SLSD Posted January 18, 2023 #101 Share Posted January 18, 2023 Shark b8, Were you part of the adventure with the tenders yesterday? Or were you already back on the ship. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shark b8 Posted January 19, 2023 Author #102 Share Posted January 19, 2023 (edited) Ok, back after a hectic 24 hours. Yes, SLSD, we were caught up in the fun and games yesterday…..while we were out and about in Panama City, the Captain had to move the ship from its position tied up at the dock, out to a quarter-mile or so away. I overheard something about tidal stuff and currents and unusual seas, not sure precisely what the issue was. In any case, they had to hurriedly enlist the tenders of course, and a large number of us waited patiently in the curse terminal for it all to start playing out. Getting on the tender at the dock was fine, but getting off, at the ship, was dicey. Seemed very strange to me….the seas appeared perfectly normal, no big waves or surge, but the tenders bobbed up and down at the ship’s tender platform like a (champagne) cork. We’ve all had that experience where you sort of visually “time” your step onto the platform to correspond with when the tender is right there and level, but in this case (at least when we were there), the platform vs the tender itself were rising and falling fully 2-3 feet different from each other, it really was a bit tricky. And when I got both feet on the ship’s platform, a big wave washed over it and my feet, I was soaked almost up to the knees. (My sneakers are still drying out). Never a dull moment…. Edited January 19, 2023 by shark b8 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shark b8 Posted January 19, 2023 Author #103 Share Posted January 19, 2023 (edited) …..and then, for those who opted for the 3-day off-the-ship excursion in the Galápagos Islands, well: Had to wake up at 3:30 AM this morning, meet in the Club at 4:00 AM, take the tenders back to the port, get on the world’s bumpiest bus for the 4-hour drive to Guayaquil airport, wait in line to do Customs/immigration type stuff, fly 2 hours to Baltra, wait in line to do customs/immigration type stuff again, and then bus-drive to the channel, take a ferry to Santa Cruz Island, stop off for some lunch (nearly 4:00p) and do some tortoise-watching, and then take a bus to Puerto Ayora, then take another shuttle/ferry to the hotel dock, and walk ¼ mile to the hotel. Just seemed like….a lot. Edited January 19, 2023 by shark b8 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shark b8 Posted January 19, 2023 Author #104 Share Posted January 19, 2023 But the tortoises helped save the day. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shark b8 Posted January 19, 2023 Author #105 Share Posted January 19, 2023 Noticed this and wondered……..was romance in the air? IMG_5055.MOV 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shark b8 Posted January 19, 2023 Author #106 Share Posted January 19, 2023 Question….answered. (ahem) 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SLSD Posted January 19, 2023 #107 Share Posted January 19, 2023 Shark b8, It DOES seem like a lot! I read somewhere that the lines holding the ship snapped. And that's why the ship left the dock. I even saw a photo. But only that one report. It does sound like you world cruisers have been very busy! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shark b8 Posted January 19, 2023 Author #108 Share Posted January 19, 2023 Presented without comment. 😜 1 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
florisdekort Posted January 19, 2023 #109 Share Posted January 19, 2023 Yes, 3 lines snapped within ~45 minutes. The sound is amazing, like an explosion. The swell at the dock was insane. Lots of crashing glasses etc. at the Colonnade. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
florisdekort Posted January 19, 2023 #110 Share Posted January 19, 2023 Sailing to Lima, Peru now which is under a State of Emergency because of riots/protests. We skipped the Galapagos tour because we already visited on Celebrity Expedition a few years back. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cadburysmom Posted January 19, 2023 #111 Share Posted January 19, 2023 16 minutes ago, florisdekort said: Yes, 3 lines snapped within ~45 minutes. The sound is amazing, like an explosion. The swell at the dock was insane. Lots of crashing glasses etc. at the Colonnade. Holy cow....hope no one was injured! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
travelwell Posted January 19, 2023 #112 Share Posted January 19, 2023 My kids and young grandkids just got back from visiting Peru. To say we were concerned is an understatement. They only went out with guides and family who knew the area.They kept away from all protests. US State dept said it was and still is a level three. They had a great time and and said Peru tourism has been hammered. They were treated like royalty and after seeing their photos and hearing their stories, Peru is now on my bucket list. It will be too bad if you miss your stop in Lima. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
florisdekort Posted January 19, 2023 #113 Share Posted January 19, 2023 1 hour ago, travelwell said: My kids and young grandkids just got back from visiting Peru. To say we were concerned is an understatement. They only went out with guides and family who knew the area.They kept away from all protests. US State dept said it was and still is a level three. They had a great time and and said Peru tourism has been hammered. They were treated like royalty and after seeing their photos and hearing their stories, Peru is now on my bucket list. It will be too bad if you miss your stop in Lima. We will definitely stop as they’re loading the next 2 weeks worth of food and supplies there, plus some crew is changing. We’re just debating with ourselves whether or not we’ll get off the ship. Sounds from your post it’s doable; thank you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shark b8 Posted January 20, 2023 Author #114 Share Posted January 20, 2023 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shark b8 Posted January 20, 2023 Author #115 Share Posted January 20, 2023 Wonderful Galápagos cactus with thick tree trunk. Just to left of it, on the rock, is a marine iguana, to the right a little lower, a sea lion. 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shark b8 Posted January 20, 2023 Author #116 Share Posted January 20, 2023 This little fella is only a couple of days old. And then, well…the Circle of Life. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shark b8 Posted January 20, 2023 Author #117 Share Posted January 20, 2023 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shark b8 Posted January 20, 2023 Author #118 Share Posted January 20, 2023 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shark b8 Posted January 20, 2023 Author #119 Share Posted January 20, 2023 Too cute. 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shark b8 Posted January 20, 2023 Author #120 Share Posted January 20, 2023 This one’s a little older, but still nursing. 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
travelwell Posted January 20, 2023 #121 Share Posted January 20, 2023 Shark B8, we had booked the Miami to Tahiti segment of this WC but had to cancel due to family issues. It is still on our bucket list but until then it is great living vicariously through you! I really appreciate you taking the time to share. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nancygp Posted January 20, 2023 #122 Share Posted January 20, 2023 Great photos Shark! Nancy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fdnycruiser Posted January 20, 2023 #123 Share Posted January 20, 2023 Outstanding photos. It may have been a difficult journey to get there, but looks like it was well worth it. Still on my bucket list Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare frantic36 Posted January 20, 2023 #124 Share Posted January 20, 2023 23 hours ago, florisdekort said: We will definitely stop as they’re loading the next 2 weeks worth of food and supplies there, plus some crew is changing. We’re just debating with ourselves whether or not we’ll get off the ship. Sounds from your post it’s doable; thank you. @florisdekort we used Haku Tours for both days in Lima. We had a driver and a guide both days and the cars were new and very comfortable. We felt very safe with them. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shark b8 Posted January 21, 2023 Author #125 Share Posted January 21, 2023 Here’s the Sea Lion, the boat owned by our hotel (Finch Bay) - two levels, covered upper and lower with a/c. The latter was appreciated, during today’s hike I started seeing a few spots from the heat, great to be able to cool down. Typical day involves sailing about 2 hours to a nearby island, a nature walk, then a swim/snorkel, lunch, and return. Yesterday we sailed by the Silver Origin in the Puerto Ayora harbor - knowing Silversea’s reputation, it certainly seems it would be a great way to do the Galápagos Islands in a little more depth if one had the time, they do continuous 7-day sailings. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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