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Panama Canal 2003

Panama Canal Cruise 2003

Hi and welcome to my Panama Canal travel website. We traveled from November 9 - November 19, 2003 in bright sunny weather.

When we met our ship on Sunday, November 9th we discovered that we were not the only ones traveling. There were at least ten cruise ships in Port Everglades sailing on this Sunday. Once we made it through traffic, unloaded our bags and checked in we were ready to go. Now this process is much easier said than done. Princess alone had two ships sailing that day along with Royal Caribbean and several other cruise lines. At 5:30 they all lined up and headed to sea.

Canal Transit Day

It was an early day for us as we arrived at the Panama Canal at 5:30 in the morning for transit. The ship proceeded through the Gatun Locks with the assistance of a tugboat and towing locomotive which is referred to as a mule. We proceeded through the locks and set anchor in Gatun Lake to take a tender boat for our train excursion.

After we anchored in Gatun Lake we took a tender boat to shore in Colon, Panama to meet our excursion on the Panama Canal Railroad. In 1855 the Panama Canal Railroad became the first transcontinental railroad. In 2001 the Panama Canal Railroad became a privatized company that offers scenic rail journeys along the canal between Colon and Panama City. This train journey takes about an hour to go from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean.

In less time than it takes me to get from Chicago to Milwaukee, we went from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean. How cool is that! When we arrived in Panama City we loaded on a bus and toured the former Canal Zone that was the Property of the United States. We visited the Bridge of Americas, the waterfront and the Miraflores Locks.

Coral Princess

Itinerary

Entrance to Panama Canal

Panama Canal

November 13, 2003

Pat with Panama Canal behind him

Panama Canal

November 13, 2003

Ships pulling into locks of Panama Canal

Panama Canal

November 13, 2003

Pat with Coral Princess and another ship behind him

Grand Cayman

November 16, 2003

Bridge of Americas

Panama

November 13, 2003

Panama City skyline

Panama

November 13, 2003

Cruise ship exiting port

Port Everglades

November 9, 2003

tugboat pushing ship

Port Everglades

November 9, 2003

View of Coral Princess from shore

Panama Canal

November 18, 2003

View of train rounding curve

Panama Canal Railroad

November 18, 2003

Sunset from the back of the Coral Princess

Sunset

November 18, 2003

Sunset of November 18

Sunset

November 18, 2003

Pat leaning against rail during sunset

Sunset

November 18, 2003

Two boats move across water with sunset behind them

Sunset

November 17, 2003

September 17 sunset

Sunset

November 17, 2003

Clouds reflect on water during sunset

Sunset

November 17, 2003

Pat standing on shore in front of the Coral Princess

Grand Cayman

November 16, 2003

Boat at dusk

Sunset

November 17, 2003

Pat takes selfie at sunset

Sunset

November 15, 2003

Sunsets as waves crash

Sunset

November 15, 2003

Pat takes selfie on November 10

Sunset

November 10, 2003

November 10 sunset

Sunset

November 10, 2003

sunsets in the distance

Sunset

November 10, 2003

Post sunset

Sunset

November 10, 2003

Bridge of Americas on November 13, 2003

Panama

November 13, 2003

Pat poses in front of Panama Canal

Panama Canal

November 13, 2003

Tugboat in Panama Canal

Panama Canal

November 13, 2003

Pat with entrance to Panama Canal behind him

Panama Canal

November 13, 2003

Looking down on the locks from the ship

Panama Canal

November 13, 2003

Closed lock

Panama Canal

November 13, 2003

Towing locomotive

Panama Canal

November 13, 2003

Pat high above the locks on the Coral Princess

Panama Canal

November 13, 2003

Various size boats enter the Panama Canal

Panama Canal

November 13, 2003

Pat with sunset in the distance

Panama Canal

November 13, 2003

Pat standing on boat with locomotive behind him

Panama Canal

November 13, 2003

Two closed locks

Panama Canal

November 13, 2003

Pat after ship entered the canal looking back on the locks

Panama Canal

November 13, 2003

Pat standing on deck looking at locks

Panama Canal

November 13, 2003

Two boats prepare to enter locks

Panama Canal

November 13, 2003

Sunset behind Pat

Panama Canal

November 13, 2003

Ships entering locks on November 13

Panama Canal

November 13, 2003

Canal De Panama map on side of hill

Panama Canal

November 13, 2003

Pat leans on railing in front of two closed locks

Panama Canal

November 13, 2003

Water fills to the top of the locks

Panama Canal

November 13, 2003

Two ships in Grand Cayman

Grand Cayman

November 16, 2003

Pat in suit and tie

Formal Night

November 15, 2003

Pat with Panama City in background

Panama

November 13, 2003

Building behind open lock

Panama

November 13, 2003

Locks near Panama City

Panama

November 13, 2003

Pat stands in front of locomotive near Panama CIty

Panama

November 13, 2003

Ship passes through locks near Panama CIty

Panama

November 13, 2003

Pat stands in front of the Bridge of the Americas

Panama

November 13, 2003

Pat stands on land with water behind him

Panama

November 13, 2003

Locomotive as seen from shore

Panama

November 13, 2003

Building behind the locks

Panama

November 13, 2003

View of water and island from Panama

Panama

November 13, 2003

Ships line up to leave port

Port Everglades

November 9, 2003

Industry near the port

Port Everglades

November 9, 2003

Highrise near port

Port Everglades

November 9, 2003

Two cruise ships leave Port Everglades

Port Everglades

November 9, 2003

Two ships docked

Port Everglades

November 9, 2003

Pat stands on deck while two ships ext port in background

Port Everglades

November 9, 2003

Pat enjoying the sunset

Sunset

November 15, 2003

Pat in suit stands by railing at night

Formal Night

November 15, 2003

Pink and blue color sunset

Sunset

November 16, 2003

Pat with arm on rail while sun sets behind him

Sunset

November 17, 2003

Pat smiles as sun sets behind him

Sunset

November 18, 2003

Rough surf prior to sunset

Sunset

November 18, 2003

View of forest from train

Panama Canal Railroad

November 18, 2003

Train passes a ship on the canal

Panama Canal Railroad

November 18, 2003

Pat stands in train car

Panama Canal Railroad

November 18, 2003

Pat standing by stairway

Less Formal Night

November 14, 2003

Train passes water of the canal

Panama Canal Railroad

November 18, 2003

Cargo ship passes by train on the canal

Panama Canal Railroad

November 18, 2003

Train passes ship

Panama Canal Railroad

November 18, 2003

Train passes car and truck

Panama Canal Railroad

November 18, 2003

Train passes grass fields

Panama Canal Railroad

November 18, 2003

Train passes a sailboat

Panama Canal Railroad

November 18, 2003

Pat poses outside the train

Panama Canal Railroad

November 18, 2003

Pat with right arm on rail

Sunset

November 17, 2003