Which direction?

Does anyone know if there is much difference in cruising from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean or the reverse?

As far as your enjoyment of the Canal there is absolutely no difference in which direction you choose for a transit. The best advice is to choose the direction based on what is convenient to you. For example since many cruisers have to fly both to join the cruise and to get home after the cruise. Some prefer the long flight before the cruise and the shorter flight after the cruise. Some will make their choice based on their ability to find time off or on the cruise fare. The Canal will be great in either direction!

Thanks for your input. I heard that it would be an easier sailing going from Florida to Los Angeles due to the prevailing winds but I thought I would get some input from this board. I guess I should have put that info in the original message.

The wind will have no effect on the passage!!!

Thanks! That helps a lot.

I absolutely agree the wind will have no impact on your cruise.

The only (slightly) "negative" thing that is occasionally mentioned here is you loose 3 hours going west to east in time changes. We have only done westbound Canal transits (x3), but am now planning an east bound for October 2017. So we are not concerned it will really be a "negative".

I realize that is only anecdotal evidence, my last three full transits were all CA-FL for a northbound Canal transit and wind or rough seas were not an issue whatsoever with one exception. The possible exception could be when you cross the Gulf of Tehuantepec which is in the vicinity of Huatulco Mexico. The winds in this area can be almost legendary and are known as the Tehuantepec Winds or Tehuantepecers. They are more frequent in the fall and winter and could cause you less than a smooth ride on your passage through that Gulf The passage will take about 6-8 hours and you may not even realize it if occurs at night. My most recent Canal cruise they closed off all the outside decks because of high winds during our crossing.

Thank you for your input. We have decided to do the LA to FL mainly due to the time difference and the flights to get from here to FL in time to board the ship are less than convenient. We will be going in Feb so hope we don't hit those winds you were talking about. My only concern with that is someone in our party gets seasick easily.

I realize that is only anecdotal evidence, my last three full transits were all CA-FL for a northbound Canal transit and wind or rough seas were not an issue whatsoever with one exception. The possible exception could be when you cross the Gulf of Tehuantepec which is in the vicinity of Huatulco Mexico. The winds in this area can be almost legendary and are known as the Tehuantepec Winds or Tehuantepecers. They are more frequent in the fall and winter and could cause you less than a smooth ride on your passage through that Gulf The passage will take about 6-8 hours and you may not even realize it if occurs at night. My most recent Canal cruise they closed off all the outside decks because of high winds during our crossing.

We were warned about the Tehuantepec winds in our Lima-San Diego cruise in December a couple of years ago. This was a northbound cruise, so the reverse of a West to East Canal cruise. I guess the "best" routing is to hug the coast. The Captain made a very strong announcement about the potential for that night....and we slept through it without any issues. But the Captain had the outside decks closed after 8pm just in case.

Our previous Canal cruises have all been in April or May, and don't recall any issues with the winds in this area.

Thank you for your input. We have decided to do the LA to FL mainly due to the time difference and the flights to get from here to FL in time to board the ship are less than convenient. We will be going in Feb so hope we don't hit those winds you were talking about. My only concern with that is someone in our party gets seasick easily.

I would not be overly concerned, while there was some movement detected during the passage across the Gulf, it was not horrible... nothing like blue water over the bow! The biggest feature was wind across the ship which caused some precautionary actions by the captain. It doesn't last too long, so I don't think I would even forewarn them... they might not even notice!

We were warned about the Tehuantepec winds in our Lima-San Diego cruise in December a couple of years ago. This was a northbound cruise, so the reverse of a West to East Canal cruise. I guess the "best" routing is to hug the coast. The Captain made a very strong announcement about the potential for that night....and we slept through it without any issues. But the Captain had the outside decks closed after 8pm just in case.

 

Our previous Canal cruises have all been in April or May, and don't recall any issues with the winds in this area.

We had left Huatulco about 5PM... went to early seating at 6PM and had been at the table for not too very long and the ship really heeled over to one side enough to get everyone's attention. The captain came on the public address system to explain the situation and that is when I became aware of the Tehuantepec Winds. All of my trips through that area have been in the October/ November time frame and while not that rough, but very windy.

We've done both and like the FLL - LA best ... seems to get to the locks and Bridge of Americas at more convenient times.

I like cruising East to West because you set the clock back rather then forward.

Keith

For some of us on the west coast the west to east saves a night of hotels. We can get to LA on the day of cruise and then fly back easily fromFLL same day of debarking. Not sure if that will work from your locale in OR.

We are originally from southern CA and my sister lives in OC so we will fly down the day before the cruise. My sister and her husband and one other couple are also going on the cruise so we will be able to all board together.

We've done both and like the FLL - LA best ... seems to get to the locks and Bridge of Americas at more convenient times.

Pardon me if I should know this, but we have just recently begun researching information for an upcoming canal transit cruise... Your statement brings up an interesting question.

Are there designated times of the day for transits traveling eastbound vs. westbound? In other words, do all transits in one direction always transit between specific frames and those going the opposite direction always transit during different time frames? If so, are those schedules published in advance?

Just curious to understand how that part of the operation is carried out.

Thank you.

The cruise lines pay extra to have guaranteed day time crossing, starting around 6 or 6:30am, from either direction.

Pardon me if I should know this' date=' but we have just recently begun researching information for an upcoming canal transit cruise... Your statement brings up an interesting question.

 

Are there designated times of the day for transits traveling eastbound vs. westbound? In other words, do all transits in one direction always transit between specific frames and those going the opposite direction always transit during different time frames? If so, are those schedules published in advance?

 

Just curious to understand how that part of the operation is carried out.

 

Thank you.[/quote']

 

 

The Canal can operate in both directions at the same time, however there is an eight mile stretch where two way traffic is restricted when larger ships are involved. The eight miles in question is the Gaillard Cut, usually referred to as the "Cut." Originally on completion of the Canal, the Cut was only 300' wide. By the 1980s the entire 8 miles had been widened to 500' and with the current Canal expansion the Cut has been widened to a minimum of 715'. The widening allows for more two way traffic of larger ships in this section of the Canal, however there will still be some restrictions on ships with larger beams and certain types of dangerous cargoes. These ships are called "clear cut", also many of the largest of ships that must pass through the Cut during daylight hours. These ships are designated clear cut daylight or CCDL.

 

In order to get the ships that are CCDL through the Cut during the appropriate time, they are single filed through the Cut. The CCDL ships coming from the Pacific side are brought as far as Pedro Miguel Locks and held there until daylight if necessary. Other CCDL ships are just stockpiled behind to await their turn to enter the Cut. Generally speaking all the CCDL ships in this direction will clear the Cut at Gamboa by noon. This will allow the CCDL ships that have started up from the Atlantic side to start to enter the Cut in the opposite direction. The single file of these CCDL will usually end somewhere from 5-6PM. Since Panama is rather close to the equator there are no longer summer days or shorter winter days, fairly close to 12 hours daylight and 12 hours the other, sunset/sunrise times only vary about 40 minutes over the course of the year.

 

Once the larger ships that are CCDL have cleared the Cut, Canal traffic can run in either direction or in opposite directions. Transit schedules while not any secret are not publicly available as far as I know, except for ships that have reservations for a particular day, the schedules are very fluid and change at a moments notice.

 

In short if you were to visit Miraflores Locks and stay there all day, you would see "up" lockages in the morning and "down" lockages in the afternoon.

Thank you CruiserBruce and BillB48! You two are certainly a wealth of information! If any additional questions arise, I know where to go for quick answers.

Thank you!