Panama Canal Cruise Recap: Day Six

Today is our second of four days at sea onboard the stunning Disney Wonder as we head towards the Panama Canal and ultimately Galveston.

If you’ve never cruised before, one thing to know about sea days is they’re the perfect opportunity to do as much (or as little) as you like. Some choose to just relax, while others like to fill their day with shipboard activities. There’s no wrong answer or right way to do it. Some of our group chose option A, while others went with option B.

Most of us started our day with our daily lecture from Captain Kenneth Puckett, a retired Panama Canal ship pilot. Today he focused on the operation of the canal during the years it was managed by the United States. For those that don’t know, a pilot helps ships (both cruise and cargo vessels) navigate specific waterways. For example, we’ll bring a couple of pilots onboard before entering the canal. We’ll also have pilots assist us at each port and as we come into Galveston. They work hand in hand with the ship’s captain and navigation officers to safely guide the vessel in and out of ports and waterways.

After the lecture, we all headed to Palo for brunch. Disney Cruise Line has one adults-only restaurant onboard the classic ships (Disney Wonder and Disney Magic) and two adults-only venues on the larger ships (Disney Dream and Disney Fantasy). Palo, which is Italian for the poles used by gondoliers in Venice, is an Italian restaurant onboard all four Disney ships. On sea days, the restaurant has a not-to-be-missed brunch that features several tables of amazing food like seafood, pastries, Italian cheeses and meats, vegetables and desserts. In addition to unlimited amounts of these great foods, you also get to order your main course from a menu of amazing options. The restaurant is located on the top deck of the ship on the aft section so you have a lovely panoramic view of the ocean while dining. The restaurant is also open for dinner (featuring an entirely different menu) every night of the cruise. On the larger ships, there is also an adults-only restaurant called Remy (named for the main character in Ratatouille). This venue features a seven-course French menu that is superb. We will return to Palo for dinner on the evening we pass through the Canal (Saturday).

After brunch, most of us opted for a nap, with some returning to their staterooms and others electing to catch some sleep by one of the pools. The next big event in our day was to watch game 7 of the World Series in the Crown & Fin Pub. There were both Dodger and Astros fans in attendance and the pub was hopping every game, but tonight as the Astros started to dominate the Houston fans took over and the place was electric during the final three outs. We happily celebrated the first World Series Championship for Houston and will all be wearing our Astros gear throughout the rest of the voyage to celebrate. We even converted many of the staff in the Crown & Fin to Astros fans. Congrats Astros!!!

Tonight was also the first of three production shows that are featured on this ship – The Golden Mickeys. Think Oscar night – there is a red carpet and even interviews with guests onboard as they head into the theatre. Inside the Walt Disney Theatre, the video screens show the red carpet arrivals (the guests entering the theatre) and some characters even make an appearance. The show itself is a revue of some favorite Disney songs and movies themed to Oscar night. For example, they might hand out a Golden Mickey for “Best Villain” and then feature a scene from Aladdin with Jafar. All the shows onboard run around 45 minutes and it’s a perfect way to feature some of Disney’s greatest hits in a clever way.

Following the game, we headed to dinner at Tiana’s Place. This was our second time in this lovely new restaurant and we enjoyed tonight’s theme menu called “Land and Sea.” Following dinner, we visited a few of the adults-only lounges for a nightcap and to check out the schedule for our third sea day tomorrow.

On this voyage, we begin in the pacific time zone and end in the central, a difference of two hours. We’ve already set our clocks ahead once and will do so again tonight. We will adjust our clocks a third time (but back one hour) on Saturday as most of the nation ends Daylight Saving time.

Until tomorrow, good night from 1900 of us onboard Disney Wonder.