Eurodam, more or less live, November 9 to 20, 2022

[rafinmd]

Tuesday, November 15, 2022, Cartagena, Colombia

By the time I went up for coffee (About 5:30) the lights of Cartagena were quite prominent.  The Cartagena cruise port consists of 2 finger piers about 1/4 mile from a terminal complex, although the finger piers handle containers as well when not used for cruise ships.  It was busy today with USNS Comfort hospital ship closest to the terminal (on a 2-month relief mission to the Caribbean), then the Royal Clipper tall ship, the Eurodam, and finally the German relief ship Maria S Merian on what appeared to be a provisioning and crew rotation visit.

 

I was near the Seaview Pool when the sun came up a little after 6.  We were fast to the pier about 6:30 as I partook my first waffle of the voyage.

https://morethangetaways.files.wordpress.com/2022/11/waffle.jpg

 

We were cleared about 7 for what would be a short call, only to about 1PM.  I have been to Cartagena many times and did not plan anything like a tour but did take a walk into the interesting cruise terminal, pausing for photo of Royal Clipper on the way to the terminal.  

https://morethangetaways.files.wordpress.com/2022/11/roylclpr.jpg

 

The terminal has a large room with a number of vendors but what makes it special is a sort of mini wildlife park, mostly birds.  I saw several peacocks, pink flamingos, black swans, and an anteater in my wanderings.

https://morethangetaways.files.wordpress.com/2022/11/peacock.jpg

 

https://morethangetaways.files.wordpress.com/2022/11/blackswan.jpg

 

 

On the way back to the Eurodam I paused for photos of the Comfort and Eurodam and was back onboard about 9 after about an hour on shore.

 

https://morethangetaways.files.wordpress.com/2022/11/comfort.jpg

 

Lunch was a rather strange combination of string beans, roast potatoes, skim milk, and ice cream.

 

All aboard was 12:30 but we had a number of stragglers, both tours running late and some walking up independently, even after 12:45. 

 

When the last of the tours returned, breaking down the gangway was a finely tuned choreograph that probably was all accomplished in about 5 minutes.  Captain Bant reported our journey to the canal would be 281 miles, and I saw open water between us and the pier about 1:06.

Gage had a talk on “Unexpected Heroes”, sports in the Caribbean, speaking about groups like the Jamaican Bobsled team.  He is a great presenter but he started losing me when we got to cricket.  I had decided if not completely captivated to leave a bit early, and probably missed about the last 15 minutes to spend a bit of time and money, booking 3 cruises on 2 trips for next year.

 

I had expected that all 3 of us would be at Table 30 but Sharon and Diane were no shows.  My choices for dinner were s Gourmet Greens, Pork Chop, and Diplomat Strawberry Tart.  

The entertainment on the mainstage was comedian Jose Sarduy.  He was pretty good but not great.  I was pretty drowsy after the show and did not accomplish much.

 

As a parting shot, sometimes things creep up on us.  It dawned on me after booking 3 cruises that one of the things I must make a priority once back home is renew my passport.

 

Roy

 

[Cruise Suzy]

@rafinmd The Program for today shows the Bow is open with access via Deck 5. I've seen photos from past years of people out on Decks 6 and 7 as well. Were passengers able to use the Deck 6 or 7 access doors today? I'll be on Deck 6 near the forward elevators in January, so that would be a very convenient option.

 

TIA

Edited November 16, 2022 by Cruise Suzy

[rafinmd]

15 minutes ago, Cruise Suzy said:

@rafinmd The Program for today shows the Bow is open with access via Deck 5. I've seen photos from past years of people out on Decks 6 and 7 as well. Were passengers able to use the Deck 6 or 7 access doors today? I'll be on Deck 6 near the forward elevators in January, so that would be a very convenient option.

 

TIA

I can't guarantee it but I don't think they were.  I actually spent very little time on the bow, both because I thought there were other places I liked better and because it rained in the afternoon.  I suspect if there were people on 6 and 7 they may have been off duty officers or their families. 

 

I hope nobody was caught off guard by the times posted in the program (I was).  I think we were almost an hour earlier than posted both entering and leaving the canal.  I'm not sure how much I'll post on the canal right away as there was a lot to process.  I would not want to do the entire transit from a single location but I think my favorite overall would be the seaview pool.

 

Roy

[Cruise Suzy]

2 minutes ago, rafinmd said:

I think we were almost an hour earlier than posted both entering and leaving the canal.

 

 

Thanks. I'll be sure to set an early alarm and watch the bow camera to be sure I don't miss anything. Will try Crow's Nest and Sea View Pool (maybe Panorama Deck level to avoid crowd?) as well as our port -side verandah.

[SKCruiser007]

7 hours ago, Cruise Suzy said:

@rafinmd The Program for today shows the Bow is open with access via Deck 5. I've seen photos from past years of people out on Decks 6 and 7 as well. Were passengers able to use the Deck 6 or 7 access doors today? I'll be on Deck 6 near the forward elevators in January, so that would be a very convenient option.

 

TIA

Yes, both 6 and 7 were open.

[Cruise Suzy]

24 minutes ago, SKCruiser007 said:

Yes, both 6 and 7 were open.

 

Thanks, I have a photo of Nieuw Amsterdam with passengers on decks 6 and 7 in 2018. Wasn't sure if that was still an option. I will be sure to ask in January. Not the end of the world if not.

[rafinmd]

32 minutes ago, SKCruiser007 said:

Yes, both 6 and 7 were open.

Good to know, that might actually have been nice with the rain.

 

Roy

[Cruising Is Bliss]

 

 

i really appreciate your posts.  Thank you for taking us along!

[rafinmd]

Wednesday, November 16, 2022, Panama Canal and Colon(Part 1)

I don’t think I will ever get tired of the Panama Canal.  While this is my first partial transit, I have been through the entire canal 8 times (6 on Crystal Symphony plus Crystal Serenity and Prinsendam).  

 

I got a bit of a shock when I first stepped outside.  Since my first time on Queen Victoria in 2010 I had seen the signs at the aft of the promenade deck that the bollards at those aft corners might be used on the Panama Canal and the area might be closed, so I was not surprised at that today, but was surprised that the front section of the promenade deck was also closed off.

I have way too many photos and rather than take the day chronologically, I think I’ll mostly talk about various viewing spots and perhaps save some things for future days when not much is happening.

 

I had thought Deck 12 above the Crow’s Nest would be a great place.  While the vantage was nice, the plexiglass was an obstacle to great viewing, and the angle did not fit with viewing things close to the ship.  I did get a nice sunrise shot from the top of the outside stairs and liked the direct stairs from there to the crow’s nest.

I did not spend much time in the Crow’s nest.  It was crowded, the windows were a bit of a problem, and the angles were not great.  While there I did get a Panama Roll.  They’re essentially buns with a bit of filling with something that tasted like apricot.  I enjoyed one, but not something I really would go out of my way for.

I understand little front “porches” on decks 6 and 7 were opened up and I think that would have been a nice choice if I had been aware of them.

 

The bow was open but I was not all that impressed.  It isn’t really the bow; there’s at least one open deck below and further forward and I think that would impair viewing things that are close.  In part I missed opportunities on the bow because we seemed to have arrived earlier than had been planned, and we already had lines attached when I realized how close we were.  The Panama canal uses very old school methods of attaching the first lines via a relay with a rowboat called a “panga”.  In the past I have watched the panga crew do their job, but this time I missed the action (the most likely place to see it would be near the bow) and only got a look at one as we left the canal.  On the way down, to the sea I barely ventured out to the bow due to rain.

One of the nicer places to be for me was the Seaview Pool Deck.  It was easy to go all the way port to aft to starboard with great views down in any direction.  I got at least one nice shot of the gates closing behind us,

Once the rain started I headed to the promenade deck.  My preferred location there was near the midship stairs where there was great visibility close to the ship, an easy crossing from one side to the other, and the lifeboats provided great protection from the rain.  Entering the lake I noticed for the first time a turntable at the end of the space between the 2 lockage lanes where the mules turned around to have their lines facing the canal locks.

On the trip back to sea I spotted what had originally been a visitor center (that center has now been moved to the Agua Clara locks).  One of the exhibits from there is a reminder that things do change slowly on the canal.  Originally the lock gates were opened and closed by a huge cog wheel while now pneumatic cylinders do the job.

My final vantage point will likely come as a surprise.  I think I have mentioned that I am on Deck 1, the lowest passenger deck, in an oceanview (no balcony cabin).  Before the cruise I was offered a very attractive upsell to a verandah, at a price I would gladly have paid if it was anything but a Panama Canal cruise, but I stood my ground.  It’s something I picked up on my Crystal Panama Canal cruises, where the corresponding deck had the dining room and some lounges but it was even better on the Eurodam.  It is the only spot I know of where you can be aware of actually being inside the lock chambers rather than looking down on them.  In the “uplocks” collage we were already in the first lock when I entered my room, looking at a lock wall I could almost touch if my window would open, rising up into the light as the water lifted us, then moving forward as the slanted middle chamber gradually encased the room in darkness, and finally rising to daylight again.

Roy

 

 

[rafinmd]

Wednesday, November 16, 2022, Panama Canal and Colon(Part 2)

 

Once out of the upstream locks we anchored near the dam which makes Lake Gatun possible and a number of passengers got off for shore tours that would rejoin the ship in Colon.

You generally cannot see the new locks from the old of vice versa, but I did see a ship headed for the new locks from Lake Gatun.

On the return to the Atlantic I tried a couple of vantage points as it was raining but by the second chamber I returned to my room for more of the light-dark-light sequence getting some nice closeups of the lock walls, the gates and hinges, the water rushing into the chamber from the bow cam, and even how dark it could get in my room in the depth of the chamber.

After leaving the locks I stepped out to the Seaview pool for a couple of other views, first a remnant of the original canal as dug by de Lesseps.  It isn’t much of a canal.

A bridge has been under construction for the past several years, and was opened just a couple months after my last transit on the Prinsendam.  It’s quite majestic.

https://morethangetaways.files.wordpress.com/2022/11/colonbridge1.jpg

I did something I’ve never done before in Colon, stayed on the ship without ever getting off.  I had been to Colon on the Crystal Symphony in 2018 and knew there was nothing there that interested, so I never even crossed the gangway into the terminal.

It was just me again at Table 30.  Banyu and Agus even prepared a setting for Diane and Sharon with their ice tea at the ready but we never saw them.  (Could they have been on a tour?) My choices were Radicchio and carmelized pear salad, Parmesan coated Veal Loin, and Butter Pecan Ice Cream.  

The show in the mainstage was billed as the Step 1 dancers with “Off the Charts” I went with low expectations but was pleasantly surprised.  They were joined by the Billboard piano duo so it was a full live experience, music, vocals, and dance.

We gained an hour overnight to get on Costa Rica time but my sleep schedule seems to be out of whack, dozing off during the show and not sleeping much if at all.

 

Quick parting shot, I need my sleep schedule back.

 

Roy

 

[DeeniEncinitas]

🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺

@rafinmd

Dear Roy,

Thank you once again especially for the sunrise pic! One of my favorites.

appreciate the photos of the canal. I enjoyed going through last year.

Have a wonderful time!

How is Covid doing on board? 🧐 curious since now on CC a couple of topics on it again.

Mahalo 🌺
Denise☺️

[rafinmd]

40 minutes ago, DeeniEncinitas said:

🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺

@rafinmd

Dear Roy,

Thank you once again especially for the sunrise pic! One of my favorites.

appreciate the photos of the canal. I enjoyed going through last year.

Have a wonderful time!

How is Covid doing on board? 🧐 curious since now on CC a couple of topics on it again.

Mahalo 🌺
Denise☺️

There's nothing official but I do see a few more of the crew wearing masks.

 

Roy

[grapau27]

4 hours ago, rafinmd said:

Wednesday, November 16, 2022, Panama Canal and Colon(Part 1)

I don’t think I will ever get tired of the Panama Canal.  While this is my first partial transit, I have been through the entire canal 8 times (6 on Crystal Symphony plus Crystal Serenity and Prinsendam).  

 

I got a bit of a shock when I first stepped outside.  Since my first time on Queen Victoria in 2010 I had seen the signs at the aft of the promenade deck that the bollards at those aft corners might be used on the Panama Canal and the area might be closed, so I was not surprised at that today, but was surprised that the front section of the promenade deck was also closed off.

I have way too many photos and rather than take the day chronologically, I think I’ll mostly talk about various viewing spots and perhaps save some things for future days when not much is happening.

 

I had thought Deck 12 above the Crow’s Nest would be a great place.  While the vantage was nice, the plexiglass was an obstacle to great viewing, and the angle did not fit with viewing things close to the ship.  I did get a nice sunrise shot from the top of the outside stairs and liked the direct stairs from there to the crow’s nest.

I did not spend much time in the Crow’s nest.  It was crowded, the windows were a bit of a problem, and the angles were not great.  While there I did get a Panama Roll.  They’re essentially buns with a bit of filling with something that tasted like apricot.  I enjoyed one, but not something I really would go out of my way for.

I understand little front “porches” on decks 6 and 7 were opened up and I think that would have been a nice choice if I had been aware of them.

 

The bow was open but I was not all that impressed.  It isn’t really the bow; there’s at least one open deck below and further forward and I think that would impair viewing things that are close.  In part I missed opportunities on the bow because we seemed to have arrived earlier than had been planned, and we already had lines attached when I realized how close we were.  The Panama canal uses very old school methods of attaching the first lines via a relay with a rowboat called a “panga”.  In the past I have watched the panga crew do their job, but this time I missed the action (the most likely place to see it would be near the bow) and only got a look at one as we left the canal.  On the way down, to the sea I barely ventured out to the bow due to rain.

One of the nicer places to be for me was the Seaview Pool Deck.  It was easy to go all the way port to aft to starboard with great views down in any direction.  I got at least one nice shot of the gates closing behind us,

Once the rain started I headed to the promenade deck.  My preferred location there was near the midship stairs where there was great visibility close to the ship, an easy crossing from one side to the other, and the lifeboats provided great protection from the rain.  Entering the lake I noticed for the first time a turntable at the end of the space between the 2 lockage lanes where the mules turned around to have their lines facing the canal locks.

On the trip back to sea I spotted what had originally been a visitor center (that center has now been moved to the Agua Clara locks).  One of the exhibits from there is a reminder that things do change slowly on the canal.  Originally the lock gates were opened and closed by a huge cog wheel while now pneumatic cylinders do the job.

My final vantage point will likely come as a surprise.  I think I have mentioned that I am on Deck 1, the lowest passenger deck, in an oceanview (no balcony cabin).  Before the cruise I was offered a very attractive upsell to a verandah, at a price I would gladly have paid if it was anything but a Panama Canal cruise, but I stood my ground.  It’s something I picked up on my Crystal Panama Canal cruises, where the corresponding deck had the dining room and some lounges but it was even better on the Eurodam.  It is the only spot I know of where you can be aware of actually being inside the lock chambers rather than looking down on them.  In the “uplocks” collage we were already in the first lock when I entered my room, looking at a lock wall I could almost touch if my window would open, rising up into the light as the water lifted us, then moving forward as the slanted middle chamber gradually encased the room in darkness, and finally rising to daylight again.

Roy

 

 

Interesting photos Roy.

Graham.

[rafinmd]

Thursday, November 17, 2022, Puerto Limon, Costa Rica

Since we had moved the clocks back Wednesday night sunrise should have come up early and I was on deck about 5:30 to a very overcast drizzle, although while was at the Seaview Pool the pilot boar came by.

While I’ve been to Puerto Caldera on the Pacific side of Costa Rica several times, this was my first visit to the Caribbean side, and we docked right next to the town.

The tours all seemed to take up our entire time at the port and I was not interested but did take a walk into the town about 8, turning towards the ocean once out of the city.

It did not appear to be a very nice city; even the village square seemed quite dingy, and the sidewalks were a bit uneven so I tried to walk carefully.  The one thing I saw that looked quite nice was the city Teatro.

I was off the ship about an hour; I was impressed by one bit of recycling, the benches at the cruise terminal were all based on recycled oil drums.  I did not try sitting since there was still a bit of a drizzle.  

The rest of the day on the ship was pretty quiet; I did have a church related zoom meeting at 1 but did not really do a lot else.

 

All aboard was 3:30 and the tours pretty much all returned on time.  In his sailaway update Captain Bant indicated we had 1233 miles to Fort Lauderdale and we would need a speed of 21kt to be on time.  We would advance the clocks overnight to get back on Fort Lauderdale time.

 

We were well away from the pier just a bit after 4.

Sunset was 5:03 but I went up to the Seaview Pool to catch the last little bit of the sun before it disappeared behind clouds about 4:50.

Diane and Sharon finally returned to the Dining Room after several days away.  My choices for the evening were Classic Caesar Salad, Roasted Lamb Shoulder, and Vanilla Ice Cream.

I passed on Comedian Jose Sarduy on the Mainstage and timing did not work for me on Lincoln Center Stage performances at 6:30 and 8.  I had hoped to briefly drop by the Orange Party at 9:30 but dozed off about 9 and completely missed it.

 

My parting shot today will be a salute to the internet and technology.  While the wifi on ships is spotty, at least when most passengers are off the ship it was possible to attend a meeting that would otherwise have been impossible.

 

Roy

 

[DeeniEncinitas]

🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺

Good morning @rafinmdROY,

I agree with you in regards to Puerto Caldera. We decided to stay on the ship when we were doing SA. The place did not look desirable.

Thank you for the sunset!

Loved how you captured 

the person deep in thought! Also your food porns too👍

Thankyou

🌺Denise☺️

[Rafiki55]

Hi Roy. I am enjoying your trip and pictures so much! I am traveling on the Eurodam to the Panama Canal in early February. What nights are the Gala nights?  I am trying to figure out when to schedule the specialty restaurants.  Also what times are the shows? Thank you so much!

[rafinmd]

1 hour ago, Rafiki55 said:

Hi Roy. I am enjoying your trip and pictures so much! I am traveling on the Eurodam to the Panama Canal in early February. What nights are the Gala nights?  I am trying to figure out when to schedule the specialty restaurants.  Also what times are the shows? Thank you so much!

Dressy nights were the second night (first sea day), and tonight (sea day after Puerto Limon, and mainstage shows are 7 and 9.  Not sure what to tell about your cruise; I expect  it would not be the day in HMC so probably your first sea day and the sea day after Puerto Limon, but I'm somewhat guessing.

 

Roy

[0106]

10 hours ago, DeeniEncinitas said:

I agree with you in regards to Puerto Caldera.

I believe Roy was in Puerto Limon which is on the Caribbean side.  

If people are looking for something to do in Limon,  I suggest getting out of the port.  There is a nice beach just outside of Limon called Playa Bonita and a beautiful island, Isla Uvita, assessable by a 20 minute boat ride.  There is a nearby rainforest with an aerial tram and zip line and a sloth sanctuary close to Limon too.

[rafinmd]

Friday, November18, 2022, At Sea, MS Eurodam

Friday was not a good day as I was somewhat under the weather in more ways than one.  When I started what should have been my first “Lap with a purpose” I found the forward promenade deck hard to open with the wind howling outside.  I quickly decided that walking was not a good idea at least for then.  Heading up to the Lido and out to the seaview pool with coffee, there was some drizzle with evidence that harder rains had found some leaky spots.  In addition, a sore spot on my left foot was bothering me, especially when I walked.

 

Surprisingly, when the time for sunrise came, I found there were more breaks in the clouds than I thought, and saw my first horizontal sunrise.  I did not see the sun until several minutes after it had cleared the horizon, and it first really emerged as some fast moving clouds blew out of the way.

There were a number of activities, although I only partook of a few and did quite a bit of packing.  At 10 Captain Bant appeared on the Mainstage, presenting a virtual tour of the Bridge and Engine Room, and answered some questions.

On Deck For A Cause was at 11:30.  The 5K walk normally benefits cancer research but for now the funds are being used for medical aid to Ukraine.  Our hostess explained that the cause was especially poignant for her because she had been assigned to the Volendam for several months while it served as emergency refugee housing.  While the wind was not quite as bad then as it had been earlier I still found it a tough walk.

The group started out all together but spread out nicely well before the end of the first lap.

I only walked for one lap but there were refreshments out for the end of the walk.  The shirts are different this year.  While they have always been white with blue lettering, this year they are blue with white lettering.

In his noon update Captain Bant indicated we had sailed 399 miles since leaving Puerto Limon with 833 to go.   Conditions might even be a bit rougher Saturday (they appear to be but at least my foot feels a bit better).

 

My main activity in the afternoon was a visit to Lincoln Center Stage for a Brahms concerto.  A very interesting juxtaposition of very different movements.

 

We were all present at Table 30 for our final Dressy dinner.  My choices for the evening were Apple, Pear, and Cucumber Salad, Cracked Pepper Beef Tenderloin (holding the shrimp), and Vanilla ice cream.

I was out of the dining room barely on time to be on time for the 7PM Mainstage show, a repeat performance by the Island Magic Steel Band.  After the show I did some more packing and called it a night about 10PM,

 

As my parting shot today, some sea days are better than others, but it’s hard to complain when you eat well with no shopping, no cooking, and no cleanup.  I’ll take it.

 

Roy

 

[Essiesmom]

I wasn’t following this thread, but I would like to add some captures from the Panama Canal webcams:

 

 

[BetsyS.]

Roy - Thanks for all your wonderful reports and great pictures. The sunrises 

are beautiful!  Congratulations on your 5 stars!  Safe travels home and I'm 

glad you are renewing your passport.

 

[rafinmd]

Saturday, November 19, 2022, Final Sea Day, MS Eurodam

The weather did not improve much Saturday but at least the bottom of my foot was significantly better.   When I first left my room the forward promenade doors on both sides of ship were roped off, giving me a good clue of what the prevailing weather was.  

 

Sunrise was 6:55AM, just before the Lido Marketplace opened, and I stepped onto the aft deck after getting an omelet.  The sun was coming up over the stacked pool loungers and I had to fight a substantial wind to get a photo.

I did most of my walking on the ship’s interior corridors (decks 5,7, and 8).  I did go back up to the lido just before breakfast closed for a waffle, and walked back on the promenade deck from the aft entrance to the forward entrance.

I went back about 11:30 before lunch and walked from the forward entrance around the bow and stern returning to the aft doors for one full but split lap around the ship.  Overall about 40 minutes total walking, a LOT better than yesterday.

 

My biggest activity for the day was preparing to leave the ship, mostly packing up all my junk in a manner that would facilitate nights in a Cocoa hotel and on the Auto train.  Once Faisal had made up my room the bed became a war zone, and remained that way through dinner.

In his final noon update Captain Bant indicated we had sailed 929 miles from Puerto Limon averaging 21.7 knots with 304 remaining to meet the pilot at 4:30AM tomorrow.  We have a strong breeze and choppy seas with a temperature of 27/81.

 

I made a final visit at 2:30 to Lincoln Center Stage for a program of works by Chopin.

 

We were all present for our final dinner at table 30.  Not long after arriving the sun disappeared into the clouds out our back window.

My final dinner on the Eurodam was Classic Caesar Salad, New York Strip Loin, and Red Velvet Cake a la mode.

I passed on the final Mainstage offering, Step One Dance Company.  The planned show had been “In Tandem”    but Gage indicated it was being replaced by Humanity due to the sea conditions.

 

My 2 bags for the porters went out about 7:55, leaving me just the things I will use tonight to carry off the ship.  I hope to be in bed early tonight.

https://morethangetaways.files.wordpress.com/2022/11/bagsout.jpg

As my parting shot, the cruise is basically over but not the trip.  I still have travel and family time tomorrow, and the Auto Train Monday to Tuesday.  It will be a busy time; I will be back but perhaps not before I get back home.

 

Roy

[DeeniEncinitas]

🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺

@rafinmd Dear Roy,

Thank you for bringing us on your wonderful journey with beautiful sunrises and sunsets and taking the time for all your pictures! LOL

love your last nite stateroom pic of all your 

🧳 suitcases!!

🌺Mahalo my dear friend safe travels and look forward to more!! 
Glad your foot is better!!

🌺Denise☺️

[Seasick Sailor]

6 minutes ago, DeeniEncinitas said:

🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺

@rafinmd Dear Roy,

Thank you for bringing us on your wonderful journey with beautiful sunrises and sunsets and taking the time for all your pictures! LOL

love your last nite stateroom pic of all your 

🧳 suitcases!!

🌺Mahalo my dear friend safe travels and look forward to more!! 
Glad your foot is better!!

🌺Denise☺️

 

Denise are you still in Kaanapali? Send your latest painting! Love to you and David. 

[travelnap]

Roy, thank you for taking us along with you on your voyage.  I hope you have a safe trip home on the auto train.  Neil