Panama Canal Cruise: Days 1-3
Embarkation and Sea Days
We showed up at the Virgin terminal a full hour early for boarding, partly because we’re responsible adults, mostly because we wanted those black Rockstar wristbands on our wrists ASAP. Priorities. The excitement for the new ship and first time voyage through the canal was everywhere. Everyone was buzzing like it was the first day of summer camp… but with better outfits and significantly more champagne in our future.
Once we boarded the ship we dropped our luggage in our cabin immediately and headed to the Rockstar welcome to meet with our Agent (concierge for the cruise) and give him our preferences for in-room bar setup, bedding, and dining reservations, all while sipping champagne.
From there, we walked to the back of the ship to have a late lunch at The Dock, our unofficial “first stop every cruise” tradition for Mediterranean tapas and cocktails.
Next up: Richard’s Rooftop for happy hour and Sail Away. And this is where the plot twist hits.
Right as the party kicked off, I started feeling…off. Not seasick (thank you, Dramamine), just a vague, unwelcome sense of “uh oh.” It escalated as dinner approached, and I made the executive decision to call it a night early. Of course I had a complete freak out - what if I am coming down with something on day 1 of a 17 day cruise?? The good news: I woke up on Day 2 feeling about 90% human again. I am believing this upward arc is going to continue. Alcohol kills germs, right?
Day 2 was a sea day, which we spent doing what we do best: lounging at Richard’s Rooftop, the suites-only outdoor lounge at the front of the ship. There’s a constant breeze up there that tricks you into thinking you’re not getting that much sun. Reader, this is a lie. We got a lot of sun. Oops.
Dinner that night was at Extra Virgin (the Italian restaurant), and it was as good as we remembered, which is to say, dangerously good.
Before this cruise, we made a bold, optimistic decision: we would be “mindful” about how we eat for 17 days. Seventeen. Days. That’s a lot of opportunities to spiral into a breadbasket. So far, we’ve been sticking to our plan: healthy breakfasts, light lunches, and keeping dinner carbs somewhat in check.
Day 3 brought another sea day (feeling 95% today, fingers crossed it keeps getting better), and an early wake-up call thanks to a time change. We got our first bag of laundry ready to be picked up (we are doing laundry about every 5 days.) We had our first sit-down breakfast at Razzle Dazzle, then attended a lecture on the origins of the Panama Canal. I found it fascinating. Shawn… found his phone fascinating. To be fair, he’s listened to approximately 47 podcasts on the topic and probably could’ve guest lectured himself, if called upon.
The afternoon was very chill: card games, ocean views, and a relaxed lunch back at The Dock (grilled chicken and shrimp skewers, for those tracking our “mindful” era).
Tonight: dinner at The Wake, Virgin’s steakhouse. Tomorrow: our first port stop, Cartagena, Colombia. Let the adventures (and good eating decisions) continue!
