Panama Canal Partial Transit Shore Ex. or Stay on ship

[mkl55]

This will be our first Panama Canal experience.  I've read mixed opinions regarding staying on ship for the experience vs the relative hassle of taking a shore excursion (heat, waiting for the ship, etc.)  Could you share your advice/experiences for first time, not particularly adventurous Panama Canal cruisers?  Thank you!  

[1025cruise]

I'd stay on the ship to experience transiting the canal.

[cabinluvn]

We have done both partial and full transits and have a cruise booked to do a full transit again. Can’t get enough of the Panama Canal. We love, love, love staying on the ship and watching the whole thing from our stateroom. Had aft cabins twice. This next time will have a midship. Nothing on shore can compare to the wonder of going through the locks. This next time the ship will stop in Panama for a port and we will get off the ship. But never while doing the transit

[kazu]

Things might have changed since I did the Sunfarer cruise (partial transit) but when we did it we experienced the locks as we got to Gatun Lake.  The ship just stayed in Gatun Lake and we did the Embera Indian Shore Excursion.  We were brought back and experienced the locks again as we left.

 

Not sure if we did the right thing or not but we did experience the locks both ways and enjoyed our day.

 

We did get the benefit of a full transit a few years later 😃 

[WannaSea]

We stayed on the ship for our partial transit and didn't regret it. Seeing the locks up close in action is the highlight, of course. Lunch in an uncrowded Eurodam Pinnacle Grill was great, sitting by the windows with entertaining scenery all around in Gatun Lake; bonus was watching the tenders coming back to the ship and being hauled up and put away. We dipped into the Central America experience with a full day shore excursion in Costa Rica so felt we didn't miss too much bypassing Canal day excursions.

[LLRS11]

We stayed on the ship and it was absolutely fascinating.  Would do the same again.  We read The Path Between the Seas by David McCullough prior to the trip, which really added to the experience.

[rafinmd]

I'm going to suggest that you take a look at the excursions available and your own background and make a decision taking everything into account.  I think the upcoming partial transits are all on bigger ships using the new locks.  If there is a tour that does something for a while and then goes to a tour boat and goes back to meet the ship in Colon after passing through the original locks that would be a great option, especially if you've never been through the classic locks.

 

I did the Embera Indian Shore Excursion from Panama City and it's a very nice tour.  Not sure what other options there are but I'll suggest you look at all the possibilities individually.  For me there's just no one size fits all answer.

 

Roy

[Mtn2Sea]

We’ve done two partial and two full transits.  For the partials, we took excursions.  The first time we did the Embera Indian Village and the second time we took an excursion that took us through other parts of the canal including additional locks on a small boat, which gave us an up close view of the process.  Both excursions were enjoyable and I would recommend either.  Having said that, I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend staying on the ship for the return portion if inclined to do so.  I don’t think I will ever get bored watching the locking process.

[quilty964]

We did a partial transit in February this year.  We stayed on the ship, it was nice to see everything on the way back.  There were no crowds, like in the AM, and we got to see the scenery and locks in a much more relaxed situation.  We walked around and saw everything up close and personal.  That was not possible in the am!  Enjoy your cruise.  

[loveapug]

We sailed through the original locks to the halfway point, then took a bus ride to to join a smaller ship to transit the remaining locks to Panama city. From there we rode a bus back to meet the ship in Colon. It was enjoyable to see the entire canal and I endorse @LLRS11 suggestion to read The Path Between the Seas. I felt it added tremendously to the experience.  I hope you enjoy your trip.It has been one of the highlights of our travel experiences.

[SusieKIslandGirl]

We did the partial transit last fall and did a tour that included visiting the new locks visitor center and then a nature walk. Loved it!

[3rdGenCunarder]

14 hours ago, SusieKIslandGirl said:

We did the partial transit last fall and did a tour that included visiting the new locks visitor center and then a nature walk. Loved it!

 

That sounds like an improvement over the tour I did to see the new locks. My tour included a bus ride through the old US army post. Basically a ride through a housing subdivision, followed by horrible traffic going to Colon. I'm glad I saw the new locks, but experiencing the boring bus ride and having to kill a couple hours in the heat in Colon, waiting for the ship had me staying on board for my past two partials. I love that the ship is uncrowded and quiet. 

 

I agree with the suggestions of lunch in the Pinnacle. I had a window table and watched the first return lock process from that viewpoint.

 

For the OP, if there's a tour that really appeals to you, and especially if you don't expect to do the canal again, then do it. Just be aware of the return time. If it's early, you may have to wait for the ship. If it runs late, you might miss your dinner time. Tour times can be "approximate" in Panama. And absolutely read the Path Between the Seas! Also, if the ship offers films about the canal, those are worth watching. 

[3rdGenCunarder]

19 hours ago, Mtn2Sea said:

 I don’t think I will ever get bored watching the locking process.

 

Me either! I find it fascinating. On one of my canal cruises, as I stood on Promenade deck watching the mule move up the tracks, a woman near me sounded disappointed and said "It isn't very pretty." WHAT did she expect? Was she thinking it would be like the canals of Venice? 

[mkl55]

Thank you so much for your thoughtful responses.  It sounds like a case can be made for either staying on the ship or enjoying a carefully selected excursion.  I very much appreciate the insights and advice regarding timing and elements of shore excursions to consider.  I think reading The Path Between the Seas is a wonderful suggestion and it will help to clarify what we are particularly interested in seeing.  Many, many thanks.

[fox02554]

just a observation , i have seen pictures( on CC )of hot, sweaty, tired ,STANDING & LEANING passengers in an over crowed terminal in colon, we're not planning on leaving the ship bt if we were i would do a little research 

[coachmouchet]

If you can get an excursion in which you can visit the old town Panama City, take it!!!  Of course people have their own opinions, however I had the most amazing time there!!!

[lcand1923]

Another good read is Anne Vipond’s “Panama Canal by Cruise Ship”.  It is an easier read than the 

“Path Between the Seas”, but gives you an increased appreciation of the Canal.  “The Path …” however is well worth the effort.

[Turtles06]

On 8/3/2023 at 8:30 AM, mkl55 said:

This will be our first Panama Canal experience.  I've read mixed opinions regarding staying on ship for the experience vs the relative hassle of taking a shore excursion (heat, waiting for the ship, etc.)  Could you share your advice/experiences for first time, not particularly adventurous Panama Canal cruisers?  Thank you!  

I’ve done four full transits of the Canal.  It’s an amazing experience. I wanted to point out to you that there is an entire forum here on CC devoted to the Canal, at the link below. If you haven’t already discovered it, it’s a great place to get information and ask questions. And plenty of discussions about tours.
 

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forum/54-panama-canal/

 

One of the comments earlier in this thread wisely said that your decision whether to stay aboard after the first set of locks or take an excursion should be informed by whether the ship you are on will be going through the original locks or the new locks. What ship is it? 
 

If you are going through the new locks, you might want to consider the excursion that takes you in a ferry-sized boat though the original locks on the Pacific side. Perhaps, though, that doesn’t fit with your description of yourselves as “not particularly adventurous.” 😂

 

As for “The Path Between the Seas,” it should be required reading before going through the Canal. It’s that good. 
 

Enjoy your cruise!