garyandpearl

Day 12, January 13th, the day we have all been waiting for…

It took roughly 12 hours to pass from the Pacific to the Atlantic through the new locks (Cocoli and Aqua Clara). It cost approximately $660,000 USD for us to pass through, or approximately $200 per passenger.

At 0607h, the Panama Canal Crew members boarded the ship and safely navigated us through.

Two tug boats assisted the ship into each set of locks.

We passed under the Bridge of the Americas on our way into the canal.

Passengers were up early to find the best vantage points for the viewing. If you did not have a balcony in your stateroom, the front of the ship was a great spot, and the area above the bridge deck provided an unimpeded view. The air conditioned Skywalker lounge on the 18th floor at the back or aft of the ship also gave a great alternate view.

This is a picture of one of the four gates that keeps the water in the locks. It is 33 meters high and weighs 4,232 tons.

From our room, we could watch the level of the ship rise or fall in each of the sets of locks. The three locks raised or lowered us a total of 85 feet.

Once we were clear of the first set of locks, we enjoyed cruising through Gatun Lake, a large artificial lake made to enable ships to pass from one side to the other. We also spotted a crocodile sunning himself.

We enjoyed the day, watching the rain forest scenery, swimming in the pool on deck 15 so that we could say we “swam the Panama Canal”, and soaking up the sun while knowing that back home it was -40. It took us just under two hours to pass through the three Aqua Clara Locks. While we were enjoying dinner in the dining room, we passed under the Atlantic bridge, moved into the Caribbean Sea, and our crossing was complete!