Publisher's Synopsis
Cruise ship lecturer and Panama resident, Richard Detrich, tells you what you need to know to get the most out of your passage through the Panama Canal. The more you know in advance, the better you will enjoy your day in the Panama Canal. Here's the history and background of the creation of the Panama Canal and the information about the Canal expansion, right up to today. Here's the story of the Republic of Panama, its sometimes confused and tumultuous relationship with the United States, what Panama is like today, and why it is one of the world's booming economies. Here's information about the types of Panama cruise itineraries, what to look for, and what to expect, and how to get the best deal. Here's information, and pictures, of the shore excursions available in Panama, both with the cruise line and independently. Here's a guide what to look for as you experience your own Canal Day. Detrich says, "When we owned travel agencies, we always gave clients who booked Panama Canal cruises a copy of David McCullough's definitive Panama Canal book, THE PATH BETWEEN THE SEAS: THE CREATION OF THE PANAMA CANAL 1870-1914. It took me a while to realize that, although it is the definitive story of the Canal, it is also a long and heavily footnoted historical tome, so in many cases folks just stuck it on their book shelf. I had a captain once tell me, "Richard, I'm trying to read it, but I keep falling asleep." I told him to stick with it and once he got through the first 150 pages, he'd be hooked ... and he was. "But since 1914, over a million ships have passed through the Canal, the Canal Zone has ceased to exist, and the Canal has been returned to the people of Panama. The Canal is being massively expanded, and even while the expansion is being completed, engineers of the Canal de Panama are beginning plans for yet another expansion that will be able to accommodate the newest and largest class of container ships yet, ships that carry over 18,000 containers. "While lecturing on ships transiting the Canal, I realized that there was a need for a simpler and more current book, a book written for cruise passengers that included information about the Panama as information about the Canal. I wanted to write a book that would be helpful to folks planning a Panama Canal trip, as well as serve as a guide during the voyage. Detrich recalls the time, "I had just completed a lecture in the show lounge on a ship scheduled to transit the Canal. After the talk, as I walked out of the lounge, I was behind two ladies, both in their early 60s, and I overhead one say to the other, 'I didn't know the Canal was man made.' Here these gals were, taking the 'bucket list, ' trip-of-a-lifetime through one of the great wonders of the world, and they didn't have a clue!" A good trip has three memorable parts: anticipating and planning, taking the trip, and reliving the experience when you get home. PANAMA CANAL DAY: AN ILLUSTRATED GUIDE TO CRUISING THE PANAMA CANAL will help you understand the history of Panama and its Canal, let you know what to expect, and, if you have a port call in Panama, know what there is to see and do. Lavishly illustrated with both historical photographs and actual photos of the ship in the Canal, including behind the scenes shots of Canal Day on the bridge, PANAMA CANAL DAY: AN ILLUSTRATED GUIDE TO CRUISING THE PANAMA CANAL will help you anticipate the adventure of your own Canal Day. ."
