Panama Canal Partial Transist (Coral Princess)

A group of 14 of us have booked the Coral Princess for January 2015 for a Partial Transit of the Panama Canal. Does anyone know if the Coral Princess offers Lectures of what to expect as we prepare for the Canal transit? We've heard other cruise lines such as Celebrity offered daily lectures on the Canal and what we will be experiencing.

 

Thanks

 

Brian

A group of 14 of us have booked the Coral Princess for January 2015 for a Partial Transit of the Panama Canal. Does anyone know if the Coral Princess offers Lectures of what to expect as we prepare for the Canal transit? We've heard other cruise lines such as Celebrity offered daily lectures on the Canal and what we will be experiencing.

 

Thanks

 

Brian

Brian, A very good question for Princess. A Canal cruise isn't just a quick "getaway" or R&R cruise for a week in the Caribbean. The reason why most people go on a Canal cruise is not line dancing, bingo, art auctions, teeth whitening, Botox, or even production shows, but THE CANAL. Naturally people want to know all they can in advance, and through lectures on board. Some cruise lines drag out an old David Mc Cullough video, a great video when it was made on Royal Viking (which ceased operation in 1998!), but a whole lot has happened, and is happening since then!

 

Regards, Richard

Brian,

 

We were on that trip two months ago and seems like there was one presentation given in the Princess Lounge before we approached the canal. They pretty much list everything in the patter and I have uploaded all of those from our trip along with some menus. If you read through them, it will give you a good idea of what they had scheduled on our trip.

 

http://www.flickr.com/photos/105038869@N03/

 

David

Love reading the menus and "Patter" thanks!

Yes there are port lectures. I f you are really interested actually go to the lecture when it is held. My dh went to many but I did not as they said they would be on the TV later. Some were but only right before disembarking for the port. Some were actually played AFTER we left the port. So if it's important to you go when they are held.

We are booked on the Princess partial canal transit on the Coral this fall. The excursion list on the Canal day is quite varied. Can anyone comment on an excursion they liked and why? or do you learn enough from the ship lectures and staying on the ship the day of the Canal visit?

Being perfectly honest, while staying on the ship is certainly an option, I think that option is a more suitable choice for someone who has cruised the Canal a number of times before. As far as learning from the destination lecturers, for one they are only going to scratch the surface of the Canal. The range in quality of the lecturers that I have experienced has been from excellent to OMG, there's 45 minutes of my life I won't get back... so that can be a roll of the dice.

 

One of the best ways to become familiar with the Canal would be do some of your own brushing up in advance of the cruise since you have some time before the cruise. Probably the first book on everyone's list is The Path Between the Seas by David by David McCullough. The only "negative" about the book is that it is long and detailed... but it makes a great door stop when you are finished. (just kidding with the last remark;)) Panama Fever by Matthew Parker is a good choice as well. A book that should also be pretty much the top of your list is Panama Canal Day by Richard Detrich. Just an added note, Richard posts here on Cruise Critic as Richard in Panama, so if you run across his posts there is a lot of good info in them.

 

There are a number of tours that people rate highly, but that depends a lot as to where your interests are. Probably the most popular tour is the one that takes you on a smaller boat for a partial transit of the Pacific Locks and a passage through Gaillard Cut. The combination of your passage through Gatun Locks in the AM and the Pacific partial transit you get to see a large portion of the Canal. There are a number of other shore excursions that rate highly such as a trip to the Embera Indians, a tour of Panama City that usually includes the ruins of Old Panama and a trip through the Casco Viejo.

 

Lots of great choices that would enrich your Canal visit!

Thanks