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Day 10
Monday, Jan 22, 2018
Panama Canal Transit

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Click on each photo below to view a larger image:

5:34 AM: Finishing up the refueling of our ship to prepare for entering
the Panama Canal and the rest of our journey to Tampa, Florida.

A number of ships were lined up waiting for their turn to enter the Panama Canal.

Panama City.

Passengers on deck enjoying the view as we enter the Panama Canal.

Passing under the Bridge of the Americas as we begin our journey through the Panama Canal.

Billboards on a hill on the shore after passing under the Bridge of the Americas.

A U.S. Coast Guard Ship and other ships can be seen docked in the canal area.

Click to enlarge the above photos and you can see a large cargo ship going through the new wider passage of the Panama Canal. Our ship will be going through the century old original narrow passage through the Panama Canal.

A tug boat that will guide us into the first set of canal locks.

Entering the first of two chambers of the Miraflores Locks.

Passengers in cabins with aft balconies had some of the best views of the locks as they closed behind the ship.

The closing behind us of the first chamber of the Miraflores Locks.

The water fills the chamber for the first of many lifts to ultimately
get us 85 feet above sea level for the highest point of the transit.

The locomotives in these photos, called "Mules", don't so much as pull the ship as just keep it centered in the canal. The fit is so tight that you can actually reach out and touch the chamber walls on both sides of the ship!

The closing behind us of the second chamber of the Miraflores Locks.

Our ship is raised further in the second chamber of the Miraflores Locks.

The "mules" continue to hold us centered in the second chamber.

Across from us can be seen a new wider section of the Panama Canal.

Next we enter the single chamber of the Pedro Miguel Locks. Across from us can be seen the 3 chambers of the Cocoli Locks of the new wider Panama Canal passage. You can see it is having multiple smaller ships pass through simultaneously.

Our ship begins to depart the Miguel Locks along with the smaller ships departing the new locks next to us.

Our ship begins its journey through the Culebra Cut (Gaillard Cut) on its approach to the Continental Divide and the Centennial Bridge.

Our ship goes under the Centennial Bridge and across the Continental Divide.

We pass some cargo ships going the other way as we cruise through Gatun Lake.

Gatun Dam, Chagres River hydroelectricity spillway.

Our ship next passed through the 3 chambers of the Gatun Locks which lowered us 85 feet back down to sea level. Several other ships can be seen passing through the parallel new Agua Ciara Locks.