I was once on the Norwegian Crown before it was sold off, and had a very enjoyable time on that trip to Bermuda. Remembering that, I looked forward to an equally enjoyable time on our trip from Long Beach through the Panama Canal, ending up in Miami.

Well, I enjoyed the trip...up to a point. The itinerary had the ship - which went from Long Beach through three Mexican ports of call (Cabo San Lucas, Acapulco, Huatulco/Santa Cruz), and to Guatemala (Puerto Quetzal) and Costa Rica (Puntarenas) - passing through the Canal (no stopping at a port) with one final stop at Cartagena (Colombia) before disembarkation at Miami. Our cabin (Interior - J class), was adequate but smallish, though the bathroom was more than adequate.

The ports of call were generally all very enjoyable, with Huatulco, Puerto Quetzal and Puntarenas being really enjoyable, filled with many unexpected delights: scenic bays and sites in Huatulco, coffee and macadamia plantations in Puerto Quetzal (and nearby Antigua), and ziplining and crocodiles in Costa Rica. Cabo was very touristy, but enjoyable, as was Acapulco. Cartagena's attractions were a long way off from the ship (a 25-minute taxi ride), but the center of the colonial (Old Town) center was well-worth the effort. And the Canal was truly awe-inspiring. The Norwegian Star made sure we had access to an excellent film that gave us a very good background to the history of the efforts that led to the construction of the Panama Canal. Read more