Panama Canal, Westbound - Cruise Travelogue

My DH and I are making plans to finally get away for awhile. We have had plans for a 13-day vacation since August; the the long-awaited date is approaching. One week from right now we will be on a plane taking off from AHJI airport and magically alighting only a few hours later in San Juan, Puerto Rico. There we will board the Island Princess to sail for 10 days. Setting sail late at night, we will stay afloat and chugging for two nights and one full day, making our first stop in Willemstad, Curacao, the Netherland Antilles. The street beside the dock is pictured here. The bottom of the picture is the waterway on which the ship will dock; passengers disembark on the other side of the waterway and cross the swinging bridge (at the far right of the picture) to go into town.

What I love about cruises is that I can visit all these wonderful islands and ports and get from one place to the next without packing and unpacking, dragging luggage around, or sitting in a confining car, bus, or airplane for hours. In the evenings, after exploring one new location, we simply come back to the ship, go about our business as usual: eat dinner, go to a show or a movie, rest, read, whatever--- eventually go to bed and sleep. Then, magically, when we wake up, we are in a new place! We have rested well, we have new scenery to view, new activities to pursue, a new island to visit.

Check back here during the next couple of weeks; perhaps I'll persuade someone to post my pre-written accounts while I'm gone. If not, I'll post them when I get home and add a bunch of pictures.