FORT LAUDERDALE THRU PANAMA CANAL

Posted Tuesday, January 22, 2008

In Fort Lauderdale we had just enough time to solve all of our internet problems and shop for things which, unbelievably, our many bags did not contain! We hung out at Starbucks connected to WiFi for four hours which took longer than expected as we were still trying to learn how to use the blog plus Microsoft Outlook which we determined is impossible with AOL. We did manage to pick up some essential supplies like olives for martinis and things to help us organize our living space (9.5 X 21 feet)—like suction-cup hooks for the closets and shelves & hooks for the bathroom shower, and plastic storage bins to tuck under the bed and in our one-tiny-drawer night stands. The cabins were obviously designed for one-or-two-week cruises, not for spending almost a third of a year onboard! The captain’s biggest problem so far has been dissatisfied passengers with no storage drawers in their cabins—at a cocktail party the other night, he read a humorous poem written by a passenger about the lack of drawers. When we got back onboard in Ft. Lauderdale, our cabin steward had placed a three-drawer plastic storage unit in our cabin which helps a lot.

We have sailed many times through the port channel at Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale, but never to the sail-away fanfare we received as we left on Wednesday evening. We had fire boats spewing blue water as they escorted us out to sea. Hundreds of people living in the high-rise condos on the waterway were having balcony parties with horns, whistles, and clanging pots and pans to wish us a bon voyage. The Queen Victoria is already a famous ship and everyone comes out to see her. It’s really exciting to be on such a ship—and such a completely opposite experience from our first world cruise aboard the small and very unassuming Aegean I which held only 500 passengers. We remember that in Cozumel where the Aegean I was docked next to the Grand Princess mega-ship, our little ship looked like the Princess’ tendering boat, and people sadly shook their heads in disbelief when we informed them that we were on our way around the world!

After two days of smooth sailing in warm waters, we arrived in Aruba with its sugary white sand beaches and azure blue water. We did some shopping, then hopped the local bus L10 to the beach and enjoyed a beautiful afternoon at Eagle Beach where the water temperature was cool but pleasant. Marilyn couldn’t resist collecting a few more pounds of sand for her “Sands of the World” collection.

After one more day at sea, we began our transit through the Panama Canal at 7:00 AM on Monday, January 21, and did not reach the calm waters of the Pacific until dinnertime with a full moon rising over Panama. The canal is truly is a man-made wonder of achievement which has served the world well for almost a hundred years. They are now in the process of building a third, wider canal lane which will accommodate the largest ships afloat. The Queen Victoria’s size is what is called “Panamax” meaning that it is the largest size both length and width which can pass through the canal (passengers could actually touch the sides of the canal). We even saw a crocodile swimming beside our ship at one point.

We originally requested the late seating for dinner—8:30 to 10:30, show at 10:45, to bed after midnight. After a few nights of this, we were all dragging and decided to switch to the early seating at 6:00. We have found the food to be very excellent and will require a lot of discipline to prevent ”rolling all the way home!” The ship has different entertainment each night. The Royal Court Theatre has plush red seats with not a bad view in the house. Fortunately it is large enough that we can always find a seat, even when we are late leaving our early dinner seating. The productions have ranged from a song and dance routine of West Side Story to individual singers, to a comedian (excellent) who holds the record for the longest continuous joke telling without repeats (109 hours), to an entertaining ventriloquist, to a marionette show (Don missed this one).

Tomorrow is zip-lining in Costa Rica!