Coral Princess Cruise, April 2007 -- Reading List

One of many great things about a cruise is the peace and quiet and free time you get to sit and read. Here's a list of some of the books we read that we either took with us or checked out of the ship's library:

Ball of Fire: The Tumultuous Life and Comic Art of Lucille Ball by Stefan Kanfer

Firefly: Noel Coward in Jamaica by Adrian Boot & Chris Salewicz

In a Sunburned Country by Bill Bryson

Include Me Out: My Life from Goldwyn to Broadway by Farley Granger and Robert Calhoun

It's All American Food: The Best Recipes for More than 400 New American Classics by David Rosengarten

Lilibet: An Intimate Portrait Of Elizabeth II by Carolly Erickson

Panama Canal By Cruise Ship: The Complete Guide to Cruising the Panama Canal by Anne Vipond

Red Carpets and Other Banana Skins: The Autobiography by Rupert Everett

Somewhere for Me - A Biography of Richard Rodgers by Meryle Secrest

Coral Princess Cruise, April 2007 -- End of Cruise

Wednesday, Port Everglades, Fort Lauderdale

The Coral Princess arrived at the dock on schedule at 7:00 A.M.

You leave the ship according to the color of the luggage tags they give you the night before. We were lucky this time and were in the third group to be called.

After a very early breakfast, at 6:30, we went to one of the lounges to wait and they called our color about 20 minutes earlier than we expected. We were off the ship and looking for the Park'n'Cruise van at 8:00. Before 9:00 we were on Florida's Turnpike heading for Pensacola.

OUR ROUTE FOR THE ENTIRE CRUISE

DISTANCES
From Fort Lauderdale to Panama Canal
1273 nautical miles, 1464 statute miles, 2355 kilometers
average speed 21.0 knots

From Panama Canal to Limon
187 nautical miles, 215 statute miles, 346 kilometers
average speed 18.2 knots

From Limon to Ocho Rios
650 nautical miles, 748 statute miles, 1203 kilometers
average speed 18.1 knots

From Ocho Rios to Grand Cayman
252 nautical miles, 290 statute miles, 466 kilometers
average speed 19.8 knots

From Grand Cayman to Cozumel
326 nautical miles, 375 statute miles, 603 kilometers
average speed 19.2 knots

From Cozumel to Fort Lauderdale
551 nautical miles, 634 statute miles, 1019 kilometers
average speed 16.7 knots

Total distance sailed
3239 nautical miles, 3725 statute miles, 5992 kilometers

(Getting to and from the cruise by car added another 1391 miles for a grand total of 5116 statute miles.)

Coral Princess Cruise, April 2007 -- Day 9

Tuesday, at sea

It's the final full day at sea so I went shopping. I had gone down to the shops in the ship's atrium lobby several times to look for a t-shirt. But every time I did we were in port and the shops, as well as the casino, are all closed when the ship is in port.

This time I found a Princess logo Panama Canal shirt, bright yellow, and bought it. Jack's purchase for this trip was an orange Ocho Rios shirt he bought last Saturday when Maroon brought us back to the ship after our visit to Firefly.

There are many items from inexpensive to luxury class for sale on the ship and much more variety of items on shore from merchants "approved" by Princess. The TV on board constantly urges us to shop from these stores when we get to a port. We assume Princess shares in the profits. Art works, jewelry, cosmetics and watches seem to be the most popular.

We are pretty much immune to the shopping urge and ignore all the flyers stuffed in our mailbox every day with "special offers." A shopaholic would be in serious trouble.

Other end-of-cruise chores include packing, taking books back to the ship's library, using up the Internet Cafe minutes (100 minutes for US$55.00!) and fixing tip envelopes for our favorites on the staff.

The Coral Princess staff was from all over the world but there seemed to be fewer people from the Philippines than usual. And lots more from Eastern Europe -- many from Romania and Slovenia. Our room steward, Ionel, and our favorite waitress, Irina, were both Romanian and efficient and engaging.

We chose "anytime dining" so we took most of our evening meals in the Bordeaux dining room on Plaza Deck 5. We arranged to have the same table and Irina was our server along with her attentive assistant waiter, Gilberto, from Mexico city. Irina was an excellent, professional server with seven year's experience with Princess Cruises. There are not a lot of women serving and she will go far.

Irina and Gilberto were a great team and we were in good hands. If you didn't order what Irina recommended she would bring you your order and then bring what she wanted you to have. Usually she was right.

Tips on Princess are added to your bill automatically ($10 US per day) but for extra special service a little extra tip is appropriate. Portions of the $10-a-day tip go to staff members you never see and would never be able to give tips to anyway. We always tipped our room service waiters a dollar or two whenever they brought us anything -- water, ice, extra glasses, a bowl of fruit, etc., as they are the lowest paid and generally most cheerful workers on the ship.

Packing was no problem as we didn't buy anything large. When we went to dinner we left our luggage -- except for our hand carry items -- in the hall and when we came back it was gone.

Coral Princess Cruise, April 2007 -- Day 8

Monday, Cozumel, Mexico

As we head north it is getting cooler -- in the mid-70s at noon. The town looked very pleasant and we intended to wander over and check it out but we never got around to it. Maybe next time.

The Coral Princess moored alongside Norwegian Cruise Lines' Norwegian Dawn. It was fun to see another large cruise ship up close. And we appreciated the shade it gave those of us on the starboard side. Two other ships were in Cozumel today, Carnival Triumph and Royal Caribbean's Splendour of the Seas.

At 6:45 PM we pulled away from the dock and headed for Fort Lauderdale with a day at sea tomorrow.


DISTANCES
From Fort Lauderdale to Panama Canal
1273 nautical miles, 1464 statute miles, 2355 kilometers
average speed 21.0 knots

From Panama Canal to Limon
187 nautical miles, 215 statute miles, 346 kilometers
average speed 18.2 knots

From Limon to Ocho Rios
650 nautical miles, 748 statute miles, 1203 kilometers
average speed 18.1 knots

From Ocho Rios to Grand Cayman
252 nautical miles, 290 statute miles, 466 kilometers
average speed 19.8 knots

From Grand Cayman to Cozumel
326 nautical miles, 375 statute miles, 603 kilometers
average speed 19.2 knots

Total distance sailed
2688 nautical miles, 3091 statute miles, 4973 kilometers

Coral Princess Cruise, April 2007 -- Day 7

Sunday, Grand Cayman

The Cayman Islands are very beautiful and we were almost tempted to take the tender ashore and explore Georgetown. The water is clear and there are lots of diving excursions. This was the only port on this cruise that the Coral Princess had to use tenders. Grand Cayman apparently has no dock facilities at all as we were the only ship there.

It is Formal Night again tonight. But we found if you eat in the Horizon Court buffet you still get the Beef Wellington sliced to order while dining in casual comfort.

There's a strong wind from the south and you could feel the sea a lot all evening. And through the night.

The tonight's entertainment was another production show in the Princess Theater. "Dance -- Music, Song & Dance from Around the World." As with last week's show, once again this was well done and it was a highly professional production. And the dancers had even more challenges from the rocking of the ship.

At the top of this posting is the flag of the Cayman Islands. I like it especially because it has the Union Jack on it plus a picture of a turtle with a pineapple on its back.


DISTANCES
From Fort Lauderdale to Panama Canal
1273 nautical miles, 1464 statute miles, 2355 kilometers
average speed 21.0 knots

From Panama Canal to Limon
187 nautical miles, 215 statute miles, 346 kilometers
average speed 18.2 knots

From Limon to Ocho Rios
650 nautical miles, 748 statute miles, 1203 kilometers
average speed 18.1 knots

From Ocho Rios to Grand Cayman
252 nautical miles, 290 statute miles, 466 kilometers
average speed 19.8 knots

Total distance sailed
2362 nautical miles, 2716 statute miles, 4370 kilometers

Coral Princess Cruise, April 2007 -- Day 6

Saturday, Ocho Rios, Jamaica

According to Captain Manfuso's Log of the Cruise, "We were all fast alongside by 0800." Soon after that we went ashore to the terminal building. It was very hot and humid. The Coral Princess was the only ship in port here today.

For years we read about Firefly, Noel Coward's vacation retreat in Jamaica high above Blue Harbour and the town of Santa Maria.

Before we went to Montego Bay last December on the Golden Princess we looked into making the trip over to Firefly. However we couldn't find any official package tours, and it was too far for a day trip on our own.

On this cruise we would stop for a day in Ocho Rios and Firefly is just about 18 miles east of the port. Again there were no organized tours offering what we wanted, but through the Internet we found Marva Shaw who operates a tour service, KnowJamaica.com, and she was most helpful. Her company's slogan is, "Feel free to customize your own itinerary." Thank you, Marva, One Love from Pensacola!

Through Marva we set up exactly the tour we wanted -- a drive to Firefly and back with a nice visit there including a guided tour. The toast we made at Sir Noel's grave site we provided ourselves -- with a thermos of icy martinis we brought from the Coral Princess.

Firefly was rescued and restored by Chris Blackwell of Island Records. The estate is now operated and maintained by the Jamaica National Heritage Trust. For more information about Firefly and Chris Blackwell's other Jamaican interests click here.

On Flickr there are more photos from our visit to Firefly, just click here to see them.

And now for a few words of warning...
Outside the very heart of the tourist area of Ocho Rios the streets and roads are bad. Very bad. Do not think about renting a car and driving into the countryside yourself.

Our driver, Maroon, heroically avoided the worst of the potholes, often having to drive in the ditch. There are also long stretches of rough surfaces that cannot be avoided and I am talking about the main highways. To get to Firefly we needed to take some back roads and the conditions on these were terrible. We were both elated when we saw the sign for Firefly.

If you suffer from any kind of back or joint problems, tend to get motion sickness or have problems with long periods of violent shaking do not attempt the trip to Firefly. The round trip of less than 40 miles sounds easy but when much of it is taken at a speed of 5 to 10 miles an hour it makes for a long day.

We loved seeing Firefly, toasting Sir Noel and walking through the house. Inside Firefly there are lots of photos of his guests over the years. They were icons of the 20th Century -- Vivien Leigh, Lynn Fontanne & Alfred Lunt, Elizabeth Taylor, Sophia Loren, the Queen Mother, Ian Fleming and many, many more...

It was worth the trip, despite the bumps.


DISTANCES
From Fort Lauderdale to Panama Canal
1273 nautical miles, 1464 statute miles, 2355 kilometers
average speed 21.0 knots

From Panama Canal to Limon
187 nautical miles, 215 statute miles, 346 kilometers
average speed 18.2 knots

From Limon to Ocho Rios
650 nautical miles, 748 statute miles, 1203 kilometers
average speed 18.1 knots

Total distance sailed
2110 nautical miles, 2427 statute miles, 3904 kilometers

Coral Princess Cruise, April 2007 -- Day 5

Friday (the 13th!), at sea


Another warm and breezy day. We could feel a slight chop as the ship cruised north towards Jamaica. We had a lazy day on board. Lots of reading and napping. And a visit to the coin-op laundry down the hall. It was time for some clean sox and underwear.

Coral Princess Cruise, April 2007 -- Day 4

Thursday, Limon, Costa Rica

It is really getting hot. Of course Panama and Costa Rica are pretty close to the equator so it's to be expected. This morning we arrived in Limon with every intention of going ashore and seeing the sights in the port area. We could see colorful shops, groves of palm trees and a beautiful beach with waves breaking -- perfect for some surfing.

We walked down the pier to the parking lot and decided it was way too hot to cross it to get to the quaint shops a quarter mile away. So we took this fine photo of our ship, alongside Royal Caribbean's Brilliance of the Seas. And went back to the air conditioned comforts.

On many of the larger Princess ships the main buffet restaurant is called the Horizon Court. Often these are placed in the middle of one of the upper decks -- simply decorated, designed mostly for quick and efficient meal service. On the Coral Princess however the Horizon Court is high up in the very front. Between its port and starboard dining areas the room wraps around the top of the ship directly over the Bridge. The view is fabulous and there is a large space that can be set up for special food service with live chefs preparing meals. One day it was a sushi bar, the next a Trattoria, then a huge all-you-can-eat pastry shop -- like the biggest wedding reception you ever saw.

DISTANCES
From Fort Lauderdale to Panama Canal
1273 nautical miles, 1464 statute miles, 2355 kilometers
average speed 21.0 knots

From Panama Canal to Limon
187 nautical miles, 215 statute miles, 346 kilometers
average speed 18.2 knots

Total distance sailed
1460 nautical miles, 1679 statute miles, 2701 kilometers

Coral Princess Cruise, April 2007 -- Day 3

Wednesday, Panama

If you are a night person and you want to see the whole passage through the Gatun Locks, just stay up. And have breakfast delivered to your balcony.

The canal transit begins early. At about 5:00 A.M. I looked out and saw we were slowly moving through a cluster of a dozen or two other ships all waiting their turns to go through the canal.

Soon we picked up our pilot (and it turns out, a narrator). Then we got in the lane marked by red lights on the right. And slowly headed for the first lock which we entered at 6:55 A.M. We left the third and final lock at 8:39 -- in Gatun Lake 85 feet (26 meters) above sea level.

We were surprised at how wild and undeveloped the approach to the locks was. Rather than the container docks and oil refineries I expected it was beautiful jungle foliage right down to the water.

The narrator, from the ACP -- Autoridad del Canal Panama -- was in the bridge and you could hear him over the ship's loud speakers and on the TV's channel 38. He had lots of facts and figures about the history of the canal, its construction and its use today. He said the wild foliage was to help conserve water in the lake above us -- Gatun Lake.

There are more of our Panama Canal photos at Flickr.

Once we got to the lake we anchored and passengers who had booked shore excursions were tendered off. From there they went on tours via boats, buses and trains.

For those of us who stayed on board, the lucky ones in my opinion, we got to go back through the locks again starting just before noon. It was perhaps more interesting going down from the lake than it was going up. There were several huge container ships right next to us. They were fully loaded and it was amazing to see them in the locks with only a few inches to spare on the sides.

Then we headed for port in Cristobal where there was shopping at the terminal. This was where the passengers who had taken tours rejoined the ship.

The terminal is a long, bright yellow building with an oceanside restaurant and a large patio with a beer garden shaded by palm trees. Native singers and dancers were welcoming us.

We were already to debark for a while and check it all out. But the lines to get off the ship were as long as the ship itself. After two days at sea and a whole day on board watching the locks work, everybody who had stayed on board wanted off. We decided to wait until later.

At 6:55 P.M. the ship was under way for Puerto Limon, Costa Rica. The sea was calm. We had not set foot on Panamanian soil or bought any trinkets.

DISTANCES
From Fort Lauderdale to Panama Canal
1273 nautical miles, 1464 statute miles, 2355 kilometers
average speed 21.0 knots

Coral Princess Cruise, April 2007 -- Day 2

Tuesday, at sea

Above are some photos of the top deck of the Coral Princess -- Sun Deck 15.

Lovely day in the Caribbean Sea, about 81 degrees F (that's 27 C) and very breezy. We are feeling the ocean a little and that's nice.

So far we have not had any sea sickness or even any serious motion problems. Just in case, we brought patches prescribed by my MD and Bonine pills for dizziness.

In our mail box tonight along with tomorrow's Princess Patter was the official Panama Canal brochure provided by the Canal Authority. We are very excited about seeing the canal firsthand tomorrow.

Coral Princess Cruise, April 2007 -- Day 1

Monday, at sea

We start this cruise with two days at sea on our way to the Panama Canal. Looking from the ship, all we can see is sky and ocean and the Coral Princess' wake stretching out behind us. According to our TV's link to the bridge, at mid-day Captain Mariano Manfuso has us heading for Cuba at 20 knots. The sea is calm.

In the late afternoon we get to see Cuba's shoreline. We pass the eastern tip of the island at 6:30 P.M. as we turn directly south toward Panama.

By now we have had time to explore the ship and it lives up to its reputation. It is lovely. Smaller than the other two Princess ships we have been on -- the Caribbean Princess (3,100 passengers) and the Golden Princess (2,600 passengers) the Coral Princess can carry only 1,970 so it is smaller and more intimate. And beautifully outfitted -- lots of marble, dark woods, original murals and twinkling ceilings.

Tonight is Formal Night. But we don't do that. A lot of the passengers do dress up and look sharp. Because of the time of year -- near the end of the peak Caribbean cruise season, after Easter, after spring breaks, etc. -- there are few young people on board. And almost no children. We love it.

We went to a new show in the Princess Theater, "What A Swell Party." The singers and dancers were fabulous as were the costumes and sets. The songs ranged from Cole Porter to more recent swing hits -- all very well sung to prerecorded band tracks. The dancers were excellent too and even more so when you remember they are doing all that complicated choreography on a moving ship. It was clearly the best show we had ever seen on a Princess ship.

Coral Princess Cruise, April 2007 -- Embarkation

Sunday, Port Everglades, Fort Lauderdale, Florida

Two weeks ago we headed south for a cruise. We left home on Friday and drove to Fort Lauderdale arriving on Saturday afternoon. The hotel was just six miles away from the port. On Sunday morning we dove to the Park'n'Cruise lot, left the car and took their van to the dock. Somehow the driver got lost on the two mile trip, but we told him where to go. And how to find our ship.

We got to the ship earlier than we meant to -- about 12:30 P.M. -- and much earlier than the Princess boarding pass said to be there -- 2:30. But we missed the early birds who had already checked in and there was no crowd at all. We were in our room before 1:00 and our bags arrived at 1:35. The fastest delivery ever.

We had a mini-suite with a balcony and it was all very nice. Big balcony, a living room area with a sofa and easy chair, two TVs and, instead of the usual tiny bathroom with a tiny shower there was a big bathroom with a bathtub even!


There were five other ships waiting to sail out of Port Everglades on this Sunday. Above are the Costa Magica and the Carnival Liberty. The others were Royal Caribbean's Radiance of the Seas, Caribbean Princess and Costa Mediterranea.

It was a beautiful sunny afternoon and at 5:10 we sailed away for a 10-day cruise to Panama, Costa Rica, Jamaica and Mexico.

Click here to see the current view from the bridge of the Coral Princess.

Taking a break...

...will be back on the blog in a couple of weeks.

March 2007 -- Spring is here

After a very dry month of March, it rained Saturday night and part of Sunday so things are greener than when I took these photos last week.

The redwood deck is freshly cleaned (with the new toy, a power washer) and treated with Australian Timber Oil. The color is a little bit darker than it was and the wood grain shows very nicely.

The pool is inviting but still too cold for a swim. And after all that rain it is full of leaves and pollen from the oak trees.

Sad to say the pink and white azaleas have gone by and if we are lucky they will re-bloom in the fall.