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Panama New Locks-Which side is best?

DrivesLikeMario
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orville99 "Live from...." Rare

orville99

Posted
Posted
8 minutes ago, DrivesLikeMario said:

In Panama Canal's NEW locks, which side is best for viewing going from LAX to FL.  I know which side is best for the OLD locks, but is it the same for the new ones?
Thanks for the help.

Outside😇

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LeeW

LeeW

Posted
Posted
10 minutes ago, DrivesLikeMario said:

It's on another line, but yes, the cruise ships use the NEW locks.

For the old locks, going from FLL to LAX, you want to be on the port side.  For LAX-FLL, the starboard side.  Otherwise, you're just looking at jungle for portions of it.

 

For LAX-FLL (northbound) the new lock action is actually on the port side - large sliding gates on the Caribbean side of the Canal are to your west along with a slight view of the old locks.  The visitor center is on a hill to the east.  Note that new locks don't use mules.  They use tugs and/or ship power to move ships.  So not much to see except moving gates and the lock walls.

 

Cruise ship transits start before dawn, so be prepared to get up early and walk around both upper and promenade decks.  Oasis class ships have a large disadvantage here - lifeboats get in the way of the promenade deck (running track).

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not-enough-cruising

not-enough-cruising

Posted
Posted
2 minutes ago, LeeW said:

 

For LAX-FLL (northbound) the new lock action is actually on the port side - large sliding gates on the Caribbean side of the Canal are to your west along with a slight view of the old locks.  The visitor center is on a hill to the east.  Note that new locks don't use mules.  They use tugs and/or ship power to move ships.  So not much to see except moving gates and the lock walls.

 

Cruise ship transits start before dawn, so be prepared to get up early and walk around both upper and promenade decks.  Oasis class ships have a large disadvantage here - lifeboats get in the way of the promenade deck (running track).

Are Oasis class ships able to transit the Panama canal?

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orville99 "Live from...." Rare

orville99

Posted
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25 minutes ago, not-enough-cruising said:

Are Oasis class ships able to transit the Panama canal?

No. The largest RCL ships would be Vision or Radiance class ships. The air draft on anything larger will not fit under the bridge on the Pacific side.

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njkruzer

njkruzer

Posted
Posted
3 minutes ago, DrivesLikeMario said:

The smaller ships like Radiance Class, etc. use the old locks I believe because they can fit through them.  The larger ships have to use the new locks.

We were on the Brilliance years ago when there was only the old locks.

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Ray4Fun

Ray4Fun

Posted
Posted

To start out, Up front, then pick side A.  Enjoy A for a bit, then travel over to side B. Once that is enough walk to aft end for another look. 

 

No side is wrong, ALL sides are correct. 

 

Enjoy it, Great time.

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BillB48

BillB48

Posted
Posted
22 hours ago, DrivesLikeMario said:

In Panama Canal's NEW locks, which side is best for viewing going from LAX to FL.  I know which side is best for the OLD locks, but is it the same for the new ones?
Thanks for the help.

 

Using the standard you provided in your post #5, it would be the same for the new locks.  FLL-LAX port side... LAX-FLL starboard.

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BillB48

BillB48

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21 hours ago, orville99 said:

No. The largest RCL ships would be Vision or Radiance class ships. The air draft on anything larger will not fit under the bridge on the Pacific side.

While they have not made a transit as of yet with a Quantum class ship, they were designed with the max air draft for the Bridge of Americas in mind.  With the funnels in the lowered position they have an air draft of 205' which is permitted on a case by case basis.

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orville99 "Live from...." Rare

orville99

Posted
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19 minutes ago, BillB48 said:

While they have not made a transit as of yet with a Quantum class ship, they were designed with the max air draft for the Bridge of Americas in mind.  With the funnels in the lowered position they have an air draft of 205' which is permitted on a case by case basis.

My understanding is that the funnels were fixed in their up position once the ships were delivered.

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njkruzer

njkruzer

Posted
Posted
20 minutes ago, orville99 said:

My understanding is that the funnels were fixed in their up position once the ships were delivered.

I don't which ships you mean but some ships sailing under the Verrazano bridge in NY have to lower their funnels to fit under the bridge.   Interesting to see how close they are.

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BillB48

BillB48

Posted
Posted (edited)
53 minutes ago, orville99 said:

My understanding is that the funnels were fixed in their up position once the ships were delivered.

Honestly, I don't have any direct knowledge whether they can still lower the funnels or not.  I'll link below a YT video showing the funnels being lowered at see during a cruise sometime ago.  The poster also describes in the video description about the Oasis's funnels being kept permanently in the raised position but not the Quantum's.  That video is a few years old and now the Oasis has been lowering her funnels for the Verranzano  Bridge for her New York cruises.  The only thing that makes me believe the funnel lowering ability may still be available is both the Quantum and the Ovation have some cruises out of Vancouver.  The Lions Gate Bridge has a little less clearance (a foot or so IIRC) than the BoA.

 

 

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twangster "Live from...." Rare

twangster

Posted
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2 hours ago, BillB48 said:

While they have not made a transit as of yet with a Quantum class ship, they were designed with the max air draft for the Bridge of Americas in mind.  With the funnels in the lowered position they have an air draft of 205' which is permitted on a case by case basis.

 

Do the overhangs off the side of the ship for the davit supports preclude Quantum class from using the locks?  

 

The only NCL's Breakaway Plus class that have transited are the ships where the lifeboats are stored within the profile of the ship, nothing hangs outside the profile of the ship on Bliss, Encore and Joy.  The ships in this class that have the lifeboats stored partially outside the profile of the ship have not used the Panama Canal.   

 

The little bumps outs on Quantum class that support the lifeboats render the side profile of the ship irregular and not smooth like NCL's ships that use the PC.  That led me to question if it's the side profile of the ship that is preventing them from using the PC as opposed to the height of the Bridge of the Americas.  

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moposh "Live from...." Rare

moposh

Posted
Posted
23 hours ago, njkruzer said:

We were on the Brilliance years ago when there was only the old locks.

I think we were on Serenade of the Seas when we did Panama Canal, Miami to San Diego.  Old locks only.

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