March 5 Fuerte Amador (Panama City), Panama
We had been in Fuerte Amador last year, going in the opposite direction and didn’t find much that interested us then so we decided to just look around the terminal building (for more gin, if the truth must be known).
Panama is very hot, the tender ride in was a bit rough and we didn’t stay long in the terminal.
The ladies from Fed Ex are on board so we decided to start the packing to see how much will be shipped to Florida and how much to Lochstead. We shipped five bags down and were under our 200 pound allowance so imagine our surprise when we only received shipping tags for four bags. I checked with the ladies and there in small print it said 100 pounds per passenger (in our cabin category) up to 2 bags. I guess we just got lucky when we shipped five.
Try sorting through things and putting them in suitcases in a little cabin not much bigger than a good size bathroom. Not fun.
Some folks went off on a boat tour (a small boat) of the Canal and the boat broke down. Not a good place to be dead in the water.
Our last folkloric show, the Panama Danzas Hoy. I think it is the same one we saw last year….at least the costumes looked the same.

March 6, Panama Canal Transit.
No matter how many times people go through the Panama Canal they are still excited about it and up on deck most of the time. For our third trip, we were no exception.
I’m sure everyone knows the story of the Panama Canal. The idea of digging a passage cross the isthmus of Panama uniting the Atlantic and Pacific Ocean goes back as far as Vasco de Balboa. The French and then the United States continued the idea. When the canal opened in 1914 the final combined cost was $639,000,000 but the toll in human lives greater. It is estimated that more than 30,000 people died from disease or accidents.
A few statistics for the interested:
Maximum dimensions of ships allowed:
Beam 106 feet
Length 965 feet
Draft 39.5 feet
Top Countries by origin and destinations of cargo
United States
Peoples Republic of China
Chile
Japan
South Korea
Ecuador
Peru
Mexico
Colombia
Canada
On December 31, 1999 control of the canal and the canal zone was turned over to Panama. Panama is doing extremely well: the canal’s income rose from 4769 million in 2000 to $1.4 billion in 2006. Accidents are down and traffic has increased.
Tolls charged vary---it costs almost a quarter of a million dollars for the Prinsendam to transit the canal.
If you want to read more about the history and construction of the canal, David McCullough has a wonderful book The Path Between the Seas.
We began our transit about 7 am. Waiting on the docks between the locks were the ship’s photographers who had been up since 4 am to get off onto the pilot boat.
Things went smoothly with only a few delays as we waited our turn and we exited the Gatun Lock just at dusk.
We had been told that webcams were stationed along the canal so we quickly e-mailed family and friends to watch the Prinsendam go through. Kenneth told us he would be watching the starboard stern for us at the last lock. Alan and stood there (in the rain) for an hour, waving like fools. Every time I waved at what we thought was the camera the man operating the mule (towing locomotive) waved back. I wonder what story he had to tell when his shift ended.
The Prinsendam provided a great commentary all the way through the passage. If only we could have it in print.
Alan swam the Panama Canal, in the Lido pool. Five more Dam Dollars.

March 7, San Blas Islands, Panama.
Rough seas delayed tender operations but we finally made it to shore on one of the larger San Blas Islands. There are 365 of the San Blas Islands located just a few miles off the Caribbean coast of Panama. Some of them are inhabited by the Kuna Indians who still live in simple thatched roof huts and wear their colorful, traditional outfits, including the now popular world-wide molas. About 50 of the islands have permanent communities.
Some are just tiny specks of sand with a few trees.
Mola means blouse, and they are made by the women in this martriarcal society . Molas are hand made and consist of a number of different pieces of cotton cloth laid one on top of the other. The maker cuts down through the layers forming primitive designs of natural figures such as birds, fish and frogs, as well as mythological or geometric patterns. The layers are then sewn together with incredibly tiny and intricate stitching. They are then used on clothing, purses, pot holders and framed.
Molas used to be a great buy until one of the larger upper end department stores discovered them, bought up a tremendous supply and featured them in their Christmas catalog. The Kuna Indians caught on that they had a very marketable products and prices soared.
The Kuna live much the same as they did hundreds of years ago with the exception of cell phones, electricity and TV. The main street in the village is about 10 feet wide, made of packed dust, and lined with small thatched roof huts. The huts I was able to peek into were bare of anything but a table or two, and a couple of hammocks. Small dirt alleyways with more huts lead off the “main street.” It is very simplistic life but when you see a woman dressed in a colorful skirt, mola blouse with a yellow or red scarf on her head, a ring in her nose, and a black stripe down the center of her face talking on a cell phone you feel like you are in the twilight zone.
In the center of the village was the town square, a tiled floor surface with more huts around it. The molas of all sizes from 3x3” to 2’x2.5’ hung on ropes outside of each hut. Some were crudely made and others with very fine stitching and design.
A couple of huts advertised cold beer. I have never seen so many little kids in my life. Or puppies or kittens. The kids who couldn’t crawl were in wash tubs at their mother’s feet while Mom sold molas. Kids a year old and up ran around in the dust, playing like kids do. Each kid who could talk had mastered “one dollar” very well. Poor little kittens were dressed in doll clothes and held up for pictures. One dollar.
I spent more than a few dollars for molas and then asked the woman if I could take her picture. She replied, “one dollar.” I should have made that part of the deal before I handed over my money. Other passengers had the same experience.
The huts built right along the shoreline had a little walkway/pier out to a tiny hut over the water. Yep, those were the outhouses, with “plumbing” that went directly into the water.
We caught the last tender back to the ship….a rather rough ride….and set sail for Santa Marta, Colombia.


March 8, Santa Marta, Colombia Day 66
If they published one, the ship’s newspaper could read
CRUISE SHIP BATTERED BY GALE WINDS.
With winds at 50 knots, gusting to 80, seas and swells up to 19 feet, the valiant Prinsendam made her way slowly toward Santa Marta, Colombia from the San Blas Islands. It was the Prinsendam's first stop every at the Colombian port.
The high winds began yesterday as the ship was anchored in the San Blas Islands.
At one point tender operations had to be halted as the Prinsendam dragged her anchor.
Because of sea and wind conditions the Prinsendam cruised at under 14 knots all night and consequently was several hours late arriving in Santa Marta. Some of the longer tours were canceled but most tours went as planned....just a few hours later than expected.
As the Prinsendam entered the harbor she was greeted with the sight of a Chiquita banana boat at her dock. Tugs soon moved the banana boat (we’re talking a large container vessel, not a Harry Belafonte type banana boat) to another dock and with great seamanship, the Captain docked the Prinsendam in 30-40 knots of wind. Extra lines were put out and the gang way lashed into place with additional lines.
Although barf bags were put out yesterday, warnings continually broadcast to stay inside, and seasickness pills dispensed frequently, there were no injuries and only a couple of falls.
It was a very rough night, and an even rougher day. People in the Crow's Nest Lounge on Deck 12 reported spray washing over the windows. This morning all decks, railings and outside stairways are white with salt. Two windows in the Ocean Bar Lounge shattered as well as one in the dining room.
More of the same weather is predicted for the next two days, as the elegant Prinsendam
makes her way to Fort Lauderdale, Florida. In spite of the delays and being uncomfortable, the hardy mariners on board are still smiling and enjoying the last four days of the cruise.
The end
As I was sitting writing the above we hit a wave or a wave hit us and I literally bounced off the little stool I was sitting on to use the computer. At 2pm, just after we left San Blas, the Captain announced that we were sailing in a gale and could expect gale winds, high seas with swells up to 15 feet.
Our cabin is on deck 5. Deck 4 is the first one about the water line and has no passenger cabins so you can see we are pretty low in the ship. The waves were splashing up over our window. I would never, never, never, get a cabin any higher than we are. Funny, how the most expensive cabins have the most motion. They are larger, and probably very nice on calm sea days but I wouldn’t take a chance even if we could afford the penthouse.
We had several announcements that the ship was bouncing "violently" and to be sure and use the hand rails.
Dinner was a challenge. Just after we were seated a very powerful lurch occurred and water and wine glasses on several tables went flying. We were lucky and only lost a glass of water. Several guests at other tables were drenched in wine.
As dinner progressed we all became very adept at eating with one hand on the wine glasses. Occasionally we would relax but as we felt a pitching motion coming, eight hands simultaneously reached up and grabbed the glasses. It was probably the most fun dinner we have had.
Remember the photo contest? Well, guess who won First Place in the people category. No, not Alan. My portrait shop will open when I return to real life. The prize is the Antarctic Wildlife DVD. Be prepared to watch one hour of penguins and seals.
Alan went on a Cruise Specialists tour and I wandered the small shore front which housed a few stalls of handmade goods.
When I returned back to the ship (having been almost blown off the pier getting there) I went up near the bow to take a picture of the many lines holding us to the pier. As I snapped the picture, a security guard came up and by gestures told me to go back to the gangway as I would be cut in half if a line snapped.
Two sea days and it’s Ft. Lauderdale and the end of our journey.