At 9:30am we went to the Cabaret Lounge for the first port lecture of the cruise by destination expert Bill Fall, and he was excellent. He had been born and raised in the Canal Zone and today spoke about the history of the Panama Canal, which we've always found fascinating, especially that most of the labor was done not by Americans and Panamanians as we'd always assumed but by workers from the Caribbean islands and British West Indies. The first time we'd become aware of that was years ago when touring the Mount Gay Rum factory in Bridgetown, Barbados where there is a monument to those canal builders from Barbados. Anyway (no 's'), Bill is going to give a couple more lectures on the Canal including one explaining how it operates, and also on the other ports we'll be visiting. I had forgotten until today that, at one point in a prior life, I had given lectures at a nearby retirement home on the history of the Panama Canal. Yep, I'm that interested in it.
We stayed in the Cabaret Lounge for the next activity, a viewing of a Princess documentary on the Panama Canal and one of the ship's photographers explained that there will be a poster making session in the Atrium tomorrow and we'll be able to hold up posters from the open decks and he will be on shore at the side of the canal to take photos. If you're interested, I know there is a Panama Canal webcam and you may be able to watch the Pacific Princess transiting the Gatun Locks. And, of course, the ship's webcam should be interesting to watch that day. I'll try to get the Panama Canal link and post it here the night before.
We had one more activity before lunch, the BIG!!!!!! $500 Treasure Hunt Drawing*!!! (*must be present to win) also held in the Cabaret Lounge (so we spent most of our morning in there. Thank God the seas were kind today!). Today I was a BIG!!!!!! winner and won back the chocolate covered strawberries we used to get every formal night. I guess good things do come to those who wait. ;-)
Finally we left the Cabaret Lounge and went to lunch in the Club Restaurant where Chicken Korma was on the menu (the day just kept getting better and better) served by one of our favorite waiters, Santeesh from India. I had blueberry frozen yogurt for dessert (because I really, really wanted it) and made tracks to a 1pm lecture in the Cabaret Lounge. The enrichment lecturers on board this cruise are Caroline and Christian Haim speaking on the history of classical music. At this point I really felt I'd hit the motherlode today. This afternoon's lecture was on three periods of classical music represented first by Bach, then Beethoven and finally Liszt. Christian played a piece of music from each period, including Bach's Prelude #1 and Beethoven's Pathetique Sonata, two of my favorites to play on the piano.
Panama Canal history, classical music...hey, I have never kept hidden that I am a geek at heart! I've always been, but feeling free to admit it is the beauty of reaching a certain age. ;-)
We met up in the cabin where we had received a message about an ocean view cabin located about 14 doors more midship being available. We were fairly close to the bow of the ship in the cabin we had moved into yesterday and were happy with it but asked to be notified if something midship opened up. We then spent the rest of the afternoon moving again. I believe this is the same cabin we had last year in French Polynesia, and it is the same cabin steward, Douglas, we had then and for the last two cruises. I'm sure I'll be more comfortable when we eventually hit some rougher seas, which we no doubt will sometime over the next two weeks.
We finished just in time to get to dinner (cioppino and key lime pie!) and then attended the 7:30pm performance of comedian Troy Thirdgill. Funny, funny guy. The only bad thing in an otherwise perfect day is that we move clocks ahead an hour tonight, and are again one hour ahead of EST. Lying in bed as I type this, I could believe that we are staying in a hotel on land, the sea is so smooth tonight. It was a good day all around!
I keep meaning to mention this and haven't yet...people sometimes ask on Cruise Critic if bicycles can be brought on board. Last cruise, a couple from Alaska brought foldable military-grade bikes (like those used by paratroopers) on board and kept them in their cabin. They had checked with Princess ahead of time and were told it was acceptable. They checked them as luggage on the plane stored in inflatable kayak bags, and simply lifted them onto tender boats in tender ports. They chained them up to trees at beaches and we helped them keep an eye on them when they went into the water.
And, finally, I have a couple observations of this first segment of the World Cruise. It does have a special feel, even for those of us not staying on for all five segments. The menus and Patters have a 2017 World Cruise logo at the top, there are dance and bridge instructors on board and the World Cruise passengers have white pins and special lanyards to wear. Still, about 20% of the passengers are only staying on for this first cruise, so we are not alone and have not felt excluded from any of the activities.
I'm so glad we stayed on for one more cruise!