What’s Included: This exclusive cruise includes all transfers, meals, cocktails and a double cabin:

• 2 Days / 1 Night, All Meals Included
• Snacks and Hors dourves
• Liquor, Wines, & Spirits
• Comfortable Double Cabin
• Transfers and Ground Transportation - Passengers will board the vessel at the Flamenco Marina on the Pacific side of Panama and will transit the Panama Canal northbound towards Colon, and will disembark at the Cristobal Port.

About the Sea Voyager: This vessel accommodates 60 guests in 31 outside cabins. There are three passenger decks. The vessel is 175 feet in length, has a gross tonnage of 1,195 tonnes and a speed of 10 knots. The ship is registered in Honduras and was completely refurbished in 2002. It routinely serves as a dive boat for tourists visiting Costa Rica. Comfortable and well equipped with a lounge with bar and audio visual facilities, a well-stocked library, fitness center, gift shop, observation deck, dining room and guest e-mail stations. The expedition equipment on board includes: Zodiacs, kayaks, snorkeling gear, underwater video camera and video microscope.

Cabin Information: Cabins 307 - 316 (orange coded on the graphic) are large outside cabins with twin or double bed, sofa, coffee table, chair and desks. Cabins 103, 105, and 201 - 204 (colored yellow on the graphic) are large outside cabins with twin or double bed and a desk. The rest of the cabins (colored green on the graphic) are outside cabins with twin or double bed and desk. Cabins 207 & 208 are single cabins.

Sailing Date: Saturday, 1 September 2007 at 10:00 am, until Sunday, 2 September (arrival in Cristobal Port).

Availability: The M/V Sea Voyager has 31 cabins and for this cruise reservations will be accepted for a total of 60 people. Spaces will be sold at a first-come, first served basis so if you’re interested make your reservations now. This cruise will almost certainly sell out fast.

Price: $299 Per Person, All Included.

Contact Information: If you would like to make a reservation or if you require more information, please contact:

• Don Winner
• Email: don@panama-guide.com
• Telephone: 399-4750
• Cell: 6614-0451

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Source: VIP Panama

Here’s the YouTube video:

What’s Included: This exclusive cruise includes all transfers, meals, cocktails and a double cabin:

* 2 Days / 1 Night, All Meals Included

* Snacks and Hors dourves

* Liquor, Wines, & Spirits

* Comfortable Double Cabin

* Transfers and Ground Transportation - Passengers will board the vessel at the Flamenco Marina on the Pacific side of Panama and will transit the Panama Canal northbound towards Colon, and will disembark at the Cristobal Port.

About the Sea Voyager: This vessel accommodates 60 guests in 31 outside cabins. There are three passenger decks. The vessel is 175 feet in length, has a gross tonnage of 1,195 tonnes and a speed of 10 knots. The ship is registered in Honduras and was completely refurbished in 2002. It routinely serves as a dive boat for tourists visiting Costa Rica. Comfortable and well equipped with a lounge with bar and audio visual facilities, a well-stocked library, fitness center, gift shop, observation deck, dining room and guest e-mail stations. The expedition equipment on board includes: Zodiacs, kayaks, snorkeling gear, underwater video camera and video microscope.

Sailing Date: Saturday, 1 September 2007 at 10:00 am, until Sunday, 2 September (arrival in Cristobal Port).

Availability: The M/V Sea Voyager has 31 cabins and for this cruise reservations will be accepted for a total of 60 people. Spaces will be sold at a first-come, first served basis so if you’re interested make your reservations now. This cruise will almost certainly sell out fast.

Price: $299 Per Person, All Included. Also, kids are half-price.

Contact Information: If you would like to make a reservation or if you require more information, please contact:

* Don Winner

* Email: don@panama-guide.com

* Telephone: 399-4750

* Cell: 6614-0451

SOURCE: Don Winner @ Panama-guide.com

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Source: VIP Panama

A Panama Cruise is amongst the most spectactular cruise available worldwide.

Just in case you are unsure exactly where Panama is in the world,… it is situated in Central America. Panama is home to the Panama Canal, which is a man made waterway joining the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans. The canal is known as one of the greatest feats of engineering in the 20th Century, due to the fact it physically severs the land mass of North and South America for a total distance of 80 kilometers. Since opening in August 1914, it’s use has steadily increased, culminating with over thirteen thousand vessels using the canal last year.

Hundreds of ships, including Panama cruise ships travel the length of the canal offering spectacular scenic voyages to a truly international audience. Actually touring the canal aboard a luxury cruise ship is an amazing experience. The journey takes a little over eight hours, passing through three locks, which raise the water level to allow the ships to pass.

The highlight of the voyage was standing on deck awaiting our turn to travel through the passage whilst a local historian commentated on interesting details and facts about the construction of the canal and it’s operational history. We also stopped off in the ports of Cristobal, Isla de Coiba, Isla San Telmo and Colon.

A Panama cruise will take you on a magnificent journey through the canal and offers many individual tour options such as sailing, kayaking (on Gatun Lake which the canal passes through), or the Panama Canal railway.

Whilst on your Panama cruise, you must take a trip to Panama City to take in some of it’s beautiful architecture and culture. Although it’s possible to take a round trip cruise, most people opt for a one way Panama cruise departing from either the Pacific or Atlantic side and ending on the opposite coast. Whichever route you choose, you typically can opt for a cruise duration of between ten and twenty nights,… the most typical Panama cruise being for twelve nights. Some of the itineraries take in Mexico, Costa Rica, Acapulco, Cayman Islands, Caldera, Columbia, Montego Bay and Florida with most routes now being available.

For me, experiencing a Panama cruise allows you the chance to enjoy breath taking scenery just a short walk from your luxurious cabin, fine dining and spectacular night life. Is it any wonder Panama cruises have become so popular? About The AuthorPaul Selson makes it easy to decide upon your Cruise destination, quickly & easily. Discover the 7 Top Cruise Destinations for the coming year. To receive your free 7-part mini-course

And there are so many options for Panama cruises! You can start your cruise from San Francisco, Ft. Lauderdale, Vancouver, and many other starting points. You can find a starting point that is close to your location, or you can travel to a starting point and spend a few nights there, turning into and extra, mini-vacation.

There are also a variety of lengths of cruises. You can even find Panama cruises that last for longer than 20 days! Of course, the majority of us cannot afford such a luxury as a 20 day cruise, so do not worry if you cannot, either. There are plenty of shorter cruises that will only require you to take a week or less off from work.

There are also Panama cruises to suit all different styles and budgets. You can find cruises that require formal wear and cruises that require no more than a nice pair of slacks. Remember, the cost of a cruise includes much more than just the cost of your transportation: it also includes your food, your lodging, activities, entertainment, port taxes, and so much more. In other words, you know in advance (and pay in advance) for all of the major costs of your trip, so you know exactly how much cash you have left over for other things like excursions and souvenirs.

On a Panama cruise, you have plenty of opportunities to explore other cultures, new environments, and that famous man-made wonder, the Panama Canal. There are also adventure opportunities for those who need an adrenaline rush. And Panama cruises do not simply let you explore Panama, but other places, as well.

A sample Panama cruise might take you to: the Panama canal, Golfo Dulce, Corcovdo national park, Darien Junble, isla de Coiba, Drake Bay, Manuel Antonio National Park, Costa Rica, and other fantastic places

To find the best Panama cruise for you, it is best to talk with a travel agent. A travel agent will help you find exactly which cruise line fits your personality (and age) best. A travel agent will help you make sure that your Panama cruise hits all the destinations that you want to see, starts when and where you want it to, and is as long as you want it.

Life is in the journey, and that seems to be one of the themes of Panama cruises ? the destination is perfect, but the journey of getting there is just as good.

Anne Clarke writes numerous articles for websites on gardening, parenting, fashion, and home decor. Her background includes teaching and gardening. For more of her articles on cruises and travel, please visit Panama Cruises. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Anne_Clarke

SOURCE: panama-travel-bureau.com

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Source: VIP Panama

Casinos. Formal dining rooms. Day spas and fitness centers. All cruise lines offer the same things, right? That may have been true decades ago, but no longer! Today, there is a great deal of variety in the cruise lines with regard to onboard activities, amenities, destinations and more. Since “how do I choose a cruise line” is probably the most frequently asked question I get, allow me to give you a quick overview of the most popular cruise lines and what each offers. You’ll want to bookmark this article so you can find it quickly in the future when you’re ready to book your next cruise.

Carnival Cruise Lines

Known as the Fun Ships®, Carnival made a bold move years ago by breaking the stereotype of cruise vacations. Carnival opened the door to Ordinary Joe to experience vacations at sea just as the rich and famous did. Thanks to Carnival, everybody can take a cruise at an affordable rate. These are fun, basic cruises that offer comfortable accommodations and all the amenities you would expect. Casinos, Broadway-style shows, spa treatments and fitness centers are all onboard, as well as extensive kids activities. With destinations to the most popular locations including the Caribbean, Alaska, Hawaii, Mexico and the Bahamas, Carnival offers quickie three- and four-day cruises as well as lengthy 16-day tours.

Norwegian Cruise Line

With several new ships launched over the last few years, Norwegian has a relatively new fleet. Known for “Freestyle Cruising,” NCL gives you the freedom to do what you want to do, when you want to do it. Traveling to the four corners of the world, NCL offers an extensive lineup of destinations in addition to the typical ones listed above. Book passage to Hong Kong, Singapore, Sydney, Madrid, Amsterdam, Athens, or Paris, as well as numerous cities in Egypt, Norway and Belgium. Exclusive Courtyard Villas with exceptional amenities make accommodating large groups or families a breeze. The large array of kid’s activities means the children will also have a great time!

Royal Caribbean Cruises

The slogan “Get Out There!” should tell you something about Royal Caribbean. These fast-paced ships are new, innovative and large! With many firsts at sea, Royal Caribbean has the newest fleet at sea loaded with unusual things to do including a rock wall, FlowRider® onboard surfing machine, ice skating rink, boxing ring and bowling alley. All this in addition to the expected casinos, spas, fitness centers and restaurants. Extremely kid-friendly, Royal delivers a diverse selection of baby, toddler, child, pre-teen and teen activities. Sailing to the four corners of the world, Royal can take you to six of the seven continents for some amazing adventures.

Princess Cruises

The original “Love Boat,” Princess Cruises has been a recognized leader in the industry since the early 70’s when the television series put them in front of the public eye. Today, Princess continues to offer casual yet refined cruises to typical destinations as well as Asia, Australia, South America and Europe. With art auctions and ScholarShip® programs there’s plenty to do onboard, including taking lessons in painting and digital photography plus listening to guest lecturers and more. Multiple youth and teen activities mean every member of the family can have a great time while vacationing on these smaller, but well-appointed ships.

Celebrity Cruises

More sophisticated and a little slower paced than the others, Celebrity’s hallmark is exceptional service. With an eye toward anticipating the passenger’s need and delivering before you even ask, Celebrity delivers award-winning service with every cruise. While they do offer a good selection of activities for children through teens, Celebrity offers more to adults. Enrichment programs and art auctions are included along with the typical casinos, shows and dining options. Offering signature destinations rarely found elsewhere, Celebrity can show you wonders of the world including the Galapagos Islands, Panama Canal and more around the globe.

Holland America Line

Signature white-glove service and premium accommodations set Holland America apart. With high levels of staffing, Holland sails with about one crewmember for every two guests, ensuring you get everything you want. A Culinary Arts Center offers hands-on as well as demonstration cooking lessons in a theater setting equipped with plasma TVs. Extensive programs for children and youth make this luxurious line family-friendly as well. Sailing to six of the seven continents, Holland calls on ports in lesser know, but fascinating destinations. Iceland, Norway, Greenland and Denmark as well as the ever-popular Caribbean, Bahamas and Mexico can be visited when sailing with Holland.

Windstar Cruise Line

Intimate. Peaceful. Personal. Not massive ocean liners: Windstar offers cruises onboard motor-sail yachts with sails furling! Small ships accommodating just over 300 passengers offer a truly unique way to see the most popular destinations in the world including the Caribbean, Europe and the Greek Isles. Take part in water sports right off the back of the ship! Relish in the gourmet meals and enjoy the pampering of well-appointed cabins. Geared specifically to adults, no children’s activities are offered. Two of the three ships have casinos; all have a delightfully different way to enjoy a cruise.

Cunard

The best of the best. Cunard says, “Excellence is to be expected” and they mean it! With three of the most recognized ships in the world, the Queen Mary 2, the Queen Elizabeth 2 and the Queen Victoria, Cunard offers five-star service and accommodations at every turn. Regal in every detail, these world-famous ships frequently play host to royalty, heads of state, the wealthy and celebrities. Reminiscent of grand ocean liners of past eras, Cunard is home to Canyon Ranch Spa, offers cultural enrichment programs and also an onboard planetarium. Partake in authentic English afternoon tea, stroll the deck, try your luck at the casino or drop the children off in The Zone while you relax on deck. Sailing to the four corners of the world, Cunard can take you anywhere you want to go.

Wherever you want to go, whatever you want to do, use the guide above to direct you to the right cruise line for you at the right price. You’ll quickly be able to decide the best vacation for you and your family with just a glance.

About the Author
Roy Witman is Vice-President of Cruise Vacation Center at http://www.cruisevacationcenter.com offering the best deals on cruises from New York. © 2007, All Rights Reserved

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Source: VIP Panama

The first thing the Americans did when they took over in 1904 was deal with the disease problem, which had killed an estimated 20,000 French workers. Their answer was to spray the swamps and ponds with kerosene to stop mosquitoes breeding. By that time, it had been discovered that the insects spread malaria and yellow fever, something the French had not known. And the Americans built better housing and established hospitals and clinics. By 1906 they were ready to get down to the real work. That, it was thought, meant literally moving mountains.

“But John Stevens, the chief engineer, was horrified when he examined the terrain,” says historian Mike Millwood. “He said, ‘We can’t go through the mountains. We have to go over them. We must have a lock canal.’ ” But the U.S. government was still keen on the sea-level idea.

Millwood, a history professor from England and a guest lecturer on the cruise ship Zaandam, transiting the canal, goes on: “Then (U.S. President) Teddy Roosevelt came down to Panama and while he was here Stevens showed him his plans for locks, to lift ships up and over the mountains, and Roosevelt said ‘Go ahead.’ ”

An advisory board was still insisting on a sea-level ditch, so it all came to a head 100 years ago this summer when, after much lobbying by Roosevelt, U.S. legislators voted for a lock canal. That was on June 21.

The word was telegraphed to Panama and the next day, June 22, the huge steam shovels - which could gobble eight tonnes of earth in one “bite” - began work building a dam on the Chagres River to form a lake that would feed the locks’ insatiable demand for water. That was the real beginning of the project.

The story is told by lecturers like Millwood aboard the dozens of cruise ships that transit the canal every year, and in an excellent visitor centre at the Miraflores Locks, on the Pacific side of the mountains. Here pictures, dioramas, artifacts and a video fill in a lot of the background on one of the most thrilling engineering and human dramas in history.

And there’s also the very real drama of standing in the bow of a cruise ship as she enters the locks, ready to be lifted up 26 metres to the level of the canal. Only then do you realize the scope and complexity of Stevens’ vision. The figures have very little meaning - 305 metres long by 33.5 metres wide - until you realize that if you stood any one of the 12 locks on end it would be more than half the height of the CN Tower in Toronto and just 76 metres shorter than New York’s Empire State Building.

The canal experience - assuming you’re going from the Atlantic to the Pacific - begins a little before your arrival at the Gatun Locks. As your ship approaches the locks, passengers can see a waterway off the starboard decks; this is the remnants of the French effort. Farther away they glimpse the Gatun Dam, built to create the huge lake that feeds the locks.

Most people have a mental picture of the canal as something like a river wending its way through the Panama jungle. In fact, half its length is through Gatun Lake. Ships weave their way among the islands - mountain peaks in pre-canal days - on a set course, for much of the lake is too shallow for ships. Guides on the intercom point out such landmarks as the island of Barro Colorado, now a facility of the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute.

Just past the port of Gamboa the lake narrows and the waterway becomes the Gaillard Cut. The excavated banks are now covered by jungle, so that sailing through the cut is much like river cruising.

Off to port can be seen, through breaks in the jungle here and there, the Panama Railway, which goes from ocean to ocean in just under an hour (cruise ships take about eight hours). A lock at Pedro Miguel takes ships down one “step” to Miraflores Lake; then another two locks take them to sea level on the Pacific side of the isthmus.

There’s one more sight for the cruisers: the magnificent 1,654-metre Bridge of the Americas, built in 1962 as part of the Pan American Highway connecting North and South America. After that, the high-rise buildings of Panama City come into view.

And all the time the cruise ship guides are telling the story. They explain that when engineer Stevens said he’d lift ships up and over the mountains he wasn’t being strictly accurate.

Even at eight storeys above sea level - the level of the artificial lake created by damming the Chagres River - the engineers still had to carve a channel through the narrowest part of the San Blas Mountains to get to the Pacific.

So the gangs of men and the great steam shovels (and a lot of dynamite) got to work and removed 80 million cubic metres of rock, shale, mud and sand, creating a 12.6-kilometre channel. (How much “spoil” is that? Well, if it were loaded on railway flatcars it would circle the globe four times!). Sailing through this 192-metre-wide cut, with the hills and the rainforest rising on either side, is almost as thrilling as transiting the locks.

Of a workforce of 100,000, some 5,600 died, mostly of disease, during the eight years the Americans took to build the canal. Combined with the French total, it meant one death for every three metres of canal.

The canal has been widened and deepened in parts, but the locks are pretty much as they were when the first ship sailed through in January 1914. There are three sets of double locks (meaning ships can pass in the locks) at each end, making 12 locks in all.

It comes as a surprise to many people transiting the canal that, going from the Atlantic to the Pacific, you’re sailing east (actually southeast), for Balboa, on the Pacific coast, is 23 nautical miles east of Colon, on the Atlantic. So if you’re on the canal you’ll find that the sun rises over the Pacific and sets over the Atlantic.

Amazingly, for the biggest engineering job in history, the canal was finished six months ahead of schedule and $23 million under its $375 million budget. (All figures in U.S. dollars.) Counting what the French spent - and some of their work was incorporated in the American effort - the total cost comes to $639 million.

By the summer of 1914 everything had been tested, ready for the official opening on August 15. It was the culmination of, as one writer observed, “the greatest liberty that man has taken with nature.” But the world didn’t notice. The story, if it made the papers at all, was in the back pages. For on August 3, Germany had declared war on France and on August 4, Britain went to war with Germany. With the planet tearing itself apart in the First World War, the words on the Great Seal of the Panama Canal Zone seemed ironic: “The land divided. The world united.”

If you go:

Most cruise lines offer Panama Canal transits. A travel agent can help.

For more information on the Panama Canal, including the Miraflores Visitor Center, visit the Panama Canal Authority website at www.panamacanal.com.

For information on travel in Panama visit the IPAT (Panamanian Tourism Institute) website at www.visitpanama.com.

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Source: VIP Panama

The mega-class cruise liner “Enchantment of the Seas” will leave Colon, calling at ports in Colombia, Aruba and Curacao. Panama’s vice-president Ruben Arosamena, who is responsible for maritime affairs, said the deal marked the beginning of a new industry for Panama. Royal Caribbean operates 35 ships in Europe, North America, South America, but the bulk of the firm’s business comes from the Caribbean. Panama’s economy grew a healthy 8.1 percent in 2006, lifted by increased trade, a construction boom, banking and shipping.

SOURCE: Don Winner @ Panama-guide.com

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Source: VIP Panama

Situated in the country of Panama in Central America is the Panama Canal - a manmade waterway connecting the great oceans of the Pacific and the Atlantic together. It is 80 kilometers in length and is wide enough to accommodate a whole host of ocean-going vessels, including Panama cruise ships. The Panama canal marks the only point at which the landmass of the North American continent and South American continent are physically separated from each other - a fact that distinguishes the canal as a true wonder of the 20th century engineering world.

The Panama Canal was initially designed to cut travel time for vessels that needed to cross between the Pacific and the Atlantic oceans. It first opened its commercial doors on 15 August, 1914 and is now used by more than thirteen thousand vessels each year. Along the canal’s length are three sets of locks. The locks act as water elevators, enabling vessels to traverse upslope/downslope across the canal terrain.

A Panama cruise takes in the full length of this magnificent canal, revealing some awe-inspiring views of an incredible feat of engineering, as well as offering a tantalizing selection of tour options along the canal. These include sailing or kayaking on Gatun Lake, through which the canal passes. Visitors can also book a tour of the Panama Canal railroad, which takes in dramatic views of the canal itself and the Central American rainforests.

Vibrant Panama City with its eclectic mix of architecture, people and culture is an essential excursion to take while on a Panama cruise. The historical district of Casco Viejo is well worth a visit, if only to see the remnants of the 17th century Spanish fortifications there. For sports-minded cruisers there is a world-class golf course located just 20-minutes away from Panama City.

Panama cruises depart from many of the coastal seaports around the U.S. The most popular cruise routes are one-way cruises departing from one port on the Atlantic or Pacific side and ending at a U.S. port on the opposite coast. Round-trip cruises are available too. These provide passengers with more ‘at sea’ time, and use the Panama Canal as the furthest destination point on the cruise.

Whether one-way or round-trip, Panama cruises incorporate other stops en-route to the Panama Canal and are often of between 10-20 nights in duration. A typical 12-night round-trip Panama cruise itinerary departing from Florida includes calls at Mexico, Jamaica, Costa Rica and Columbia as well as taking in the entire length of the Panama Canal. With so much variety on offer, its no wonder a Panama Cruise is top of the vacation wish list of many an American!

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Source: VIP Panama

Call it an expedition cruise. An eco-cruise. An un-cruise. It’s hard to pigeon-hole Cruise West’s new Costa Rica and Panama Canal itinerary aboard the Pacific Explorer. But by any measure, it’s a departure from the ordinary.

Contrast the freedom to go to the dining room in a T-shirt and bare feet with the fashion parades on large cruise liners, and you get an idea of what it’s all about. Passengers on this voyage have enough dressing up in their everyday work lives, and too much structure. Casinos and glittery shows are old hat. What they crave is an escape from corporate America and crowds, to kick back and live the sublime lifestyle of a summer cottage. Yet just sitting around is not enough. Activity–physical and intellectual–is called for. On these voyages, those wishes are splendidly fulfilled.

The purpose-built Pacific Explorer, a 100-passenger, shallow-draft vessel designed for slipping into remote pockets of paradise out of reach of the average traveler, offers up nine- and 12-day voyages of relaxation, hiking, bird-watching, kayaking, snorkeling, water-skiing, education, and terrific food. Passengers walk through old-growth rain forest, spot exotic birds and wildlife, snorkel some of the most pristine reefs in the Americas, explore jungle rivers, and learn, thanks to the experienced naturalists onboard, about the natural environment. This is all topped off with a transit of the Panama Canal. Seldom have I found such a happy balance in a vacation.

The ship itself is a pleasant surprise, 200-gross-register-tons of homey, casual living. Fifty outside cabins of 121-square feet–some with twin beds and some double–are compact but adequately comfortable with ensuite bathrooms that are almost identical to those found on large ships–but there are no TV sets. Four 147-square foot “suites” are available.

The Cacatua Lounge spans the front of the ship above the bow. It features large picture-windows on three sides and comfy chairs and sofas that people tend to fall asleep in. On the bottom deck at the stern, the large Tucan Lounge is used for talks and seminars. There’s a big-screen satellite TV here, a device ignored by one and all.

Just opposite is the Quetzal Dining Room, named for the most beautiful bird in Costa Rica. Here food of astonishing quality and variety is served–sometimes buffet-style, and at other times with sit-down service. There was always a good selection of vegetarian dishes, plus local fish, chicken, duck, roast pork, and delectable cuts of Costa Rica beef, which melts in your mouth. The room boasts huge picture-windows on either side of the ship, and table or banquette seating in arrangements of six. (There is talk of reconfiguring the dining room with round tables of four and six.)

Weather permitting, meals are often served al fresco on the sun deck as well, atop the ship. The Tortuga Bar there, with its handsome mahogany bar that looks as if it were lifted from an English pub, plus mahogany tables and chairs, is the favorite hangout. Half the deck is protected from the sun and half exposed, so both sun-bathers and the sun-sensitive are accommodated.

On the same deck you’ll find access to the bridge, which is open to all passengers at all times except during the Panama Canal transit (because of canal pilots onboard). The Costa Rican master, Captain Heman Lara, is young and personable and always welcomes visitors with a smile. The crew are all English-speaking Costa Ricans, and a nicer group of people you couldn’t find anywhere.

On the ship’s stem is a specially built landing platform that makes it easy to board and alight from the Zodiacs that shuttle passengers to shore. Since the Pacific Explorer does her best to avoid civilization, all landings are wet ones. She carries a host of water toys that are also launched from the special stem.

For all the activities, the passengers as a group were not as young as I’d expected–the median age was, in fact, 68. And they broke the stereotypes about age–adventurous, inquisitive, active, they were here to learn and explore. I was impressed with one couple from Toronto, in their 60s, who paddled a kayak more than a mile from shore to the ship. Then, ditching the kayak, they lept into the warm Pacific for a swim. Not everyone was in such fine condition, but everyone was active. None of the nature walks on the trip were physically very difficult.

I’d never kayaked before, and was pleased to find it so easy. One of my best memories comes from our stop at Drake Bay, on Costa Rica’s remote Osa Peninsula, where I paddled up a lazy river, then drifted down. I lay on my back and watched the jungle canopy slip past above me, the air rent with tropical birdsong.

There were many such moments. Such as the afternoon we sailed from Costa Rican to Panamanian waters, and dozens of spotted dolphins burst from the sea, keeping perfect time with the ship for 20 minutes or so, jumping in unison. One of the naturalists informed us that sometimes more than 1,000 dolphins are sighted there. On nature hikes, we spotted toucans, squirrel monkeys, white-faced cappucin monkeys, two-toed as well as three-toed sloths, coatimundis (a raccoon relative), and other exotic animals.

In Panama, our special little ship with its shallow draft sidled up to tiny offshore islands that land-based travelers simply cannot reach. Near the isle of Coiba, a large island that is both a national park and prison for Panama’s worst criminals, is a tiny speck of sand and rock called Grano de Oro, or grain of gold. An apt name, for the waters around it are rich in tropical fish. This stop was specifically for snorkeling (the ship carries equipment for everyone), and few passengers passed on the opportunity. It was dazzling, with a high concentration of exotic species.

Farther south, in the Pearl Islands, we visited Pachequita Island, a bird sanctuary that made me feel I was in the Galapogos, thickly populated as it was with magnificent frigate birds, blue-footed boobies, great white herons, pelicans, cormorants, American oyster catchers, and a plethora of others. Many avid birders had joined the cruise and were gleefully checking species off their lists.

Then we left natural wonders behind for a man-made one. Our daylight Panama Canal transit took 12 hours and was fascinating from beginning to end. A guide came onboard and delivered an articulate commentary throughout, dropping a steady stream of interesting facts. We had learned by this point that, due to a twist in the isthmus, the canal runs north-south, not east-west as so many people assume, and I was surprised to discover that the canal is actually farther east than Florida. We passed under the great span of the Bridge of the Americas, the only link between North and South America. The bridge is part of the Pan American highway, a road that would connect Alaska with Patagonia but for the Darien Gap, a patch of impenetrable Panamanian swamp and jungle.

We entered the first of the locks, at Miraflores, and watched the great gates close behind us. Weighing 80 tons each, the gates can be moved with just a 40-horsepower motor, testament to the ingenious engineering of the canal’s American builders. We learned how the jungle watershed on the hills around the Chagres River provides a continual supply of water to flood the locks. Only this freshwater is used, not seawater, to prevent salt corrosion. Three locks raised our little vessel 88 feet, and we sailed through the narrow Gaillard Cut, passing big freighters that looked like steel cliffs, almost within spitting distance. After crossing the massive, manmade Gatun Lake, three more locks took us down again, to sea level in the Caribbean.

Winds were high on this side of the continental divide, and our overnight voyage to the San Bias and Hollandaise islands provided our only bouncy crossing, yet it was worth it, as these islands, Panama’s dollops of paradise in the Caribbean, are worth the whole trip. After a short stop in San Blas to buy molas, colorful fabrics made by the Cuna Indians there, we slipped off to the remote Hollandaise archipelago.

Here lie everyone’s ideal of tropical islands. Most were uninhabited, just slim sandy isles sporting palm trees, surrounded by coral reefs. The water was so clean you could see 50 feet to the bottom. The coral reefs were thriving–untouched and unspoiled. They say it takes a brain coral 1,000 years to grow to the size of a human head, and I swam over brain coral the size of a kitchen table. I saw huge purple fan coral undulating like sheets in the wind, and a whole different eco-system of fish.

This is not only a new itinerary for Cruise West, but also a new ship for the line. Costa Rican owned and previously marketed as the Temptress Explorer for Temptress Adventure Cruises, the special vessel is now gaining wider awareness in America as part of the Cruise West family. One of cruising’s best kept secrets is out.

The Pacific Explorer sails the natural wonders of Central America on three different itineraries along the coasts of Costa Rica and Panama. Nearly 30 departures are planned for 2003 during January through April, July through August, and November through December. Per-person/double-occupancy fares for a nine-day itinerary start at $1,995; $2,445 for a 12-day. Air fare is not included. A variety of pre- and post-cruise options are offered.

For more information contact your travel agent or Cruise West (Cruise Travel Magazine), 2401 Fourth Ave., Seattle, WA 98121; or log on to www.cruisewest.com.

COPYRIGHT 2002 World Publishing, Co. (Illinois)
COPYRIGHT 2002 Gale Group

Copyright (c) 2006

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Source: VIP Panama

While the change in ownership raises some practical concerns for travelers, cruise-line representatives say there’s no cause for alarm. The changeover agreement includes a promise made by the Panamanian government not to levy new fees on cruise passengers traveling through the canal, so there should be no sudden increase in cruise prices or unexpected surcharges. And the new Panama Canal Authority plans to embark on a $1-billion modernization program.

The transfer may even lead to more Panamanian ports appearing on cruise itineraries, a welcome development for travelers who want interesting new places to visit, says Nancy Yale of Cruise & Resort Connection, in Fairfield, Conn. Cruise lines, all of which are registered outside the U.S., are required by law to have all ships departing from or returning to a U.S. port make at least one stop at a foreign port. Because the Panama Canal will become part of a foreign country, its ports will qualify.

COPYRIGHT 1999 The Kiplinger Washington Editors, Inc.
COPYRIGHT 2000 Gale Group
Lynn Woods

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Source: VIP Panama