On November 11, 2004 an excited group of travelers met at the airport for their flight to Houston, Texas to begin their journey to the Panama Canal, hosted by Anita Dyck of Kaleidoscope Travel & Cruise.
The group arrived in Houston at 5:00pm and was met by their private motor coach and transported to Galveston Island to begin the 14-day adventure. After checking in to the hotel on Seawall Boulevard the group headed across the street to the Ocean Grill for a fabulous seafood supper. The next morning we were joined by a local guide for a tour of the island. Our first stop was pier 21 theatre for “The Great Storm” film. Galveston’s 1900 storm was the most devastating natural disaster to ever hit this country, with more than 6,000 people killed in this prosperous port town. Our next stop was Bishops Palace, one of Galveston’s architectural treasures. In the afternoon we boarded the Galveston Island Trolley with a stop at Moody Mansion, for an intriguing and delightful glimpse into the life of a family that built a Texas empire. The evening was spent enjoying a Bon Voyage Party at the hotel.
On November 13, 2004 we embarked on the Celebrity Galaxy for a 12-day cruise. The ship set sail at 6:00 pm and the eating frenzy began! We spent the first day at sea exploring the ship. Some of us lounged by the pool on the lido deck, some indulged at the spa and all of us enjoyed the superb food in the dining room.
Our first stop was the beautiful island of Cozumel, Mexico. The group enjoyed their own special plans. Some enjoyed snorkelling at the world’s second largest reef. Others visited the Tulum Mayan Ruins. And, some chose to shop, or just enjoyed exploring this lovely island.
Costa Maya was our second port of call, located just south of Cancun. There was a variety of shore excursions available – from exploring Mayan Ruins to fabulous aquatic recreation.
November 18 was the day we all had been waiting for “The Journey through the Panama Canal”. When the Panama Canal opened in 1914, this engineering miracle saved ships nearly 8,000 miles of Atlantic to Pacific travel time. Today, the 50-mile long canal joins two worlds into one great adventure. We watched from the deck as the ship began the transit through the Canal. We entered the first set of the Gatun locks and the gates closed behind us, the water began to fill the locks and raised our ship. The canal’s three sets of locks raised the Celebrity Galaxy a total of 26 metres above sea level to the level of Gatun Lake. What a fabulous experience it was.
Puerto Limon was our port of call the following day. Rain forest meets the jungle in this very tropical area of Costa Rica. Again there were many available shore excursions – The Banana Route train adventure was a popular choice. We traveled on the narrow-gauge railway to the town of Estrada in the heart of Central America’s jungle rain forest on an excursion so filled with rare sights, sounds, and experiences that we will not soon forget.
After a relaxing day at sea we arrived in Montego Bay, Jamaica on November 21. Renowned for its beauty and range of activities, Montego Bay is a place where history and legend come together to offer the most intriguing attractions. Some couples visited Rose Hall Great House the home of Annie Palmer, the white witch. Legend has it that three of her husbands met their death at her hands, while countless slaves suffered as a result of her ruthlessness. Others ventured to the Appleton Rum Estate for a look into the rum making process.
Our final port of call was Grand Cayman. The port had just reopened to cruise passengers and was still rebuilding after Hurricane Ivan in September. A tour of the island showed the incredible destruction that had been caused by Ivan. No visit to Grand Cayman is complete without the journey to the famous Stingray City. We boarded our cabin cruiser for a three-hour trip. Our first snorkelling stop was at the Coral Gardens, a cluster of coral formations which is home to thousands of fish. Next we stopped at the Barrier Reef, where we snorkelled with a very scary looking moray eel. Finally we reached Stingray City – a sand bar where local fishermen would stop and clean their fish, now it has become a great tourist attraction. Standing in the waist high water we were surrounded by sting rays, some of us were braver than others and actually held and kissed a sting ray. Wow! What an experience. That evening a special anniversary was celebrated in our group. Alex and Jean Gorrie – congratulations on 58 years together. A delicious cake was served for the occasion and was enjoyed by all.
We had two lovely days at sea as the ‘Galaxy’ sailed back to Galveston, Texas. Last minute shopping was done at the duty free shops on board, and some tried their luck in the casino, and everyone watched the final evening show in the Celebrity Theatre.
On November 25 we disembarked the Galaxy and journeyed to Houston for our flight back home – each of us having made new friends, renewed old friendships, and all with very special tales and memories of our ‘PANAMA CANAL” tour.