2 rv golfers on the go: Panama Canal April 22, 2014

The first clear view of the Panama Canal through the fog and heavy rain, off our deck. It was an awesome sight, an item on my bucket list that I really did not know that I would be able to cross off. I was overcome with emotion and my eyes were threatening to rain.

This is one of the pilot boats that guided us toward the canal. Two pilots were brought out to physically navigate us safely through the canal. Ship's transiting the Panama Canal require a pilot and with a ship as large as ours often times 2. Our captain and the Panama pilot work closely, however, the Panama pilot gives all the navigational information to the helmsman.

This pilot was a happy sort and looked to really enjoy his job. During the transit the pilot is in constant contact with the locomotive operators.

Our ship had the maximum amount of locomotives to pull us through the locks, 4 on each side. The locomotives were connected to us by heavy cables. The transit toll is prepaid through the cruise line's agent. In 2007 the Norwegian Pearl(our ship) paid the highest toll of $313,000. The lowest toll was 36 cents paid in 1928 by R. Halliburton-he swam through the canal. The captain stated that we were between 12-24 inches from the lock walls, the entire time we were in each lock (6 locks in all). Three locks on the Atlantic side and 3 locks on the Pacific side. The maximum size of the ships allowed are 965 feet long and 106 feet wide.

Going into our first lock to be lifted up

We are just about to exit the first lock heading into the second lock.

Our cabin was just perfect!! We were on our deck 90% of the canal transit.
Our neighbors had a party and we had some new friends over for
the afternoon. We had such fun, memories we shall have cherish forever.

100 year celebration.

Some new friends of ours were on the bow and took our picture of us on our deck. The bow is only open for very special occasions and going through the canal is one of those occasions.