We flew from Charlotte, NC to San Diego and stayed in a hotel right across the street with a perfect view of the port and arriving cruise ships. We got up at 6:00 a.m. and watched our ship, the Zaandam, arrive. We just walked across the street and got in line for the boarding process.
The cruise was 15 days, so we had many opportunities to enjoy the ocean views as well as many activities onboard. The food, as you might expect, was wonderful and plentiful. Deck 3 was a popular one, there were lounge chairs so you could enjoy the view, or walk all the way around the ship.
The cruise was 15 days, so we had many opportunities to enjoy the ocean views as well as many activities onboard. The food, as you might expect, was wonderful and plentiful. Deck 3 was a popular one, there were lounge chairs so you could enjoy the view, or walk all the way around the ship.
Our first excursion off the ship included a drive through Puerto Vallarta's downtown area to see its highlight. A Guide led us through "Our Lady of Guadalupe Cathedral" and other landmarks in the downtown area. A guided tour of the tequila factory explained the tequila-making process -- and included samples of the drink and a fiesta with food and entertainment.
We canceled one excursion in Costa Rica and decided to do a "cooler" option at Puerto Quetzal. We were glad we did, we took a trip into the mountains with some breathtaking scenery, including an active volcano! We were told not to worry, they have not had an eruption for 10 years. That last one took out several cities and killed thousands. Since then, they've ONLY had a few hundred tremors. It was so nice to ride through the streets of ancient towns and cities and see how people live and flourish in this unusual climate.
We spent much of the morning in this port watching the tourists from our ships and others board buses for excursions. Holland America provided a very nice shuttle that picked us up at the ship and gave us a sheltered ride on the very, very long pier. There were lots of shops and places to eat right there, so we enjoyed a day of relaxing and enjoying the beauty of Mexico. Every place we stop is beautiful in its own way. The people are very welcoming and seem genuinely please that we are there -- and spending money of course!
Dave's Big Surprise
While relaxing and enjoying cruising the Pacific Ocean, as we neared Cartagena, Columbia -- Dave looked up from his lounge chair on deck three, saw something, thought he might be dreaming so he took a quick picture. Yes, indeed, it was a SUBMARINE!! It popped up right next to our ship, then disappeared again in the water. Never a dull moment!
We entered the canal at 6:00 a.m. at Balboa. I was surprised to learn how long the canal is. I've always thought it was a series of locks, but it's so much more than that. We did discover a series of webcams where you can watch ships go through the canal. We went through the "old" locks because the Zaadam is small compared to other newer cruise ships. There are new locks built to accommodate larger vessels, and one huge cargo ship was right beside us most of the way. The whole experience was just amazing and inspiring.
Imagine that the Zaandam was on an "ocean elevator." It slowly enters the first lock, and then the gates close behind it. The ship is then raised or lowered by water being added to the elevator. From your cabin, you can watch as the ship lowers to a new level needed for the next part of the canal. That might be into another lock to get to another level -- or it might be part of a river or lake as you continue through the canal. I took a video of our ship being lowered and then raised up. It's interesting!
Before we entered the canal, the ship offered several informative videos and other information about the canal. As a teacher, I was appalled at my lack of knowledge about such a wonder. I didn't even realize that we sold the canal to Panama for $1.00! The history of the planning, the loss of life, and learning of the obstacles they had to overcome really added so much to the whole experience. I was overwhelmed with the experience of going through the canal. I promised myself that I would never again take such an historic and life-changing event for granted.
It took the Zaandam from 6:00 a.m. until 6:00 p.m. to travel through the Panama Canal. I enjoyed every inch of it. You can still see the old railroad tracks that were built for temporary transport of the millions of tons of dirt that had to be shoveled out and removed. The picture above is actually our cruise ship going through the locks. I did a screenshot from the webcam mentioned above. I sent this link to family so they could watch us go through the locks in real time.
Thousands of workers do their jobs quickly and efficently and keeps hundreds of ships moving through the canal right on time and with no accidents. It is absolutely one of the most humbling and interesting experiences I have ever had. My mom always says, "there's a whole world out there just waiting for you to explore it!" She is so right. If you ever have the opportunity to go through the canal -- do it.
Needless to say we all took hundreds of pictures as we traveled through the canal. I will try to only post the best one, but every mile was different, each lock a different experience.
Gary was lucky enough to get a great spot on the bow of the ship which the Zaandam opened up for the day for photographers and those who could stand for a long time in the hot sun! There were two cameras available on the TVs in our cabins. Above is a picture of Gary out on the bow taking pictures for us. I took a picture of the tv screen in our cabin, so not much quality I'm afraid. But, I will post some of the pictures he was able to get from that spot.
We exited the canal at 6:00 p.m.
We had watched the sunrise from the Pacific Ocean then we watched the sunset from the Atlantic Ocean.
Miracles -- all day long!
We couldn't imagine how any experience could rival that of traveling through the Panama Canal, but then we arrived at Cartagena. It was completely unexpected! As daylight began to break, we could see the skyline of a huge, modern city full of skyscrapers that seemed to be resting on the beautiful white sandy beaches. It was such a stark contrast to the "old country" ports we had visited on the first part of our journey. Everywhere you looked, something was going on. Huge cargo ships unloading, a busy port with five other huge cruise ships, and people everywhere in a hurry to get somewhere. We regretted our visit here was so short, but we made the best of it. Gary even made a new friend...a tropical bird. There will be a video of him trying to say goodbye to that bird!
Half Moon Cay in the Bahamas is a private island owned by Holland America. This island is the highest-rated Bahamas private island. (There's more than one?) We decided that our brief stop here (just a few hours) was Holland's last chance to separate us from any remaining funds we might have. Ha! It was beautiful, but since none of us are "beach-goers," the beautiful white sandy beaches and the crystal clear blue water were wasted on us. Cabanas there rented for $1000 an hour for 2+ people -- so we just enjoyed watching the tender take over a few guests at a time. It was a great time to pack and get ready to head home. All in all, a wonderful trip, but no matter the adventure -- there's just no place like home.
Happy Birthday, Andrea!
Very grateful for all that I have
Williams Family Vacation 2024
Dena C Williams Creative Productions