Jewel Panama Canal 12 day Panama City to San Diego Question

[Ready to Sail!]

Not sure how long this itinerary has been going but assume someone has been on it to answer my question.  We will board on a Tuesday in Colon,  The  itinerary says embark at 5pm. The next day - Tuesday- we transit the canal. On one itinerary it mentions 5:30 am.  So, it seems to me that the ship would stay in Colon overnight and sail at 5:30 the next morning but my guy at NCL says it sails at 5pm on Monday. 

 

We've done the canal before (west to east) so I know it takes awhile after the locks to get through the canal and the lake and out to the Pacific. So if we were to leave Colon at 5pm and head into the Canal it would be nighttime.  Doesn't make sense to me. Can someone who has done this itinerary tell me what your cruise did. It does says daylight transit and I can't imagine that it wouldn't be.  If it is it would be a deal breaker for us.  Appreciate any input anyone can give us.

 

[Dcoy]

I have not been on this cruise but have gone through the canal. I believe NCL does not want to pay a larger port fee for an overnight stay plus they need to get in line for the passage through the canal.  They should have a scheduled time to be at the entrance and the canal pilot needs to board. 
 

just my thoughts. 

[Turtles06]

5 minutes ago, Ready to Sail! said:

It does says daylight transit and I can't imagine that it wouldn't be.

 

I haven't sailed this itinerary (and I don't think NCL has had it that long), but mainstream cruise lines pay extra to guarantee a daylight transit, because that's what folks want (and for good reason).   And if your NCL itinerary says you have a daylight transit, that's what you have.  You should enter the Atlantic locks around sunrise, perhaps earlier.    Like you, I suspect your ship won't be leaving Colón on Monday evening.   (But if it does, it won't be to transit the Canal.) 

[Ready to Sail!]

Good point about the port fees. Hadn't thought of that.  So guess we will just be out there bobbing around till the next morning, or going in circles!  I remember when we entered from the Pacific it was extremely early but we had been coming down the coast from San Diego and also remember we sat outside the entrance for awhile waiting our turn. 

 

I think this itinerary is fairly new but really appealed to us for several reasons.   We really enjoyed our first transit which was 18 years ago. 

[PTC DAWG]

34 minutes ago, Turtles06 said:

    Like you, I suspect your ship won't be leaving Colón on Monday evening.   (But if it does, it won't be to transit the Canal.) 

It will most likely leave Colon to open the shops and casino for the evening.  

[lawnbowler48]

I have read on here that they do sail on Monday and are out on the Atlantic overnight and then do the canal. I remember this because the poster said that was the roughest waters of the entire trip. Hope this helps.

We are a group of 4 from Ontario and doing this cruise