Coral Princess--Stay On Ship or Full Transit by Ferry

I have booked the full transit by ferry excursion from Princess and am now having second thoughts. Maybe I am spending too much time on Cruise Critic but I have read many negative posts recently concerning this excursion. I would appreciate hearing from people who stayed on board ship specifically to observe the canal from this perspective. Does the ship anchor while in Gatun at a spot close enough to watch the operation of the canal?

Thanks for your help!

John

I have booked the full transit by ferry excursion from Princess and am now having second thoughts. Maybe I am spending too much time on Cruise Critic but I have read many negative posts recently concerning this excursion. I would appreciate hearing from people who stayed on board ship specifically to observe the canal from this perspective. Does the ship anchor while in Gatun at a spot close enough to watch the operation of the canal?

 

Thanks for your help!

John

The ship stays in the lake long enough to disembark the Excursions. Then it exits and cruises to the pier at colon. It's probably at anchor for about 2 hours .

I would personally stay with the excursion.

If you would really like a good look at the Canal, the excursion you are considering is a very good choice. While Gatun Locks are impressive enough in their own right, there is so much more to take in on the ferry excursion. In taking the excursion you will get to see some of Panama while riding to and from the ferry. While on the ferry, locking through the Pacific Locks on a smaller vessel gives you an entirely different perspective form what you experienced while locking through Gatun Locks on your Panamax vessel. The excursion will take you through Gaillard Cut where the majority of the excavation of the Canal took place as well as passing under two pretty neat bridges. IMO there is a lot more eye candy on the Pacific side and the Cut. Not that the trip back through Gatun Locks isn't interesting, because it is, however you are mostly retracing your route from earlier that morning and there is so much more to the Canal.

As far as being able to see operation of the Canal from the anchorage... you really won't be able to see very much of the goings on at Gatun Locks, there is a chance you could see some ships in the anchorage depending on Canal traffic. It would be a nice view, but I don't believe it would be worth not taking an excursion.

A couple of pics to show you the approximate view from the where the tendering takes place of Gatun Locks with only the south approach wall visable and the other of ships that could possibly be at anchor with you. (it is also possible that there may not be any ships at anchor, just depends on traffic.)

I will be keeping tabs on this thread. Altho our cruise is not until 2016, I want to learn everything I possibly can as we are doing the Partial Transit vs the Full Transit. There are varying thoughts on which is best.

Being from the East Coast, the 10day is best for us due to flights, etc.

Just hoping that we will not miss too much. By what is being said here

I will definitely take the excursion. We decided not to wait any longer for the new canal. It is 84% complete according to their website.

I have read in various places that perhaps the new canal would not have the same view of watching the locks as it is now. Any thoughts of that?

Thank you:)

I will be keeping tabs on this thread. Altho our cruise is not until 2016, I want to learn everything I possibly can as we are doing the Partial Transit vs the Full Transit. There are varying thoughts on which is best.

 

Being from the East Coast, the 10day is best for us due to flights, etc.

Just hoping that we will not miss too much. By what is being said here

I will definitely take the excursion. We decided not to wait any longer for the new canal. It is 84% complete according to their website.

 

I have read in various places that perhaps the new canal would not have the same view of watching the locks as it is now. Any thoughts of that?

 

Thank you:)

As far as a Canal goes the full transit is really the best IMO, having said that I understand completely why the shorter round partial transit cruise will be the better choice for many. Less time away from the job or home and certainly more convenient (and usually cheaper) round trip flights to Florida than open jaw tickets to the opposite coast. As long as part of your cruise you include the excursion that is actually a partial transit of the Pacific Locks and Gaillard Cut, you will see a large part of the Canal. What you will miss is the 23 mile stretch of the Gatun Lake portion of the Canal that runs from Gatun Locks to Gamboa, which is the beginning of the Gaillard Cut. I don't want to sound like this portion of the Canal is the throwaway part of a transit, because it isn't. The crossing of Gatun Lake is very scenic and significant to the Canal as you pass what is basically virgin rain forest. However this can be the portion of the transit you could trade off for some convenience in other areas. There is one distinct advantage in a partial transit cruiseover a full transit cruise. Many times as you are passing through the Locks on your large Panamax ship, the whole process can seem rather removed and detached. When you pass through the Pacific Locks on your smaller vessel it will give you a completely different perspective than what you experienced on your ship. It is really great to see the operation from the two different viewpoints.

While it is true the new locks will offer a slightly different view of things than the present locks since the new locks won't have the "mules" to assist the ship while passing through the new locks. Their absence will certainly be noted, on the positive side, when you do pass through the new locks, that will probably be the only real change. The new locks are going to be very close to the present locks and most of the Canal route remains unchanged. So aside from passing through the new locks, the Canal experience will remain largely unchanged.

Bill, thank you so much for a true perspective.:) I think we are making a good decision due to time and the East Coast/West Coast travel. Also when we get back to FLL, we are going to do the Emerald 7 day with friends, so will be gone over 3 weeks.;)

We are doing the Star out of SFO in April, 2015 and the pricing of flights is very high. Plus, the return flights do not line up very well with getting home at a decent hour or the other alternative, taking a red-eye.:( Those days are pretty much over for us. :D

Thanks so much for the valuable information. The photos were especially helpful. I am also going to continue to monitor this thread since I have a couple of months to make up my mind about the excursion. When I booked the excursion I did not know that part of the canal was bypassed during the bus ride to the ferry and I also naively thought that the ferry turned around and returned to the port by the canal. I have since learned that the return is via bus. I am still happy that I booked a partial transit cruise since I am also looking forward to the other ports, three of which will be new for me. However, based on what I have learned since booking the cruise, I do see a full transit in my future. I just started reading Path Between the Seas and that will probably influence my thinking as well!

John

I’ll add my perspective as we just returned this week and did the ferry transt to see the Pacific locks. Ultimately it ends up being a long day. The lecturer started his live commentary at 5:30am as we started to approach Gatun Locks around 6. The front observation decks were full and the transit took about 2 hours to get to Gatun Lake. Once there the tendering started quickly and we were off to the buses. It took about 1 hour to get to the Ferry which is actually on the other side of Gatun Lake so the part that you miss as others have mentioned is the Lake transit. There were 8 buses that took people to the Ferry. Lunch was good and there was plenty of soda and water available for the transit.

Once that started a little after Noon, we headed south through “the Cut” and ultimately through the Pacific Locks. When doing that, it was just amazing. We were tied to the side and everyone was taking pictures reaching out and touching the walls. It was a very “personal” feeling as you dropped down and really were inside and beneath the locks, it just really gave you a perspective of the power of the entire process.

Once through the locks, we went out past the breakwaters and around near Panama City to catch the buses back. By then it had been a long day so most people fell asleep on the bus coming back and before you knew it, we were back meeting the ship around 5:00.

Personally I would have preferred to do the full transit cruise but like others have mentioned, I just didn’t have the 15 days available to do that. I thought this was the next best thing and doing it on the small boat was very cool. It’s not a cheap excursion but I’m really glad I did it.

However, based on what I have learned since booking the cruise, I do see a full transit in my future. I just started reading Path Between the Seas and that will probably influence my thinking as well!

John

If Canal cruises were considered a drug, then the partial transit cruise is certainly the gateway drug:)! I think that a full transit cruise is usually in the future of most who take a partial transit cruise. The best thing is that by taking a partial transit cruise in no way diminishes taking a full transit cruise later on. The review of the ferry excursion by NewPennCruiser I believe is what the majority of those who take the excursion experience. Not that the negative comments you may have read are not valid, it is just overall the excursion is very worthwhile.

McCullough's Path Between the Seas is certainly the book of record when it comes to Panama and the Canal. If you are game for additional reading, Panama Fever by Matthew Parker is also worth a look, it's shorter too! I'm sure Richard Detrich won't mind if I mention his book Panama Canal Day. While it is written for the full transit, you can easily adapt it to your cruise and excursion. There's a lot of current information in his book as well. If you have not run across Richard on this board, he posts under Richard in Panama and he has been MIA since he is on one of the Princess ships as the Canal destination lecturer until January I believe.

If you are looking for something in the visual department, have a look at the PBS series America Experience, The Panama Canal. Here's a link to watch online or buy the DVD.... http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/films/panama/player/

David McCullough's PBS NOVA program A Man A Plan A Canal Panama may still be available. A little dated perhaps, but some great archival footage.

Bill has got it right. If you can do a full transit, do it! If not, do the ferry ride. We did the full transit three times, enjoyed it each time. In addition we did an excursion to see wildlife. It was by bus and then small boats in a side arm of Gatun Lake that the ships do not use.

The canal is bordered by a National Park and only ships which use the canal with the locks are allowed. The other traffic you see are very few small excursion boats, some excavation boats and canal security. The transit ships follow each other and sometimes you see the one in front and the one behind in bends of the canal. Of course you see the ships that go in the opposite direction.

Directly behind the exit of the Gatun locks on the Caribbean side, you will see large crocodiles on the shore. Look to you right when exiting the locks towards the Caribbean.

If you have not run across Richard on this board, he posts under Richard in Panama and he has been MIA since he is on one of the Princess ships as the Canal destination lecturer until January I believe.

Richard is currently on Island Princess. His commentary as we entered the Gatun Locks and the lectures he delivered onboard were excellent. His book was also being sold in the ship's gift shop.

Most people do say it is the best one to take--I'm just not sure about such a long day, as I tire easily- (not sick, just to be honest, a bit lazy)

We will be on the 10 day Coral specifically to see the canal, but I'm trying to decide if we should just stay on the ship- or do the boat trip with the monkeys that someone on Princess board mentioned--so, very interested in different perspectives on how people spent their time on this day--- this will help me make up my mind on what to do.

Most people do say it is the best one to take--I'm just not sure about such a long day, as I tire easily- (not sick, just to be honest, a bit lazy)

We will be on the 10 day Coral specifically to see the canal, but I'm trying to decide if we should just stay on the ship- or do the boat trip with the monkeys that someone on Princess board mentioned--so, very interested in different perspectives on how people spent their time on this day--- this will help me make up my mind on what to do.

You are right, it can be a long day being up early to see the ship through Gatun Locks and then the actual excursion. If you are going to see the Canal then staying on the ship doesn't do it justice. The Canal is 50 miles long and by just going in and out of Gatun you will have only seen about 8 miles of the Canal. While Gatun is the biggest locks on the Canal, IMO there is more to see on the Pacific side with the two locks, two huge bridges over the Canal and Gaillard Cut. It is also a great comparison to view the operation from your large cruise ship and then experience it all from the smaller ferry. Even though you won't be up real close you will get a look at the expansion work going on, there is a great deal of earth moving being done for the Pacific side to see. I tend to think that you could possibly have more regret on what you did not see than what you did see by staying on the ship. Many Canal cruisers will tell you "seen one lock, you have seen them all" and that is true at some level, but I think seeing as much of the whole package as you can is better, after all you have come a long way!

Use the sea days to veg out:)!

Most people do say it is the best one to take--I'm just not sure about such a long day, as I tire easily- (not sick, just to be honest, a bit lazy)

We will be on the 10 day Coral specifically to see the canal, but I'm trying to decide if we should just stay on the ship- or do the boat trip with the monkeys that someone on Princess board mentioned--so, very interested in different perspectives on how people spent their time on this day--- this will help me make up my mind on what to do.

I am so like you. Being up at 5:30AM will not be nice. :D But I guess I am looking at it from the perspective of perhaps not being able to do a full transit some day. So we will do the excursion and go to bed early. :D:D As Bill says, sea days are for sleeping.

P>S> I hope room service starts early that day.:p

We are planning to do the 10 day Coral Princess---My DH just prefers any ports where there is snorkeling and rainforest stuff.--then he is happy. But he and I want to be able to experience the canal crossing, so this cruise works for us. But to be honest, we don't feel the need to have a ton of perpective angles for viewing--The day just sounds so exausting for me-- We probobly will end up doing the ferry- just hope I don't sleep through most of it!

Yes, I am "looking " for any excuse to not do it, due to the long day. I can't stand extreme heat with little air-- I am menapausal, am diabetic- look far younger than my years, but internally a mess- but I digress. Any way, if air quality is bad, extremely hot, etc. can't stand it.

So, for anyone in their early 60's, physically a mess like me, that has taken a partial transit cruise--- (Dec/Jan) was the ferry managable? I can put up with the long day, but not if really physically uncomfortable for it. Anita

It's hot...it's long....you will "see" the locks working from the ship! Go to a lower level...a whole different perspective than from the top deck!

You do NOT have to take long and expensive excursions to see the locks in operation...your ship will be GOING THROUGH THE LOCKS!

Being on the ship IS an "excursion" unto itself!

I'm back on terra firma on our coffee farm in our little town of Boquete, Panama [About 40 km from the Costa Rican border up in the Chiriqui Mountains. Reading through this thread I'd make these observations:

• 
  Thanks Bill for the plug! There are SO MANY QUESTIONS folks have about the Panama Canal and booking a cruise! Which is exactly why I wrote PANAMA CANAL DAY: AN ILLUSTRATED GUIDE TO CRUISING THE PANAMA CANAL. The book answers most of the questions and provides a great history of Panama as a country, the building of the Canal, and the present day operation and expansion. McCullough's book [The Path between the Seas: The Creation of the Panama Canal, 1870-1914] is a great history, rather long with lots of footnotes, but, as the title indicates, only covers 1870 to 1914. So much happened BEFORE and AFTER, and I've tried to include the entire story in a succinct and very readable manner.
   
  My choice of the "best" itinerary would be one that transits the ENTIRE Canal ["transit" as opposed to "turn-around"] AND has a full day stop in Panama, preferably Panama City [a/k/a "Fuerte Amador" or Amador]. Princess has a 2 day Panama itinerary that does just that.
   
  A transit that does not include the opportunity to get off the ship and experience some of Panama would be like taking a cruise that sailed into New York harbor but didn't stop to allow you to see the Big Apple, or sailed into Venice, but didn't let you off the ship. Big disadvantage of typical "transit" itinerary: you see the Canal but miss Panama. The "turn-around" itinerary [typically 10 days round-trip from Florida] lets you book a shore excursion through the ship [Canal rules, not cruise lines trying to sell tours], disembark on Gatun Lake and see some of Panama. Trust me, the return through Gatun Locks is identical and those who do stay on the ship are often in the gym, spa, or playing bridge.
   
  The best view of the locks is from the deck of a cruise ship. If you aren't going to transit the entire Canal, then if you interest is primarily the Canal, I would suggest the Canal ferry boat tour. Nice, but simple boat. Nice, typical Panamanian buffet, commentary, shade. Nothing fancy, but a tour boat.
   
  
   
  I'd take a careful look at the design of the ship and the policies of the cruise line. What interior spaces are available for guests to watch the transit? [One ship I did the ONLY place inside was in the buffet area, crowded with tables and people. And they didn't open until 5:30 am, thirty minutes after we started the Canal transit.] Is the bow of the ship accessible to guests, or is it full of equipment, has outer shell walls too high to see over, or is it reserved for the crew? How much "fuss" does the ship make about Canal Day. It IS after all the reason why people book a Canal cruise. Does the ship look on Canal Day as a hassle and inconvenience to THEM, or do they go all out to make it a memorable experience for the guests? [i recently wrote about all this and posted pics on my RichardinPanama blog.]
   
  One ship ...
   
  
   
  Another ship ...
   
  
   
  What kind of build up to Panama Canal Day does the ship provide? Typically when I'm on board I'll do three lectures leading up to the big day. And what kind of commentary/narrative does the cruise line provide when you are transiting the Canal? I was shocked on a recent cruise to have a lady tell me that on her last trip through the Canal, on a big fancy cruise line, they did not provide ANY commentary or narration. Normally this is from the bridge where I can see what is happening on all sides and if something different or unusual is happening the Pilot can point it out and I can share it with the guests. On my last trip, due to a draconian "new policy" [because some Captain decided to play chicken with an island in Italy], the port lecturer isn't allowed on the bridge, so I had to give my commentary from the only inside viewing area that had mic access, with this view taken while we were in the locks!
   
  
   
  

Unfortunately the perfect cruise line and perfect Canal itinerary doesn't exist, however, the more you know, read and research, the happier you will be with your Panama Canal Day, which for many people is the trip of a lifetime!

Regards, Richard

due to the heat and humidity. I am now looking into the train ride- if it is air conditioned well. Otherwise, we will just do the best we can with the Coral Princess decks.

I am the original poster and just happened to see that this thread is still active. I went back and forth on whether or not to do the ferry excursion and after reading a number of helpful responses to my question decided to try it. You can find more details in my trip report ("Coral Princess Review and Thanks"), but to quickly sum it up, I was very happy with the excursion and it ended up being the highlight of the cruise for me. Heat was not an issue, the lunch was excellent, the day was not long and most importantly the perspective from a small ferry was completely different than from a ship. I am 64 years old.

Good luck with your decision and have a great cruise.

I am the original poster and just happened to see that this thread is still active. I went back and forth on whether or not to do the ferry excursion and after reading a number of helpful responses to my question decided to try it. You can find more details in my trip report ("Coral Princess Review and Thanks"), but to quickly sum it up, I was very happy with the excursion and it ended up being the highlight of the cruise for me. Heat was not an issue, the lunch was excellent, the day was not long and most importantly the perspective from a small ferry was completely different than from a ship. I am 64 years old.

Glad you had a great time! The difference in perspective IS amazing! Regards, Richard

skip it.

did the 10 day canal twice. first time we stayed on board in the comfort of the ship. Was able to see the walls of the locks from the atrium while in a soft chair. Then went to lunch. Second time we took the ferry ride and it was terrible. I wrote a review on CC. Wished I was somewhere else after the first 4 hours. Didn't get back till after dark.

I am basically posting to this thread to keep it active and see what other options are out there. I am in the same situation as the OP was, as our partial transit cruise on the Island Princess is coming up in Jan. The one reason I want to make the correct decision is that there will be 14 other people taking my advice. By all means, they can make and hopefully will make their own decisions but they look to me for input. Thanks everyone, for all the different point of views.

After everything that we have read, for us (I will be 60 and DH 62) we will view in air conditioned comfort aboard the ship. The tours are just too long for us for that day, and I can't stand extreme heat--

I'm reading this post with interest because we have already done a full transit of the canal and are now booked for a partial transit. If you had already done a full transit, would you still choose the ferry excursion or would you pick something else? Is the view from a smaller boat different enough to make it worthwhile? If anyone has done a different excursion while in the canal, I would love to hear about those too. Thanks!