The best place to explore from…Panama!

I’ve talked at length in my book and newsletter about the amazing travel opportunities for retired people living in Panama. Part of the reason for our retirement location decision was the travel we wanted to do as we approached our golden years. We wanted a home where travel is essentially easy to destinations worldwide. Recently, we reported on the opening of the new cruise port on the Amador Causeway in Panama City. When Norwegian began servicing the port, we learned of an amazing cruise itinerary. It turns out that we were among several expat couples who noticed the extraordinary opportunity. We booked the cruise with no concern for air travel.

We traveled with two other couples from our home in Coronado by private shuttle on February 22. The cruise port is still not 100% complete due to construction delays caused by Covid, so our driver dropped us at the amazing, new convention center where our luggage was collected, documents were processed, and the immigration process was completed. We waited in the comfortable facility to be called in groups for shuttle to our ship. The Norwegian Jewel is one of the smaller ships on their fleet, however we were told that it was leaving port at full capacity (about 2400 passengers).

The passengers were all checked in and comfortably settled into their staterooms by 3:00 and the beautiful ship pulled away from the dock headed to the Gulf of Panama to get in the que for the Panama Canal. We began exploring to find the restaurants and bars aboard. We had dinner overlooking the Gulf of Panama. Following dinner, we found entertainment that surpassed belief. The ship had vocal musicians and dancers/acrobats who entertained the passengers at several venues, including the Stardust theater where nightly shows played.

At 6:00 a.m., the ship began its transit of the Panama Canal. An esteemed member of the Panama Canal Authority, Mr. Jaime Robleto, gave a full narration of the history and construction of this amazing structure. As we passed through each lock and Lake Gatun, the ship moved effortlessly under the direction of the Panama Canal Pilot, who boarded and took control of the ship’s transit. It was amazing how quickly the day passed before going under the Atlantic Bridge and traveling out into the Caribbean. The Panama Canal Pilot had exited the ship, and the captain regained control for the overnight passage to Puerto Limon, Costa Rica.

Whether drawn to beautiful scenery, fascinated by history, or craving adventure, the best way to explore Puerto Limon was to take home a story from an exciting shore excursion. We opted to take the Caribbean Train, Eco Cruise, and Countryside tour. We boarded the open-air train and traveled through the rainforest and banana groves of Costa Rica until reaching our tour bus and being transported to a canal adventure. We motored through mangroves where we witnessed wildlife indigenous to the Costa Rican paradise. Forgive me, but the opportunity for great pictures here was limited. Following our adventure, we were returned to the ship.

The ship left Costa Rica for travel to Curacao. The trip took us through the night and a full day at sea, during which we were able to enjoy the pools, spa, driving range, casino, sports courts, jogging track, and numerous other activities. We enjoyed the tribute to Elton John by Jeffrey Allen in the Stardust Theater after dinner. During the cruise we found ourselves also enjoying the music of Louis Razon in the Magnum Bar. Every stage on the ship offered different entertainment and it was often difficult to decide where to be.

Our cruise package gave us dinner at one of the premium restaurants. We opted for Cagney’s Steakhouse, where our group enjoyed prime rib which we rarely get in Panama. The dinner was a highlight of our trip and the only time we took pictures of the food. I must say, however that the food aboard was all spectacular with one exception. We checked in at Chin Chin for Asian Fusion one night, and everyone at the table was disappointed. Nobody finished their plate. The great thing about a cruise is if one place disappoints, there are others. We slipped into a different place later for appetizers and dessert. O’Sheehan’s Pub was open 24 hours and proved to be a favorite venue for some of our meals. We all enjoyed Azura for several dinners and The Palace for other dinners and breakfasts. We enjoyed the buffet for other breakfasts and a lunch or two. Most of us tried to avoid the buffet for portion control reasons.

On day 5 of our adventure, the captain parked the ship in the port at Willemstad, Curacao around 2:00 p.m. Willemstad is the capital of the Dutch Caribbean Island, Curacao and its beauty hit us as soon as the ship pulled into port. The island is known for its pastel-colored town square as vibrant as tropical flora. Unique to Willemstad is the floating pedestrian bridge that spans the deep and narrow channel splitting the city’s two districts. We opted to explore the shopping, a fort at the port, and have an ice-cold local beer at one end of the floating bridge. It was Sunday and we found several of the shops closed. After a couple of hours, we returned to the ship and continued to enjoy the onboard activities. We left port around 9:00 p.m. for an overnight transit to our next destination Bonaire.

We arrived at Kralendijk, Bonaire around 7:00 a.m. on day 6. The countless coral reefs surrounding its shore are home to more than 400 species of marine life, earning it the nickname diver’s paradise. Many on the ship took off for dive or snorkeling adventures, while others boarded a glass bottomed gondola for prime undersea views. Still others explored the Washington Slagbaii National Park which covers a fifth of the island. Bonaire offered endless outdoor adventures with a healthy dose of colonial charm. Our little group of adventurers opted for some local shopping. The ship departed at around 8:00 p.m. for an overnight transit to Aruba.

The ship docked at Oranjestad, Aruba at 7:00 a.m. on day 7. Oranjestad, Aruba is a bustling harbor city whose streets and malls are dotted with international luxury retailers, diverse boutiques, and dazzling jewelry stores. Fascinating restored landmark buildings can be found along the way, such as Fort Zoutman, Aruba’s oldest building dating back to 1798, which was built to protect the city from pirates. There’s also the Willem III Tower built in 1868. It was once a lighthouse and public clocktower. The Historical Museum, positioned between the two buildings, houses a permanent exhibition outlining the main events in Aruban history. We opted for a best of Aruba tour where we were treated with one of the best guides around. She drove our bus across most of the island stopping to allow us to explore some of the most talked about sites on there. We motored past Haystack before stopping at Casibari, a natural rock formation. We exited the bus and were allowed time to climb the rocks and explore. Once we returned to the bus, she drove us to a very interesting Aloe plantation and factory for a tour. Then we went to the California Lighthouse, all the way getting interesting history and information about “one happy island.” She drove us past all of the beaches and resorts before our final stop, where we were able to spend a few minutes at Eagle Beach. We saw wind surfers and pirate ships along the way. This was a private tour that we arranged outside the ship. She kindly dropped us near the shopping district, so we could explore before returning to the ship. The captain departed around 8:00 p.m. despite the fact that everyone had not returned. Must be that those 2 people were having much too fun and lost track of time. A cruise ship has to maintain a rigid schedule. This was the busiest of the ports we visited with at least 5 other cruise ships docked. Our next stop was Santa Marta.

After 1 day and 2 nights of onboard activities, we made landfall at 8:00 a.m. in Santa Marta, Colombia. Santa Marta is described as pure flavor. The city’s diversity is evident in its landscape, people, and every aspect of its culture. It’s a destination that truly embraces its visitors and makes them feel at home. Santa Marta’s beautiful terrain is its most distinguishing feature with unforgettable landscapes, green foliage, blue sea, yellow sun, and sand. The contrast between the beaches and the white peaked Sierra Nevada, makes Santa Marta a must-see destination. We opted for a full day journey to the Taironaka Indian Reserve. Our tour bus transported us through the city and into the highlands of the Seirra Nevada Mountains, where we exited and hiked to the reserve. This was a difficult hike for many of us and it wasn’t recommended for anyone over 60 years old, children, or anyone with medical conditions. Our tour group had all of these, and a medic hiked with us to the reserve. The reserve had been restored to resemble some of what it may have looked like when occupied by the indigenous people. A museum there contained artifacts uncovered and our guide filled us with history and culture of the people. These were believed to be the first inhabitants of the country. They were gold crafters who also made beautiful pottery, textiles, and baskets. The Spanish had looted their graves which contained gold, jewelry, and other artifacts. Fortunately, their only interest was the gold and much of the rest was left behind for us to enjoy. There was a river nearby and several of our fellow adventurers walked down to wade into its cool water before making the hike down. Our bus returned us to the ship. The exhausted passengers rested and recovered on the ride.

The ship departed at 5:00 p.m. for the overnight journey to Cartagena. The crew on the ship told us that this was the first time they had stopped at Santa Marta.

We arrived on day 10 of our adventure at Cartagena, Colombia. Cartagena is a gorgeous fishing village on Colombia’s Caribbean coast. It has excellent beaches, a historic old town, and colonial architecture. Often considered one of the safest places in Colombia, it’s no wonder it’s a popular cruise port. The first thing one notices when exiting the port is the fabulous estuary between the dock and the street where taxis are available. Our small group got a taxi into the walled city. The taxis and traffic were brutal. The taxi drivers were trying to get usurious fares, and we negotiated before getting into one. Even with careful negotiations we paid $5 USD each for the hot uncomfortable ride. We explored part of the walled city and bought some small trinkets before returning to the ship. Our return taxi ended up costing a more reasonable $10 for four people.

Once onboard the ship, we were all feeling sad that our cruise was coming to an end. The ship departed port at 3:00 p.m. for our final leg of the trip to Colon, Panama. We all went to our staterooms to pack. All luggage had to be in the hall by 9:00 p.m. We went for a final delicious meal at what had become one of our favorite restaurants, Azura. We visited some of our favorite crew members who had served us well on our journey and took in a final show at the Stardust Theater.

I woke early, showered, packed my carry-on bag, and went up on deck to enjoy our arrival to Colon. I was taken back by how beautiful the port town appeared as it slept. I know from experience that this is one of the most dangerous towns in the country. We had our private transportation picking us up on the dock. The extreme poverty was evident as our driver navigated his way to the highway and our return to Coronado.

Jen and I are happy to be returning to a normal schedule of adventuring. Later this year, we will be visiting Riviera Maya in Mexico, where we will stay in a resort near Cancun. In December, we will be traveling to Peru where we will visit Machu Pichu and take an exploration into the Amazon Rainforest. From Peru, we plan to travel to the United States for a few days in Florida. Although the arrangements are still fuzzy, we are planning a cruise from Santiago, Chili around the entire continent of South America, which will conclude in Rio de Janeiro. That will be in March and April of next year. Stay tuned for more. If you want to hear about all our exciting travel, make sure you subscribe to get our blog delivered to your inbox. We will never spam you or sell your information.

Blessings from Paradise,

Greg and Jen

#welovepanama