Look Who's in the Canal Today (part 2)

[Essiesmom]

Interesting, the article says the non-local workers will not have access to the community.  I suppose that is a condition of the type of cork visa, but it rather sounds like they are prisoners in an AI.  I hope they are paid well.  Do you suppose gratuities are included?  EM

[BillB48]

2 hours ago, dmwnc1959 said:

She’s still at the Pacific Anchorage as of this morning

Suppose if I thought about it for a minute it would be just being repositioning voyage and would only be carrying crew.  Just checked AIS and it looks like she is taking on bunkers.

[dmwnc1959]

1 hour ago, Essiesmom said:

Interesting, the article says the non-local workers will not have access to the community.  I suppose that is a condition of the type of cork visa, but it rather sounds like they are prisoners in an AI.  I hope they are paid well.  Do you suppose gratuities are included?  EM

You’d think they’d want the workers to have some community access, as a contribution to the locally economy. Since it’ll be a hotel ‘barracks ship’, I don’t imagine gratuities are involved? I’m thinking that the hotel services would be provided by the company and their paid employees.

[dmwnc1959]

Three ship day: Emerald Princess and Norwegian Gem from the Atlantic side, Silver Nova from the Pacific. 
 

 

 

 

Edited December 27, 2023 by dmwnc1959

[Essiesmom]

Silver Nova at Pedro Miguel

 

[Essiesmom]

I think they are becoming even more thrifty with water in the locks.  My observation has been that they usually leave an empty lock between ships.  But today I noticed a small tanker just next to NCL Gem, and she wasn’t lowering.  And another tanker came into the lock behind her.  I realized that instead of shifting the water from an empty lock, they were using the water to simultaneously lower the tanker and raise Gem.  And when Gem mover into her third lock, the water was used to lower the other tanker as it raised Gem. EM

 

Edited December 27, 2023 by Essiesmom

[dmwnc1959]

Windstar, the last one for 2023. 

 

 

 

 

Edited December 31, 2023 by dmwnc1959

[dmwnc1959]

First cruise ships of 2024 🥳🎉

SILVER SHADOW - January 2nd 

RUBY PRINCESS, and the INSIGNIA on her World Cruise - January 3rd 

[dmwnc1959]

ISLAND PRINCESS on her World Cruise, this morning in the Gatun Locks…

 

 

 

 

 

😁

Edited January 8 by dmwnc1959

[Essiesmom]

I almost missed Quest at Gatun, and here she is at Pedro Miguel.  And Island Princess at Pedro Miguel

 

[Essiesmom]

Island Princess at Miraflores, completely hiding Seabourn Quest who will be in the other lane

 

[Essiesmom]

Island Princess exits, revealing Seabourn Quest entering the neighboring lock.  She had to wait for the water Island was displacing to enter her lock, raising it to the needed water level.

 

[dmwnc1959]

Grabbed a weather screenshot as ISLAND PRINCESS was at the Miraflores Locks. 😳 I can’t even imagine this heat AND humidity. It’s also why I decided to go the opposite direction so as to maybe hit these locks and the Guillard Cut in the ‘cooler’ 🥵 part of the morning. I’ll be passing here at the beginning of February 2025. 

 

 

 

😳🔥🤯

Edited January 8 by dmwnc1959

[Essiesmom]

That doesn’t look bad, humidity only 60%.  My summers are worse than that…. EM

[dmwnc1959]

6 minutes ago, Essiesmom said:

That doesn’t look bad, humidity only 60%.  My summers are worse than that…. EM

😳 I’ve never really paid attention to percentages and heat indexes, have to do that this summer. 

[BillB48]

If you were going to pick a time for the most comfortable time of the year to visit Panama, January is about the best.  Right after the Rainy Season ends and the Dry Season starts is the lowest humidity and the high temps are not bad.  Much better chance for regular breezes out of the north as well.

 

[dmwnc1959]

1 hour ago, BillB48 said:

If you were going to pick a time for the most comfortable time of the year to visit Panama, January is about the best.  Right after the Rainy Season ends and the Dry Season starts is the lowest humidity and the high temps are not bad.  Much better chance for regular breezes out of the north as well.

 

I know it’s impossible to pin it down to a single day, but my transit is scheduled for February 1, 2025. So I’m hoping for some of that low humidity and dry season. 🤞🏻😁

[BillB48]

You are in luck, that still is a good time.  Actually the Dry Season should be fairly well established by then, but everything will still green and lush along with very little chance of rain.  The other thing you will avoid that occurs in late Dry Season is the haze that is often present due to brush fires.  Even though the Jan-Feb period of time you find the "lowest humidity" many people coming from winter to the tropics may look upon the weather as being humid.

Edited January 9 by BillB48

[dmwnc1959]

ZAANDAM on its way to San Diego.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

😁

Edited January 9 by dmwnc1959

[dmwnc1959]

NORWEGIAN SUN on her way down the west coast of South America to Chile and around Cape Horn. I’ve been using the website cruisetimetables and she wasn’t listed for today. Is there a more up to date transit schedule? 

 

 

 

 

 

🌞

Edited January 10 by dmwnc1959

[Essiesmom]

Unfortunately NCL does not usually list their transits as part of the itinerary.  So sometimes I discover them as they are approaching…. I look at the itinerary and if the ship is in Cartagena one day, and two days later in Puntarenas, or Panama City…you know they are going to transit.  She was in Colon yesterday, and when she left last evening I clicked on her, thinking she was heading back somewhere, but it said Panama Canal.  
  Here she is at Gatun and Pedro Miguel.  Then add Silver Nova…

 

[dmwnc1959]

4 hours ago, Essiesmom said:

Unfortunately NCL does not usually list their transits as part of the itinerary.  So sometimes I discover them as they are approaching…. I look at the itinerary and if the ship is in Cartagena one day, and two days later in Puntarenas, or Panama City…you know they are going to transit.  She was in Colon yesterday, and when she left last evening I clicked on her, thinking she was heading back somewhere, but it said Panama Canal.  

You’re definitely much more learned about these things than I am. Not wanting to overdose on All Things Panama Canal, I need to take a break for a while so that I’m not burned out before my cruise even gets here in a year. With that said, I do appreciate you’re letting me post of this thread - it’s been a real treat - and I look forward to your captures in this new year! 🎉

[dmwnc1959]

Two transits of note recently:

 

The super-yacht styled cruise ship Emerald Azzura of Emerald Cruises passed through yesterday…

 

https://www.emeraldcruises.com/our-fleet/our-yachts/emerald-azzurra-sakara

 

 

 

Edited January 17 by dmwnc1959

[dmwnc1959]

…and today the Artania (ex-Royal Princess; ex-Artemis) of Phoenix Reisen cruises. 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited January 17 by dmwnc1959

[Essiesmom]

I have a soft spot for Artania as she was my first ‘modern day’ cruise, South America in 1999 as the original Royal Princess.  EM