Today was the best day yet! It was, as we’d expected, hot and mostly sunny, but not steamy-humid, and we had occasional large clouds to give us some reprieve. We took a laid back approach to the transit, and that worked out tremendously well.
We fell asleep last night with the bridge cam channel on TV, so as we approached the canal and Dr. Engman started narrating from the bridge, it woke us up and we could listen along. About the time we were entering the first of the first Agua Clara lock chambers, we left the cabin to go to the Sanctuary Restaurant.
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| Walking across Deck 9, the view from the Piazza as we entered the first lock chamber |
We didn’t know that the Sanctuary Restaurant was run a little differently today. Instead of opening for breakfast and then again for lunch, it was open from 8am to 12:30pm for brunch. This featured a combination of menu offerings and a wonderful buffet (and, we were told, anything else we might want could be made to order). Wow!
I know, you didn’t come here for food pics, but, truly, this was a feast. We had fruit and coffee, and left to watch our progress through the Agua Clara lock chambers from different viewing points around the ship.
We started out behind the Sanctuary Restaurant where there were lots of people but not so many that we couldn’t stand against the railings. In fact, we found that to be the case around the entire ship today. We’ve done the canal transit in ships where people were lined up three deep to watch, and that was definitely not the case today.
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| The Star Princess in the Agua Clara lock |
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| Being held in place in the second Agua Clara lock chamber with the Atlantic Bridge across Cthe canal the background |
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| We’re not certain if this drone was from the ship or the canal authorities but we all waved |
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| Looking up at the large balconies on the aft suites |
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| Agua Clara control tower |
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| The floating gate begins to close off the final lock chamber |
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| The lock gate is almost closed |
About this time we went our separate ways, and I went up the Deck 19 for the first time this cruise, finding the pickleball, basketball and shuffleboard courts, the judging/walking track and even what I believe is a splash pad (or maybe just a fountain. I’m not sure). That area also looks over the Sanctuary. There’s a lot of space up there, with ample seating, but it was supposed to house the amusement park-type features intended for this class of ship until that concept was abandoned. It’s a very uncrowded area, even on Panama Canal day. I walked a mile while I was up there but the sun and heat finally forced me to move on. No worries; I’ve been getting in over four miles a day of steps just walking around this ship.
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| Going from the Deck 19 midship elevator lobby to the outside deck |
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| Water feature or splash pad? I’m not certain |
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| Looking down at the Sanctuary |
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| Another Sanctuary view |
G and I connected again in The Dome where we found two loungers together at 10:30am on Panama Canal day. Amazing! When this ship layout was first announced, I couldn’t help but think that The Dome was going to be beastly hot on sunny days in tropical climates. It is heavily air conditioned but it is still warm, just not oppressively so. We stayed until about 11:30am and then returned to the Sanctuary Restaurant to have the second half of our brunch. I enjoyed those jumbo shrimp (the waiter told us they’re from The Catch restaurant).
Our phone batteries were exhausted by then, so we returned to the cabin to recharge as we cruised through Gatun Lake. Dr. Engman had stopped narrating for a while, but we kept our TV on the bridge cam channel to be able to catch him when he started again. It never rained today, so this was most impressive weather we’ve ever had for a Panama Canal transit.
97° Real Feel in the shade isn’t bad |
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| The Centennial Bridge from the bridge cam |
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Tug on our port side as we approached the Cocoli lock
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Our phones charged, we went outside again, aft on Deck 9 to the Dining Promenade area. There we found plenty of available comfy seating in the shade, and we stayed there until we had almost reached the Bridge of the Americas.
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| Freighter on the Pedro Miguel (old) lock |
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| Ship’s photographer on land taking photos of us on the ship |
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| Panama City has changed enormously since we first saw it 24 years ago |
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| The Cocoli Lock webcam is so close to the lock that the entire ship couldn’t fit in one shot |
We went to dinner in the Sanctuary Restaurant later tonight, planning to go to the 9pm performance in the Princess Arena. We’ve decided that we will hear the later show one way or another, and we may as well have a leisurely dinner and attend in person.
None of the desserts appealed tonight, so I swung by the International Cafe for the first time to see what they were offering. Lots, and it all looked delicious. It’s on the same deck as our cabin. That’s a little dangerous, and I may stop back after the show (but shouldn’t).
Tonight’s Princess Arena performances were Uptiwn, back with a different show. I’m going to publish this post while we’re waiting so I can crash right afterwards tonight. Today’s sun has left me reddish and worn out, and we will be arriving in Fuerte Amador (for Panama City) in just a few minutes, so we’ll be able to get off tree ship early tomorrow morning. If we want to, that is. 😉
Oh, I almost forgot to add…I mentioned the confusion about whether or not the Star Princess today became the largest cruise ship to ever transit the Panama Canal. The Disney Adventure has more capacity, and it transited in February. But the Star Princess is physically larger, 10 feet longer and 4 feet wider. So it does win the prize!
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| Both sides of a Panama Canal brochure that was distributed to the cabins |
