Journey to the Panama Canal

We go on a trip for the Christmas holidays every year.  We spent last Christmas in Hawaii.  I just booked this year's holiday and we're going on a 10 day Panama Canal Cruise with Princess Cruiseline.  We'll be sailing on a ship named the Island Princess..  This is pretty exciting as we've been wanting to cruise to the Panama Canal for a while now.  Here is the itinerary:

Day	Port of Call	Arrival Time	Departure Time
1	Fort Lauderdale		4:00 PM
2	At Sea
3	At Sea
4	Aruba	7:00 AM	12:30 PM
5	Cartagena Colombia	9:00 AM	3:00 PM
6	Cruising Panama Canal	5:00 AM	3:30 PM
6	Colon	5:00 PM	8:00 PM
7	Limon	7:00 AM	6:00 PM
8	At Sea
9	Grand Cayman	7:00 AM	5:00 PM
10	At Sea
11	Fort Lauderdale	7:00 AM

Here are descriptions of the ports of call:

Fort Lauderdale
This vast array of wonderful beaches offers you opportunities to swim with the dolphins in a tropical lagoon and come face-to-face with alligators during an Everglades airboat tour. Or stroll through a tropical rainforest while hundreds of butterflies flutter above you.

Aruba
Balmy weather, silky sand, aquamarine waters and invigorating trade winds beckon over half a million tourists each year to this small, secluded paradise. Casinos, tennis clubs and resorts have their place here, but cactus jungles, wild parakeets and Carnival dancers are the main attractions.

Cartagena Colombia
A beautiful, quaint fishing town on the Atlantic coast of Colombia, Cartagena is full of pastel-painted buildings, Spanish colonial architecture and magnificent cathedrals. Walls and fortresses, once constructed to protect the city from British soldiers and pirates, still stand.

Cruising Panama Canal
This $387 million dollar, 51-mile-long canal connects the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. Completed by the U.S. from 1904-1914 under teddy Roosevelt, it is considered one of the greatest engineering marvels of all time.

Colon
The world’s second-largest duty-free port is also the second largest city in Panama. The city was founded in 1850 by Americans working on the trans-Panama railroad and was named Aspinwall until 1890. It serves as the portal to the massive Gatun Locks.

Limon
Located on the Caribbean side of Costa Rica, Limon is noted as the landing spot for Christopher Columbus’ fourth and final voyage. Serving as a gateway to the capital city of San Jose, the city is known as the "Little Switzerland of Central America” for its kaleidoscope of scenery.

Grand Cayman
The largest of the three Cayman Islands features British infused charm and Caribbean mystique. Dive and snorkel in Stingray City, walk the breathtaking shores of Seven Mile Beach, and dance in Club Inferno - located in a small city called Hell.

We booked a Penthouse Suite, which will look somewhat like this:

Princess Cruises

Cabin Type	Group Name	Cabin Name
PS - Suite with Balcony	Suite	PS

The Suite with Balcony features two twin beds (that are convertible to a queen-size bed), a sofa bed, sitting area and private balcony.

Penthouse Suite with Balcony

The suite that we booked is actually named "Maldives" and is on the 10th Deck, called the Dolphin Deck.

We are really looking forward to going on this cruise!  It is so exciting going to exotic places!  December, here we come!