San Diego to Victoria – sea day 1

Posted on April 27, 2023 by JoeTourist

April 27, 2023 – Thursday – sailing from San Diego to Victoria – day 1 off the California coast

2023 Panama Canal Cruise

I attend a cooking demonstration this morning, with the Captai along with the Pinnacle Grill chef making Dutch Pea Soup.Our cruise director Kimberly hosts the event. The Captain shares with us that when he is home, he cooks most of the meals for his family.

The Captain demonstrates making Dutch Pea Soup, along with the Pinnacle Grill chef and hosted by our cruise director Kimberly

I grab a coat and walk around the Promenade deck in the cold, foggy morning air as we cruise offshore from Lompoc, California, where the rocket launching base is located. There are supposed to be Humpback whales in the area, but I don’t spot any.

Since there’s no further events on the daily program that interest me, I decide to go to the shops to spend my remaining US$200 on-board credit. I buy a Helly Hansen jacket that is priced at US$178 in a size large. So essentially, Holland America bought me a free jacket!

I dine in the Pinnacle Grill this evening, with the food and service being superb. I order a Tanqueray 10 Dry Martini with olive as a pre-dinner drink, and then have the Jumbo Lump Crab cakes for a starter. There is no seafood sauce supplied, but the two crab cakes are very tasty. My main course is a 8 oz Filet Mignon, roasted baby beets with blue cheese, onion rings, and a loaded baked potato. The shallot and red wine bordelaise sauce is in a gravy boat, and is very good.

Not-So-Classic Bakes Alasks with Ben and Jerry's Cherry Garcia ice cream, Bing cherries Jubilee

The Not-So-Classic Baked Alaska using merengue-covered Ben and Jerry’s Cherry Garcia ice cream, Bing cherries jubilee is a very impressive substitute for the Cherries Jubilee which was previously flambeed at the table.

San Diego

Posted on April 26, 2023 by JoeTourist

April 26, 2023 – Wednesday – San Diego, California, USA

2023 Panama Canal Cruise

I am up at 7AM and out on my balcony this morning as the ship enters the harbour. It is an overcast day to start, but the clouds clear off later. I go down to the Main Dining room for breakfast, since I’m in no rush to go ashore because I don’t have an excursion booked.

It is a frustrating morning once we dock in San Diego, since US Customs and Border Protection insist on clearing each and every passenger and crew in person this morning. So despite docking at 7:30AM, I’m not allowed off the ship until 10:30AM since I have a 10AM time slot to see the CBP officers. It appears passengers with shore excursions booked and those who are leaving the ship by rolling their own luggage ashore are first in line. Next are passengers debarking, and then those of us who are “in-transit”, followed by crew leaving the ship. There are nine CBP officers, but the lines of passengers extend most of the length of the ship.

Once that hassle is over, I disembark the ship and walk over to the USS Midway Aircraft Carrier, an historic US Navy warship docked close by. It is an interesting way to spend about three hours by both exploring the inside of the ship, as well as the flight deck, where many historic aircraft are displayed. There are lots of helpful and friendly volunteers around to ensure people don’t get lost, and also to give information about the amazing systems and historic equipment they are seeing. I photograph every detail of this warship, so view my photo album for those who want all the details!

Our sail away out of the harbour is interesting as we pass the airport, marinas, US Navy and Coast Guard facilities, Sea lions, and the city itself. I have dinner this evening in the main dining room, but we are moved upstairs since it’s so busy. I go to Guitarist Nester Santurio‘s late performance in the Main Stage, but walk out before he finishes since I can’t stand his cornball antics. I end up in the Ocean Bar to have my usual martini, since I think I need an attitude adjuster.

San Diego

15 photos

Cabo San Lucas to San Diego

Posted on April 25, 2023 by JoeTourist

April 25, 2023 – Tuesday – Sailing from Cabo San Lucas, Mexico to San Diego, California, USA

2023 Panama Canal Cruise

I was exceedingly tired last night from the excursion, and later the big meal at Canaletto. I wake up this morning well rested and feeling much better. Since it’s only 7am, I go up to the Explorations Cafe for a cappuccino and a bottle of Perrier. Around 8:30am I go to the Main Dining room for breakfast – they have blitzes, which are quite good along with a second cappuccino.

There is nothing on the daily program that interests me until this evening, when the Boy Band Evolution are performing again, so I just chill out for most of the day. I pick up a new book from the library – Julia Child’s My Time in France, which is short enough for me to finish before we arrive in Vancouver. The crew have put a huge number of towel art animals around the Lido Pool this morning, so I have a look at the display and take some photos, posting to Facebook. See banner image above.

I preorder a Dive In Impossible Burger with fries, and go back up to the Lido Pool to have my lunch with a Dos Equis beer – one of my favourite meals. Although the Lido Pool area can be noisy like today when they are playing canned music, eating in the Lido Market is even more stressful since there are so many people in there. When I return to my stateroom, a Delft tile from Holland America Line commemorating sailing 150 years is waiting for me.

My room steward lets me know that he is flying home tomorrow from San Diego, so I give him an additional gratuity for his excellent service. His partner is staying with the ship, so I will give him some cash later.

The Boy Band Evolution performance this evening is just as good as their last time in Main Stage. A group that is a real crowd pleaser!

Puerto Vallarta to Cabo San Lucas – sea day

Posted on April 23, 2023 by JoeTourist

April 23, 2023 – Sunday – Sailing across the Gulf of California from Puerto Vallarta to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico

2023 Panama Canal Cruise

The ship slowly sails across the mouth of the Sea of Cortez from Puerto Vallarta to Cabo San Lucas today. I spot a Brown booby perched on a Sea turtle this morning, and manage to take a photo of this unusual sight. A few minutes later the booby flies off after his brief rest.

The chefs knock it out of the park today with some amazing cakes, confections, desserts and sculptures, all made out of baked goods and sugar, and on display at noon in the Lido! Apparently there will be a chocolate extravaganza parade through the ship this evening, which is a Dressy Night at sea before we arrive in Cabo San Lucas tomorrow.

I have what will probably be my last swim this afternoon in the Sea View pool, since once we leave Cabo San Lucas, the North Pacific will cool the air temperatures on our way to San Diego and northward from there.

Since it is Dressy Night, I make a reservation at Tamarind for this evening, in order to work on spending my onboard balance. I have yet another wonderful meal with great service!

Costa Rica to Mexico – Sea Day 3

Posted on April 21, 2023 by JoeTourist

April 21, 2023 – Friday – Costa Rica to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico – sea day #3 offshore from Lazaro Cardenas, Mexico

2023 Panama Canal Cruise

I share a table for six at breakfast in the Main Dining room this morning. It is such an interesting group, with the same couple from Nanaimo I shared with yesterday morning, a couple from Hamilton, Ontario, and a man from Seattle. We talk about electric vehicles, Boeing Software, and other geeky stuff. I share my start in mapmaking with pencil and pen and ink, progressing to digital, and others chimed in with their similar career stories.

Deaf Utopia cover - a book by Nyle DiMarco — Nyle DiMarco’s book Deaf Utopia

I finish Nyle DiMarco’s book Deaf Utopia, which I borrowed from the ship’s library on the day it opened. It is a very good non-fiction read, and a fascinating glimpse into deaf people’s world. Of course it doesn’t hurt that Nyle is such a handsome young man!

This afternoon, the tanker Talisman sails past our ship heading south with a load of automobiles (see banner image above). I look it up on the Marine Traffic app: Wallenius Wilhelmsen Ro-Ro Cargo auto carrier sailing from Long Beach, CA, USA to Balboa, Panama. Registered in Tonsberg, Norway.

I share a table for seven at dinner in the Main Dining room this evening. We have interesting conversations about a variety of subjects…it’s so nice to socialize with people onboard. I find many who are good conversationalists.

Costa Rica to Mexico – Sea Day 2

Posted on April 20, 2023 by JoeTourist

April 20, 2023 – Thursday – Costa Rica to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico – day 2 at sea 17 nmi offshore from Oaxaca, Mexico

2023 Panama Canal Cruise

This is my first day of not wearing a mask. Previously, I wore a mask when walking the hallways and venues, using elevators, and especially when I expected crowds during performances at Main Stage or B.B. Kings. I wouldn’t wear a mask in my stateroom or when outside. I’ve decided to accept the risk and go maskless everywhere for the rest of the voyage.

It’s great to have another sea day, where I don’t have to get up early for an excursion, so I sleep in until 8am. I go down to the Main Dining Room around 8:30am for breakfast at a shared table with two couples, one from Nanaimo and the other from the Napa Valley in California who I have had breakfast with before. Spinner dolphins appear off the stern of the ship, so I jump up to take some mediocre video through the windows with my iPhone.

After returning to my stateroom, my laundry is delivered – such a luxury! I spend the next hour out on my verandah spotting more Spinner dolphins and Sea turtles. I’m using my 100-500 zoom lens, so take some pretty good photos!

I go for a swim in the Sea View pool , and then return to my stateroom to keep checking for more turtles, but they seem to be behind us now. I wait until 1:30pm before going to the Lido Market for lunch. The beef sliders speak to me, so I have two along with some coleslaw and two kinds of sharp white cheese, finishing off with a slice of chocolate caramel cake for dessert.

After not spotting any turtles from my verandah, I go up to the Explorations Cafe for a cappuccino and find a quiet spot in the Crow’s Nest to work on my photos and journal, while I enjoy my cappuccino. At dinner this evening in the Main Dining Room, I learn from someone at the table that the ship has 1,899 total passengers aboard, with 894 Canadians and 839 Americans.

I attend the late show of Boy Band Evolution in Main Stage, which I enjoy a lot. The four young singers all have their harmonies perfected, and the nostalgia factor of their songs is appreciated by this mainly Baby Boomer audience. Before returning to my stateroom, I go to the Ocean Bar for a nightcap martini, where the server always makes a point of charging me $2 extra for the Tanqueray 10 premium gin I always specify. The surcharge never appears on my bill.

Costa Rica to Mexico – Sea Day 1

Posted on April 19, 2023 by JoeTourist

April 19, 2023 – Wednesday – Costa Rica to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico – day 1 at sea

2023 Panama Canal Cruise

I go to the Explorations Cafe in the Crow’s Nest to pick up a cappuccino and a small bottle of Perrier sparkling water this morning, which I take back to my stateroom. Later, I have breakfast in the Main Dining Room sharing a table with all Canadians this morning, who are from: Victoria, Sunshine Coast, and Ontario.

I attend the Ask the Captain event in the Main Stage at 10am this morning hosted by Cruise Director Kimberly. Thankfully, no stupid or embarrassing questions are asked of Captain Jeroen van Donselaar. I always find these sessions interesting, since the Captains almost always reveal little snippets of behind-the-scenes information on how the ship works and the issues they deal with.

I see flying fish this morning and Nazca Boobys are swooping down into the water near the bow of the ship catching them. I take more photos, despite already having many of the similar Caribbean Booby Gulls from past sightings on the Atlantic side and Brown Boobys on this coast. There is one mostly white Booby and another with mottled white, brown and black plumage among the rest.

I have a Martini in the Tamarind bar this evening before going into the Tamarind restaurant for dinner. I start with lobster and shrimp potstickers served with smoked shoyu and pickled ginger. My main course is Barramundi Red Curry with Crab rice and bok choy – all very tasty. I finish the meal with a selection of House-made Sorbets: lemon-basil, yuzu, and lychee.

People watching – Two young male crew members (South Asian and Eastern European) are seated next to me with two old American biddies. It’s a pretty awkward “date” for the young men, but the two women lap it up and carry the conversation. A young couple in their twenties are seated next to my table on the other side. They really stick out since they don’t fit the demographic for this cruise, and don’t seem to socialize with other passengers. However, they appear to be enjoying themselves, so perhaps it’s an opportunity for them to get away…

Trumpter Nathan Samuelson performing on Main Stage

Trumpeter Nathan Samuelson gives an energetic performance in Main Stage at 9pm this evening, however 45 minutes of solo trumpet playing is a bit much. The house band is backing him up, which improves the experience greatly. He has a very good singing voice in the Michael Buble style, which I would have liked to hear more of. Nathan Samuelson Music

Costa Rica

Posted on April 18, 2023 by JoeTourist

April 18, 2023 – Tuesday – Puerto Caldera (Puntarenas) on the Pacific Coast of Costa Rica

2023 Panama Canal Cruise

I’m awake at 5am as the ship turns into the Gulf of Nicoya enroute to dock at Puerto Caldera near Puntarenas. Once the Explorations Cafe opens, I get a cappuccino to take back to my stateroom to enjoy on my balcony in the early morning sunshine. I have a bagel, lox and cream cheese with a passion fruit parfait for breakfast in my stateroom, since my excursion leaves at 8am this morning from the pier.

As our rather large group boards two buses, I’m happy to see that Swiss Travel are the excursion company today. I have lots of good experiences with this Costa Rican travel company, who provided services to TravelQuest on their Costa Rica astronomy tours in past years.

We drive for about an hour and a half along the Pan-American Highway (Carretera Interamericana Norte) inland from Puntarenas, passing small farms in the hills until we are almost at San Ramon. The Cloud Forest we visit today is in a private reserve – San Luis Adventure Park – San Luis Canopy Tour. We split up into groups and walk along the trails, and over four suspension bridges which offer elevated vantage points to view the cloud forest below. Each of these bridges stretche between 30 and 78 metres (95 and 253 feet) and are suspended up to 38 metres (126 feet) above the ground.

Our guide stops along the way to tell us about the flora and fauna found in the cloud forest. Our first stop is an open hummingbird garden, where I photograph Amazilia hummingbirds perched on the bushes in the area. Many people miss them, since they are busy talking and moving about. I keep still and move away from the crowds in order to get some good sightings.

Other than the hummingbirds, we don’t spot other birds, butterflies or small mammals. Our guide talks about the plants, such as orchids, heliconias, ferns, bromeliads and other species of aerial plants that are part of this habitat.

After we slowly hike up the hill back to the main office, we enjoy a traditional Costa Rican lunch of beans, rice, vegetables and a choice of chicken or fish. I have the fish, which is very good. There are also some fruit drinks available from a self-serve fountain that is included with the lunch.

On our way back to the ship we stop at El Jardín, which has a massive souvenir shop, a display garden and decorated ox carts in the back, along with a screened area containing some butterflies. I take video of the butterflies with my iPhone, since I know from past experience it is hopeless to take photos of butterflies as they constantly flit about our heads.

The excursion returns at about 3:15pm, just beating the All Aboard time of 3:30pm. The ship doesn’t pull away from the dock until 4:45pm, 45 minutes late due to excursions returning a bit late. We have three days at sea until we reach Puerto Vallarta, so being a bit late leaving port isn’t an issue.

Costa Rica Cloud Forest

23 photos

Panama to Costa Rica – sea day

Posted on April 17, 2023 by JoeTourist

April 17, 2023 – Monday – sailing from Panama to Costa Rica

2023 Panama Canal Cruise

The ship is sailing from Panama to Costa Rica, arriving early tomorrow morning. I have a cappuccino from Explorations Cafe before going to the Main Dining Room for breakfast, since I can’t wait that long for coffee!

I spend the day taking photos of Brown Boobys, who are swooping around the bow of the ship all day. They are a striking bird, and strong fliers. I catch them in flight and feeding on the water using my new 100-500 telephoto zoom and the Canon R5’s active tracking. This system recognizes birds amazingly well, so I capture some pretty good shots – rating some of them 4/5.

Cooking Demonstration: Cornflakes Crusted Corvina & Tuna Poke

Our Executive Chef Bitta gives a cooking demonstration in the demo kitchen setup in the BB King’s Blues Club, hosted by Cruise Director Kimberly. He cooks Cornflakes Crusted Corvina and Tuna Poke, with samples being given to the audience afterwards.

The satellite Internet connection is down today, which gives me time to work on the photos and video I took during our Panama Canal transit yesterday.

Osso Bucco with creamed orzo and veggies

I go to the Canaletto Italian restaurant this evening, enjoying the Osso Bucco, which is amazingly flavourful and tender, served with creamed orzo.

There is an intense orange coloured sunset this evening (see banner image above), which reflects off the calm Pacific as we sail northward to Puerto Caldera (Puntarenas) Costa Rica, arriving tomorrow morning. It’s a beautiful tropical evening out on deck!

Panama Canal 2023

Posted on April 16, 2023 by JoeTourist

April 16, 2023 – Sunday – Nieuw Amsterdam transiting the Panama Canal from the Caribbean to the Pacific

2023 Panama Canal Cruise

This is the day most passengers are on this cruise for: transiting the Panama Canal. I’m up before sunrise as the ship waits offshore from Colon in Limon Bay to enter the canal at the Gatun Locks from the Caribbean Sea. Although we enter the locks on time at Gatun, by the time we emerge from the last lock at Miraflores on the Pacific side, we are an hour late. The Sun is set by the time we sail under the Bridge of the Americas and into Panama Bay, emerging into the Pacific Ocean.

Although this is my fifth canal transit, I’m always fascinated by the process of lifting ships up to the level of Gatun Lake, and then lowering them back to sea level. This is the first time I’ve observed the new locks in operation: Agua Clara locks on the Atlantic side, and Cocoli Locks on the Pacific side. Since our ship uses the old locks, we don’t get great views of the new lock system, however I can see the massive ships beside and above us as we go through the old locks. In addition to bigger container ships, the new locks also enable LNG and PNG tankers to now use the canal, which apparently is a big revenue stream for Panama.

Our cruise director Kimberly is on the bridge all day narrating as our ship transits the canal. She shares that the captain has confirmed that today’s toll for the Nieuw Amsterdam is US$444,000, or just over US$300 per passenger!

I watch the ship transit the canal from three main areas of the ship. My own stateroom’s verandah is on Deck 7 Forward, so it offers great views from the right side of the ship and happens to be on the shady side since it faces west. I also pop out to the Deck 7 Forward deck, which is very close to my stateroom and is open today, since it offers great views from the front of the ship. Finally, once in awhile I go up to Panorama Deck 10, where I can get views from both sides of the ship and be higher up.

While I take photos of the transit from various locations on the ship, I also setup my GoPro action camera on the rail of my balcony this morning to shoot a time lapse video, capturing all the interesting parts of the process of moving through the canal and locks. This 3-minute video captures the 12-hour process quite well!

It is Sunday, so there is a big crowd of Panamanians at the Miraflores Visitor Centre, who are waving at us as we move through the locks. On the other side, there is a big Alligator on the canal shoreline. Panama Bay and Panama City are beautiful in the darkness with the city lights shining.

Panama Canal 2023

34 photos