Live: 1st w/Princess, FLL-Panama-SF, Pix?s, Terry/Ohio

[TLCOhio]

Appreciate those following along and your patience since I have been “busy” and delayed in doing many recent added posts. We have been pre-occupied much with the extensive Panama Canal transiting day, doing a wonderful day-long private tour in Costa Rica, sorting and fine-tuning all of the hundreds of pictures taken, plus being active with the ship’s many offerings. We are now sailing north to San Francisco. Home of Tony Bennett’s great SF theme song.

 

Did we enjoy the Panama Canal and Costa Rica?? Yes! YES!! YES!!!

 

More of those most-recent exact adventure details will be coming later. Plus, some photo evidence and PROOF will be offered in just another day or two. Now, some important NEWS UPDATES.

 

1. NICARAGUA PORT SCRUBBED: For today, March 8, 7 am-6 pm, we were supposed to be tendered in San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua. We had an all-day trip scheduled through the ship city to visit their historic city of Granada. Founded in 1524 by Spanish Conquistador Hernandez de Cordoba, it is in the shadow of the Mombacho Volcano on the shore of Lake Nicaragua. We were to see colonial churches, narrow streets and Spanish-style homes with bright colors. Then, we we were to do a sailing on the massive fresh-water Lake Nicaragua and see Las Isletas, an archipelago of 365 tiny islands formed long ago from volcanic activity. BUT, early this morning the Captain came on the PA while we were have breakfast around 7 am to indicated that the winds were 35 knots. And, the weather would get more challenging later in the afternoon. No tendering!! Not safe, nor comfortable to get ashore and come back. The visit for today in Nicaragua had been scrubbed. We are now headed to Cabo San Lucas in Mexico. That will make us have four sea days in a row. Then, two more sea-days after Cabo. Unless, maybe, we can get lucky to have Princess schedule an extra day in Cabo in addition what was originally planned for that exciting port. That would be my wish and hope, but I am not sure if it will happen. Ships have to book mooring spots and tender docking slots many months ahead. No announcement has been made yet!

 

2. PRINCESS PIX POSTING FIXED: After going yesterday to meet with the cruise ship Customer Service Director, Angus Wilkinson, from the UK near the Lake District, I made the case for why and how Princess needed to be more “flexible” as to how certain website were being blocked by their IT people for use by people on the ship. He talked more with the Princess Central Office folks and then he called me back late morning today. His message? Some adjustments had been made. I tried and was able to upload a number of pictures to Photobucket. To post on this Cruise Critic website, you need to have an off-site web location. Success!! I will be posting a number of pictures shortly and will have many more in the next few days.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

Enjoyed a 14-day, Jan. 20-Feb. 3, 2014, Sydney to Auckland adventure, getting a big sampling for the wonders of "down under” before and after this cruise. Go to:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1974139

for more info and many pictures of these amazing sights in this great part of the world. Now at 173,052 views for this posting.

Here are just six sample visuals from our initial two nights on the ship. First is the multi-level Atrium center of the ship with music by a classical trio being offered as people were waiting to have dinner in the Bordeaux Dining Room. The next five pictures are from the “Encore” musical production that was so super excellent. See, as I stated earlier, the settings, costumes, etcc., were almost at the Broadway or London West End levels of top professional quality. The orchestra had eleven members, including strings, horns, etc. All very first class!! In the third picture is opera soloist Jennifer Fair, originally from the Dayton, Ohio, area. She was spectacular in her singing and stage presence. Excellent entertainment has continued in the Princess Theater during our entire trip. But as others have told me, Encore rates as the best show so far. Tonight is Motown favorites!:

((Open your screen/viewer wider see these pictures larger!)

 

 

 

 

 

[easyboy]

Glad your problem in uploading the photos are now fixed. Nice shots!

[TLCOhio]

Hello Terry from Ohio! I am one of the hundreds of thousand viewers of your thoughtful commentaries. So helpful! Can you tell me if you have plans to cruise in Asia (or possibly have already)? We will be doing Celebrity's Asia Immersion cruise next year that begins in Hong Kong and visits 3 ports in Vietnam, then Bangkok and ends in Singapore. Most of the ports are overnights but a significant schlep to the cities. Anything you've written would be appreciated. I'm on several roll calls but they have not been helpful. BTW we just returned from a Princess cruise to the ABCs and it was an extraordinary experience. (And a stark contrast from our experience on the same ship just four months earlier). If you have an opportunity to hang out in the Sanctuary on any of your Sea days I highly recommend it. A shady breezy location if that's an option. Happy Cruising and thank you for your posts!

 

Appreciate the nice posting from Linda and John. While we have been to Australia and New Zealand in early 2014, we have not, YET, been to China and/or SE Asia. BUT, we have been planning for a year-plus in preparing for late January 2018 to start in Hong Kong for our first “adventures” there. Then after four days in Hong Kong, we will jet to Vietnam for doing Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City for three to four days each to explore these areas before boarding a seven-day Mekong River cruise going up through Vietnam and Cambodia. This early 2018 SE Asia adventure will finish after the river cruise with Avalong with time in historic Angkor Wat. Then going by air, we will go to northern Laos and Bangkok.

 

Yes, you are 100% correct about the challenges of “a significant schlep to the cities”. That is why we have focused a different plan for doing a mixture of jet and land travel, plus the one week of river cruising. For all of the ocean cruise lines, there was too little net time in the key cities when using the conventional, larger ships in sailing from Hong Kong to Singapore (or the reverse).

 

Yes, The Sanctuary is nice!! Looked around there a couple of times, including a little “sneak-in” time during the Panama Canal transiting. But, given the limited shade up there, we were not sure it was worth it. For doing the Panama Canal, the key advice that we picked up was doing a wide variety of locations, especially looking forward, being higher, having a “secret” back location, etc., etc. We still have time and will see how things work during the next week or so in maybe trying out The Sanctuary.

 

For Ann, thanks for your offer to e-mail pictures to you. Yes, still trying to get that rear view of the ship where your room is at. At our Costa Rica port, the ship was pulled in with the front visual, but reachable for the back. Will see what happens for Cabo and SF. Could be challenging.

 

Now, it’s time for some more pictures to prove that we are having FUN! Below are a few visuals from Fort Lauderdale and our sail-away there. Lots more great pictures to share. Am doing the “Ultimate Ship Tour” this morning to see many behind-the-scene parts of the ship operations. Not sure if and how many pictures I will be able to get as the ship security limits where cameras can be used.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

For details and visuals, etc., from our July 1-16, 2010, Norway Coast/Fjords/Arctic Circle cruise experience from Copenhagen on the Silver Cloud, check out this posting. This posting is now at 210,314 views.

www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1227923

 

First, on the morning of our departure, here is my wife enjoying the beach (with a bird protecting our Atlantic Ocean position) near our GalleryOne Doubletree Hotel.:

(Open your screen/viewer wider to see these pictures larger!)

 

 

 

These three visuals reflect the super sunny views as we were doing our sail-away at 4 pm from Fort Lauderdale on Feb. 28. A larger sister ship, the Royal Princess, was departing just a few minutes ahead of us. Lots of high-rises and homes are on this scenic channel out to the Atlantic. You will also see below a Coast Guard ship with a weapons expert on the front providing security as we departed this passageway. :

 

 

 

Finally, for the sail-away ship activities, you can see the large TV screen that overlooks the pool of our Island Princess. This large screen gets lots of use, including for showing feature movies. It’s a fun feature for this ship. Like it, including the “Love Boat” disco party last night!!:

 

[TLCOhio]

Has anyone wondered on food? Yes, they have “it” on the Island Princess. Lots! But the quality and variety? We have been very, very pleased and satisfied BOTH for the Bordeaux main dining room, plus at the Horizon Court buffet on the top, front 14th floor Lido level.

 

Need some proof and “evidence”? On this post and the next one, you can see some visual examples. Our only complaint is that the food portions are a little large and you really have to work hard to avoid eating too, too much and putting on the excess pounds. For the breads and pastry items, they have been super excellent!! Really impressed with the quality and creativity by their on-board bakery operations. Those rolls and dessert treats are another challenge if you do not want to get too much of the “Goodyear Blimp” look.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

Did a June 7-19, 2011, cruise from Barcelona that had stops in Villefranche, ports near Pisa and Rome, Naples, Kotor, Venice and Dubrovnik. Dozens of nice visuals with key highlights, tips, comments, etc. We are now at 222,325 views for this live/blog re-cap, including much on wonderful Barcelona. Check these postings and added info at:

www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1426474

 

First are four pictures from their Bordeaux dining room early in our sailing. Nice presentation and quality!! Yes, we got dessert, too!! And if you are stumped with your choices, you could do two opening courses, etc. On one night, I made my own version of “surf and turf” with both the lobster and prime rib. I skipped dessert that night to help lessen the calories.:

(Open your screen/viewer wider to see these pictures larger!)

 

 

 

 

[TLCOhio]

Here are some visuals from the Horizon Court buffet that is so handy and quick for breakfast and lunch. Can get crowded at peak times in finding a table. For dinners here, it can work out well, too! They have done some special nights such as for a focus on Asian, Mexican, Italian, etc.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

From our Jan. 25-Feb. 20, 2015, Amazon River-Caribbean combo sailing over 26 days that started in Barbados, here is the link below to that live/blog. Lots of great visuals from this amazing Brazil river and these various Caribbean Islands (Dutch ABC's, St. Barts, Dominica, Grenada, etc.) that we experienced. Check it out at:

www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2157696

Now at 48,606 views for these postings.

 

Here is a group of pictures from their Horizon Court buffet. Also, nice set-ups, presentation and quality. Wonderful, helpful staff. Liked how their cooked-to-order omelet station works. Place your order, go to your table and your waiter goes to pick it up hot and ready in this buffet area of the ship.:

(Open your screen/viewer wider to see these pictures larger!)

 

 

 

 

 

[AF-1]

wow what a difference the pictures make the review. Thanks

[Cruzinnana47]

Terry, thanks for posting this review--enjoying your descriptive style with a lot of interesting info. Makes me more excited for our turn next year on the Island's sister, the Coral. Glad you were able to straighten out the issue with posting your pics.

Appreciate the time and effort you are giving to this review.

 

BTW, my DH (an old Coast Guardsman) said the CG ship alongside during your embarkation was a 33-ft. rigid hull inflatable.

[TLCOhio]

wow what a difference the pictures make the review. Thanks

Ready for some visuals from The Main Event? Yes, that “star” of this cruise is the Panama Canal!! I took many hundreds of pictures with three different lenses, from a nice variety of different angles, views and ship levels. Looking forward as we approached the locks, looking back from the rear of the ship and then some side shots from our balcony on the 10th/Caribe level and from the 15th/top deck level. There is a somewhat secret 8th back viewing point that can be very good to capture action in the that direction, plus I was able to “sneak” into the The Sanctuary top, back area for a few pictures.

 

It started early, early before sunrise and lasted until the late afternoon when we had pass under the Bridge of America arched crossing near the Pacific Ocean. Our final images were captured as we saw the views of the many, many tall buildings in Panama City.

 

Appreciate this mention from AF in neighboring Cincinnati. Yes, visuals do make a nice difference. As it is said about a good picture being worth a thousand words.

 

Will catch up in the next few days with the many exciting visuals that I have captured from Fort Lauderdale, Aruba, Cartagena and Costa Rica. Lots of dramatic pirate ship, dancing, crocodile, bird, ship fun, etc., images to share.

 

Right now, we are off of the coast of Mexico. Like our previous two days, today and tomorrow are sea-days as we get ready for our final port call of Cabo San Lucas. Just 770 miles till we arrive there. We will be tendered there. At 11 am today, they will have a lecture presentation on that Mexico town that we are so excited to see and explore. It will be our first visit to Mexico!!

 

Yesterday’s highlight? It was doing the “Ultimate Ship Tour”! Only thirteen of us got to see a wide range of hidden ship areas. This included the ship’s Medical Center with the senior doctor; the Bridge with the Captain (who allowed me to take some pictures); the forward area that handles the anchors and tie-down lines; the show cast areas where costumes and staging prep are done, the galley and various freezer/cooling areas, the print and photo shops, the laundry areas, the main engine/engineering control areas, etc. We were able to ask lots and lots of questions and learn so much more about ship operations. And, the hard work that the staff does. Got to congratulate the ship’s head baker on the super excellent job he and his staff does in preparing the great rolls, etc. BUT, unfortunately, in the Medical Center, they do not offer fat removal surgery to help those of us, like me, who are enjoying and eating too much of the good food.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

AFRICA?!!?: Lots of interesting and dramatic pictures can be seen from my early 2016 live/blog at:

www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2310337

Now at 30,312 views for this reporting and visual sharing that includes Cape Town, all along the South Africa coast, Mozambique, Victoria Falls/Zambia and Botswana's famed Okavango Delta area.

 

Did not want to miss anything at the Panama Canal, so I was up way before sunrise. In the first picture, it is still dark and you can see one of the three pilots boats approaching with their local experts to guide our Island Princess through these locks. In the background, you can see some of the nearby city of Colon and various port operations.:

 

 

Second is the view as we enter Limon Bay and you can see some of the lights of Colon in the background. There are many different shipping and tanker ships awaiting their time and turn to go through these locks. There are also visible many cranes and other equipment for this large and active port. There was some early morning rain and clouds, but that passed over and the weather worked well for the day in going through the Panama Canal.:

 

 

Here are elements of the third major bridge now being built to cross the canal. This will be called the Atlantic Bridge. Lots of poured concrete! And all high enough to allow large ships with tall masts to pass under this suspension bridge. Seeing this completed bridge will be another good reason visit back again in the future:

 

These two pictures show as we approach the Gatun Locks on the Atlantic side. First shows some of the “mules” or the electric tractors that will pull our ship through these narrow locks. Our ship is 106’ wide. The canal locks are only 110’ wide. That allows only a two-foot margin for each side. That makes it very important for keeping things very precise and straight. None of the ship power and/or navigation controls are used to guide our ship through locks. The canal has 55 of these “mules” and they now cost about one million dollars each. We started at sea level and these three Gatun Locks took us up, UP, UP to a height of 86’ to cross Gatun Lake and through the Culebra Cut. That means each of these three locks must be filled with enough water to raise up our ship nearly 30’ for each of these three chambers on this side of the canal.:

 

 

For most of the early part of canal transit, we were on the ship’s front/forward 10th deck that was right near our C227 balcony room. Right above us and shown in this picture were passengers on the 11th level focusing intently on the activities in front of the ship as we are going through the first set of locks.:

 

[TLCOhio]

Terry' date=' thanks for posting this review--[b']enjoying your descriptive style[/b] with a lot of interesting info. Makes me more excited for our turn next year on the Island's sister, the Coral. Glad you were able to straighten out the issue with posting your pics. Appreciate the time and effort you are giving to this review. BTW, my DH (an old Coast Guardsman) said the CG ship alongside during your embarkation was a 33-ft. rigid hull inflatable.

Appreciate this above nice follow-up from CRUZIN'NANA and the helpful added info on the Fort Lauderdale boat that escorted our exit from that port.

 

Have any questions, added comments, etc.?? Don't be shy!! That's the nice aspect for doing a live reporting. Happy to check with ship officials on any key questions, info needs. Fire away with your interests and sharing of your experiences in going through the Panama Canal.

 

Here is the second of four phases sharing my top priority pictures from our passage through the Panama Canal on Sunday, March 5, 2017.

Here are some addition and hopefully interesting facts and info items on the canal, its operations, etc.

 

Passage Costs: The rate paid by the Island Princess for this canal passage was $341,000 for basic fee and this is based on the number of berths on the ship. But, then there are added, other fees for items such as the tugs boats ($13K) for approaching and exiting each set of locks, those doing the hand line connections, the pulling locomotives, inspection, day reservation and daylight transit priority charges, etc. So our total was $431,000 in total cost for our ship on March 5.

 

Mules: These locomotives originally cost about $1 million each, but their price is around now around $2 million. The new locks use a different system of tug boat-like devices pulling and pushing. But that system is not working as well, including lacking ideal control as the ship go through these larger canal locks. Each of these mules weighs about 50 tons and has two 294-hp engines. Each engine can pull about 70,000 pounds. They use a “cog and wheel” set-up and tracking/power system to allow them to climb up these steps rail paths.

 

Trade Impact: Around 7-8% of the total world sea trade passes through this one canal location. These ship going through here serve about 160 ports or destinations for cargo.

 

Top Book/Background: Reading prior to our cruise David McCullough’s Path Between the Seas, written in 1977, helped our visit all come “alive” in an ideal manner!! Sure glad that I had prepared by this reading and other research. The more you know, the better you can appreciate the achievement with this challenging construction and its current operations.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

Super loved Dubrovnik!!! See more details and lots of great visual samples/examples at this link. Have had over 35,381 views on this posting and appreciate those who have tuned-in and dropped by.

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1439227

 

Here is my wife, Penny, on the right, with her high school classmate, Jean, as we were enjoying the early morning passing through the first set of locks. These locks are near the Gatun Dam that created this large lake and tamed the wild Chagres River. Early in the design/planning around 1905, a big debate was about whether to build a sea-level canal . . . or . . . one involving locks and a large lake.:

 

 

These next two pictures give a better, closer look at these “mules” and the very steep inclines that they must go up to pull ships through this initial series of locks. That name or phrase of “mules” goes back to the old days for canals in the 1800’s when those creatures pulled the boats along canal routes. These current tractors are electric-powered and these are the third-generation of this design to be used during the past 100+ year history here.:

 

 

This pictures shows a large tanker, the Cape Brasilia, that was traveling in the opposite direct and where we were able to observe it “up-close-and-personal” as it passed next to our 10th-floor cabin balcony. We got see and video tape this ship with its various pipings and other operational details. Its colorful orange color added to the excitement!

 

 

Finally in this group are two pictures from the rear of The Sanctuary luxury area of the Island. This is an “extra charge” section of our Princess ship that on Canal Day goes up to costing $80 pp for use here. Normally, it is a $40 a day cost or $20 for a half-day. For this one day on the canal passage, it was booked up quickly on the boarding date. First shows looking back towards the Caribbean Sea and the Gatun Locks were are passing through. You can see the large concrete construction for the Atlantic Bridge. Second gives a little sample for the “life of luxury” enjoyed by those in The Sanctuary. Personally, we glad that we opted to have our prime forward view and then move around the ship to experience the views from many different levels and angles. Plus, we save the $160 cost for this ship location on this day!:

 

 

 

[TLCOhio]

Here is the third of four phases from our Panama Canal passage on Sunday, March 5, 2017. Appreciate your interest and patience. This includes lots of information and pictures. But if you visited here previous and/or planning an update canal sailing, hopefully this brings back nice memories and/or help prepare for your upcoming adventure.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

Wonderful Kotor and nearby Montenegro? Check these postings. Have had over 34,728 views on this posting and appreciate those who have tuned-in and commented.:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1439193

 

As we prepared to exit out of the Gatun Locks, here is a closer view at the lower angle from the 8th floor rear of our ship. On the left, you can see a very large ship getting ready to exit out and sail towards the Caribbean Sea.:

 

As we passed from Gatun Lake to the Gaillard or Culebra Cut, there were various dredging and other operations on-going in order to keep the depth of the canal at a proper level. This project was not a “one-and-done”, simple construction project. Land and rock slides happen still to this date and they must be continue work to make ship passage possible. This especially true as the new canal locks will accommodate wider, longer and larger ship.:

Here is the view as we approached the Centennial Bridge in the middle of the canal passage near Gold Hill and the Continental Divide. That hill is 312’ in height above sea level. Originally the height of this Continental Divide was much higher, but it was cut town during the original construction efforts by both the French in the 1880’s and the Americans in the early 1900’s. On the right, you can see some of the lights along the edge of the canal that allow night passage through this area.:

 

Here is the view as we approached the Pedro Migeul Locks after sailing through the Culebra Cut. This location has just one chamber to drop us down about 30’ as we moved towards the Pacific Ocean. At the right is the Swedish ship with the cute name of “Migon” that was ahead of us when we first started entering the initial canal locks on the Caribbean Sea side.:

 

Here is a long-distance view of the Bridge of the Americas that carries the Pan-American Highway across the Panama Canal. We will see more on this bridge later.:

 

Here is the view from the Visitor's Center at Miraflores Locks that gave us a warm welcome as we were completing the last two sets of passage chambers.:

 

[TLCOhio]

Here is the fourth phase from our Panama Canal passage. Have lots more angles and aspects that we observed during our transiting of this historic canal. Will try to post more later. Especially, there is “demand” and interest.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

If Venice is one of your future desires or past favorites, look at this earlier posting for many options and visual samples this city that is so great for "walking around", personally seeing its great history and architecture. This posting is now at 66,330 views.

Venice: Loving It & Why??!!

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1278226

 

From the Miraflores Locks, here is the view looking back from the front area of our ship that shows part of a unique “swinging bridge” that was used for cars and trucks to cross the Panama Canal before the Bridge of the Americas was opened in 1963. Clearly as canal traffic increased, having such a “temporary” type of bridge was good enough as vehicle/truck traffic also increased.:

 

Next are two different views that shows parts of the massive and rising skyline of nearby Panama City. The second picture gives an idea for the very large port operation on this Pacific Ocean side of the canal. Panama City has that “high-rise” look with lots of apartments and condos.:

 

 

Here is a top-of-the-ship look as our Island Princess crossed under the Bridge of the Americas. Notice the large viewing screen on this ship? Shown is Elton John from one his highlight/interview programs that was aired in this ship area overlooking the main, outdoor pool. Kind of a cool, hip look here??!!:

 

Finally, as we sail away from the canal and Panama City, here is a special angle on a new Panama Canal Museum with a very interesting and contemporary design. Plus, a wide view of the Panama City skyline.:

[Been There, Planning That]

Thanks, for the port descriptions. We're doing this cruise next year but from the west. I'm busy cutting and pasting your observations and notes for future reference.

 

Ruth

[AF-1]

How many feet clearance did you have on each side of ship? Are you enjoying the Island Princess? I know she is one of the older and smaller ships

[easyboy]

Thanks for the descriptive account of the canal.

[TLCOhio]

How many feet clearance did you have on each side of ship? Are you enjoying the Island Princess? I know she is one of the older and smaller ships

 

Love the nice comments and follow-up from Ruth and easyboy. Appreciate these good questions from AF-1. Since this ship is 106' wide and the canal lock openings are only 110', that means an average "extra margin" on each side would be just two feet for the two side of this ship. This ship is 14 years old. Its look and upkeep did not seem too old and/or out-of-date. In fact, I would say that the Island Princess looks very good and has been well taken care of. Can share more of these specifics later, included what we saw from our "Ultimate Ship Tour".

 

Yes, she is a smaller ship, but that size was dictated by an ability to be narrow enough to pass through this Panama Canal. Our sailing sold out fairly early ahead of our departure date. Lots of people on this ship from the San Francisco/northern California region. Apparently for Princess, both this ship and its sister, the Coral Princess, are doing well in customer ratings and bookings.

Keep it coming with these very good questions and kind comments!! Love getting the feed-back and being "inter-active" with Q&A.

 

Here is the first of three phases from our Cartagena port stop. As I mentioned earlier, our time to tour this town was less than four net hours, but it worked well with the sunny weather and great sights. Their Old Town is lovely and very interesting. We also saw some of their beach and newer, high-rise residential areas. That's OK, but the star is their Old Town. As the upcoming pictures will document, we really loved the dance program we attended.

 

We are completing our fourth sea-day in a row. Really looking forward to Cabo San Lucas and getting a sampling from new areas that we have never visited.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

For Athens and nearby, look at this earlier posting for many options and visual samples from this city that is so great for seeing its great history, style and architecture. This posting is now at 16,401 views.

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1101008

As we approached Cartagena, here was the view from the 10th deck, front of the Island Princess. Nice and sunny and their skyline is very impressive. Much like South Florida with all of the tall condo and apartment towers.:

(Open your screen/viewer wider to see these pictures larger!)

 

 

Here was our first stop was at the historic Castillo de San Felipe de Barajas. This huge and impressive old fortress reflected why Cartagena was among the most impenetrable cities in this part of what was the Spanish Empire. Lots of pesky "merchants" peddling water, jewelry, trinkets, etc. Glad our stop was short here and that my tired legs did not have to have climb all of the way up to the top of this massive structure.:

 

 

In walking around Cartagena's historic Old Town, we were impressed by the interesting architecture, great balconies, church towers, restored residences, buildings upgraded to fancy hotels, various shops and dining places, etc. Yes, lots of people selling the usual tourist things! It was an overall feast for the eyes and senses.:

 

 

 

Edited March 11, 2017 by TLCOhio

[TLCOhio]

Here is the second phase from our exploring of Cartagena. Have lots more angles and aspects that we observed during our visit here. Will try to post more later. Especially, there is “demand” and interest.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

Super loved so different many parts of the Caribbean!!! See more details and lots of great visual samples/examples at this link: "Barbados: Our Pix's, Experiences Feb./2015!":

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2262999

 

Here is another picture from Cartagena’s historic Old Town with their great and colorful balconies. What is not to enjoy by walking around here?:

(Open your screen/viewer wider to see these pictures larger!)

 

Here are three views in connection with our visiting of San Pedro Claver Church in Cartagena’s Old Town area. It was built in the 17th century and has old-world furnishings honoring the life and work of missionary Saint Peter Claver. He was the patron saint of slaves and the first saint canonized by the Roman Catholic church from the Western Hemisphere. It is still used as a church and we observed one of the priests meeting with its memebers.:

 

 

 

 

When visiting inside San Pedro Claver Church, there was a large courtyard with a local having birds and being willing to share these colorful creatures with us as visitors. Just for a dollar donation, my wife got “up-close-and-personal” with these birds. The birds are heavy and you see that it was a little frightening for Penny. BUT, it was fun and a bit of an “adventure” to have this great encounter.:

 

 

Here is another Old Town view that involves the historic walls, other structures, etc. Never boring or bland in this part of Cartagena.:

 

[TLCOhio]

Here is the third phase of visuals and added details from our Cartagena half-day visit. Got to head off to breakfast now. It’s hard work being on vacation and sailing along the Mexican coast and enjoying the Pacific Ocean.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

For much on historic San Juan, see our “Pix's, Fun, Experiences” by checking out this posting:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2264847

 

At an old monastery that has been turned into a high-end hotel named the Charleston Santa Teresa, we visited their chapel for an enjoyable music/dance program. Not only was it a wonderfully air-conditioned chapel (on such a hot, sunny day), but we enjoyed free Wi-Fi. The top highlight was this folkloric program from the Calenda Folclorico Group. Great front row seats!! Super loved the wonderful costumes, dance and music in this historic setting. Do these visual images prove my reasons for such satisfaction?:

(Open your screen/viewer wider to see these pictures larger!)

 

 

 

 

 

Here is another view/sampling for the many fortress walls and cannons that were in and around the streets of Cartagena’s Old Town.:

 

 

As we did our sail-away from Cartagena, here is the view of the castle structure that sat to guard at the entrance to their large harbor. Spain spent lots of guard this key location from pirate, British, etc., attacks back in the “old days”!:

 

[marysb]

Fabulous review and photos Terry. What camera are you using?

Looking forward to seeing the rest of your trip.

 

Mary

[Colo Cruiser]

[TLCOhio]

Fabulous review and photos Terry. What camera are you using? Looking forward to seeing the rest of your trip. Mary

 

Appreciate Mary's good question on my camera being used. Plus, the other nice comments. Keep 'em coming!! Don't be shy.

 

For my camera, I have a Nikon D7200 with the main use of an 18-140mm Nikkor VR lens. It is a very good camera, but not at the top-pro, highest-cost levels. But, just like with an artist or cook, it is not always the quality of the paint brushes . . . or . . . pots and pans making the difference!! It is the skill, attention to detail and interest of the camera user. I had been using a Nikon D3100 camera that is now down to around $400 for that type of a camera with a good and versatile 18-55mm lens.

 

Lenses are also important. Mostly I shoot with that 18-140mm mid-range zoom lens that came with my original Nikon D7100 camera. Also, I have a Nikon 55-300mm VR lenses for longer shots and a 10-20mm Sigma wide angle that is great for churches and building interiors, etc. In 2013, I got a Nikkor 35mm f1.8 for lower light and other such needs/specialities, including food and evening shows. This Nikon cameras also has 1080HD video capability that works well. In most cases, I shoot in the program or auto setting, letting the camera do the work on settings and focus so that I can be more concerned on framing, subject and creative options. These cameras can be “complicated”, but I try to avoid those challenges and distractions. Here are a few of my basic, key photography secrets:

 

1. Shooting lots of pictures! That is easier with digital to do, learning/improving as you are taking pictures. When done and sharing, only show people the "good ones!" and do not bother them with the average, duplicate and/or poor ones. The more you shoot, that improves your "odds" to get more better pictures, varied framings, magic moments, etc.

2. Move closer! Zoom in, fill up the frame, try different, more interesting angles.

3. Involve people and light. Make it interesting. Get that human element/connection when possible. Do NOT be boring!! Get something better than just the normal "post-card" picture that everyone has previously seen or can see easily on the Internet.

4. Hold things steady. Gently squeeze. Use door frames, walls to give more “stability” and lessen the blurs in lower-light situations. Night pictures can have a real drama.

5. Editing. Fine-tune your pictures on your lap-top, brighten when needed, level it out, improve the cropping, etc. Narrow down to only your “best of the best” pictures before sharing. I have done that on my MacBook Pro computer using their iPhoto and now Aperture software tools. Fairly quick and easy!! That thoughtful editing really can make a major difference to increase quality and interest.

 

Here is the first of three picture segments from our Aruba visit on Friday, March 3, 2017. As I mentioned earlier, our time to visit this island was less than four net hours, but it was enjoyable with the sunny weather and great, fun sights. And we were here mostly only in the mornings before the weather got too hot in the afternoon.

 

Since we had a full day two years ago in early 2015 for visiting Aruba, we had previously done many of the key, expected options, including the fallen natural bridge, the aloe factory, the California lighthouse, Eagle Beach, etc.

 

I was interested in doing some snorkeling, while my wife, Penny, had always wanted to do some beach horse-back riding. Could I go along for that horse-riding. Not really!! They have a weight limit for doing that ride and I flunked it for meeting their standards. Can’t be punishing those horse too much.

 

It is now 275 miles to go till when we arrive in Cabo San Lucas

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

For "Aruba: Pix's, Fun, Experiences Feb./2015!", see this earlier posting, travel options, pictures, etc., from this key part of the Dutch ABC Islands.:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2262154

 

For activities, here is a picture of Penny enjoying her horse-back riding, including along a scenic beach area. Her horse’s name was Martini. This was a “bucket-list” event for my wife.:

(Open your screen/viewer wider to see these pictures larger!)

 

While I was snorkeling, here is a picture I took with my waterproof camera showing our Jolly Pirates ship. Looking cool? Yes!!:

 

On our pirate ship, here are a couple of visual samples, including of the Captain and his mate who made the drinks. Beverages were included!! Fun!!:

 

 

From our ship here is a view of California lighthouse on Aruba along with a portion of the rocky coastline.:

 

Here is an example of one of our ship passenger doing his snorkel work in the waters of the Caribbean Sea.:

[TLCOhio]

Here is the second of three groupings from our Aruba visit. More to come!! That’s both a promise and threat?!

 

THANKS to Keith for posting that picture of the Island Princess sailing north to Cabo! In our fourth sea-day in a row, I think a few on the ship are getting a little “itchy” in seeking a wider variety of “action” and sights. Tomorrow, hopefully, we will be there in that scenic portion of Mexico.

 

Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

Enjoyed a 14-day, Jan. 20-Feb. 3, 2014, Sydney to Auckland adventure, getting a big sampling for the wonders of "down under” before and after this cruise. Go to:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1974139

for more info and many pictures of these amazing sights in this great part of the world. Now at 173,052 views for this posting.

 

On our pirate ship, after snorkeling in two different locations, there was time for using a “swing” to leap off of this ship and go out into the deep salt waters. Many did very well, including a few who worked in a flip at the end as they let go of the rope handle. For me, too much weight and gravity!! Sorry! My skills in hanging on for very long were seriously challenged. But, I did do “IT”!!! Below are a couple photo examples for others enjoying this fun.:

(Open your screen/viewer wider to see these pictures larger!)

 

 

From our ship, we got some nice scenic views of the nearby beaches, hotels, water activities and shore setting. Here are a couple of examples. Yes, this island is very dry and there are lots of cactus here.:

 

 

Here is one of our boat mates using the power boat towed by our sail boat. He went back to check on items from our passengers being left at the snorkeling site being left in the waters. I showed him this dramatic picture and he liked it.:

 

After we got off of our pirate ship, we walked back and saw this interesting beach scene.:

[TLCOhio]

Here is the final group from our March 2017 brief Aruba visit.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

For details and visuals, etc., from our July 1-16, 2010, Norway Coast/Fjords/Arctic Circle cruise experience from Copenhagen on the Silver Cloud, check out this posting. This posting is now at 210,314 views.

www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1227923

 

Here are some additional Aruba waterside sights, boats, action, etc. Does it look like people are having fun? Yes is the correct answer!:

(Open your screen/viewer wider to see these pictures larger!)

 

 

While driving back for our pirate ship adventure, we saw a number of views seeing their large hotels from a different angle and beach view with wind-swept trees:

 

 

During our early afternoon sail-away from Aruba, here are two different views from the top deck of the Island Princess.:

 

[senior lady]

great pictures and commentary.

Did you do a ship tour or private in Cartagena?

I cruised the Canal on the Coral many years ago and really enjoyed it.

[TLCOhio]

great pictures and commentary.

Did you do a ship tour or private in Cartagena? I cruised the Canal on the Coral many years ago and really enjoyed it.

 

Appreciate Karen's nice follow-up and her good questions. In Cartagena, it was a ship tour. Worked well and as I mentioned early, our guide was super good. Really makes a great difference with a guide who know his stuff and rally loves his city/country.

 

Here is the first of three picture segments from our Costa Rica visit on Tuesday, March 7, 2017. Finally, we had a good amount of our time to visit in this wonderful segment of this country. It as an enjoyable day with the sunny weather and great, fun sights, especially for the wildlife. Our tour was through Odyssey Tours Their e-mail contact is: odysseytours@gmail.com.

 

It was just the four of us doing a private tour at half the price for what the cruise ship would have offered. But, what we saw and did was twice as good. Both our guide and driver were excellent. More details and specific later when I have more time. Getting ready to tender in Cabo San Lucas.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

Did a June 7-19, 2011, cruise from Barcelona that had stops in Villefranche, ports near Pisa and Rome, Naples, Kotor, Venice and Dubrovnik. Dozens of nice visuals with key highlights, tips, comments, etc. We are now at 222,325 views for this live/blog re-cap, including much on wonderful Barcelona. Check these postings and added info at:

www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1426474

 

Our great day in Costa Rica started with a wonderful sunrise. Then, we started our private tour, seeing wild monkeys and birds, plus crocs on the river, etc. Much more in fun sightings to come in Costa Rica!!:

(Open your screen/viewer wider to see these pictures larger!)

 

 

 

 

 

[AF-1]

Nice pics of church's in Cartegena. My wife and I like to look at all the beautiful painting inside of churches. Thanks for posting. Just to make your day nicer; we are expecting snow in Cincinnati tomorrow 12 Mar