Fuerte Amador- still a tender port by Oct 2021

[Turtles06]

1 minute ago, GeorgeCharlie said:

The guide is an individual who works by himself and specializes in Embera village tours. 

 

Have a look at my posting to the roll call for our cruise.

 

Thanks so much, Bill!

 

I hope you are having a terrific cruise, Fuerte Amador notwithstanding.

[mcmarya]

I should add that we did have a terrific time at Amador in spite of the state of the pier.  I don't know who determined what kind of vehicles to use for transporting passengers off the facility but it was probably the pier operators--one size fits all.  They were quite accommodating when needed.  On Friday, the shuttles for the Quest started operating at 7 am but on Saturday, when the Quest was alone at the pier, the shuttles didn't start until later.  We had arranged to meet a friend at 7:30 and it was not likely we could reach her to change the time.  So, we were accommodated and driven to the Flamenco Island facility by ourselves on a huge bus.  I hate waste and felt terrible about it.  But, we took shuttles 3 additional times that day during regularly scheduled times and were still always the only passengers.

 

It is unfortunate that the road out of the pier has not been paved since the trip  is so much longer than it needs to be.  Since we were gone (and glad to be!), we did not observe the chaos of trying to get all of the Oosterdam passengers to their destinations on Friday.  Knowing how things work, we knew we had to get out early if we were going to get out.  It is unfortunate that the shuttle buses could not have been shared by the 2 ships so that the Oosterdam passengers could have gotten off faster.  By the way, we normally travel on Holland America and are only on the Quest because my husband is a guest speaker.

Edited November 27, 2022 by mcmarya

[BillB48]

The link below will go to an article reporting on a less than smooth embarkation from the Amador Cruise terminal for a recent NCL Jewel sailing as well as purchasing fuel from a single source.

 

https://menafn.com/1105288192/7-Hour-Passenger-Chaos-At-Amador-Condemned

 

A recent photo of the cruise terminal at Ft. Amador from a Canal FB group.  No indication as to how far from  being completed.

 

 

 

[Turtles06]

1 hour ago, BillB48 said:

The link below will go to an article reporting on a less than smooth embarkation from the Amador Cruise terminal for a recent NCL Jewel sailing as well as purchasing fuel from a single source.

Thanks Bill. Sounds like quite a mess. ☹️

[v3cruiser]

It should be interesting late feb when we board the Jewel. LOL. 

Edited December 11, 2022 by v3cruiser

[fox02554]

11 hours ago, v3cruiser said:

It should be interesting late feb when we board the Jewel. LOL. 

we're on the jewel 02/22/23 , we fly in a day early , I'm beginning to think an excursion is in order ! maybe we'll spend the day enjoying our selfs on the Hop on Hop off bus ! no need to be first in line and wait 7 hours ,we'll be there later 😄 they'll save our cabin for us 

[Essiesmom]

NCL seems to be able to use it for turnarounds, but Emerald Princess did a full transit last week, spending a day at Amador and tendered.  Star Clipper also spent a day there and never docked.  Viking is there now.  EM

[v3cruiser]

Its great the port is docking ships. when I booked my cruise I took a chance to whether it would be operational or not. hopefully the check in procedures online for ncl will help ease check in at the pier. 

[MLA]

6 hours ago, fox02554 said:

we're on the jewel 02/22/23 , we fly in a day early , I'm beginning to think an excursion is in order ! maybe we'll spend the day enjoying our selfs on the Hop on Hop off bus ! no need to be first in line and wait 7 hours ,we'll be there later 😄 they'll save our cabin for us 

Anyone know how to get the hop on/off bus from this pier? I've only seen one other mention of an excursion (not through NCL, which isn't offering any since this is a turn around day (many of us are staying on for a b to b from and to NY.

 

[BillB48]

Not having direct knowledge on where the bus stops for cruise passengers, stop 10 would be a likely area.  The cruise terminal which is not depicted on this map, but it is located almost precisely where you see "Isla Perico" noted  However with all the construction going on it would not be out of the realm of possibility that they may have a pick up closer to stop 9.  I feel you would be able to get info from someone shore side once you disembark.  Below is a link to their website, once at their site click on "useful download" which will display the full route map.

 

https://www.hop-on-hop-off-bus-tours.com/tour-panama-city-sightseeing-hop-on-hop-off-bus-tour

 

 

 

 

Edited December 11, 2022 by BillB48

[Turtles06]

16 hours ago, BillB48 said:

However with all the construction going on it would not be out of the realm of possibility that they may have a pick up closer to stop 9. 

Indeed, I recall in one of the earlier posts from someone who had a port call to Fuerte Amador that shuttles were used to take guests from the ship out of the construction zone of the cruise terminal over to Isla Flamenco. 

[Double10]

Hi all - thanks for the update. We’re travelling on NCL in Feb 2023 from here, so if anyone finds out where we need to get a taxi to in order to get onboard (either the ship itself or these now infamous buses!) it would be greatly appreciated please! 

[Turtles06]

3 minutes ago, Double10 said:

Hi all - thanks for the update. We’re travelling on NCL in Feb 2023 from here, so if anyone finds out where we need to get a taxi to in order to get onboard (either the ship itself or these now infamous buses!) it would be greatly appreciated please! 

 

Hopefully someone who boards in Fuerte Amador before you do will reply, but if you ask a cab to just take you to the cruise terminal at Fuerte Amador, and they are only allowed to go as far as where the buses drop folks on Isla Flamenco, you'll get there!  🙂 

[mcmarya]

I expect that for the for the foreseeable future the shuttles from the pier will go to the Flamenco Island building where the tenders have always docked.  From there you can catch the Hop on Hop Off Bus or get a taxi.  You can only return to the pier by catching a shuttle at the Flamenco Island building, reversing the process.  Unless your ship is disembarking/embarking, tendering could be easier than docking.  I think the tenders are faster than the buses since the road into the pier is so bumpy and long.  The port building appears to be far from being finished and the only paved road is on the pier itself.  

[Turtles06]

30 minutes ago, mcmarya said:

I expect that for the for the foreseeable future the shuttles from the pier will go to the Flamenco Island building where the tenders have always docked

Can you please tell us about how long it took to get to Flamenco Island once you were on board a shuttle?  Thanks! 

[GeorgeCharlie]

7 hours ago, Turtles06 said:

Can you please tell us about how long it took to get to Flamenco Island once you were on board a shuttle?  Thanks! 

 

The new pier and the 'old' tender location are right next to each other, so the trip takes less then 10 minutes, with most of the time taken to drive through the construction site. Will post a video of the drive through the construction site once I get home in a couple of weeks.

[fox02554]

On 12/11/2022 at 1:11 PM, MLA said:

Anyone know how to get the hop on/off bus from this pier? I've only seen one other mention of an excursion (not through NCL, which isn't offering any since this is a turn around day (many of us are staying on for a b to b from and to NY.

 

someone answered before i did 😁

 

Edited December 13, 2022 by fox02554
aa

[MLA]

Thanks everyone for the responses!

 

[Turtles06]

Here’s a new thread started by someone who was just docked at Fuerte Amador. Sounds like a total mess. 

 

 

[GeorgeCharlie]

On 12/13/2022 at 2:11 AM, GeorgeCharlie said:

 

The new pier and the 'old' tender location are right next to each other, so the trip takes less then 10 minutes, with most of the time taken to drive through the construction site. Will post a video of the drive through the construction site once I get home in a couple of weeks.

 

 

 

[Turtles06]

28 minutes ago, GeorgeCharlie said:

Will post a video of the drive through the construction site once I get home in a couple of weeks.

 

Hi Bill, thanks for posting that video as said you would! 

 

Ugh, what a mess of a site.   (And now I see what folks mean about a bumpy ride!) I can't imagine how the cruise ships are handling embarkation/disembarkation of guests and luggage on turnaround days.  I'm glad we're on a B2B so we "only" have to deal with a port day on what is otherwise a turnaround day for the ship.   (Still, like you, we have a private tour booked.)

 

Happy holidays to your and your family,

 

Judith

Edited December 28, 2022 by Turtles06

[Essiesmom]

Emerald Princess is making a port call there today, tendering.  But here is a view from her bridgecam of what I think is the pier.  She transits the new locks tomorrow, along with Viking Neptune coming westbound, and NCL Pearl doing partial through the Gatun locks.  

 

 

Edited December 28, 2022 by Essiesmom

[Turtles06]

Just now, Essiesmom said:

Emerald Princess is making a port call there today, tendering.  But here is a view from her bridgecam of what I think is the pier.

 

Thanks.  Any idea why she's tendering?  She's the only cruise ship there today... (Maybe docked commercial ships again?)

[Essiesmom]

Marine traffic did not show any other ships there.  Others have tendered when they could have docked…Star Clipper…Wind Star…but Seaboirn Quest did dock the other day.  EM

[mcmarya]

The Quest has to dock in order to disembark/embark passengers.  That would be pretty difficult using tenders.  Until the cruise port is more complete, tendering is not a bad option for ships just making a port stop.