, then went back through. It was just as amazing going back as it was coming through the first time.
Everyone should at least see the Panama Canal once in their lifetime, it was amazing.
On To Limon, Costa Rica
We stopped in Limon, Costa Rica, and we went with some others from the ship on a tour of the city by van. On a boat ride, saw sloths, turtles, and other wildlife. The forest overgrowth was a beauty unknown to others. Something so glad we did. The tour was something that was a spur of the moment, but we were so glad we did it. We stopped at a store on the beach, they had the best-tasting rum cake we have ever had of course we brought some.
Last Port of Call, Grand Cayman
Grand Caymans was our next stop. We had to catch a tender over to the island, there was no port there, and the water was so blue it was beautiful. We also took a tour of the city, saw the dolphins, and went to Hell there it was a million years old and looked volcanic in appearance, but limestone rocks. It got its name because someone said that is what they thought hell looked like.
Our days spent at sea were very relaxing we did some gambling, we both came out ahead on the trip, and we did better than we did at home. Of course, we went to the shows, and comedians, singers, and piano players which we loved. We just relaxed and watched some movies under the stars. We were never at a loss for something to do during the day or night. It was a cruise to remember.
This was a great cruise, we can’t say enough about the cruise ship and the staff. Wonderful would go again in a heartbeat just different flights to and from Fort Lauderdale. Regardless of that, it was amazing. We were on the Princess Caribbean. Hope you enjoyed reading about our amazing 30th anniversary.