7am Cartagena day, 26th, we are currently at sea, nice and calm. very humid already on the verandah, I cannot see the coast from my room as yet,
Going back to last night, we ran about two hours late in the end from the scheduled last lock call, We were waiting for some considerable time, and a container ship on the right hand lane seemed not to move for some time, and we were directed left, but all the mule trains were will the Garnet Ship from Singapore with a large container load.
We waited ages just behind it, not able to proceed due to no mules. It was still raining had, but not the electrical storm and heavy downpour we experienced from 3pm to 5pm.
I had dinner in Animators palate, at 6pm, so we had to break off from viewing the progression through the locks to get ready and then go down. Animators is enclosed and you cannot see out, so I was nipping in and out to watch our progression, It was getting very dark, the storm and sunset, but we made good progression and felt the engines engage in AP, on the last exit.
Dinner last night was West meets east, I have had this once before in 2005, there was a lot to choose from, but I think I went for exactly the same as 2005. Service was slow, not sure why, but we were not out until 7.55pm, and went direct to see Wall-e in the WDT, that started at 8.15pm, and the WDT, was open on arrival and 50% full.
Back to dinner and food in general, and we are getting close to the heat issues before, some food is just ok, not as hot as it could be. Service is good and attentive; I had a Panama hat cocktail with my dinner very nice.
In the WDT, Goofy was messing around, in fact before most shows they have had either Goofy, or Chip and Dale, mess around for the time up to the show, from getting the audience to do a Mexican wave, to which section can make the most noise, to Goofy throwing out gifts for the kids, or last night he came with a torch, to usher people around, then chucked out two people in the centre of the WDT, put on reserved markers on these then sat down with a girl he had been playing with and then chucked popcorn over everyone.
We are scheduled to arrive at 8am today, my
DCL trip is at 10am, and its the Cartagena highlights, fortress, folklore show with visits to La Popa hill and the monastery there, a visit to the dungeons of Las Bovedas and then some shopping. About five hours.
I am looking forward to my return to this port, I last visited it in 1994, on Princess cruises; its a colourful place, beautiful buildings and buses! We will be in an industrial port and they ferry you by port buses to the terminal, if you are not on a DCL tour, some warnings have been given out re personal safety
We leave at 5.30pm, a sea day on Wednesday, I have an Afternoon tea then.
Tonights show is Disney on Broadway with a concert from Sarah Litzsinger and David DeVries, from Beauty and the beast on Broadway, She is the longest running Belles he was Lumiere. Looks good.
We also have at 9.45pm a Tropical deck party with buffet, and characters on deck 9.
I havent mentioned stateroom service ours has been excellent all cruise, our lady host is great, she worked around us on Panama day as we used our verandah so much. The crowds in the morning on deck 10 put us off going there, it also was hot and humid and on the last lock, the rain caused a lot of water to be on the deck 10 forward area, we walked around for a few mins, a few people were still there but there were pools of rain water everywhere.
For the family from California who asked me to send on their regards to Fiz from Jamaica I saw him last night he is our restaurant manager and remembers staying at your place and sent his regards back.
Off now to Topsiders for breakfast.
7.30, am I can see Cartagena from my room now and we have slowed down arrival is said to be 8am, in front of schedule, I think they allowed a lot for delays at Panama.TV shows us just outside I now,