Day 8 - Puntarenas, Costa Rica (Panama Canal Cruise)

Today we're at Puntarenas, the Pacific port for Costa Rica. There are many shore excursions offered here--you can see volcanos, hot springs, a coffee plantation. You can experience a tram or zip line through the rain forest canopy. We've elected to stay cool onboard the ship.

Puntarenas is strictly the port or gateway for the interior of Costa Rica. Our port guide states the town features a college, pool hall, a few rustic bars, and a collection of businesses primarily for the locals. It also states the walk along the waterfront is pleasant but to expect a variety of "vendors" (guess they mean hagglers) selling local crafts. Clearly, you have a get away from the port to see the region's unspoiled beauty.

One thing about staying onboard ship on port days is you have the ship to yourself. We walked up to the Lido and Sun decks and saw less than 10 people! As you saw in yesterday's pictures, on sea days every deck chair is occupied.

Another is you get to experience the ship's emergency drill. Today there was a simulated fire. We were asked to stay off the Promenade Deck and other areas where the crew was going through their drills. Life boats were set in position for boarding. Now we have a better idea of how we'd actually get on a life boat.

Tomorrow is another sea day. I've always said the best part of cruising for me is the ship . . . we're certainly enjoying the Coral Princess.

Day 7 - At Sea (Panama Canal Cruise)

Today we're at sea on the Pacific Ocean traveling toward Puntarenas, Costa Rica. Days at sea are perfect for relaxing.

It was interesting to wake up this morning and learn the tsunami from the Chile earthquake had passed under our ship. The seas have been calm all day, perfect for cruising.

Tonight was our second formal night. We attended the Captains Circle cocktail party. Dinner on formal night is always special. I had lobster and John had halibut--really good.

Day 6 - Puerto Amador (Panama Canal Cruise)

After passing through the Canal we anchored off the coast of Puerto Amador, the port for Panama City. It's hot and humid (kinda like south Louisiana in August!) so we stayed aboard ship today and relaxed.

This is a view of Panama City from our stateroom balcony.

Now the question of the day . . . is this building under construction or demolition?????

Day 5 - Panama Canal (Panama Canal Cruise)

Those of you who know me know getting up early is not my idea of fun. Yesterday was an exception. At 5 am Thursday we began our crossing of the Panama Canal. And we were up, watching from our balcony, as we crossed the break water from the Caribbean into the Canal.

At the Gatun Locks we lined up with container ships, auto carriers, and other large ships for our turn in the locks.

In this picture you can see the container ship NYK Diana moving into the third stage of the port side lock. The containers above deck on the Diana are stacked 13 containers wide and 5 containers high. We made our way through the three stages to be lifted 26.52 meters into Gatun Lake.

Our ship, the Coral Princess, cruised about 23 miles through the man-made Gatun Lake staying in a narrow ship channel and then entered the narrow part of the canal, the Guillard (or Culebra) Cut. This 8.4 mile section of the canal was excavated through the rock and rock-hard clay of the Continental Divide.

Here you see the new Centennial Bridge, a part of the Pan American Highway, that spans the Canal in the Guillard Cut.

A the south end of the the Cut we entered the Pedro Miguel Locks to be lowered just under 29 feet to enter Miraflores Lake. At the end of the Lake we entered the Miraflores Locks where we were lowered through two stages to sea level and the Pacific Ocean.

As we passed the Visitors Center at the second stage of the Miraflores locks there were hundreds of people waving, cheering, and taking pictures. Traveling through the Panama Canal is a memorable experience.

John says I have to tell you this was taken about 7:30 am at our Champagne Balcony Breakfast as I've having my third flute of champagne. It was a beautiful day.

Day 4 - Cartagena

Cartagena. A city of 1.2 million Columbians. And a beautiful city it is!

We left the Coral Princess around 10 am for the tour Cartagena By Land and Sea.

The sea part of the tour was a 1.5 hour harbor cruise. We made our way along the coast of Cartagena from the new residential condos to the walls of the old city. Also made a close pass to the patron saint of tour guides and taxi drivers (think her name is St. Carmen) standing in the harbor.

After leaving the boat we made a short stop for shopping and refreshments. Then on to the San Felipe Fortress . We followed our tour guide up, up, up almost to the top of the Fortress.

Tonight we're cruising glassy seas on our way to Panama. Early in the morning we'll begin passage through the Panama Canal.

Day 3 - Aruba

Lazy days at sea and beyond . . .

Arrived in Aruba early this morning. Since shopping seems to be the biggest activity, decided to stay on board ship and observe from our balcony.

To Cartagena tomorrow . . .

For now, off to dinner.

Day 2 - Caribbean

Another day at sea on the beautiful blue Caribbean.

And what do you do on a day at sea? Lots to choose from but mostly we eat. There always something available no matter the time!

Went to a wine tasting this afternoon. Very entertaining. Will go listen to disco music tonight.

We're about 200 miles from Aruba. Will dock there at 7 am Tuesday. More to come . . .

At Sea North Side of Cuba

Quiet day at sea as we're cruising along the north coast of Cuba. Temperatures in the mid-70s and mostly cloudy. Looks like we might see some showers.

After continental breakfast in our stateroom we got out and explored the ship.

Here are a couple of pictures as we were leaving Fort Lauderdale yesterday afternoon.

The picture above is the Royal Caribbean ship the Oasis, the largest ship in the world. Made our Coral Princess look small! The picture below is from the ship channel as we were leaving. The Crown Princess is in the background.

Very slow internet service will probably limit the number of pictures I upload.

We're At Sea

Well, we're off and cruising south. And good news--our lost luggage appeared as the ship was casting off. So I don't have to wear shorts for 15 days . . .

Oh, the Joys of Flying

Hit a snag the first night of our trip. One of our suitcases is somewhere other than Fort Lauderdale. Surely hope it shows up early tomorrow. If not, I'll be wearing shorts to formal night!

Bags fly free on Southwest. Guess mine just wanted to keep flying.

Bon Voyage - Off On the Coral Princess

At the airport bound for Fort Lauderdale. Tomorrow we'll board the Coral Princess for a 15 night cruise through the Panama Canal. Hope to blog along the way . . .

Guess we'll find out how well the ship-board satellite internet service works! Stay tuned.

Disney Extends Gift Card Offer

Walt Disney World has extended the FREE GIFT CARD offer to include most nights through August 14, 2010! See details below.

This special must be booked by March 27, 2010.

Contact me today to book a sensational Walt Disney World vacation at an unbelievable price!

This Magic Your Way Package Includes:

- Accommodations for 5 incredible nights right in the middle of the magic.

- A 6-night Magic Your Way Base Ticket with admission to one of the four Walt Disney World Theme Parks for each day of your package stay.

- FREE $300 Disney Gift Card when you stay at a select Disney Value Resort, OR

- FREE $500 Disney Gift Card when you stay at a select Disney Moderate Resort, OR

- FREE $750 Disney Gift Card when you stay at a select Disney Deluxe Resort or a select Disney Deluxe Villa Resort.

- And More!

Valid for stays most nights now through 3/27, and 4/11 - 8/14/2010. The number of rooms allocated for this offer is limited. Tickets must be used within 14 days of first use. No group rates or other discounts apply. Advance reservations required. Excludes suites and campsites.

The Disney Gift Card gives you the gift of magic. Use it at participating locations throughout the Walt Disney World Resort. Shops and parks and good things to eat . . . this gift card offer is pretty sweet!

Contact me for more details.

See the Best of Alaska with a Cruisetour

There's much to see by land and sea in Alaska and there's only one way to ensure you don't miss a thing! The way to see the very best of Alaska is on a Princess cruisetour.

So what is a cruisetour?

A cruisetour combines a 7-day Voyage of the Glaciers cruise with a 3-8 night land tour. Princess offers a variety of land tour itineraries with stops in places such as Denali, Copper River and Wrangell-St. Elias, the Kenai Peninsula, Anchorage, Fairbanks, and even Prudhoe Bay!

With a Princess cruisetour you can see magnificent glaciers, soaring mountains, and abundant wildlife.

And all land tours include at least 2 nights at Princess Wilderness Lodges.

A highlight on many Princess cruisetours is a ride on the exclusive Princess Rail service.

And what a ride! Fr0m your glass-domed rail car, you travel the Alaska Railroad on a picturesque journey into the Alaskan heartland. The scenery is breathtaking!

With Princess "Direct to the Wilderness" same day rail service you move from your ship to a Denali lodge quickly and efficiently leaving more time to enjoy the Alaskan wilderness.

Built specifically for cruisetours, Princess owns and operates exclusive lodges in some of the most scenic places in Alaska. There are two lodges at Denali--the Denali Princess Wilderness Lodge and the Mt. McKinley Princess Wilderness Lodge. There are also lodges at Copper River/Wrangell-St. Elias and on the Kenai Peninsula. All provide you with the high level of Princess service.

The lodges offer Princess Signature Alaskan Cuisine served at indoor and outdoor venues, ranging from casual to upscale. Imagine sitting at a table with a majestic view enjoying fresh Alaska salmon.

Experts are on hand at the lodges to help you plan activities--what to see, where to go, what to do. And there is plenty to do--trails for hiking, lakes for kayaking, rivers for fishing or rafting, there's even helicopters for flightseeing. Or you can sit on the deck enjoying the view and a hot beverage. The choice is yours.

Maybe you want to see wildlife . . .

I'll let these pictures do the talking. These are just a couple of the pictures taken by Pat on her Princess cruisetour in 2009. Tours offer you the opportunity to get close to nature and see what Alaska has to offer. And don't forget your binoculars. They're a must for a trip to Alaska!

Every cruisetour features Alaska's top two attractions, beautiful Glacier Bay National Park and the spectacular Denali National Park.

There so much to see in Alaska and it's all around you. On a cruisetour you immerse yourself in the best of Alaska by ship, rail, and lodge.

Contact me today to plan your dream vacation to Alaska.

Inside Passage Shore Excursions

Pulling into port is always exciting. What new places will we see today?

Shore excursions in Alaska offer many choices. You can see native villages, sled dogs, lumberjack shows. You can take a steam train to White Pass for the Yukon experience. You can go sightseeing from a seaplane and helicopter. The outdoors folks can go fly fishing, salmon fishing, and sport fishing. If you want a bit more action, there's Jeep, ATV, and Hummer tours; there's bike tours, ziplines, canoes, and kayaks. And if you want something truly different, there's always breakfast at a bordello or a visit to Liarsville. There's something for everyone in Alaska.

In this picture we're cruising into port at Ketchikan. Our ship, the Star Princess, shared space with other cruise ships at most of the ports we visited.

All is quiet in the early morning streets as we prepare to dock in front of Norwegian Cruise Line's Norwegian Sun.

And in no time at all you're off the ship and exploring. Ketchikan is known as Alaska's 1st city because it's the first place you visit cruising the Inside Passage. We walked along the main streets and explored the shops and business along the way. Our biggest surprise--a Harley-Davidson shop! Not everyone has a Ketchikan Harley-Davidson shirt.

Our shore excursion in Ketchikan was a boat trip along an inlet to get a glimpse of the Alaska wilderness and a chance to learn about crab fishing. As our guide pulled up a crab pot, imagine our surprise as the pot revealed an unusual (at least to us!) starfish. When we arrived back at the boat dock, we were ushered inside for a crab feast. All-you-can-eat crab. This Louisiana girl was in heaven!

Cruising out of port is almost as exciting as cruising in. There's always something to celebrate on a Princess Cruise and getting under way is a good reason for a party. Everyone gathers on deck, the ship's whistle blows, and we wave good-bye to the folks on the dock.

After a while, civilization recedes and you're standing in the quiet watching the wilds of Alaska pass by.

Shore excursions are about personal choice; it's all about what you want to see or do.

For our shore excursion in Skagway I did something I've always wanted to do . . . blow glass! Nestled in Skagway's Jewell Gardens is the Garden City Glassworks' Hot Shop. There, tour participants work with glass artists to fashion their very own glass bulb. You decide the colors, the extras, yes or no to gold leaf. Then you blow into a tube to "inflate" the molten glass as the glass artist rotates and fashions the bulb. After your piece is just right, it's moved into the drying oven. Once cooled and cured, your finished work of art is mailed to you in the lower 48.

The town of Skagway is a short walk from the cruise ship dock. (There are shuttles if you don't want or can't walk into town.) This picture is a small city park along the way.

And just to prove you're never far from Starbucks, here's a picture from downtown Skagway, AK! Many thanks to John for posing under the sign. ;-)

Every tour and activity offered by Princess is researched by Princess staff and conducted by knowledgeable local guides. So no matter which excursion you choose, you'll see and experience the real Alaska.

Escape completely on a Princess cruise. Call today to book your Alaska adventure. Deposits are only $100 per person during our cruise week sale happening right now!