December 22, 2024
PANAMA CANAL CROSSING - 12/16/24
We crossed from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean today, in roughly 11 hours, via the Panama Canal. We started at roughly 7:45 a.m. and many of us were on deck to witness. We had an expert narrator on board, the whole time, who was very informative, witty and entertaining! The canal is a 50-mile artificial waterway composed of a series of 3 locks on either side of lake Gatun. It is an engineer marvel with a fascinating history. The voyage ended with a gorgeous full moon bathing the canal and making Panama City sparkle.
On April 30th, Angie and Gian , a shipboard sweet couple that meet during the dry dock delays in Belfast , seven months ago, got married with just 28 close family and friends, at sunset in the Observatory Lounge. They then did another " Tying the knot ceremony" for the entire ship on May 1st on the pool deck, officiated by Captain Val . After each service was a special dinner one in the Thistle Dining room and the other at the Outdoor deck of Palms Restaurant. The above video done by VVR Marketing shows the highlights. I ended up being the Wedding Resident Coordinator for the couple and I have a ton of the behind the scene photos of how it all came about. It was a lot of work, but I got to interact with so many great people and really enjoyed the challenge, logistics and organization of the whole thing! It brought so many residents together, in a common bond, it was really something special to have played such a major role.
COSTA RICA - PUNTA ARENAS
COLON, PANAMA