Panama Canal Experienced Cruisers

[HokiePoq]

yes, we will be going thru the old locks. purposely why we chose a smaller ship, and going west to east was a must for us as we didnt want a flight from CA to MA facing us at the end.

 

we will plan to be up early to get some good viewing spots. it is what it is, i guess. given the heat, etc. do people really park in one spot ALL DAY from 5am till dark?

 

Not us. We did watch east to west for several hours but after that did not stay in one place for multiple hours on the back to back we took.

[DCP]

We are booked on the March 2019 sailing on the Bliss through the Canal. We have an aft balcony for this sailing. Will we be able to see most of it from that vantage point?

[BostonGal35]

We are booked on the March 2019 sailing on the Bliss through the Canal. We have an aft balcony for this sailing. Will we be able to see most of it from that vantage point?

 

id double check this as i could be wrong, but Bliss will probably use the new locks, if that matters to you.

[Oakman58]

id double check this as i could be wrong, but Bliss will probably use the new locks, if that matters to you.

 

Yes, the Bliss will be too big to fit in the old locks, she will have to cross the canal using the new Cocoli and Agua Clara locks.

[cpcanuck]

Prime viewing areas on the Star got crowded very early when we did our transit of the canal. The Captain opened the bow of ship on deck 7 (normally closed) on the day of the transit. This is a prime viewing spot and gets crowded early. Once the ship passes through the Miraflores and Pedro Miguel locks the crowd at the front of the ship on all decks thins out.

 

The crew set up a refreshment stand on deck 7 during the transit which was appreciated because it was very hot during our transit.

 

 

 

Those with the best views were the passengers in the suites at the front of the ship.

 

It’s fascinating to watch the mules (trains) as they keep the ships positioned within the locks.

 

I also found the view from rear of the ship much less crowded and the view was almost as interesting as the front.

Some folks watched the transit of the canal locks from the comfort of the Atrium on the big screen. The Atrium is a prime viewing spot if it happens to be raining during your transit.

 

Most of the day is spent cruising through the canal toward the Gatun Locks on the Atlantic side. We spent much of the day on our balcony watching the ship traffic pass by. We absolutely loved our Panama Canal cruise on the Star.

 

Thanks for the photos of the Star at Panama Canal! 99 days and counting. Nice to see what we can expect on the Star for viewing options.