Another cruise, another trip through the “amazing” Panama Canal. Before I get started, let’s go on a little information romp to learn more about this engineering marvel shall we? Yes.
One of the great engineering feats of the 20th century, the Panama Canal accomplished what nature forgot to do; it connected the Atlantic to the Pacific, and reduced the 12,000 mile sailing distance between New York and San Francisco by more than 7,000 miles. In 1880, The French Canal Company began construction, but plagued by diseases, financial burdens and engineering problems, they sold the canal's rights and properties to the United States for $40 million. The US began construction in 1904 and completed it ten years later at a cost of roughly $387 million an unprecedented amount at the time.
So every 15 days or so I throw my curtains aside and am greeted by a brick wall mere inches (literally) from my portholes. It’s really amazing. Watching the ship being guided through each of the three sets of locks is still impressive no matter how many times I see it. And when I realize people have saved up for years to experience this makes me appreciate my job all the more. Every place I get to visit is a dream destination for most of the people that fall asleep during our shows. (Let’s face it, Do You Wanna Dance can’t really compare to a wonder of the world.)
It costs the ship somewhere in the area of $320,000 dollars to cross the canal every trip we make. No wonder the cost of the cruise is one of the highest of all the itineraries! Again, this canal is like nothing else in the world, so much like a ticket to the Opening Ceremonies for the 2012 Olympics in London, they can charge whatever they like. (My mother in law recently informed me a ticket is going for around 2000 pounds.)
It’s just one of those moments when I think, “Oh, Panama Canal day, may as well do laundry” that I step out onto the open deck and really take in what I’m surrounded by. One day our kids will be learning about this canal and ask me about it and I’ll be able to say I went through it over 30 times, and of those 30 times, I only lost a sock twice.
Not too shabby.
No comments:
Post a Comment