Welcome to Day 1 of our 15-day Panama Canal Cruise aboard the Island Princess. The day begins with 2-hour Uber ride from our home in Vista to San Pedro Cruise Port in Los Angeles. (The ride cost about $130, much better than paying for 15 days of parking at $25 a day.) Although we arrived early, the lines for checking in were long but cruise and port personnel did a good job so that we were able to board early. We proceed directly to the Deck 14, the Lido Deck, to the Horizon Court for a satisfying lunch at the buffet. After lunch, our stateroom on Deck 8 was ready, and our luggage have also arrived. As a result, we were able to explore the ship and its many amenities after quickly unpacking our bags. While exploring the ship, we also enjoyed the sights from Decks 7, 14 and 15, giving us panoramic views of the San Pedro Port (the largest port in the US) and surrounding areas. We then joined the festive sail-away party, meeting our Cruise Director and the Island Princess singers and dancers, as well as the rest of the Entertainment crew. After the sail-away party, we proceeded to the Princess Pizzeria for our afternoon snack. We then continued exploring the Island Princess deck by deck from the top deck, Deck 16, the Sports Deck, all the way to Deck 4, the Fiesta Deck. Among the highlights of the initial exploration were the Lido Pool, the Lido Bar, the Lotus Pool, the Trident Grill and Bar, the Grand Plaza (Piazza), Wheelhouse Bar, Explorers Lounge, Crooners Bar, the Princess Theater, and the Casino. Dinner was at the Provence Dining Room, followed by an evening show at the Princess Theater featuring Comedian Rollin Jay Moore. The show was very entertaining, and was a perfect ending for a perfect first day of a wonderful 15-day adventure.

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