Emerald Princess partial panama transit 1/21

[Mapomp]

I’m just starting to research this cruise, we've never done anything except the usual Caribbean.  Any help and info would be much appreciated. Is it worth it to just do a partial transit? I’m looking at a vista suite, which is aft.  Is that a good place to be?

 

Thanks for any help/comments/thoughts 😊

Mary Alice

 

[PoohUnderstands]

Been on two partials and two full transits.  Both are worth it.  Our first was a partial through the old Gatun locks.  It is worth it.  You will go through the locks and then anchor in Gatun lake.  If you want to get off the boat, you have to do a Princess tour of some sort(at least it was that way for us).  An aft suite is great and a great view.  But you will want to wander around the ship to see the locks from all positions.  I really recommend that you get up early (usually around 5am or so) and grab the best spot on the front of the ship to see as you come into the locks.  Then walk along starboard and port sides for that view later.  and then lastly, end up on your balcony for the great aft view.  Stay there until anchored in lake.  Cartegena, if stopping there, is a great port of call and the people I found were very nice.  At the fort on top of the hill is where I would always pay the vendor to hold his baby sloth.  They are sooooo adorable and so cuddly.  These are abandoned, etc., sloths where the person has a legal ok to raise the sloth etc. 

You will have a great time.

 

Pooh

[voljeep]

we did the 10 day partial a few years ago - Island Princess - pre reno … RT FLL/PE

 

we also took the Princess excursion - boat / bus thru the other locks and enjoyed that also - long day

 

thought the vendors in Cartegena were very aggressive - especially the hat dudes walking around

[LeeW]

The advantage of partial transits is that the Caribbean ports have excursions that are much closer to the port.  Disadvantage is that you don't see the whole Canal.  Highly recommend you take the boat excursion through the rest of the Canal.  You will miss your ship going back through the Gatun Locks, but will see the other two sets much closer (touching distance).  And the excursion will be through the old locks on the Pacific side, so you will see the mules in action (Emerald will use the new locks on the Caribbean side, so no mules).

 

Emerald does have a good Promenade deck, so you can walk around the side of the ship as it is raised and lowered.  

 

We were eating dinner on our last lock transit and it was really weird watching the lock wall zip by the dining room windows.  Every trip we have done has been a bit different.