Panama Canal Cruise Recap: Day Eleven

Today was the next to last sea day of our 14-night Panama Canal voyage.

This morning, it was time to ask all the questions we had about the Panama Canal. Captain Kenneth Puckett, a retired Panama Canal Pilot, has been presenting fascinating lectures on each sea day and today’s was our chance to get some answers. He was asked about his most interesting transit (a ship full of water buffalos), how ships from all over the world communicate with each other and the canal authority (English is the worldwide maritime language), and many other interesting topics. He was also asked about technical aspects of the canal’s operations, what is done in the event of emergencies or damage to the canal and so much more. On our final sea day this Thursday, he will conclude his series of lectures with a presentation about the little-known plot during World War II to destroy the waterway. I’m really looking forward to that session.

Following Captain Ken was another “Anyone Can Cook” class. Throughout this cruise, guest chef Jim Phillips from the Animal Kingdom Lodge Resort at Walt Disney World has been leading interactive classes about various dishes he has created. Today it was time for dessert – Sabayon and Berries. Today’s class also featured a chance for those of us who might have missed a session or two to collect the recipes we didn’t get. We sometimes post recipes from our various vacation suppliers on this blog and in the coming weeks and months we’ll share a few of the ones we collected on this cruise. On the final sea day, we will get to witness the “Battle of the Chefs” as Chef Jim takes on several of the ship’s officers in a cooking showdown. That should be a lot of fun.

The rest of today was spent enjoying various sea day activities, including trivia contests, food and drink seminars, time at the spa or just relaxing on our balconies or by one of several pools. And as with any cruise, there were many places to grab a drink or a bite to eat.

This evening, we finally got to see the ship’s signature show – “Frozen the Musical.” This 50-minute stage version of the hit movie featured all the famous songs and characters and some very impressive stagecraft. It is especially impressive when you consider that the performers must present three shows on each cruise – “The Golden Mickeys,” “Frozen the Musical” and on the final night of our cruise, “Disney Dreams: An Enchanted Classic.” I’m always impressed by the shows on most cruise ships, but Disney, as you might expect, takes it to a whole new level. “Frozen the Musical” was probably the best show I’ve seen on a cruise ship.

Tomorrow we’ll arrive in Grand Cayman and most of our group is going snorkeling. The Cayman Islands were a very popular destination for pirates and shipping and there are several great shipwrecks just off shore that are great for diving. This will be another tender port which means we will not dock at a pier but rather will use water taxis to travel between the ship and shore.

Until tomorrow, good night from the Caribbean Sea.