2013 Panama Canal

Our ship was Celebrity Cruise Line's Celebrity Millenium, carrying over 2100 passengers and 965 feet long.

On September 22, 2013, We flew from Castro Valley to San Diego and boarded. The ports we visited were Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, Sep 24; Puerta Vallarta, Mexico, Sep 25; Puerto Quetzel, Guatemala Sep 28; Puntarenas, Costa Rica, Sep 30; Transit P.C. Oct 2, Colon, Panama, Oct 3; Cartagena, Columbia, Oct 4; and Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, Oct 7 where we flew back to San Diego and took a shuttle back to Castro Valley.

Every port was hot and muggy, so when at sea, we would not even venture to outside decks. We didn't get off the ship in Cabo San Lucas or Puerta Vallarta.

The highlight, was transiting the Panama Canal and watching the "Third Set of Locks Project" in the distance (completed June 26, 2016). The largest ships that can pass through the locks are called "Panamax" ships. Our locks were 110 ft wide, 1050 ft long and 41.2 ft deep. The newer lock chambers are 180ft x 1400 ft x 60 ft allowing 50% larger "Panamax" ships.

We liked a destination in Guatemala called "Autosafari Chapin" an inland African Zoo, navigated partly on foot and partly by motor coach.

In Colon we were advised not to venture outside the port's gates (also very hot). We enjoyed ourselves at the next stop Cartegena, taking a land and bay cruise tour.

This was a Legacy Family Tree Genealogy Cruise. with 5 sea days of 2-a-day seminars and Q-A sessions. At dinners, we were seated with other Legacy users, learning much from each other. Diane uses Legacy Family Tree software to manage her genealogy database.

The Legacy lectures we dutifully attended. The authors and main "evangelist" were on board so we were getting information "straight from the horses mouth".