Photo Trip Report – Panama Canal Cruise plus 3 days in DLR

[lilpooh108]

Love the Dolphin pics. So amazing!

 

[Flossbolna]

The Dolphin pictures are amazing!!

I always wondered whether they really did these high jumps in the wild - and your pictures are the best proof of that!!

I guess it is really just a question of good luck - but I would love to be able to know exactly when to look out to the sea to see the dolphins!!

 

[speedo]

Love the Dolphin pics. So amazing!

thanks!

The Dolphin pictures are amazing!!

I always wondered whether they really did these high jumps in the wild - and your pictures are the best proof of that!!

I guess it is really just a question of good luck - but I would love to be able to know exactly when to look out to the sea to see the dolphins!!

We saw them a few times on our journey north towards LA. They are most active at dawn and dusk or before storms. And they definitely do a lot of jumps especially in the wake.

DSis used to be an aquarist and worked with marine mammals so she might chime in some more. Kids and adults for that matter used to ask her questions all the time about dolphin behavior - like why do they swim upside down. Her favorite answer was always to say "because they can"

 

[jegsnakkernorsk]

So after a champagne and chocolate croissant breakfast with porpoising dolphins, mom, DSis and me headed over to the spa to start our Rainforest Room 5 day pass. We picked the sea day after the Panama Canal as the start day for this and paid for and reserved this on the first day during our meeting in the Cadillac Lounge with the concierge team and with Marc from the spa. This is also the start of our second week onboard and was the prefect time for us to really enjoy relaxing in the spa.



Since my ankles had ballooned to the size of grapefruit - an experience I never had before either and it really freaked me out - I purchased some Elemis product that had menthol and the spa staff suggested I rub on my ankles before putting my feet up on the heated lounge chairs in the Rainforest Room. This plus wearing sport socks to bed with my feet propped up each night eventually helped.



These Elemis products are in the women's locker room. I really liked the cleanser and toner and will put Elemis on my Christmas wish-list!

 

[jegsnakkernorsk]

We saw them a few times on our journey north towards LA. They are most active at dawn and dusk or before storms. And they definitely do a lot of jumps especially in the wake.

DSis used to be an aquarist and worked with marine mammals so she might chime in some more. Kids and adults for that matter used to ask her questions all the time about dolphin behavior - like why do they swim upside down. Her favorite answer was always to say "because they can" [/QUOTE]

I see Dolphins in the Gulf of Mexico near where I live - they come right up to the beach especially at sun set. I never saw Dolphins on a Caribbean cruise and we didn't see any until we got to the Pacific. We saw a lot more marine mammals in the Pacific side.

 

[jegsnakkernorsk]

So following our schvitz in the Rainforest Room, DSis and I decided to spend the rest of the morning by the goofy pool - which was nearly empty when we arrived. We brought our books and sun screen and sat watching the short animations they were showing on the funnel vision. I never really appreciated the funnel vision before this cruise since I was usually only in the adult pool area, but that filled up so fast and so early every sea day, that DSis spent a lot more time at the family/goofy pool and therefore more time with the funnel vision. Was fun for us since most Disney films and shorts made after 1996 we haven't seen before.



Following the animation shorts, we saw this


And decided to stick around to see what this was


turned out to be a poolside competition between the four corners of the pool and deck to determine who gets to pick the next movie played on the funnel vision.

I honestly can't remember who won and what we watched but based on the photos, we picked up lunch at the counter service grill and decided to stay. Three guesses what I had for lunch.



You only needed one guess though, right? Chicken fingers it is! But by now I've also noticed that there is a separate counter service area that has sandwiches and salads and fresh fruit. I was scared to get a sandwich since I have terrific fear of mayonnaise. If anyone can confirm or deny that there is mayo on all those sandwiches I'd appreciated the info.







Towel animalpalooza



Lots of character sightings as well



They must be from another post-1996 film.

DSis was ready to head in by this time, but when I saw this hunk of ice come out I said sit back down.



Thank goodness for the funnel vision - keeping me informed of what I'm looking at all day long!











Can you tell what he is creating? It's like the theme for the day!



They should have shown flipper as the movie on the funnel vision - or that one with the injured dolphin.







This guy is a great ice carver and remember he did the fruit carving demonstration too.

 

[amityisland]

Loving the "dolphin theme" - the ice carving demo looked really interesting!

 

[jegsnakkernorsk]

Loving the "dolphin theme" - the ice carving demo looked really interesting!

It was fun!

 

[jegsnakkernorsk]

So DSis and I went back to our room and found our parents in their suite hanging out - dad in the living room on the couch watching the news and mom in her room at the reading chair with one of the three books she read during the cruise.



I went out on the verandah to enjoy the view.



And the beautiful water



Mom and dad had these in their room from concierge



At 3pm DSis and I decided to get out and went to see about the Wii-bledon in Diversions.



We both lost pretty early on in the competition but cheered on the competitors and had a good time. Diversions was a pretty fun sports bar.

When the tournament ended I told DSis to come with me but didn't tell her where we were going. I saw on the navigator that there was something called Broadway Music Trivia in the Promenade Lounge and I knew DSis to be a Braodway musical junkie.



We saw a table with our new friends and invited ourselves to their team. DSis had a lot of fun. There were some real experts at Broadway music and I learned having seen Cabaret and Chicago doesn't count for much! But our team did pretty well.

We then went upstairs to change for dinner which was semi-formal tonight.

Before dinner, we met our parents in the Walt Disney Theater to see "An Evening of Broadway with Heidi Bickenstaff". Personally, I preferred the Dolphin theme to the Broadway theme the day was converting to. Perhaps had they had a dolphin perform the show tunes it would have sounded better. "eeekkkeee eeekkkkkiiikk"



It's good Heidi knows best. If I knew best I wouldn't have sat through her performance. It was pretty obnoxious - made worse by the overly excited cast members in the audience seated in front of us.

The smart cast members were outside the Theater - see here's Minnie and Mickey.



Everyone in our family agreed we did not enjoy the main theater show tonight and mom and dad decided to try to forget about it by going to the Family Variety: Charlie Peachock in Wavebands. I don't know anything about it other than they both enjoyed it and said we should have gone too.

 

[jegsnakkernorsk]

waiting at the table for me

















I didn't stay for the main course or dessert this night

 

[jegsnakkernorsk]

Later that night, DSis and I went to sit on the 10th deck to watch the first of the Pirates of the Caribbean movies. It was actually a little chilly and I began to fall asleep wrapped up in towels so we didn't last the entire movie.

 

[jegsnakkernorsk]

 

[amityisland]

Loved the pic of Minnie in her formal wear. That cheese polenta and mushroom appetizer looked yummy!

 

[jegsnakkernorsk]

Loved the pic of Minnie in her formal wear. That cheese polenta and mushroom appetizer looked yummy!

Dad ate it all!

yes, I too love all the costumes the characters wore during the cruise.

 

[jegsnakkernorsk]

Just got a postcard DSis mailed to me from Panama! She says she's having a great time. It took two months to get here!

 

[chris31997]

Just got a postcard DSis mailed to me from Panama! She says she's having a great time. It took two months to get here!

So glad DSis is having a good time on her cruise

 

[SacCruiser]

This is a great TR. I think I will have to put this trip on my list for 2017?

 

[speedo]

This is a great TR. I think I will have to put this trip on my list for 2017?

Thanks and have fun on your upcoming cruise!

 

[speedo]

This morning we didn't wake up to any dolphins, but this cargo ship was neat in the distance.


Mom and Dad could have the same hot breakfast as the menu in the dinning room delivered from room service, but DSis and I went down to Triton's for breakfast.







Pineapple French Toast Stack!





something healthy:


After breakfast it was game of shuffleboard - sorry no pics. Isn't life on a cruise great! I definitely miss playing shuffleboard out on the ocean.

 

[bbn1122]

Really enjoying your report.....wow....what a cruise...