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Partial crossing Island Princess Nov 16th info please.


kath00
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Hello all,

 

We tentatively booked the mid-Nov Island Princess cruise from LA round trip with my Mom (she can't fly).

 

I have never done a Panama Canal and I am wondering what to expect with the partial Panama Canal cruise. The itiniary has us in the area for 2 days but I believe it's still a partial crossing. Any info would be appreciated, especially if someone has done it from the Pacific side (I know those cruises are rare).

 

Thanks!

 

Itiniary:

Los Angeles, California 16NOV16 WED DEPART 4:00PM

PIER: SAN PEDRO PIER CHECK IN STARTS AT 1230P

SHIP @ PORT OF SAN PEDRO

At Sea 17NOV16 THU

At Sea 18NOV16 FRI

At Sea 19NOV16 SAT

Huatulco, Mexico 20NOV16 SUN ARRIVE 12:00PM DEPART 7:00PM

Puerto Chiapas, Mexico 21NOV16 MON ARRIVE 9:00AM DEPART 6:00PM

Puerto Quetzal, Guatemala 22NOV16 TUE ARRIVE 7:00AM DEPART 6:00PM

At Sea 23NOV16 WED

At Sea 24NOV16 THU

Panama Canal, Panama 25NOV16 FRI ARRIVE 6:00AM

Tender Required WHEELCHAIR ACCESS LIMITED OVERNIGHT

Panama Canal, Panama 26NOV16 SAT DEPART 2:00PM

Tender Required WHEELCHAIR ACCESS LIMITED

At Sea 27NOV16 SUN

Puntarenas, Costa Rica 28NOV16 MON ARRIVE 7:00AM DEPART 7:00PM

San Juan Del Sur, Nicaragua 29NOV16 TUE ARRIVE 7:00AM DEPART 6:00PM

Tender Required WHEELCHAIR ACCESS LIMITED

At Sea 30NOV16 WED

At Sea 01DEC16 THU

Manzanillo, Mexico 02DEC16 FRI ARRIVE 8:00AM DEPART 5:00PM

At Sea 03DEC16 SAT

At Sea 04DEC16 SUN

Los Angeles, California 05DEC16 MON ARRIVE 7:00AM

SHIP @ PORT OF SAN PEDRO

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If you can use what they did the last time they ran Pacific partial transits as guide, and it has been awhile, the ship entered the Canal at the Pacific entrance, locked through Miraflores and Pedro Miguel Locks, passed through Gaillard (Culebra) Cut and crossed Gatun Lake anchoring in the Gatun Lake Anchorage. At the GL Anchorage is where the tours would commence. The passage back out to the Pacific would resume sometime the next morning. Anyway, that is basically what was done... really can't say with any certainty that is how it would be on your cruise.

 

Enjoy that rare find!!

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Thanks so much. Is it a huge loss not to do that 3rd lock on the Atlantic side?

 

I guess we are trading off not needing to fly (very helpful for my elderly Mom) vs taking a cruise that is longer (more time off work) and maybe not quite as scenic given the effort and expense.

 

Thanks again,

 

Katherine

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In the grand scheme of things you will only miss about 8 miles of a 50 mile Canal, you will have seen the best parts of the Panama Canal. I don't mean to imply that the Atlantic Locks, Gatun is not worth seeing, because it is worthwhile. There maybe an opportunity to do a shore excursion that would include a visit to Gatun Locks, that would be a great substitute. In fact there even could be an excursion that would provide a transit of Gatun Locks.

 

Considering your desires I think the Pacific partial transit is an excellent choice. Unlike the Atlantic partial transits you will see the majority of the Canal twice... that's twice across Gatun Lake, twice through Gaillard Cut, the Pacific entrance is much more scenic than the Atlantic, the Panama City skyline... all well worth a second look!

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In the grand scheme of things you will only miss about 8 miles of a 50 mile Canal, you will have seen the best parts of the Panama Canal. I don't mean to imply that the Atlantic Locks, Gatun is not worth seeing, because it is worthwhile. There maybe an opportunity to do a shore excursion that would include a visit to Gatun Locks, that would be a great substitute. In fact there even could be an excursion that would provide a transit of Gatun Locks.

 

Considering your desires I think the Pacific partial transit is an excellent choice. Unlike the Atlantic partial transits you will see the majority of the Canal twice... that's twice across Gatun Lake, twice through Gaillard Cut, the Pacific entrance is much more scenic than the Atlantic, the Panama City skyline... all well worth a second look!

 

Thank you so much!! I truly appreciate your insight. Having never done this itiniary before, your comments are very helpful.

Edited by kath00
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There is little need for an "excursion" if your ship is going thru the locks. They all operate the same....

 

The excursions are lengthy and HOT!!!...Stay on the ship where you can access AC when you want it, and will have some less crowded times when the other passengers leave the ship for the day on their excursions!

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Yes I am a little worried about the heat. For those of you who have done the Panama Canal before, are the ship's AC's able to keep the cabins and the public spaces comfortable, ie around 70-75 degrees despite the heat and humidity outside?

 

Thanks, Katherine

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I saw your temperature related post over on the Princess board, let me try to allay your concerns... at least a little. I can speak from experience, I lived in Panama a long time. The temps/humidity in Panama will be different from what you are accustomed to, after all you are coming from the city that has its own air conditioning system! The temps/humidity in Puntarenas, Nicaragua and Guatemala will be similar. Of course if you go away from Puerto Quetzal like to Antigua or Guatemala City you will have the benefit of some mountain air. I say they will be different, but the heat and humdity are not as bad as their reputation. Probably the biggest culprit is the humidity, honestly that is not a huge factor unless you are engaged in somewhat more strenuous activity... a lengthy hike or some other marathon type activity. Avoid staying out in the direct sun for long periods, take advantage of shade, position yourself for the breeze when you can and usually the air conditioning is not too far away. I am sure anyone coming from a temperate climate will notice the humidity, but honest, it is not something like Sydney Greenstreet sweating profusely while sitting under an overhead fan in some smoke filled dive in Morocco;)!

 

Below is the hi/lo temperatures for Panama City for this last November and the first part of December. On two days in that period the temp was 91, a few 90s and the rest upper 80s... no real extremes. While the ship is moving in the Canal it should not be too hard to find anything from at least a gentle breeze to a stiff wind. Things can be a little still in the locks, however you will enter the Pacific Locks in the AM, not hot then and not too humid. The next day you will exit the Pacific Locks in the PM, you probably will have a better chance of the sun and warmer temps at the time.

 

A few of other thoughts... The Atlantic side near Gatun Locks where the ship will most likely anchor over night, is not as hot as the Pacific side (Panama City), now the but... it generally has a better chance of that liquid sunshine and the lo temps are not quite as low! November is still Rainy Season in Panama, but normally November is not an overly rainy month. It generally is trending towards being drier as you move into December. The Dry Season in Panama starts in late December. Skies in November are generally partly cloudy, so that should help in avoiding long periods of direct sunshine. The hottest part of the day is usually from around 1 to 3PM.

 

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Thanks as always! We are so excited. I will probably spend more time on the ship than most but that's ok. I love the sights and sometimes even in the Caribbean I end up skipping tours if it's too hot and humid. :)

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  • 2 weeks later...

Your cruise sounds exciting! We did a Partial Transit in December 2014 (see link below) from Ft. Lauderdale and really enjoyed it. We didn't do an excursion when the ship was in Gatun Lake and don't regret it at all.

 

We stayed aboard the ship and from time to time would venture out on our balcony, or on decks from side to side, forward and aft, to see what was going on. We went back inside whenever we wanted to and ate lunch in air conditioned comfort in the buffet while watching the ships progress.

 

Happy cruising. It's a great way to travel!

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