Scenic Cruising - Chilean Fjords and Glaciers.

We have been doing a wonderful bit of scenic cruising through the Chilean Fjords, El Brujo Glacier, Amalia Glacier, Canal Sarmiento and the Strait of Magellan.

When the ship sailed close to Amalia Glacier a tender was set down in the water and a couple of staff from the ship went in it to take close-up photographs of the glacier but also with the aim of picking up a chunk of glacier ice from the water.  They managed - just.    Fortunately the small chuck of ice survived the journey back to the ship and was placed on a table in the lido area for everyone to look at (by which time its size had shrunk!).

I asked Paul if I could be allowed to go along and - yes, I was allowed to join the small group that went on the tender.  I found it rather funny when one of the engineers leaned over the side of the tender to pick up some ice - it looked as if he was being sick, while staff hung onto his legs and torso!  (Almost in the words of ABBA 'being sick is never easy but you had to go....')  In actual fact he was quite ok 😄.

I've attached some photographs but they don't really do justice to what we saw.

PHOTOGRAPHS

El Brujo Glacier & Surrounding Fjord

Amalia Glacier & Surrounding Fjords

On camera - heading to the tender.

Legs?,  anyone?

View of the Tender From the Ship

Canal Sarmiento - Shipwreck

Going Through the Panama Canal.

Going through the Panama Canal from the Caribbean Sea to the Pacific Ocean was reasonably uneventful.  The Prinsendam had to anchor in Gatun Lake for a while so that larger ships passing west to east could get through a narrow part in the canal, the 'Gaillard' or 'Culebra' Cut.  The rest of the canal was, as they say, plain sailing.

At Miraflores Locks there were crowds of visitors at the locks viewpoint.  Little did they know that they were saying goodbye to a bit of history....  This is the last time that the Prinsendam sails through the Panama Canal.😢  She has been sold to another company but there is hope that she will still sail through the canal even if it be under a different name and flag.

As we neared Panama City we lowered the anchor off Fuerte Amador for a scheduled overnight stay.

PHOTOGRAPHS

Gatun Lake

Going through the Gaillard Cut

Little did these visitors know that they were seeing the Prinsendam for
the last time.

The lock control tower for the new, wider canal in the distance.