what to do partial transit

We are doing a partial transit in December and were wondering what our best option was. This is our first Panama cruise and we were trying to decide between spending the day on the ship or doing the Panama Canal Railway & Miraflores Locks (Dome Car) ride. The second option would mean we get to see both atlantic and pacific sides.

Any thoughts or recomendations?

I am the type that could certainly stay on the ship and experience the ups and downs of Gatun Locks. However I do realize that most cruisers are not Canal junkies like myself! If you stay on the ship you are largely retracing your footsteps as the ship heads out of Gatun Locks and travels to the dock in Colon. Yes you will have far less people on board so the prime viewing spots will be available and you will no doubt see things you will have missed in the trip up to Gatun Lake... but on this trip you only have a very short time to see a lot.

The train trip is interesting and certainly a historic railroad... now the but... while it is scenic in places there are not many areas where you really see the Canal up close. At some points the view from the train can be somewhat restricted as the vegetation can obstruct distant views. If you wish to see some of the Pacific side (like Panama City) I don't think this tour offers much more than just a glimpse of the City.

Probably the two most popular excursions are the Partial Transit through the Pacific Locks and Gaillard Cut or the excursion to the Embera Indians. The Partial Transit excursion would certainly give you an almost complete look at the Canal. IMO the Pacific Locks and Gaillard Cut have so much more to look at... The Cut, a man made gorge, two rather iconic bridges to pass under and you can see some of the construction for the Canal expansion up close. On the other hand a trip to the Embera Indians is about as close to a National Geographic experience most of us will ever see.

I am always a little hesitant about "recommending" excursions and such... I know where my interests are and they may not be the same as others. With that in mind whatever you choose there are a lot of interesting things to see while you are in Panama, no "bad" choices. Just enjoy and come back with any questions.

The present day Railway while the historical descendant of the original Panama Railroad is interesting, fun ... sit back and relax ... and if you are a railroad buff probably an essential "must do" in Panama. The original route of the railroad is mostly underneath the Canal and, as Bill pointed out, you will only catch glimpses of the Canal. The Railway today has an important function to move containers from one side of the Isthmus to the other, usually in under 4 hours, and while in bond. The history of building the railroad is almost as interesting as the history of building the Canal and the railroad was built about 50 years before the Canal ... so important I feel that I included an entire chapter about the history of the RR and how it relates to the building of the Canal.

Doing the turnaround partial transit I would definitely get off the ship and see something more of Panama. Going back through Gatun Locks is identically the same experience and then you sit on the ship for several hours in Colon waiting for the guests who took tours to come back to the ship. There is nothing, NOTHING safe to see or do in Colon or near to the pier itself. The Canal ferry transit is a great way to experience the entire Canal and important parts like Gaillard or Cuelebra Cut which you would otherwise miss. If you like history, culture, or nature, there are other tours that you should take advantage of. There is so much to do that you'll likely want to come back and just do Panama! Panama is relatively new to tourism, unlike Costa Rica which has been doing it for 40 years, so in many ways Panama is still a bit "undiscovered" as a tourist destination. But it is growing and last year tourism brought in twice the revenue of the Panama Canal.

More on tours and pics...

Hope that helps. Regards, Richard

Thanks for the responses so far, wrt other options

the Panama Canal & Locks Transit by Boat which states you get off by tender

Do you get off the ship prior to its going through the Gatun locks or after it has gotten to Gatun Lake ?

You will tender off the ship after you have locked up through Gatun Locks. After clearing the locks the ship will travel a short distance to where the tendering will take place.