So today was a disembarkation day for a number of guests. We were sad to have to say good-bye to some of the friends we made this trip. There are still some who, like us, are traveling on to Vancouver.
The people who are embarking today are either doing a 5-day quick get-away and will disembark in Vancouver or they plan to stay on and also do the first sailing to Alaska by the Koningsdam.
Everyone had to meet with Customs in the World Stage today. We all got a letter that told us when to go. In-transit guests would be last. I guess some in-transit guests were too anxious to get off the ship and explore because the Cruise Director kept announcing for in-transit guests to get out of the line.
Once the Cruise Director announced that it was our turn, we joined the line. The line was long, but it moved quickly. We had to show up with our passport and our ship card. Once we were approved by Customs, we had a green sticker applied to our ship card and could leave the ship if we wanted.
We did not. We went to the NY Deli for sandwiches and spent a quiet afternoon people-watching. Why didn’t we get into the pool? Even though it was a beautiful day in San Diego, the weather had turned considerably cooler. The new people were coming in with hoodies, leggings and sweatshirts. I began to believe I had planned poorly, wardrobe-wise, for the next few days.
If you do go to San Diego, I highly recommend the Zoo, the Gaslight District, Old Town, and Coronado Island to visit. Be sure to leave a whole day just for the Zoo.
Today was King’s Day in the Netherlands. It is their national holiday celebrating the reigning Dutch Monarch’s birthday today. The ship would be celebrating tonight with their Orange Party.
I have never seen the Orange Party held on embarkation day, but the embarkation just happened to fall on his birthday so … Party On! I guess many of the embarking passengers had already gotten notified of this happening as they came on board sporting all manner of orange attire and some looked like they had started partying the night before.
I had a feeling that the vibe for these next five days was going to be very different than the last 17 days.
Our HAL tour today was not until 11:00 so we slept late and had a very late breakfast in the Lido. I missed the sail-in to Puerto Vallarta and was greeted by a familiar sign when I did go out on the balcony.
I was really looking forward to today’s HAL tour: All-Inclusive Sea Lion Encounter in the Water
ABOUT THE EXCURSION: Sea lions are lovable rascals — comical, mischievous, playful and very friendly. They are also fast, agile and adorable, and their inclination to engage in play and include humans in the game makes thisĀ sea lion encounterĀ so exhilarating.
A trainer will brief you on sea lion physiology and behavior before youĀ enter theĀ waterĀ and have an opportunity toĀ play,Ā pet,Ā shake a flipper, and possibly receive a big fishy kiss. You are sure to cherish this encounter for years to come.
See photos of your experience and enjoyĀ lunchĀ and aĀ beverageĀ at the sea lion facility before returning to the ship.
Notes: Maximum group size of eight people in any one session. Do not wear sunscreen or jewelry as these can injure the sea lions’ skin. Wear your swimsuit under your clothing; bring a towel and a hat. To avoid sunburn, bring light, long clothing suitable for use as a cover-up. Cameras are not allowed in the pools. Photo service images are available for purchase. Pregnant women or guests with back, neck or heart conditions are not allowed to participate. Waiver must be signed and medical conditions disclosed. Minimum height 4 feet. Minimum age is 5 years. Children must be accompanied by a participating adult in the water.
Vallarta Adventures was the vendor who was handling this tour today. We walked as a group to an area to board a large catamaran. I thought it was a very large group that was going to do the sea lion encounter. Then I found out that some of the people on the catamaran were doing a dolphin encounter.
We were heading to Nueve Vallarta. The guide said that we could have gone by bus, but it would have taken over an hour. It took less than 30 minutes to get there by boat.
Once we were at the dock, we were divided into sea lion encounter and dolphin encounter and boarded smaller boats that sailed us directly to the Vallarta Adventures compound. Then, the the two groups were directed to the appropriate venue in the compound.
We had time for a bathroom break and then we were given a safety briefing before being allowed to enter the sea lion enclosure. They reiterated that we could have no jewelry, no glasses, no perfume, no hats, and no hair ties or rubber bands. One girl who had her hair in elaborate braids was kind of upset about the hair ties, but she took them out. We all had to stand under showers to ensure that we rinsed off all sunscreen.
Our group of 10 was divided into two groups of five. One trainer stayed with us and the other trainer took a group to the opposite side of the very large pool. The two sea lions who had been swimming in the pool jumped out of the pool when we got in.
Our sea lion was Kaila who was 12 years old. She had been born in captivity and was expected to live until she was twenty or so. The trainer talked about how to tell the difference between a sea lion and a seal. He also talked proudly about their Center holding the Humane Conservation certification with the American Humane organization and how he was also part of their Rescue Team who assists in freeing marine wildlife entangled in ropes or debris.
We all formed an arc in the pool, and Kaila was allowed into the pool. She floated by all of us and allowed us to stroke her back. Then the trainer allowed her to swim around and she kept swimming up next to Chuck and bumping him. She didn’t really like me getting close to him and would put her flipper out to keep me away.
We were all allowed individual sessions with Kaila as the photographer snapped away.
Once our session ended, we showered again and got our stuff back. We had an hour to look at the photos/videos taken and to eat lunch at the buffet.
I went to the photos and there were so many I got overwhelmed and couldn’t pick just a few. I ended up signing up for the whole photo and video package which would be close to $200. The lady next to me bought that package along with a photo book and some souvenir things like a photo paperweight – it was close to $500.
You don’t get the photos right away. You get a receipt and they take your email. You are told you will get an email in 24 – 48 hours with a link to the photos and videos to download. I don’t know what happens when you order the photo book or the souvenirs.
I was a little nervous that I wouldn’t get the link but I figured the company has been in business for quite a while and wouldn’t jeopardize its reputation by not sending the link.
The buffet lunch was excellent. I had ribs, chicken nuggets, chips with cheese and guacamole, fruit, and cheesecake. There was fruit punch to drink.
Soon the guide rounded us up and we reversed the order – small boat to the dock in Nueve Vallarta and then the large catamaran back to the ship.
We were back well before the 5:30 all aboard time. We got cleaned up for the evening and decided on a late pizza dinner. It was a fun day. And, I got the link to my photos that evening.
So, Chuck’s back had been hurting for a couple of days. When we reviewed our upcoming HAL tour for Manzanillo, we decided we needed to cancel it for him. If you are going to cancel a HAL tour and you want your money back, you must do it 72 hours prior to the docking time at that particular port. You can go to either Guest Services desk (open 24 hours) or you can go to the Shore Excursions desk which has limited hours each day (check the app or the printed program for hours).
The money goes back on your onboard account as refundable onboard credit. Refundable onboard credit means that if you don’t use it to cover purchases or miscellaneous charges, you will be able to get it refunded to the card you used to set up your account. If you have non-refundable onboard credit (usually issued to you as an incentive for booking – such as early booking bonus, AARP membership, HAL casino, etc), you either use it or lose it. We always find a way to use it. š
If you are going on a tour that you booked with a company independently, please check their rules carefully prior to booking. Some are very generous with their cancellation policy and some are very limited.
Chuck was leery about me going alone on this tour. I promised him that I wouldn’t wander away from the group. I do have a habit of hanging back from a tour group to take photos but promised I wouldn’t do it today. I also promised that if there were a lot of buses at the same location, I would be sure of which bus was mine.
With those promises in mind, I headed to the World Stage to meet up for my 10:30 tour.
The HAL tour: Plantation Mangrove Tunnel & Birds
ABOUT THE EXCURSION: Travel south by coach through lush tropical landscapes for 40 minutes. Your destination isĀ Palo Verde Lagoon.
Your guide discusses the flora and fauna of this ecosystem before you hop into a 12-seaterĀ boat for a ride through the mangroves. With a bird identification card, watch for the resident and migratory birds of Palo Verde. You’ll pass nesting areas and a dark mangrove tunnel that is home to countless creatures. Have your camera ready for great photo opportunities.
AtĀ El ParaĆso Beach, step ashore to cool off and reset at a restaurant right on the black-sand beach. A non-alcoholic beverage and aĀ light snackĀ are included with a magnificent ocean view and a pleasant breeze.
Back on the coach, continue your journey toĀ ArmeriaĀ ā one of Mexico’s lemon-growing capitals.Ā StrollĀ through the small central plaza, visit the Catholic church, and peek inside City Hall.
If you have a chance to try the local artisan ice cream (at your own expense), it is delicious.
Notes: Minimum age is 10 years. Not advisable for guests with a heart or back condition. Tour requires walking. Terrain includes even and uneven surfaces, inclines, gravel, grass, and steps. Life jackets are provided and must be worn.
We boarded the bus at 10:30 but we didn’t actually leave the parking lot until 11:00. Not sure what the holdup was as everyone who was on the tour had been checked-in by our guide.
Because of all the road construction, it was a longer trip to the lagoon than 40 minutes. The bus was comfortable and the air conditioning adequate. It was hard to hear the guide as the sound system wasn’t very good. He kept trying to adjust it but never had much success. I wouldn’t call the landscape lush but we did pass acres and acres of coconut trees.
After a bathroom break at the visitor center, we trooped down to the dock on the rocky path to don our life vests (which smelled musty). When I saw our boat, I knew Chuck had made the right decision not to participate. His back would have really given him trouble.
The little boat seated twelve and, yes, you are seeing rugs covering the hard bench. I ended up on the last row on the outside. I felt bad for the woman seated in the middle of our row. I told her to let me know if she needed me to shift around so she could take some photos of any birds on shore.
The guide handed out a bird guide and then started up the outboard motor. It sputtered to life and made quite a bit of noise. Therefore, when we did get close to birds, you had to be quick for a photo because they took off to get away from the noise. I got a lot of photos of bird butts. š
Some of us had to duck as we entered the mangrove areaSnail KiteFrigateWood storks and EgretLimpkin
We were out on the lagoon for an hour. You know what doesn’t run from a noisy outboard motor? Bugs and more bugs. I was happy that I had put on sunscreen and bug spray. Other people were really slapping themselves.
I assumed from the tour description that we would be docking at a restaurant from the little boat for our snack. Nope. We got back on the bus and drove to a restaurant near the beach. It was an open-air venue, and I was surprised and happy that they served a full lunch and one drink – a beer or non-alcohol drinks – included. The lunch was very good, and I sat with some passengers from Missouri.
There were several vendors on the sidewalks who wanted us to purchase trinkets, and some did while others walked toward the beach for the view. I just stayed around the restaurant and took photos of flowers. (No, I wasn’t hanging back from the crowd. The guide and others were there too.)
We then went to a farm which I didn’t see on the tour description at all. They served lots of fresh fruit and juice. We wandered around and looked at the lime bushes and coconut trees. I noticed they didn’t have any nets attached to the coconut trees, so I did not go directly under any of them. I did hear some thumps from the grove that I have to assume were coconuts falling down.
Even the farm rooster only wanted to show me his butt
The last stop was a little town that the guide promised very good ice cream at one of the shops. Yay! However, when I got to the shop -what nobody told me, and nothing was mentioned in the tour description – was that the shop only accepted local currency. I didn’t have any. If I had known, I could have gotten some at Guest Services. They also didn’t accept credit cards. No ice cream for me or for most of the other guests. Only 3 or 4 people came with any local currency, and they thoroughly enjoyed their ice cream. š
On our way back to the ship, the traffic was slow and the road construction was tedious. All aboard was 5:30 pm. We pulled into the lot at 5:25. Another bus was right behind us. We set sail promptly at 6:00.
I have never seen the vaping warning on any previous cruise that had Mexico on its itinerary, so I assumed that this was a new rule. The ship was taking it seriously as the Cruise Director made several announcements about it.
Puerto Chiapas is a very small port, and I heard that it was a newer port just trying to get started. Our day in port was an early one and a short one. We had no tour scheduled today and the day was very hot so we just decided to stay onboard.
The port had two large buildings – one was to have some shops and the other was a restaurant with a pool open for guests. I spent the morning walking around the ship taking photos. The port itself looked very well maintained.
Pool in the background – no guests yet
I also got distracted by the birds and iguanas that were all around the port.
Not sure what these birds were but they flew in a large group for quite a while
You guessed it. We spent the remainder of the day at the pool.
For this port, I hadn’t seen any HAL tour that I particularly wanted to take. I also watched the Travel Director’s informational talk about this port and realized that I didn’t see anything I wanted to do independently either.
We just decided to go to the port village and visit the iguana habitat that I had seen mentioned in her port talk. We were once again docked in an industrial port with no pedestrian traffic allowed so we were forced to take a shuttle ride to the port village. The NCL ship got the best dock. They could walk right into and out of the village from their ship.
One of the shuttlesBig Map Painted on Floor of the Port Entrance
The area was very crowded with passengers from two ships browsing all the shops (all seemed to carry the same merchandise), hanging out at the restaurant/bar, or persuing the “jade museum” (a little bit of information – a lot of sales pressure).
I kept looking for the iguana habitat sign and couldn’t find it. I finally asked a shopkeeper, and he pointed in the direction to go. I got to the area, but it was roped off. I looked all around and didn’t see one iguana. If there was a habit at one time, it wasn’t there that day. I think they were clearing it for more shops. Letting people see free iguanas vs. more shops with stuff to sell = no more iguanas.
So what did we do? Chuck bought a t-shirt and I bought a Christmas ornament and we went back to the ship. We had lunch and then attended the matinee performance of “Sing” by the HAL World Stage singers. They were excellent.
We docked at 8:00 in an industrial port that prohibited any pedestrian traffic. However, if you were traveling independently, they did provide two different shuttles that would either take you to a resort for a beach day or to a town for shopping, etc. Since we had a HAL tour today, we didn’t have a need for either of the shuttles. We did have a need for packing our rain jackets as the forecast said 100% chance of rain – oh, yay!
We had another room service breakfast delivered at 6:30 this morning. We made our way to the World Stage at 8:15 only to be greeted by a long line of people waiting to get into the room. Apparently, the buses for the 8:00 tours hadn’t arrived and people, like us, who had 8:30 tours had to wait.
After about 20 minutes, we were finally in the World Stage room and had gotten our tour stickers. We waited another 30 minutes for our tour to be called. I knew that El Salvador just recently became a HAL port stop but so far I did not have a good feeling. The feeling didn’t get any better when we went outside to the buses and found it very difficult to find ours. Several buses were going to the same place and we just got herded onto one of them. Oh well, I hoped I was going to see what I signed up for but who knew?
Our HAL tour today: Mayan El Salvador: Joya de Ceren & San Andres
Notes: Wear comfortable walking shoes. Shade is limited; to avoid sunburn, wear light, long clothing suitable for use as a cover-up. Bring a hat and sunglasses; wear biodegradable sunscreen. Bring bottled water.
I thought I was having deja vu when the guide was counting heads in preparation for leaving and one of the guests said – “our friends aren’t here yet.” Not again – it better not be that same husband and wife. I was glad he told them we can only give them 5 more minutes as the port authority says we have to leave the lot so more buses can come. She got on her cell and told him that they were in sight of the bus. They did make it, but they were breathless.
The guide’s English was wonderful, and he spoke at a pace that I could understand. The bus was comfortable, but the air conditioning was straining. Again, I was glad for our cooling cloths.
He gave us a lot of information about El Salvador, the Mayans, and the archeological sites we were going to see. He was very proud that El Salvador grew the best coffee anywhere because of all the rich volcanic soil. (Wait, didn’t we hear that Costa Rica had the best coffee anywhere?)
We had a chance for a bathroom break before our guide started our tour of the outside ruins. Not as elaborate as others I’ve seen but interesting.
Once we finished, we had time to purchase refreshments. We got a coconut. The water was so good. It was very hot and humid outside.
Then it was a short drive to the archeological site. We started in the museum to see the items that were salvaged from the ash.
Next, we went to the dig site. It is an ongoing project. I thought it was intriguing that they have not yet found any human remains but they have found animal remains. The guide said there were several theories but the most popular one was that the villagers must have realized that the volcano was going to erupt and fled in a panic leaving everything including the animals.
It took a long time to walk around the entire site. The guide would stop periodically to tell us about what we were seeing. It was very interesting.
The guide got very animated when a bird landed on a wire in the building. He said it was a Turquoise-browed motmot – the national bird of El Salvador. It was pretty small and far away so my camera didn’t do it justice, but you can see some blue on its brow.
I did catch a bird in flight as we were walking back to the bus area. I think it was another great white egret.
On the ride back to the pier, he told some personal stories of growing up in El Salvador. He said the violence that has been associated with El Salvador was true – gangs, corrupt police, ineffective military.
One time, his school bus was stopped by a gang. They came on the bus. Nobody made eye contact. The gang was looking for anyone who might have gang colors or symbols of a rival gang. They zeroed in on his friend and made him strip completely naked. His friend had no colors or symbols, so they didn’t beat him up or worse, but they took all his clothes. They also grabbed our guide’s new hat and shoes but didn’t make him strip.
He said when a new government was finally brought in, they gave the military more power and were able to weed out the corrupt police and break up the gangs. He was very proud that El Salvador has become a tourist location now.
He also gave us a snack that he said was very popular. We enjoyed it.
All the buses arrived on time and ship sailed away promptly at 8:00 that night. (BTW – it never rained)
Today we had a tour and had to be at the World Stage at 9:00 a.m. We ordered room service breakfast to be delivered at 8:00 and it arrived on time. Holland America still provides a hot breakfast delivered at no charge although the choices have been reduced. As I have heard some cruise lines charge for any room service, I am grateful that HAL still provides this service.
We have taken several tours in Costa Rica before including one similar to this but did not include a butterfly garden. This one seemed like it would be at a relaxing pace.
Our tour today is titled:Jungle Crocodile Safari & Butterfly Garden
ABOUT THE EXCURSION: This eco-adventure is ideal for those who prize nature in its most pristine state, uninhibited by anything but its own biodiversity.
Enjoy a leisurely panoramic drive along scenic coastal and country roads, past quaint towns and villages. You’re headed to the Jungle Crocodile Safari dock on the Tarcoles River, famous for its mangrove forest and home to one of the largest populations of American crocodiles. More than 50 bird species live here, including the endangered scarlet macaw, and are also protected in the neighboring estuary.
Board a riverboat; then, sit back as your expert guide leads you on a fantastic journey to see the astonishing variety of wildlife.
Your tour concludes at El JardĆn, where you’ll explore a butterfly garden and enjoy a refreshing tasting experience featuring tropical fruits, natural drinks, and Costa Rican coffee. There’s also time to shop for locally made souvenirs before heading back to the pier with lasting impressions of Costa Rica’s rural heritage. This is ideal for nature lovers looking for a relaxed and enriching experience.
Notes: Wildlife sightings are likely but are not guaranteed. Boats are covered and with open-air seating, offering shade and unobstructed views. Wear comfortable walking shoes. Shade is limited; to avoid sunburn, wear light, long clothing suitable for use as a cover-up. Bring a hat and sunglasses; wear biodegradable/reef-safe sunscreen. Bring bottled water.
We boarded a tour bus. It was comfortable and the air conditioning was working, thank goodness. It was another hot and humid day.
The guide’s English was pretty good and the sound system worked well but he spoke so rapidly that we missed some of the words. But he was very knowledgeable and happily answered any questions. One question was about butterflies. He said that Costa Rica is home to over 1500 butterfly species, so I was really looking forward to going to the butterfly garden.
Our bus did not follow the exact schedule as printed above. There were a lot of tours that included floating on the Tarcoles River, so I assume they were trying not to overload the area.
Our first stop was El Jardin. We were greeted by servers with plates full of sliced fruit and cups of fruit juice. You could also go to another area and have small cups of Costa Rican coffee. The tour guide said that Costa Rica produces the best coffee anywhere because of the soil produced by the many volcanoes.
This was a good place for a bathroom break and to buy souvenirs. I already had souvenirs from Costa Rica on previous trips so I didn’t purchase anything, but many people did.
We were then allowed to go to the “butterfly garden.” Now, I have been to several butterfly gardens, and they were large with meandering paths and many species of butterflies to view. This one was not like that.
The path was one circular stone walkway from the entrance to the exit. You could walk the whole way in a few minutes if you wanted. If you wanted to linger, you just had to be sure you weren’t standing in the way of others. You also needed to constantly watch where you stepped so not to crush a butterfly. They seemed to love landing on the stone path.
Maybe there were other butterflies that I didn’t see but the only ones I encountered were the Blue Morphos, which is considered the most famous of the Costa Rica butterflies. They were everywhere. I took many photos but not many came out very well. I loved how the brown outer wing camouflaged their brilliant blue inner wing.
Coming in for a landingCaught in flight – see shadow on groundFeeding on mangos – blue peeking thru
So I was disappointed in the venue but I loved what butterflies were there.
It was time to load the bus and leave for the river. The guide counted heads and we were missing someone. A husband spoke up and said it was his wife. The guide went back inside to look for her. We waited. We waited. After about 10 or 15 minutes, he comes back with her as she is sipping her coffee with not a care in the world. I assume she ignored the glare from the rest of us or really just didn’t care.
It was a short ride to the Jungle River Ride area. There were several buses there as well as some private tours. We had time for a quick bathroom break before boarding our boat. He said we could shop here afterwards if we wanted. The boat had a cover which was nice but the seats were very hard. I was glad there was a breeze but I had brought our cooling towels that get cold when you snap them. They felt good around our necks.
We pushed off from the pier and the guide was starting his spiel when he suddenly stopped and said we were missing 2 people. Yep, you guessed it – the same husband and wife. We all just said – leave them. We all had the same instructions and the rest of us made it. Nope. He went back and they came strolling down the pier – she with her shopping bags. Some people booed. They got on and the only seats left were the ones in the back next to the smelly motor. Served them right. Rude people.
The guide gave out a bird identification brochure which was helpful. We saw birds, crocodiles, monkeys, lizards, and iguanas. It was a nice river ride.
Same type of tour boat as oursTiger HeronGreat White EgretKiteRoseate SpoonbillWhite IbisBlack-necked StiltWhimbrelsAnhingaYes, that dark blob in the middle is a monkeyLoved this little guy – looks like he is frowning at us – “Get off my River”He is so well camouflaged
After the tour and a bathroom break and/or shopping, we headed back to the ship. The heavy traffic, exasperated by a bad wreck, and all the road construction was terrible. I knew we weren’t going to make it by all-aboard time. I wasn’t concerned since this tour was a HAL tour and they guarantee the ship will wait or they will pay to get us to the next port. We were 30 minutes late, but we weren’t the last bus to arrive. The last 3 buses didn’t arrive until 6:00. We were supposed to have left at 5:00. We set sail at 6:30. The sky was pretty.
We had found a HAL excursion that we wanted to do but we were wait-listed and never got off the list.
So, we went to Plan B – take a 20-minute walk to the nearby Nature Center. Then I checked the website and it didn’t open that day.
Plan C – walk to the port area and look at the shops. It was a long walk to the port area from the ship, but it was all inside and air conditioned. Yay!
The port area had several kiosks filled with all the usual souvenirs. It also offered free wifi. I bought a Christmas ornament and a t-shirt.
Maybe if we ever go back, I will get to take the excursion I wanted. In the meantime, we enjoyed the pool that day. I got some nice photos of the interesting Panama City skyline as we were sailing away.
So you can do all the sea day activities today that you want. However, the focus is on the traversing of the Panama Canal. On one of the early sea days, the Travel Director (a different position from the Cruise Director) did a long presentation about the Panama Canal history in the World Stage. I had heard it before, so I didn’t attend this time, but it is very well done. Today, she kept up a running commentary about our location and some of the history. I was glad I was able to hear it from the balcony.
I got up early so I could be sure to see us passing under the Atlantic Bridge and to have a cup of coffee and a couple of cream-filled Panama rolls on the Sea View deck.
I spent the rest of the day going around the different parts of the ship to get different views of the canal. I also went to the Panama Marketplace on the Lido deck. I was disappointed at the paltry selection of true Panama items. Most of what I saw could be found in the ship’s gift shops.
It was so very hot – Dante’s levels of hell hot. The staff constantly walked around the bow, Lido pool area, the Sea View deck, and the promenade giving out glasses of ice water, frozen grapes, and cool wash cloths. The Travel Director kept reminding everyone to stay hydrated and come into the air conditioning periodically.
We stayed pretty much on schedule until it came to exiting the Cocoli locks to the Pacific Ocean. Every ship waiting to enter and exit the Canal, on both sides, is at the mercy of the Canal officials. When they say you can go, you go. We did not pass under the Bridge of Americas until it was almost dark.
We arrived in port around 10:00 p.m. We were free to start exploring Panama City then and a number of people chose to go ashore immediately (we did not). All aboard would not be until 4:30 p.m. tomorrow.
One of the many cargo ships waiting their turnTour boat racing past us
On our 22-day cruise in April, we had 10 ports of call. Cartagena, San Diego, and San Francisco were the only ports that we had visited before; however, we have been to Guatemala and Costa Rica before but at different ports.
Some people call the Panama Canal day a port of call because there are excursions that you can take during that day and meet up with the ship at the end of the day. But, I think the Panama Canal day is a unique blend of a sea day and a port day.
After two days at sea we arrived at our first port of call –
Cartagena, Colombia – Today was a short port day. We docked just before 7:00 a.m. and everyone had to be back on board by 12:30 p.m. Most of the tours were leaving between 7:00 and 7:30. We decided to do the same thing we had when we were there the last time. We ate a leisurely breakfast and then took the local shuttle to the port area. They have a nice area to view birds and some animals. I also wanted to replace the Christmas ornament that I bought the last time and promptly dropped and broke when I got home. š
We remembered what a shady, cool area it was to walk the paths looking at the birds. Not today. It was still shady, but the heat and humidity slapped us in the face like a hot wet washcloth. I had brought my canon camera to take photos, but it wasn’t long before it fogged up so much the photos were blurry. We soon gave it up and went to the gift shop. It was crowded but at least it was cool inside. I bought my ornament and we took the next shuttle back to the ship.
Below are photos I was able to take before the camera fogged up.
Later on that day, we heard people talking about how unbearably hot and humid it was in Old Town. One woman said her companion tripped and fell on the cobblestones and was being looked at by the ship’s doctor. Another person said they were over-charged by their taxi driver.
Then as it was getting closer to sail-away, the Cruise Director kept calling for 2 guests to check-in with Guest Services. That is never good. Either they hadn’t gotten back or somehow when they got on the ship, the ship personnel failed to read their ship cards. The ship did not leave exactly at 1:00 which is unusual. Rumors were swirling that they never made it back to the ship. Scary.
I took a photo of the Cartagena skyline as we were sailing away. They call it “new town.”
