Panama Canal 2023

We enjoyed our last dinner and celebrated the night of Baked Alaska. We leave tomorrow morning. Everyone misses home and their family, but it has been a fun 15 days.  

Okay so I did not dance the night away, but the Noeker’s did enjoy the live music and found it great for dancing.   

The Princess Emerald kitchen staff and dining staff presented a show making 3 recipes and talking about how things are managed to feed the 2,600 people aboard. Then they took us through the kitchen to get an idea of how much space is required.  

 We had planned to visit Cartagena Columbia today, but the  wind interfered with our plans.  The weather conditions did allow for entry into the port. It was a disappointment, but understood. We already missed seeing Nicaragua earlier in the cruise due to possible political disturbance. I think they said the winds were up to 50mph. I’ve included a few pictures of the water movement.

  Many containers ready to be taken. The seaside town if Colon had very beachy colors.

 There are three locks  on each end of the Panama Canal with holding areas to increase and decrease water. The new gates close straight across whereas the old canal gates swung like doors. A tugboat keeps the back of the ship in line. Before entering the canal, a crew enters the ship and takes over control of the ship throughout the canal. They leave the ship after it has passed through the canal. The process took about 8- 9 hours. We are just pulling into a lock here. This is the back of the ship as we watch the gate closing. The gate is almost closed. Now the gate is closed. Now I am at the front of the ship waiting for the gate to open. We are passing through where the gate opened.  Notice how the gates are hollow.