Cruising from Boquete Panama

Boquete Panama is not a port city, however Panama City has a port on the Pacific Ocean and Colon a port on the Caribbean. Panama has long been a cross road between the seas and a point of entry to the seas. If you are a resident of Panama the addition of Colon as a port of departure for cruise ships is an opportunity.

Opportunity might come in a potentially in a rejuvenated tourist shopping center in Colon. Colon was the only port of call with no one selling anything to the tourists, an opportunity lost for a city with so much history. In fact the current benefit to Colon is a few jobs for security at the port and a small increase in taxi revenue. Colon needs an overhaul to benefit an investment in infrastructure and safety.

Panamanians made up a large portion of the passengers of this cruise and if their experience was like mine, it was wonderful. If you have never been on a cruise imagine an well appointed floating hotel, the old style, all inclusive of lodging, food and entertainment., liquor was an extra cost item. Each day you wake in a new port and can tour, walk or just stay on the ship. Eat, swim, dance, listen to music, eat, drink, nap, hot tub etc etc etc. If you have been to the Decameron but not on a cruise, it is similar except the food is better, the entertainment better and add the spice of a new port daily.

This was my second cruise, average cost was $70 a day per person including lodging, food (more food than you could eat), gratuities and alcoholic beverages. I will omit the small loss in the casino and the duty free tobacco products also consumed and enjoyed. Because the point of departure was Colon, traveling to the ship was a $15 less jubilado discount from David to Panama, a $2.50 bus ride from Panama to Colon and a final $2 taxi to the dock. Stated simply because the port of departure is in Panama, a cruise is a very inexpensive holiday.

Each person finds what is appealing to them on a cruise ship, the carrier makes many options available. Being a bit of a foodie the food is both the pleasure and the pain for me. Royal Caribbean has a buffet of some type available almost 24 hours a day. The buffet food is very good, they also have a lavish restaurant open for breakfast and dinner daily, lunch on days when the ship is at sea. On my last cruise I avoided the dinning room, on this cruise I succumb to the temptation and my friend Hilda the “Pirana” taught me that once is not always enough and if you want to try a second appetizer, entree or desert just order it. I found myself satiated with one but the option is there and she proved it daily.

The food in the dining room is as good as the best I have had in Panama and included many items not often found here. It was a refreshing change in diet.

From Prime rib to scallops and shrimp on pasta

The hazard of the ship board cuisine is two fold. First it is too easy to eat too much and despite the track the gym and the shore walking it is difficult not to over indulge. The other is the tragedy of not having an appetite for the treats to be discovering in each port of call.

Like this menu in Bonaire, I think it is in Dutch?

or this a home for displaced foodies in Bonaire.

I did discover a few things less attractive to me, but fun to see also.

I will find myself back on a cruise next time the opportunity presents and then I can try to learn culinary self control.