Port of Colon Panama

Has anyone been to the port of Colon Panama? Just curious because i don't know what to expect.

Thank you

Has anyone been to the port of Colon Panama? Just curious because i don't know what to expect.

 

Thank you

Yes

What do you want to know?

I wanted to know if Colon is a safe port. I was told by an employee of Carnival that the port was not worth visiting. What are your thoughts?

I'm not sure if I'd walk around alone but there are many interesting excursions you can take there.

Read the rest of the Ports Of Call board for ideas.

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?s=&daysprune=&f=89

I would love to know this too. We are booked onto a Panama Canal cruise stopping there in November. Is the the kind of Port where its safe to get off the ship and go for a stroll or would it be better to do an organised tour?

Colon is not somewhere you would want to head out on your own. There really is nothing of interest for any cruiser to visit or otherwise take in. Colon is just where the pier is located and not much more than a gritty Caribbean port town. Don't let that description discourage you because there is a great deal to see in Panama. Definitely Colon is the place to take an organized tour... whether it is to see more of the Canal, visit the Embera Indians, take one of the Eco-centered tours, visit Ft. San Lorenzo or Portobelo, tour Panama City along with the ruins of Old Panama and Casco Viejo or even a ride on the Panama Railroad. There is a great deal to do in Panama, don't be discouraged by the minor bump in the road known as Colon.

There is a shopping mall attached to the pier, if you feel the urge, this area is safe to browse and shop.

Thanks Bill, that's so helpful 😌

In Colon we would either book an excursion through the ship or stay within the secured port terminal area. ;)

From the ship, you'll see what looks like an urban area.,..but check it out thru binoculars...it looks like a war-torn area....no place I'd want to go!

If anyone would like to get a little "flavor" of Colon from the comforts of your own living room, then have a look at one of the more recent James Bond movies, Quantum of Solace. In the earlier part of the movie the city that is supposed to be Port-au-Prince is actually Colon. Speaks volumes when your city is the stand in for Port-au-Prince:eek:! In any event, Panama has a lot to offer, please don't let the rough appearance of Colon stop you from taking some great excursions.

To put the size of Colon in perspective, it is only 16 or 17 streets wide, surrounded be water on three sides and about 16 or 17 streets long. So you can clear the "rough" area fairly quickly and get along on to something more enjoyable. Also just to emphasize, there is absolutely nothing inherently unsafe being on a group tour (ship or private) or even just a couple of folks with a tour guide.

Thought that a picture just might be worth a lotta words... This is a picture I took on a recent port call at Colon, it is the main street through the City, not even a mile from the pier. I am sure some of you will think... "that doesn't look too bad"... and in some respects its reputation is larger than reality. However, I would heed the advice your have read here and no doubt heard before. Don't think this is a great place to head out on your own and wonder the streets and shops by yourself... go ahead and take your tour which will be outside of Colon... enjoy.

I agree with the other posters that Colon is not a do it yourself place, but do not be too hard on the city. Colon was there long before cruise ships decided to stop there instead of entering the Canal Zone. The Port Colon's primary purpose is to serve the Canal not cruisers. For many years Colon, as well as a port on the Pacific side, offload cargo from ships that were too big to go through the Canal. The offloaded cargo is then transported by rail to the opposite side where it is placed on another ship so it can continue its journey to other parts of the world. That is the reason for the Port of Colon. It was never intended to be a money grabbing tourist stop for cruise ships as so many other ports are.

Colon is a good stop if you are interested in Panama and the Canal, but not for just roaming around. If you are not interested in either the country or the Canal, then it is best to just enjoy another "sea day" while tied to a dock.

My friend Mario private tours the best

My friend Mario private tours the best

Whats his tour company called so I can check it out, we are there this Nov.

Thx

Whats his tour company called so I can check it out, we are there this Nov.

 

Thx

http://www.bscpma.com/mfm/index.htm

Its a tour company. Almiza Tours by My Friend Mario.

http://www.bscpma.com/mfm/index.htm

Thank you :)

It is my understanding that shore excursions from Princess in Panama all end at the port of Colon. Coral Princess supposedly arrives in Colon some time between 3p and 5P. What is there to do while we wait for the ship?

Is there is a place to grab a bite and chill? Just wondering.

It is my understanding that shore excursions from Princess in Panama all end at the port of Colon. Coral Princess supposedly arrives in Colon some time between 3p and 5P. What is there to do while we wait for the ship?

Is there is a place to grab a bite and chill? Just wondering.

That's the normal time frame you can expect the ship to arrive at Colon. If you have selected one of the longer shore excursions there may not be much of a wait at all. There is a mall connected to the pier along with a Radisson Hotel, so I would expect you can find something to pass the time. The mall area is safe to wander around if you have to wait for the ship.

Thanks for the reply. I expected there would be something to fill the time.

We were there last December on the Island Princess. We did some window shopping in the pier area. It's just a short walk down through the terminal and then to the left.

It's a nice way to spend some time if you don't have an excursion scheduled. There are quite a few souvenir shops and places to eat.

My wife took some pictures for her website. If you're interested, you can view them at the link below. You will also see pictures of the "sail in" to Colon.

Disclaimer: I'm not sure whether all cruises dock at this same terminal.

Colon December 2014 Island Princess Partial Transit

 

Disclaimer: I'm not sure whether all cruises dock at this same terminal.

 

Colon December 2014 Island Princess Partial Transit

In general ships that are calling on Colon as a port call will use the pier connected to the mall, that facility is known as Colon 2000. There is another pier close by (about a 1/4 mile) called the Home Port pier which is used primarily for cruise ships beginning or ending a cruise and very little in the way of stores. The Home Port pier can be used in the event there is more than 1 ship making a port call. While there is a walkway connecting the two facilities, I'm not sure just how convenient it would be to use. We had just boarded the Vision of the Seas at the Home Port pier and thought we would walk on over to the Colon 2000 Mall/pier. However the gendarme told us there would be a charge to leave the Home Port facility... didn't even bother to ask if there would be a charge to re-enter! There is always a chance if it had been Thursday instead of Friday there may have been a different answer;).

In general ships that are calling on Colon as a port call will use the pier connected to the mall, that facility is known as Colon 2000. There is another pier close by (about a 1/4 mile) called the Home Port pier which is used primarily for cruise ships beginning or ending a cruise and very little in the way of stores. The Home Port pier can be used in the event there is more than 1 ship making a port call. While there is a walkway connecting the two facilities, I'm not sure just how convenient it would be to use. We had just boarded the Vision of the Seas at the Home Port pier and thought we would walk on over to the Colon 2000 Mall/pier. However the gendarme told us there would be a charge to leave the Home Port facility... didn't even bother to ask if there would be a charge to re-enter! There is always a chance if it had been Thursday instead of Friday there may have been a different answer;).

This information is good to know. Thanks!