Panama Canal from the Volendam

[EGG]

Tell me about your perfect day doing a partial transit of the Panama Canal (Gulf side), from the decks of the Volendam. We have a balcony cabin and we are not planning to take an excursion. I am wondering if there are any hard to find spots for different views.

Can you really get the feel of what is happening from a cabin balcony?

[johnlcruise]

Here is what we did this last November 2006 on HAL.
You really should get off the ship and take the tour we did. It was a highlight of our trip.

The Panama Canal: I was up by 6:00AM so that I could watch us go through the first set of locks. What a beautiful sunrise it was, watching the sun come up over the jungle and the canal. This was truly a special time to be up on deck.
They where also serving juice and coffee and rolls on deck for all of us early risers. (That’s right more food) I called Mom and Richard to get them up, but by the time they got to my viewing location we had already started going through the first set of locks. (7AM) We final got through the 3rd set of locks at 8:00AM and it was time to get some breakfast before we started our tour. At 9:45AM we boarded a tender in Gatun Lake to start our tour of the Canal.
This tour is called “The Canal Experience to Colon” It was a 7 hour tour. And both Mom and Richard did a good job by making it through the tour. Richard was able to get his afternoon nap in on the bus ride back to the ship. On This tour we experience the full wonder of the Panama Canal. We first had a 40 min drive through the Isthmus to Gamboa, where our tour boat was waiting for us to take us through the rest of the locks. We crossed the continental Divide. Enter the Pedro Miguel Locks, which lower our tour boat 28 feet on its way to the Pacific. We then sailed across the Maraflores Lake to the Maraflores Locks, which lower us another 56 feet, matching the level of the Pacific Ocean. At around that time it started to rain and I mean rain. A typical jungle thunder storm that lasted for about 15min and cooled everything down. Temp was around 85F with a light breeze. We did get a little wet but no big deal by the time we got off the boat we where dried.
About the boat we where on. It was a small tour boat that was cover with a tarp, that holds about 250 people. I say there was about 150 on board. They did have drinks on board and told us to drink lots of water. Lunch was supplied by the ship and was just a sandwich, that’s ok with us we could skip a big meal for a change. Also there was a little room on this boat for people that found it too hot to sit outside that was air condition. Richard spend most of his time in there. Jake and myself did not find the weather too humid and enjoyed watching the boat going through all the locks.
It was a very nice day. Our tour ended at the port of Balboa in Panama City. Boy, the water at this port was dirty and polluted . You would think that the Panama authorities would spend some money cleaning up this port. After all they do charge a lot for ships to go through the canal. I was told it cost our ship $120,000 just to go through the first 3 lock before it turned around and went back to wait for us in Colon, Panama. After getting off in Balboa our bus was waiting for us for the 90 minute ride back to the ship. It was a nice drive but the country side we notice near small towns was very trashy. It seems like people just throw there trash anywhere along the road they want. Again you would think that the Panama government would do a better job in keeping there country clean. Yes I know it’s a third world country. But again with the money they are making on the canal you would just think they could clean things up a little. Or maybe the locals just don’t care.
We where back in Colon, Panama around 4ish. And where drop off right by the ship. There was a Shopping area with local things to buy. Nothing really caught my eye. But, Yes I did have to buy a $5.00 t-**** with the Panama Canal on it. Just another shirt I don’t need but had to buy. Ship left port at 7PM.

[Krazy Kruizers]

If you do decide to stay on the ship - be on the port side to watch the mules as you enter the canal.

As you leave the canal you will want to be at the bow and watch as the ship goes down in all three locks.

[Palm Beacher]

johnlcruise,

We're doing this same excursion very soon. Thank you for your review.

Egg,

Our first PC partial on the ms Rotterdam was in 2003. HAL had an excursion that visited the Gatun Lake Yacht Club. It was a wonderful experience we swam in the cana (received a certificate) and there was a local indians tribe demonstrating music and dance AND because we were able to go back through the locks.

We had a balcony which was fantastic. But we did run all over the ship to get different perspectives. Enjoy your adventure!

[RedmondCruiser]

Tell me about your perfect day doing a partial transit of the Panama Canal (Gulf side), from the decks of the Volendam. We have a balcony cabin and we are not planning to take an excursion. I am wondering if there are any hard to find spots for different views.

Can you really get the feel of what is happening from a cabin balcony?

A balcony cabin can give you a partial view of the canal but it does not give you the grand scope of the canal. The best place to see the canal is in the bow or one of the forward open deck areas. These areas fill up fast but as time goes by they dramatically thin out. The east side of the canal is the most interesting vs the west side. ---- One question, are you doing a total transit or a partial transit ?

[Krazy Kruizers]

Palm Beacher

The last time we were in Gatum Lake - a couple of years ago - they did not have the beach club open - therefore we could not buy a ticket to go ashore.

[Krazy Kruizers]

From what I read - EGG is doing a partial from the Caribbean side.

[Krazy Kruizers]

But my question is - Is the Yatch Club open or closed??

[RedmondCruiser]

The yacht club should be closed. HAL charged to go over to the yacht club when we were anchored in Gatun Lake. Who wants to pay to go see more street vendors and swim in a lake where you have been watching crocodiles the whole way through the canal ?? A Pacific entry on a partial transite is much more enjoyable than the Caribbean entry since you see almost the entire canal. How many partial transits that enter from the Caribbean go all the way through the cut ?

[Krazy Kruizers]

So agree with you!! When we were on the Rotterdam back a few years ago HAL was charging $10 per person to go to the Yacth
Club. We were already booked for the train excursion but had no time at the end of the cruise to stop and look at everything as we had to be back on the ship by 3:30.

April 23 - May 9 -- Orinoco Cruise.

[Krazy Kruizers]

So agree with you!! When we were on the Rotterdam back a few years ago HAL was charging $10 per person to go to the Yacth
Club. We were already booked for the train excursion but had no time at the end of the cruise to stop and look at everything as we had to be back on the ship by 3:30.

April 23 - May 9 -- Orinoco Cruise.

[Krazy Kruizers]

Redmond Cruiser

When we were on the Statendam cruise in 2006 I noticed that the Yacht Club wasn't open.

Will find out if it is on our up-coming cruise which is similar to that Statendam cruise.

[synet165]

Hi,
We too are booked on the Volendam for the 4/1 cruise and have Cabin 6141 on the starboard side. Should we speak to our TA about changing to a cabin on the port side. I have always wanted to go through the Panama Canal , even if it isn't all the way.
Is it worth switching cabins?
Thanks
synet165:)

[CruiserBruce]

I think the mules are on both sides of the ship. The side of the ship you are on is only critical if you are facing away from the locks- that is, looking "outside" or away from the locks. There are two "lanes" and you can be in either lane. Frequently both lanes are going the same direction at the same time- it is more efficient for the operations of the locks.

We have been through 3 times- twice in the lefthand lane, once in the right.

If your balconey is on the wrong side, there should be plenty of places to be on deck to watch.

[Krazy Kruizers]

Yes the mules are on both sides of the ship.

[RedmondCruiser]

Hi,
We too are booked on the Volendam for the 4/1 cruise and have Cabin 6141 on the starboard side. Should we speak to our TA about changing to a cabin on the port side. I have always wanted to go through the Panama Canal , even if it isn't all the way.
Is it worth switching cabins?
Thanks
synet165:)

No don't change cabins. Your going in the Gatun Locks and then back out again. You'll see both the west shore and the east shore anyway. If you were on the 4/11/08 sailing then it would be different.

[EGG]

This is probably a useless comment, but we usually book an inside cabin.
For this cruise we booked a balcony because everyone said it is a must have for the Panama Canal. So I can't see why I would want to get off the ship for a 7 hour tour when I've paid so much for the balcony. Even with the balcony, we are planning to run around the ship and get different views.

Taking advice from these boards we will probably order breakfast in our cabin for the early morning locks when everyone is on the ship and viewing space is at a premium. For the trip out, when people are on excursions and therefore fewer people on the ship, we thought we might look for different views.

There was a similar thread to this on the Celebrity boards and there were many responses on secret or hard to find places to get great views. I was wondering if there were any of these on the Volendam, a ship I've never sailed on before.

Thank you for your help. I've always gotten great advice from these boards.

[Krazy Kruizers]

EGG

Is your balcony on the starboard or port side of the ship??

[EGG]

Okay, I'll admit it. After 9 cruises I still don't know the difference.

[CruiserBruce]

Port is the left side of the ship, starboard is the right side of the ship.

[Arizona Cruisin]

I got some of my best pictures from water level. I walked around the outside deck while we were transiting and got some really good perspective. Took a picture between the ship and the canal (about a foot clearance) and looking up three locks as a tanker entered the top lock as we were exiting the bottom lock. It was amazing looking up at the locks. Going through again in April on the Volemdam repositioning cruise, Ft Lauderdale to Vancouver.

Trudy:)