Panama Canal Partial Transit

Hope not a stupid question but why are tours offered in Panama?....(the brochures say scenic cruising)

Is it necessary to book a tour that day....I assumed you stay on boat and watch what is going on.....When we were in Alaska the scenic cruising time was great.....Any help would be appreciated

We did the Panama Canal partial transit on Holland America several years ago. Since it was not a full transit we booked a tour that took us through the remaining locks to Panama City. We then were taken back to the ship via bus. The book that took us through was small, four decks and included lunch. We were in each lock with other small boats. We could touch the wall of the lock. It was wonderful. It was the best of two worlds - going through one lock on our cruise ship and the remaining locks on a smaller vessel. We sent through the original canal and the new canal was under construction. Not sure which canal ships go through now or even if this tour is available. We really liked this cruise and are considering going again in February. Hope this helps.

You will arrive around 6:00 AM, and wait outside the locks to make the transit into Lake Gatun.

Once it's the ships turrn, you will rise up through the three locks and that is most of the scenic crusing that morning. That take less than two hours, start to finish.

Once the ship is in Lake Gatun, you have the option to stay on the ship, or take a tender to catch a tour. If you don't have a tour booked, you can't get off the ship in Lake Gatun. The ship will sit in the lake for a while, and then turn around, and go back down through the locks, and dock in Colon. You can get off the ship there and walk around that area.

If you stay on the ship, it's mostly empty and some say it's like having your own private ship for the day.

There are many interesting tours to take, and a popular one, is the one where you get on a boat, and go to the other side of the canal, and go through the locks to the Pacific Ocean. Then you get off the boat, and take a bus back to Colon to meet up with the ship.

We have done it twice, on the Coral, and one of our favorite cruises (and ship).

Many book excursions (only can do with the ship) to avoid the long down time in Lake Gatun. ;)

Why book an excursion while on a partial transit of the Panama Canal.

Because, there is so much more to Panama than just going from the Atlantic into Gatun Lake then going back the same way you came to the port of Colon that has very little to offer that you can do on your own.

As others have said, the smaller boat ride to the Pacific allows you to see all of the canal. There are also other excursions. I have throughly enjoyed going to visit a native Embura village twice.

IMO - the term "scenic cruising" in the Panama Canal on a partial transit is nothing like scenic cruising in other parts of the world, such as Alaska.

Why book an excursion while on a partial transit of the Panama Canal.

Because, there is so much more to Panama than just going from the Atlantic into Gatun Lake then going back the same way you came to the port of Colon that has very little to offer that you can do on your own.

As others have said, the smaller boat ride to the Pacific allows you to see all of the canal. There are also other excursions. I have throughly enjoyed going to visit a native Embura village twice.

IMO - the term "scenic cruising" in the Panama Canal on a partial transit is nothing like scenic cruising in other parts of the world, such as Alaska.

Agree! "Scenic Cruising" on a partial has no real scenic views except for the actual time going through the lock. :rolleyes:

Atlantic Locks?

You travel through the locks starting at 6am. Once through the locks the ship anchors in Gatun Lake. There is no scenic cruising. You can stay on board if you wish, many do. Be careful if sitting around the pool the sun is very strong in Panama. Those that wish to tour in Panama are tendered off the ship to a yacht club dock where transportation picks them up for the tours. Only passengers on Princess tours are permitted to tender ashore. There are lots of nice things to see in Panama. Mid Afternoon the ship exits the canal and docks at Colon. You can get off there and browse in a large warehouse where there are lots of vendors. Passengers on tours rejoin the ship in Colon.

Pacific Locks?

It is much the same as described above, but you do get to travel through the continental divide before anchoring in Gatun Lake. You have an overnight stay in the lake and exit the next day. There is another thread on the Pacific lock partial transit.

We have taken two cruises that did the turnaround in Gatun Lake. We stayed on the ship both times. I like the view going through the locks from different vantage points around the ship. On our cruise this past February (on a HAL ship), we watched from the bow of the ship in the morning. On the way out, we moved around the ship more, including touching the walls of the canal from the Promenade Deck.