| ROYAL PRINCESS SOUTH AMERICAN CRUISE VIA THE PANAMA CANAL TO CHILE |
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| HENRY NOWICKI 31 DEC 1999 |
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Cruising to South America via the Panama Canal on a gorgeous ship (Ref 1) always generates anticipation of fun and exploration. Cruising the internet reveals that many have found the Royal Princess a fine ship (Ref 2, Aug 99), (Ref 3, Apr 99), (Ref 4, Feb 99), (Ref 5, Jun 98), (Ref 6, May 98), (Ref 7, Mar 98) and the prospects of a good cruise would seem to be excellent. The itinerary of the Royal Princess (Ref 8) begins in Ft. Lauderdale then Aruba and Cartagena, the Panama Canal, and visits ports in Ecuador, Peru and Chile until Valparaiso the port for Santiago. 18 Nov, Ft. Lauderdale (Ref 9). Departure was a bit delayed due to extra loading of stores; however, the eventual exit was beautiful as the apartments situated near the mouth of the harbor turned their lights on and off and bid us bon voyage...that and a big moon to light the way. The next few days at sea permitted exploration of the ship, familiarization with the facilities and services and, of course, testing the menus. I had traveled aboard the ship earlier in the year on a voyage from Buenos Aires to Barcelona so I knew it would be comfortable and familiar. I didn't expect to see all the live production shows again although I must admit I enjoyed them time and again. The dancers really do a bang up job. I enjoy the ocean so the days at sea were most welcome. We had some moderately heavy seas as a result of Hurricane Mitch which was quite a bit east of us by this time. After two days the surface moderated and heavy seas were not to be seen again. 21 Nov, Aruba (Ref 10). The first port was Aruba which is almost on the Venezuelan coast of South America. The small island is a self-governing entity belonging to the Netherlands but could, if it desired, be totally independent. It has become a successful Caribbean resort and would seem to be developing heavily in that direction as its oil-refining future is limited. The town of Oranjestad is colorful but tiny and water sports along the beaches are a main attraction. I managed to get an ocean swim in which is what I attempt at every opportunity. 22 Nov, Cartagena (Ref 11). Cartagena is a most interesting port. Its approach from the north requires a large U-turn to the east inasmuch as the northern entrance (Bocagrande) is still blocked by an underwater obstacle that the Spaniards constructed to dissuade marauding mariners and that means passing the island of Tierrabomba and entering the narrow southern entrance (Bocachica) before turning north towards the city. The entrance has forts on either side and, in fact, the port is famous for its fortifications, especially those inside the city where the walls are of enormous size. Cartagena has an old section with narrow passages and it has its modern section with large hotels in the Bocagrande area. I gravitated to this peninsular area to swim in the ocean then in the pool at the large Caribe Hotel. That usually makes my day but then I have been to Cartagena on a number of occasions and shopping and sightseeing doesn't take the bulk of my time anymore. 23 Nov, Panama Canal (Ref 12). Passage through the canal is a never ending joy as everything is up close and personal. The mule train, the locks, the impounded Gatun Lake with its islands, the cuts and steep walled section, the people along the locks and the passing ships at close range. It fills the whole day but one would like to debark in Colon or Panama City. And it is a wonder that Panama has not enticed the cruise lines to create a private island to let the passengers set foot in this tropical rainforest that surpasses what a visit to coastal Costa Rica has to offer. As of this writing, 31 Dec 99, the United States has relinquished all responsibity for the operation of the Panama Canal. All the best wishes to Panama in their undoubted competency in not only maintaining operations but improving the throughput capacity. 25-26 Nov, Manta (Ref 13). Next to Guayaquil, Manta is the second largest port in Ecuador and a center for the tuna fishing fleet. Frozen tuna of about three feet in length were being offloaded close to us at the commercial pier where we moored alongside. Manta is also known for its beaches which stretch along the coast both north and south. Incidentally, the pelicans are a never ending source of entertainment as they wheel and plunge. The city is a great place to purchase inexpensive goods, particularly panama hats that are woven locally and in the nearby town of Montecristi. I have brought two of them back to Waikiki and I guess I will be wearing more headgear than I have been up to now. Maybe it's time to cover up. We stayed overnight and a number of passengers flew to the Galapagos to enjoy the wildlife. Some added a flight to Cuzco either in addition or separately to see Machu Pichu and the Inca ruins. I talked to one young lady who took nine days of a seventeen day cruise to visit both attractions but I suspect she could have done better by flying down later and taken both excursions without rushing. It turned out that those passengers who opted to take the flight to Quito found the air there to be adversely affected by nearby volcanic eruptions which further caused some flights to be canceled. Flying back was delayed for some as small planes had to be secured and diverted for the return. 28-29 Nov, Callao/Lima (Ref 14). The port of Callao is very busy and is a suburb of Lima so it is not more than a thirty minute bus or taxi ride into the big city. A $4 shuttle service between the ship and the central part of the city was available just as in a few other port areas in South America that are a bit remote such as Pisco and Punta Arenas. Callao port has the Maritime Museum and a large fort but the main attractions are in Lima proper. Miraflores is the modern center of the city and a good place to start one's foraging into the so-called indian markets and the better shopping areas. The Gold Museum, on the eastern outskirts of the city, is quite pleasant and quite a few major attractions area to be found in the center of the city. 30 Nov, Puerto San Martin/Pisco (Ref 15). Puerto San Martin, a tiny isolated commercial port, is located on the northwestern end of a large horseshoe-shaped bay that separates it from the small city of Pisco, some fifteen miles away. Quite a few fishmeal processing plants are situated on the shores of the bay just south of Pisco (home of Pisco Sour brandy) and make their presence known by their aromatic qualities. The port is situated in the Paracas Wildlife Reserve which is well-known throughout the country as a center of sealife, birds and large sand dunes one of which has a Nasca-like 420-ft long carving of a trident that can only be oberved from the sea. The main attraction are the Balteros Islands, some eleven miles west of the small port of Paracas, where small open runabouts can be engaged to tour the barren islands which consist of arches and caves and have the most marvelous collections of sea lions, seabirds and even a few penguins! Large ramps have been built high up to load guano which is used as fertilizer in agricultural operations but other than that there is no human habitation on the islands. They remind one of the Galapagos and getting up to the sea lions face to face in a small boat beneath thousands of darting seabirds is quite appealing. 2 Dec, Arica (Ref 16). The northern third of Chile is a desert in the true sense of the word. Some towns in this part of the world have never experienced rain so that must be dry! And Arica is in a river valley situated in this dry coastal portion of the Atacama Desert. The port loads a variety of minerals extracted from the foothills of the Andes to the east. Many items for sale are brought down from the altiplano in the Andes and are reasonably priced. 4 Dec, Coquimbo/La Serena (Ref 17). Coquimbo, the port for La Serena, is also situated along a dry coast which is ameliorated by the relative lushness of a river valley. As one approaches the middle portion of Chile, a transition is noticeaable as winter rains increase and, while still less than 25 inches per year, produces a so-called Mediterranean climate that is so agreeable. 5 Dec, Valparaiso (Ref 18). The busy commercial port of Valparaiso services the fertile central portion of Chile and its capital Santiago. It has its attractive companion immediately to the north, the resort city of Vina del Mar with its upscale dwellings and hotels. I attempted swimming here but as soon as I dived in I dived right back out. Although the sunny popular beach of Caleta Abarca was packed with people I soon noticed that only a handful were actually in the water and it was just too cold. The Humboldt or Peruvian Current comes north from Antarctic waters and, while it provides the much-needed nutrients for fish and seabirds, it was way too cold for enjoyment this early in the summer. Most passengers departed the ship for Santiago and flights home; however, some 250 remained on board for a continuation to the fiord country, Cape Horn and Buenos Aires (Ref 19). I was among them. Selected Cruise/Travel Articles (Ref 20). Click here to send comments. COPYRIGHT 1999, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED |
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