My review of the Jewel's 16-night WB Panama Canal cruise, Jan. 20-Feb. 5, 2017

[gratitude12]

Thanks so much Turtles for the wonderful pictures and abundant information. The Canal cruise is very special.

[mearsfansinboise]

Thanks for your review.

We'll be on the Jewel in room 10000 next week --- our dream suite as well! :D

[Turtles06]

Thanks for your review.

We'll be on the Jewel in room 10000 next week --- our dream suite as well! :D

 

I'm sure you will love it!!! (And I hope Jane, our super awesome butler, is yours as well. I think Virginia, the concierge, may be off the Jewel now, but if not, she was also terrific.)

 

Have a wonderful cruise!

[kdzkatz]

I'm sure you will love it!!! (And I hope Jane, our super awesome butler, is yours as well. I think Virginia, the concierge, may be off the Jewel now, but if not, she was also terrific.)

 

Have a wonderful cruise!

 

We were in room 10000 for a nine day Alaska cruise in 2015 (wonderful room, love the bump out! and 3 windows with a ledge to set camera and binoculars on). In 2014 Virginia was our concierge (she was great).

 

May I ask what gear you used for you great photos? We are very much looking forward to our 21 day Panama Canal NOLA to Seattle in just over a year.

 

On your advice and several others I bought a copy of The Path Between the Seas. I got a hardcover copy off of ebay for $4.31 and free shipping. I am about 10% of the way through the book so far.

 

We are going to be in Cabo April 24th 2018 (our last non-US port of our cruise) and hoping there may still be some whale activity down there. I have yet to get a nice shot of a whale breach in 8 cruises to Alaska.

Edited March 14, 2017 by kdzkatz

[Turtles06]

We were in room 10000 for a nine day Alaska cruise in 2015 (wonderful room, love the bump out! and 3 windows with a ledge to set camera and binoculars on). In 2014 Virginia was our concierge (she was great).

 

May I ask what gear you used for you great photos? We are very much looking forward to our 21 day Panama Canal NOLA to Seattle in just over a year.

 

On your advice and several others I bought a copy of The Path Between the Seas. I got a hardcover copy off of ebay for $4.31 and free shipping. I am about 10% of the way through the book so far.

 

We are going to be in Cabo April 24th 2018 (our last non-US port of our cruise) and hoping there may still be some whale activity down there. I have yet to get a nice shot of a whale breach in 8 cruises to Alaska.

 

I'll bet 10000 was incredible for Alaska! And glad to know you share our views about Virginia!

 

Thanks for the kind words re my photos. I shot most of them (including all the whale and Canal photos and all the wildlife photos in Costa Rica) with a Sony a6000. This is a wonderful mirrorless camera (newer versions are out since I bought mine). I used to be a Nikon DSLR shooter, but my knees just can't handle the weight of that gear any longer. I love the Sony. It feels very "right" to me in my hands, and has a viewfinder (besides a screen), which I insist on.

 

As a backup (and to go even lighter), I brought my Panasonic Lumix FZ200 along on this trip. I used this in Cartagena and Antigua. And, lighter still -- my Nikon AW100, a small little waterproof camera that we took to the beach in Huatulco, leaving the other gear on the ship. (And there are some scattered images I posted from the final backup camera -- my iPhone! :) )

 

I hope you have a very wonderful trip! I think you'll appreciate having read McCullough's book. I'll keep my fingers crossed on those late season whales for you!!

 

Enjoy!

[kdzkatz]

bump

[Traci1960]

Our transit of the Canal took the entire day; it was dark by the time we reached the Bridge of the Americas on the southern end of the Canal. What a spectacular day it had been!

 

We have booked the Panama Canal on the Bliss for May 2018. We have a Mid ship (10th deck) balcony. Do you think we will need to head to one of the open decks to observe (front of ship) or will the balcony be a good observation point? My issue is that I am very short, and imagine there will always be somebody in front of me blocking me view on the open decks....

[Turtles06]

We have booked the Panama Canal on the Bliss for May 2018. We have a Mid ship (10th deck) balcony. Do you think we will need to head to one of the open decks to observe (front of ship) or will the balcony be a good observation point? My issue is that I am very short, and imagine there will always be somebody in front of me blocking me view on the open decks....

 

You've asked an excellent question. I do think you should move around the ship during the transit and get all different perspectives -- forward, aft, side, high, low.

 

I'm short too, so I totally understand your concern about being blocked. The place where that would be the greatest concern is down in the bow area (assuming the Bliss will have something open like that for the transit). The good news is that while that area was quite crowded early in the day, the crowd really thinned out later. (The transit takes the entire day. And it's hot!) Also, if you want, you can always get down to the bow area really early for a "front row" view. (On our cruise, people were showing up down there around 6am.)

 

Obviously, I don't know the deck plan of the Bliss (for example, will there be a forward-facing indoor observation area, like the Jewel's Spinnaker lounge?), but regardless, you will get much more out of your transit if you don't remain on your balcony.

 

I hope you have a very wonderful trip!

[NMLady]

Thanks for your great review and pictures. We are sailing from San Francisco on the Sun in October. We have fewer ports than you did and the only one I'm not thrilled about is Puerto Chiapas.

 

I'd hate to stay on the ship since we have so many sea days. Did you hear from anyone on your sailing who found something interesting and safe to see and do in or around Puerto Chiapas?

 

In Puerta Chiapas we went inside the thatched roof and spent an hour or so watching the dancers and musicians in the center below. There were seats all around the top of the enclosure. Then we browsed in the vendor stalls for inexpensive souvenirs.

[NMLady]

Turtles06, Judith, thank you for such a fantastic reveiw.

Your photos were awesome. We've made two full transits and would love to do another. Your advice for moving about the ship for different vantage points is spot on.

 

Your whale photos in Cabo were awesome. Thank you for sharing. Although we've been twice to Cabo it was neither time the correct season for whales. Guess we'll have to cruise there again. :halo:

[ArkieCruisin]

Thanks so much for the awesome informative review! I hope to do the Panama Canal some day.

[creel5857]

Turtles you have the best information that I have seen yet on several of these ports. Your pictures and description are wonderful but even more you are gracious to answer questions. Thanks so much

[Turtles06]

Turtles you have the best information that I have seen yet on several of these ports. Your pictures and description are wonderful but even more you are gracious to answer questions. Thanks so much

 

Thank you for these very kind words, which I greatly appreciate. I apologize for the delayed reply; when you posted, I was in the hospital having a knee replacement! After years of pain, my right knee decided, during this cruise, to actually give up the ghost. Thank goodness I was still able to enjoy this extraordinary trip.

 

And thanks again to everyone who has read this thread and posted such kind comments.

[eltigre]

I to have enjoyed your thread. Some of our ports are different but you have given us a tremendous amount of info. & great pics.

 

My hubby is on the list for his knee replacement. Can you tell me what you experienced when it actually gave up and your progression with recovery? We have no idea when his turn will come up & are scheduled for a Feb 2019 Panama Cruise.

[Sunnysafari]

Thanks so much for your review. It was very interesting and I learned a lot about places I may never see! Thanks.

[goldie888]

Excellent review of the Panama Canal cruise. Saving for reference.

 

Sent from my SM-T280 using Forums mobile app

[JennieCoconut]

Great review! Did you do a detailed review like this for your Gem trip? If so, can I have the link? Would love a detailed review like this. Sailing Gem in October for my honeymoon!

[sjbdtz]

Spectacular whale photos, I especially love the full breech and the landing.

 

Thanks for taking us on the journey. Even though our itinerary on Bliss in a year is a bit different (and using the new locks), it's still fun to get a sense of the research you did for the trip.

 

 

Stephen

 

 

.

[oddball2]

Turtles: I accidentally came across your magnifcent review of your Panama Canal Crossing while I was researching ports of call on the cruise critic message board. We are getting ready for our own 19-day Panama Canal cruise in about 3-weeks. Your infor on the ports of call are most helpful and further builds our excitement. We have been on several Norwegian cruises in Europe and the Caribbean. Hopefully one day we will run into you on board. Once again thank you and wishing you a speedy and full recovery on your knee replacement.

[Turtles06]

I to have enjoyed your thread. Some of our ports are different but you have given us a tremendous amount of info. & great pics.

 

My hubby is on the list for his knee replacement. Can you tell me what you experienced when it actually gave up and your progression with recovery? We have no idea when his turn will come up & are scheduled for a Feb 2019 Panama Cruise.

 

Thank you, and all the best to your DH re his knee. I don't want to turn this into an OT knee surgery thread, :), but I'd be happy to respond to your questions if you want to email me:

 

turtles06 AT outlook DOT com

 

I hope you have a great cruise!

[Turtles06]

Great review! Did you do a detailed review like this for your Gem trip? If so, can I have the link? Would love a detailed review like this. Sailing Gem in October for my honeymoon!

 

Thank you! i did not review our February 2016 Gem 10-day cruise, but I did post a shorter review of our one-week Gem cruise in May 2015. (A tiny bit is outdated since the fall 2015 dry dock; they removed the great two-person round loungers from Deck 14. But the Great Outdoors, always a wonderful place, got a terrific make over and is even better.) It's here:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2207953

 

The Gem, like her sister the Jewel, is a very comfortable ship.

 

Congratulations on your marriage; have a wonderful cruise!

[kmc86]

Interesting review....we will be 4 adults cruising Alaska on the Jewel in cabin 10000....hubby, me, daughter and son in law....do you think the room will be adequate? Usually get a two bedroom but wanted the forward facing cabin for Alaska....thoughts? Thanks...

[Turtles06]

Interesting review....we will be 4 adults cruising Alaska on the Jewel in cabin 10000....hubby, me, daughter and son in law....do you think the room will be adequate? Usually get a two bedroom but wanted the forward facing cabin for Alaska....thoughts? Thanks...

 

It goes without saying that four adults will be sharing one bathroom, and that the curtain around the bed is the only "privacy." But you already know that. I suspect this is probably one of the better options for four adults who intend to share a one-bedroom cabin, given the full size couch ( not a love seat).

[zonacruiser25]

Heading out from LA on April 26 on HAL, thanks for the great review!

[eml30fan]

Great review!!! Thank you!!!