Canal bucket list quesiotn

I have always had the Panama Canal on my bucket list. I envisioned a cruise from the pacific to the Caribbean - or reverse.

But now I see a cruise entering the canal from the Caribbean, cruising around the lake, and then returning to the Caribbean.

My question: Do you think I will feel like I missed something if I did not go all the way through? Or is the experience and learning at least adequate doing the in and out itinerary?

I have always had the Panama Canal on my bucket list. I envisioned a cruise from the pacific to the Caribbean - or reverse.

 

But now I see a cruise entering the canal from the Caribbean, cruising around the lake, and then returning to the Caribbean.

 

My question: Do you think I will feel like I missed something if I did not go all the way through? Or is the experience and learning at least adequate doing the in and out itinerary?

i think you will miss something by not doing the full transit . The locks at the Pacific are larger than the Atlantic side . Cruising thru the lake and Gatun Cut is an experience people shouldn't miss.

The cruise you are referring to is called a "partial transit" cruise. You enter the Canal from the Caribbean side and appear to "cruise" around Gatun Lake, but the truth is once the ship clears Gatun Locks it immediately goes to the Gatun Lake Anchorage without any "cruising." This is when the ship will tender passengers off that are taking a shore excursion. While the touring passengers are on their excursion the ship will lock back through Gatun Locks and proceed to pick up the passengers in Colon who are on shore excursions later that day. The stop in Colon is generally short, about three hours or so, only enough time to go ashore and pick up the much needed T shirt!

The bad thing about the partial transit cruise is you are only going travel about 8 miles of the Canal, that leaves another 40 miles or so you won't see. There is a way you can make the partial transit cruise fairly productive in terms of seeing the Canal, you will need to take a shore excursion after you clear Gatun Locks. Different cruise lines call the shore excursion you are looking for by different names, what the tour consists of is transportation to the Pacific side where you board a smaller vessel or "ferry." This ferry will take you through the two Pacific Locks as well as through the Gaillard Cut. Your cruise and the above mentioned shore excursion will give a fairly nice sampling of the Canal. There are several advantages in this combination... you only have to worry about air fare to Florida and don't have to deal with open jaw tickets and such. Also it is a good experience to see the Canal from your large cruise ship and then see it all from the smaller ferry... two completely different perspectives. Another benefit is usually the partial transit cruises only take 10 or 11 days while the full transit cruise normally take 14-15 days if time off is a factor.

However, if I had the choice I would much rather do a complete Atlantic to Pacific (or viceversa) as opposed to the partial transit cruise. Ideally look for an itinerary that includes a full day port call in Panama in addition to your transit.

This was very helpful. Thank you!

The cruise you are referring to is called a "partial transit" cruise. You enter the Canal from the Caribbean side and appear to "cruise" around Gatun Lake, but the truth is once the ship clears Gatun Locks it immediately goes to the Gatun Lake Anchorage without any "cruising." This is when the ship will tender passengers off that are taking a shore excursion. While the touring passengers are on their excursion the ship will lock back through Gatun Locks and proceed to pick up the passengers in Colon who are on shore excursions later that day. The stop in Colon is generally short, about three hours or so, only enough time to go ashore and pick up the much needed T shirt!

 

The bad thing about the partial transit cruise is you are only going travel about 8 miles of the Canal, that leaves another 40 miles or so you won't see. There is a way you can make the partial transit cruise fairly productive in terms of seeing the Canal, you will need to take a shore excursion after you clear Gatun Locks. Different cruise lines call the shore excursion you are looking for by different names, what the tour consists of is transportation to the Pacific side where you board a smaller vessel or "ferry." This ferry will take you through the two Pacific Locks as well as through the Gaillard Cut. Your cruise and the above mentioned shore excursion will give a fairly nice sampling of the Canal. There are several advantages in this combination... you only have to worry about air fare to Florida and don't have to deal with open jaw tickets and such. Also it is a good experience to see the Canal from your large cruise ship and then see it all from the smaller ferry... two completely different perspectives. Another benefit is usually the partial transit cruises only take 10 or 11 days while the full transit cruise normally take 14-15 days if time off is a factor.

 

However, if I had the choice I would much rather do a complete Atlantic to Pacific (or viceversa) as opposed to the partial transit cruise. Ideally look for an itinerary that includes a full day port call in Panama in addition to your transit.

We did the partial transit...and I don't feel that I missed anything....I saw the operation of the locks, experienced the HEAT of Panama....and didn't have to fly across country! We left and returned from Florida, so that was good for us.

If you are really into the canal, then do the full transit. If you just want to see the operation and say you've been there, the partial will do just fine!

We have done four full transits of the Panama Canal. A full transit helps one understand the magnitude of the construction project, particularly when transiting the Gaillard Cut. While I understand that some people have time and money constraints, a partial transit just would not satisfy me.

I just did a partial transit in December and I don’t feel like I missed ANYTHING! I traveled solo as my husband had to work and there is no way I could have afforded a full transit paying double as a solo. But I got a VERY reasonable price on an 11-day Princess partial transit (balcony) and I have to say it was the trip of a lifetime – well, it was for me anyway as I never dreamed I would ever see the Canal. If you do a partial transit and take the ferry excursion through the rest of the way to the Pacific, you are going to see virtually everything someone on a full transit sees. You WILL still sail through the Cut, you WILL still go through the Pedro Miguel and Miraflores Locks, and you WILL get to actually touch the walls of the locks, something I don’t think you can do on the cruise ship. You’re not going to see any more of the new construction from the cruise ship than you do from the ferry. The ferry excursion is a little pricey but getting that close and not going all the way through to the Pacific was not even a consideration for me. So glad I did this trip! A bonus is you return across the isthmus by bus (hour, hour and a half), so you get to see a bit of the country.

I don’t know what the other cruise lines are like (I think Holland America and NCL also do partial transits) but Princess totally immerses you in the Panama Canal before you get there. There are guest lectures, slide shows and documentaries every day; you can make posters to display on the cruise ship going through the locks; and they have videographers who get off the ship and video the transit from many different angles including from a helicopter so you can purchase a DVD of your actual transit, and you may even see yourself (I did.) Every day there was something (sometimes more than one thing scheduled) to familiarize you with the history and culture of Panama before you even got there. I tried not to miss anything that was scheduled, and when we actually started going through the Gatun locks, I almost felt like I had been there before!

You’re not going to have the same experience if you take a different excursion in Gatun (not the ferry) or if you stay on the ship and go back through the locks to Colon. But yes, I believe you can absolutely get the full transit experience on a partial transit if you do the ferry excursion.

We have done four full transits of the Panama Canal. A full transit helps one understand the magnitude of the construction project, particularly when transiting the Gaillard Cut. While I understand that some people have time and money constraints, a partial transit just would not satisfy me.

You make an outstanding point about visually witnessing the magnitude of the entire canal, something you just don't get from a partial cruise.

I can watch lectures and documentaries over and over (which I did before our transit :)) but it still did not prepare me for what I was able to witness during the full transit.

Here is a link to the live report I did during our transit cruise and you will see there is much more than just the Gatun Locks which is all you will experience on a partial transit.

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1942047&page=17

I agree with SandyAtSea. A couple years ago, I did the same cruise and excursion that she refers to. The excursion on a smaller ferry boat was 6 hours long, and took you through the rest of the canal out onto the Pacific ocean where you got an interesting view of Panama City before docking and climbing onto a bus for the return ride to Colon. The trip through the locks on the smaller ferry boat was way more "up close and personal", and on occasion, a smaller boat tied itself to the ferry for traveling through a lock. The excursion included a meal on the ferry, and there were some liquid refreshments. The details, history etc of segments of the trip were explained via loud speaker on board. It was a bit expensive, but was worth it (once). A unique result of taking this excursion is that on the same day you travel from the Atlantic Ocean, through the canal out onto the Pacific Ocean, and then back to the Atlantic. I'm sure the full traverse would be good too, but you wouldn't feel cheated if you did the partial transit if you add on this excursion

Thank you all.

I am comfortable with my decision now - we booked this cruise with the partial trip into the lake and also plan to book the excursion on the smaller ferry through to the Pacific.

Joe, glad you stop back by and let us know what you decided. I have no doubt that you will thoroughly enjoy the cruise... just don't be surprised if a full transit cruise doesn't appear on your bucket list at a latter date:D! I'm sure Richard (in Panama) Detrich won't mind if I suggest you read and take along his book "Panama Canal Day" for your cruise. Enjoy!

We're not planning on going until 2017 and just starting to do our research on my husband's dream trip - so glad to see the different postings about partial vs full transit, where time off will be an issue, I now know that the ferry excursion is going to be in our plans - love the sharing on this board - thank you all!

Just wanted to say thanks for the different comparisons of full transit verses partial. We are doing the full transit next April,2016. We may need to book a partial transit at a later date to experience the canal from the up close & personal ferry boat excursion. Thanks for the info

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/a/img4/2407/n7rs.jpg

PANAMA CANAL OVERVIEW

http://www.beyondships3.com/panama-c...stination.html

Few notes on Summarizing the Path Between the Seas

PATH BETEEN THE SEAS 1870-1914-SUMMARY

1870-1899 France tried to build the canal. Ferdinand de Lesseps

Builder (promoter) of the Suez Canal decided he could build this canal before he ever went to Panama.

Alternate sites of a canal were Atrato River route, Nicaragua by Menocal a member of the Congress International d 'Etudes du Canal I teroceanique.

136 delegates with Americans made up Henocal and others. The American Geographical Society, The National Academy of

Science, The United States Board of Trade, and the City of San Francisco.

There were 14 different points on the map of Central America that the Technical Committee of the Congress would have to hear. San BIas plan Tehuantepec by the Mexican Delegate. Finally the last two were the Nicaragua plan favored by the Americans and the Panama plan favored by the 'French.

The Charges River would have to be controlled and build dams to hold water to use to fill locks. The damming would form the Gatun Lake.

On Panama Giant there were "cedar" trees that towered 100' high the trunks like concrete. Gatun was a native village seven miles from Colon that would disappear with the formation of Gatun Lake.

Mount Hope or Monkey Hill as it is called is just out of Colon.

Declasses took the train to inspect the site of the canal. The train track would have to be relocated later to build the canal.

The train crossed miles of swamp including the Black Swamp that was 185' deep.

On the train trip, 23 miles from Colon or about 1/2 distance to Panama City at Barbacoas (Indian word for "bridge") the railroad crossed the Chagres river about 300' wide.

The Chagres River has had a history of rising 46' in just 3 days.

Passenger walked over a bridge and got to another train to get to Panama City. This was the PANAMA RAILROAD

Days with a torrential rain.

Aedes Aegypti- the YELLOW FEVER mosquito.

Dr.Gorgas- MALARIA caused by Plasmodium a protozoan- transmitted by many species of the Anopheles mosquito. Plasmodium vivax, plasmodium falciparum jungle fever).

Rx. Quinine (from a tree bark). Atabrine, Chloroquine

Flagyl.

January 20, 1982 (Friday) the actual digging of the great trench began at Emperador.

Among the more curious facts about the French canal at Panama is that about a third of it was dug by Americans.

The work was organized in three divisions

1. Limon Bay and the lower reaches of the Chagres

2. Upper Chagres and the hills between Matachin and Culebra

3. From Culebra to the approaches to the Bay of Panama.

The Chagres River was always a problem because it had been known to rise 10-14 feet in 24 hours.

Work was plagued by landslides repeatedly that set the work back.

Cucaracha formation was composed chiefly of dark-green and reddish clays, lava mud flows, and gravel.

In 1883 the death toll was reported at 420/yr but was more like 1300 because the sick didn't go near a hospital. That was a death warrant at that time.

Phi lip Bunau-Varilla- a fascinating figure in the Panama story was as important and controversial as Ferdinand de Lesseps. He was an engineer and was made a division engineer in charge of operations at Culebra and the Pacific End.

DOWNFALL

The New Canal was to follow the same line as the old. There were to~be two huge flights; of locks, five locks to each flight, at Bohio Solado on the Atlantic side and between La Boca and Paraiso on the Pacific side.

On February 4.1889 the official end to French project of the

Canal came to an end. The Compagnie Universelle du

Interoceanique was no more.

PANAMA CANAL

SECRETS OF PANAMA

May 15.1889 the liquidators ordered work be halted in Panama.

No one ever got to the bottom of the Panama affair. Many lost all they had in the investments. Fraud was proposed and misuse of funds suggested. Cornelius Herz born in France in 1845 involved. He moved to America and graduated at bottom of his class in 1864. He went to France to study Medicine and qualified to be an assistant surgeon in the French Army.

Herz prospered in San Francisco- but ran back to France with $30.000 and $80,000 in checks along with beating others out including his partner of $20,000. Got involved in panama deals and was a scoundrel. He died in 1898 at 53.

Charles de Lesseps son of Ferdinand de Lesseps was a victim of supporting and protecting his father. He fled to London after he was sentenced and served a year in prison. He was ordered to pay Bhihaut's fines and make good on his indemnity 900,000 Francs which he could not pay. Ferdinand de Lesseps died 6 years after the fall of the canal Company. He was 89.

The canal had cost the French about $287,000,000 and 22,000 deaths. Shortly before the French suffered from the Sedan affair and then the Edouard Drumont's anti-Semitism spilled over into the Dreyfus Affair in which an officer in the French Army was discriminated against and jailed because he was accused of being a Jew. He had been accused of being a Traitor and tried and convicted unjustly and sentenced to Devil’s Island.

The Maritime Canal Company chartered in 1889 to build a Nicaraguan canal went down in defeat. The Americans were thought to be able to build a canal in Nicaragua --

1890-1904

~--------------------------------------- ---------------------------~--------------------------------

Theodore Roosevelt had to get the materials left in Panama from the French. He then had to get Panama to succeed from

Columbia which they did and Teddy sent battleships and men to threaten Columbia if they tried to fight the Panamanian. He later would have to pay Columbia several million dollars for a statement that he took Panama from Columbia. A deal with Panama of $10,000.000 a year was tobe paid. An area 10 miles wide was to be for the United States to build the Panama Canal.

The United States had to negotiate with Great Britain to insure that if a canal was, built it would allow all nations to use it freely.

This was necessary to neutralize an old Clayton-Bulwer Treaty. Mr. Hay negotiated the new treaty.

On January 9, 1902 the U.S. House voted 308-2 to proceed with a Nicaraguan Canal.

THE LOBBY

William Nelson Cromwell at 33 became senior partner in the Legal Firm of Sullivan and Cromwell. He had the largest fees for corporations to this date. Some as high as $250,000. Cromwell formed the U.S. Steel Corporation for J.P Morgan and made $2.000.000 for putting up a bare 12 1/2%. He flattered men- They liked him for it.

Philip Bunau-Varilla, Cromwell's counterpart in France saw himself as a gallant crusader. Panama had no volcanoes as did Nicaragua (the Stam has a volcano on it)

Bunau-Varilla had become and independent contractor for the Culebra cut after resigning from the French govt.

The French Panama Company was sold for $40,000,000.

AGAINST ALL ODDS

To change the decision to build a canal in Nicaragua to Panama, MARCUS ALONZO HANNA spoke to the senate and changed votes in favor of the Panama Canal over a Nicaraguan canal.

On June 26, 1902 the house passed the Spooner Bill 259-8.

ADVENTURE BY TRIGONOMETRY

This involved Columbia's anger over The U.S acquiring the French companies assets and support of the Panamanian uprising against Columbia.

REMARKABLE REVOLUTION

Panama revolts against Columbia supported by U.S and makes payments after the fact to Columbia for illegally gaining access to the Canal.

THE BUILDERS 1904-1914

Dr. William Henry Welch of Johns Hopkins urged Roosevelt to tackle the sources of disease prior to any efforts to build a canal in Panama.

An Army doctor a former student of Welch's COLONEL WILLIAM CRAWFORD GORGAS who since the death of Walter Reed (of appendicitis in 1902) was known in professional circles as the outstanding authority on tropical disease.

Stegomyia fasciata the household mosquito was felt to be the carrier of Yellow Fever. This is also known as Aedes Aegypti. Credit for finding the cause of malaria belonged to the English physician Ronald Ross where in a hospital in Secunderabad, India he had addressed the problem.

Dr. Gorgas had become immunized against Yellow Fever by contracting the disease and surviving.

For the mosquito to become infected it must suck the blood of the yellow-fever patient within the first three days after the patient has contracted the disease. Then once the mosquito has taken the blood, another twelve to twenty days must pass before the mosquito can transmit the infection. Finlay had the idea but timing was off.

PANIC

The Isthmian Canal Commission had 7 members. Their requirement that they pass on every equipment request impeded the progress of the canal greatly.

JOHN STEVENS

John Finley Wallace started the canal for America, replaced by John Stevens. Walker head of the Panamanian commission was replace by

Theodore Perry Shonts an Iowa lawyer.

John Stevens was 52 born in Maine on a small farm.

Stevens started to clean up the cities first. He stopped the digging until he got Colon and Panama City cleaned up.

The Panama railroad was important to getting the canal built. Stevens realized this whereas de Lesseps did not.

The creation of Gatun Lake would mean that approximately 164 square miles of jungle, and area as large as the island of Barbados, would vanish under water. A new railroad would have to be built. Stevens' headquarters was moved from Panama City to Culebra 1 year and 3 mo since John Stevens had taken charge.

THE MAN WITH THE SUN IN HIS EYES

Theodore Roosevelt was the first resident to leave the country while in office and he went to the Panama Canal. He sailed on November 9, 1906 on the new 16,000 ton Louisiana the largest battleship in the fleet.

He was the first president to be photographed in a steam shovel.

Steven resigned his job. and Maj or Goethals later Lieut. Col. George Wlashington Goethals was appointed. He worked his \-way through City College in New York and went on to West Point.

THE CHIEF POINT OF ATTACK

When the work at its height in the Culebra Cut Goethals crew was excavating the equivalent of a Suez Cana every three years. In one year 1908 enough dirt was moved as half as much as two French companies had moved in 17 years. (37,000,000 cubic yard)

In the Culebra Cut 50 -60 steam shovels were at work in one day.

Goethals and Major Gaillard arrived and were greeted by Stevens (who had retired) and Dr. Gorgas Goethals took over at midnight March 31,1907.

Goethals changed the, way work was proportioned out. Formally it was according to type of work such as excavation and dredging, labor and quarters and so forth. Goethals divided the work into the ATLANTIC

DIVISION. THE CENTRAL DIVISION. AND THE PACIFIC DIVISION.

Major Gaillard was assigned to the central division, which was the 32 miles of canal between the Atlantic and Pacific divisions including the Culebra Cut.

The Atlantic side was run by Army men with Major Sibert as head. The nine mile stretch between Bas Obispo and Pedro MIguel was the Culebra Cut. -------------

The construction of the Canal used 61,000,000 pounds of dynamite.

La Boca was renamed Balboa. (Large dump located here.)

SAN BIAS INDIANS

The term for four tribes of Indians that live on the San BIas Islands off the eastern coast of Panama. Most of the 20,000 Indians belong to the Cuna tribe. These Indians live much as they did before Europeans came to Latin America. Tribal law prohibits marriage with whites.

The highest portion of Albino births in the world occurs among these Indians. About 7/1000, births.

In 1963 an agreement provided that both flags be flown wherever the United States flag was displayed by civilian authorities. On Jan. 7, 1964 students at Balboa High School in the Canal Zone raised the American flag alone and not the Panamian flag. This led to three days of rioting; American troops were called out and there were heavy casualties. Panama broke off diplomatic relations with

The United States, but relations were resumed on April 4.

Late in 1964 the United States announced its willingness to negotiate a new treaty. In 1974 the United States and Panama reached an agreement on final negotiating principles and in 1977 signed two new treaties.

Panamanian students rioted to protest continuing United States control of the canal, and there was strong opposition to the treaties in the United States. The treaties were approved by the Panamanians in a referendum in

1977, however. But were ratified by the United States Senate in 1978.

One treaty guaranteed the neutrality of the canal. The other treaty abolished the Canal Zone as a United States jurisdiction and prepared for the gradual takeover of the canal by Panama by the year 2000. With the Treaty’s implementation on Oct. 1. 1979, the canal came under the control of the Panama Canal Commission, an agency of five Americans and four Panamanians. Although the United States appointed all members of the

commission, the Panamanian government recommended the Panamanian members.

Until 1990 the administrator was to be an American; after that date, a Panamanian. The annual payment to Panama was increased to $10 million, with a fixed annuity of $10 million. 30 cents for each ton of shipping and an

annual amount of up to $10 million to be paid out of profits.

The need to improve or replace the canal has been discussed for many years. In 1985 the United States, Japan and Panama signed an agreement to study the relative feasibility of three alternatives: widening the canal.

constructing a new sea-level canal, and constructing additional transport.

Many technological improvements have been made in the areas of traffic control including maintenance and capacity expansion. Computers and a closed-circuit television surveillance system are used to control traffic. For the first

time, the canal was closed for about a day to prevent damage to ships when United States troops invaded Panama on Dec. 20, 1989. in order to overthrow the regime of Gen. Manuel Noriega.

Facts about the Panama Canal

Size. Length, 51 miles from deep water to deep water. Minimum width of the navigable channel is 500 feet.

Locks. Six pairs, or a total of 12. Each is 1.000 feet long and 110 feet wide. Normal permissible transit draft is 39 1/2 feet of tropical fresh water. The lock system lifts ships to 85 feet above sea level.

CONSTRUCTION. WORK BEGUN BY UNITED STATES MAY 4. 1904. Opened for traffic

Aug. 15. 1914. Earth and rock excavated before opening. 239 million cubic yards. Initial cost. $380.000.000.

Approximate distances saved (in nautical miles). New York City to San Francisco, California 7,900; From Liverpool, England, to San Francisco. 5,600; New York City to Yokohama. Japan (compared with a Suez Canal route), 3,300.

TOLLS LADEN MERCHANT SHIPS. $1.83 per measurement ton. (A Panama Canal measurement ton is each 100 cubic feet of s ace usable for revenue.)

Ships in ballast without cargo or passengers, $1.46 per measurement ton.

Special vessels, $1.02 per displacement ton (each long ton--2,240 pounds--of water displaced) .

Government. In 1979 Panama Canal Commission, with joint U.S.-Panamanian membership, replaced Panama Canal Company, whose ex officio resident had been U.S.-appointed governor of Canal Zone. SEE ALSO: BALBOA, VASCO NUNEZ

DE

CANAL CANAL ZONE GATUN, PANAMA GOETHALS. GEORGE WASHINGTON GORGAS. WI LI M

I have always had the Panama Canal on my bucket list. I envisioned a cruise from the pacific to the Caribbean - or reverse.

 

But now I see a cruise entering the canal from the Caribbean, cruising around the lake, and then returning to the Caribbean.

 

My question: Do you think I will feel like I missed something if I did not go all the way through? Or is the experience and learning at least adequate doing the in and out itinerary?

I did a full transit Panama Canal cruise in 2011 and found it scenic and interesting. I thought I was fully versed in "lock operation" and had little need to see another one. Long story short, I have since gone through locks on my Northern Europe (Amsterdam) cruise and recently my China (Yangtze River) and would have regretted missing any of them. Hopefully someday the St. Lawrence seaway and the Suez Canal will be on one of my itineraries.

IMHO see what you can see but you will be missing something. Life is about compromises and only you can decide.

We have done partial transits (into Gatun Lake and back to the Caribbean) and we have done full transits. IMO the Pacific side to Gatun Lake is the better part of the Canal and if this is on your bucket list - I strongly recommend the full transit - does not matter which way! The Cut, the Pacific side locks and the scenery are amazing and different from the Caribbean side. Going into Gatun Lake, the locks are 3 steps while on the Pacific side, they are individual locks. A full transit has something like 4-5 different pilots that come on board as each section is so different. We sail on Holland and they bring on Panamanian lecturers who talk about the Canal during the transit which we love. The historical, political, personal, medical and engineering histories we found fascinating. Not sure if other cruise lines do this.

As an fyi, Princess, I believe, has recently posted partial transit itineraries from the Pacific side.

We have done partial transits (into Gatun Lake and back to the Caribbean) and we have done full transits. IMO the Pacific side to Gatun Lake is the better part of the Canal and if this is on your bucket list - I strongly recommend the full transit - does not matter which way! The Cut, the Pacific side locks and the scenery are amazing and different from the Caribbean side. Going into Gatun Lake, the locks are 3 steps while on the Pacific side, they are individual locks. A full transit has something like 4-5 different pilots that come on board as each section is so different. We sail on Holland and they bring on Panamanian lecturers who talk about the Canal during the transit which we love. The historical, political, personal, medical and engineering histories we found fascinating. Not sure if other cruise lines do this.

I just saw your post and I could not agree with you more that the Pacific side to Gatun Locks is the "better" part of the Canal. Of course the entire Canal is certainly impressive and no doubt this is why if you have a choice to take the full transit. The entrance on the Pacific side has so much more to see, the skyline of Panama City, the various islands in the bay and the Bridge of Americas spanning the harbor at Balboa. Then you have the two Pacific Locks along with Gaillard Cut and the passage across Gatun Lake (the part of the Canal you don't see much of when you take a partial transit cruise). Even though the Atlantic entrance, Gatun Locks and Gatun Dam are indeed an important part of the Canal, they just don't jump out as much in comparison with the remainder of the Canal.

Let me take this time to give a brief description on how pilotage works at the Canal as you probably saw launches come along side at various points of the transit. Usually in addition to the pilot launches, these launches or either bringing Canal seamen to the ship or taking them off the ship. A crew on Canal Seamen are placed on board transiting ships to handle the cables from the locks locomotives. A different set of seamen are used for the Atlantic and Pacific sides. In general on ships over 80' in beam two pilots are assigned to the vessel (the majority of cruise ships are in this category). A third pilot is often assigned on Panamax ships particularly when there are visibility issues for example bridge forward, bridge aft or when it is difficult to see the side of the ship and the lock wall. This third pilot is usually positioned on a lower deck towards the opposite end of the ship from the bridge and often a very junior pilot. The third pilot normally is only used while approaching and in any of the locks... he is the extra set of eyes.

Quite often when the transit starts only one pilot will board the ship to start the transit. The second (and third pilot if needed) will board a little later. For example if the ship is coming from the Pacific side the first pilot will board in the anchorage and the other pilot/s will board after the ship passes under the Bridge of Americas. The first pilot will be the "control" pilot for the first half of the transit and the the second pilot will become the "control" pilot for the remainder of the transit. The "control" pilot is the one in charge issuing engine orders, rudder commands etc. What I wanted to point out that Canal pilots are not divided into special areas of expertise such as some large river pilot services with bar pilots, river pilots and harbor pilots. In general a pilot or the pair of pilots mentioned above will command the ship for the entire transit. There of course are exceptions, such as for operational reasons ships are shuttled to one of several mooring/anchoring areas of the Canal and the original pilot may leave the ship at that time and another pilot will complete the transit later.

You spoke of HAL bringing a person on board to provide narration of the operation... many cruise lines do this as well (don't know if all do it). If the Canal supplies that person add another $485 to the toll! Oh well, when you are springing over $300K for a transit, what's another 400 bucks among friends:D.

Thank you everyone for such wonderful information on this thread! It is very helpful in planning our trip.

We will be doing the full transit (LA to Miami) this coming year and I wondered whether the more experienced cruisers had any tips on "Day of" transit. Not sure what to expect, so the following questions may be naïve. But is there a time we should plan to get up? A place on the ship where we should plant ourselves? Or will our balcony be good? Or a particular time (or times) during the day where it matters most that we do not lunch, or work out, or participate in other activities indoors?

Thanks so much

Catherine

We are doing a partial transit thru the canal in April, 2016 on the Coral Princess. So many above that did these mentioned taking the ferry to get more of an experience. If you sailed with Princess, did you do the excursion though them? If s, do you recall what it was called?

Thanks in advance.:):)

"We will be doing the full transit (LA to Miami) this coming year and I wondered whether the more experienced cruisers had any tips on "Day of" transit. Not sure what to expect, so the following questions may be naïve. But is there a time we should plan to get up? A place on the ship where we should plant ourselves? Or will our balcony be good? Or a particular time (or times) during the day where it matters most that we do not lunch, or work out, or participate in other activities indoors?"

Transit day is certainly not the day you get those 40 extra winks;)! I'm an early riser so whatever time I am up and about is not a problem. On my last transit in the direction you are going I was on deck at 4AM and I wasn't alone! While you really don't have to be on deck quite that early, but they will get more crowded as the transit begins. I think you may want to consider being up topside 5-5:30ish. For the first part of the transit that would take you up to and through Miraflores Locks, I would prefer an upper deck, forward and outside. That way you will get a good view of the start up the channel, Panama City skyline, the Bridge of Americas and ultimately Miraflores Locks. During the remainder of the transit, I really would not plant myself in any one spot. For example at some point at one of the locks go down on the lower outside decks and see the what a tight squeeze it really is. Your passage through the Gaillard Cut I would recommend being somewhere you can observe your passage and be able to go to where you see whatever that is of interest. There is usually some sort of equipment operating, passing under the Centennial Bridge, Gold Hill where you will cross the Continental Divide and even get a look a Noriega's current "home."

After clearing Gaillard Cut you will begin your crossing of Gatun Lake. This portion of the transit is more of the "scenic" part and not a lot of individual items to point out. That is not to say there is nothing to see as there are usually ships passing in the opposite direction and you will be able to see forestation that essentially unchanged even before the Canal was built. Please don't think that there won't be any chance to grab a bite to eat, you will just have to decide when, there will be some slack times during your transit.

In regards to your balcony... unless you have one of the aft facing balconies, I really would not spend a great deal of time on it. Save the balcony for other times of the cruise.

I am including a picture of what you could miss if you really homestead your balcony. Now if you happen to be on your balcony on the opposite side of ship, you would never get to enjoy this passing.....

This picture was taken during the Gatun Lake crossing...

Glad to answer any other questions....

We are doing a partial transit thru the canal in April, 2016 on the Coral Princess. So many above that did these mentioned taking the ferry to get more of an experience. If you sailed with Princess, did you do the excursion though them? If s, do you recall what it was called?

 

Thanks in advance.:):)

Full disclosure, I did not sail Princess. Now that is out of the way, Princess's "Ferry" excursion is called "Panama Canal and Locks Transit by Boat." When you are on a partial transit, all excursions at the Canal stop must be purchased through Princess. If you do not have a Princess excursion you are not permitted to go ashore when tendering begins. It is not just a quirky Princess policy, all cruise lines doing partial transits operate in the same manner for excursions at this stop.

I did see your post on another thread after my posting here. Guess what, our excursions are already open :eek: and I booked the one you mentioned.

Even though you did not sail Princess, your info in spot on.:):)

One thing I meant to mention in the post above... If you read the Princess excursion description, the tour can and often does run in the reverse order. Either way, it is just as rewarding. Enjoy!