We decided to cruise out of Colon, Panama, because it was so different than the other Caribbean cruises. We figured we'd already BE in the Caribbean and wouldn't spend extra time traveling TO it. Flying into Panama City on Copa Airlines only cost about $400 each, the same amount it would have cost to fly into Florida. Panama City is good for a trip to the Miraflores Locks to see some ships go through the Panama Canal, and a tour to the Embera Indian Village (fabulous!). Other than that, there's not too much to see or do.

We took the local express bus to Colon to catch our cruise - $2.50 each, one way. Taxis wanted $80 one way. This was not a school bus, it was a large bus with decent seats, although completely filled with locals who use it for weekly travel. We got "looks" as we carried on our luggage!

Embarkation was very easy and fast - we boarded around 12:30. Lunch was in full swing. All the food on Enchantment was wonderful. There were different offerings for each meal, both in the dining room and in the buffet. Desserts were gourmet, and plentiful, with always some sugar-free (which tasted sort of chemically). The buffet tended to be very crowded, and at times it was hard to find an open table. We thought we were booking at a time when children were all back in school, but January/February is summer vacation in the southern hemisphere!! So we encountered yelling, screaming, running children frequently on the decks and in the buffet. Read more