Northbound, January 2025

[dmwnc1959]

After much personal ‘research’ booked this bucket-list cruise on Coral Princess, deciding on a northbound transit. Won’t have a balcony cabin in order to save some money for shore excursions. I know it will be a very early morning at the Bridge of the Americas, but does this happen before sunrise? Curious too as to what time she’ll arrive at the Miraflores Locks? No doubt I’ll be watching the Panama Canal webcams a lot this winter. This is something I’ve always dreamed of doing, and it’s a retirement gift to myself. 

Edited November 18, 2023 by dmwnc1959

[BillB48]

And a great gift for retirement it is!  Congratulations!

 

Figure on around a 6AM sunrise, normally I don't think be at the bridge by then, you may have started up the channel towards the bridge.  When you enter the channel on the Pacific side it normally takes about 30 minutes to get to the Bridge and then another 30 minutes to get to Miraflores.  The cruise director or other staff will normally put out a guesstimate on the arrival times at the Locks and the beginning of the transit the day before the transit.

 

Hopefully there will be no  surprises,  however earller this week the NCL Encore went under the bridge and through Cocoli Locks before dawn.  That was unusual.

[dmwnc1959]

52 minutes ago, BillB48 said:

And a great gift for retirement it is!  Congratulations!

THANK YOU! I think my co-workers were more excited about me booking this than I was! j/k LOL. It’s still a ways off but I’m quite happy with this one and am already looking at shore excursions and flights. All I can do is countdown and find someway to keep myself busy until then!

 

[Turtles06]

2 hours ago, dmwnc1959 said:

I know it will be a very early morning at the Bridge of the Americas, but does this happen before sunrise?

It can. We were on a Northbound transit aboard the NCL Gem this past February. I took the photo below at 5:29am; we sailed under the Bridge a few minutes later. A lot of folks were upset that they missed it. As Bill said above, you should be able to get some time estimates the day before. 
 

You’ve picked a great gift for your retirement! Enjoy the planning and your cruise!  Be sure to read David McCullough’s “The Path Between the Seas” before you go. You’ll appreciate the Canal even more. 

 

[dmwnc1959]

4 minutes ago, Turtles06 said:

 

GORGEOUS picture!!! Did the Norwegian Gem transit the historic locks? I am most definitely a very early riser, even when on a cruise. And I’ll order the book, since I’ll have plenty of time before the cruise to read. 

[Turtles06]

16 minutes ago, dmwnc1959 said:

GORGEOUS picture!!! Did the Norwegian Gem transit the historic locks?

 

Thanks for the kind words.  And yes, the Gem went through the original locks. 

 

In case you haven't seen it, there's a sticky at the top of this forum that lists, by cruise line, their Panamax ships  -- those ships that, barring some very unusual circumstance, will use the original locks.  I'm sure you already know that the Coral Princess should use the original locks.  I think going through those locks is the most interesting choice for a first-time transit.  🙂 

 

 

[dmwnc1959]

4 minutes ago, Turtles06 said:

In case you haven't seen it, there's a sticky at the top of this forum that lists, by cruise line, their Panamax ships  -- those ships that, barring some very unusual circumstance, will use the original locks.  I'm sure you already know that the Coral Princess should use the original locks.  I think going through those locks is the most interesting choice for a first-time transit.  🙂 

THANKS for the tip, it’s been a good number of years since I’ve been on the forum. Booked the Coral Princess specifically because she is Panamax (going through the original locks was the only option to me) and I didn’t want to take any chances. Plus I do love Princess Cruises, and I’m Platinum with them. Have never sailed on NCL, the Gem and Coral appear to be approximately the same size. 

[Von & John]

Enjoy your cruise!

We sailed LAX to FLL on the Coral Princess over Christmas 2011/New Year's 2012.

It was an amazing trip...

We traveled from MIA to SEA on the NCL Sun in April/May this year - also a great trip 🙂

[Heidi13]

On 11/18/2023 at 8:34 AM, dmwnc1959 said:

After much personal ‘research’ booked this bucket-list cruise on Coral Princess, deciding on a northbound transit. Won’t have a balcony cabin in order to save some money for shore excursions. I know it will be a very early morning at the Bridge of the Americas, but does this happen before sunrise? Curious too as to what time she’ll arrive at the Miraflores Locks? No doubt I’ll be watching the Panama Canal webcams a lot this winter. This is something I’ve always dreamed of doing, and it’s a retirement gift to myself. 

 

On all my cruise ship transits, we were at the Bridge between 05:30 and 06:00.

 

An excellent spot to watch the transit on the Island/Coral Princess is from one of the fwd decks below the Bridge. Best spot on the ship for getting photos ahead. Enjoy the cruise.

[dmwnc1959]

4 hours ago, Heidi13 said:

 

On all my cruise ship transits, we were at the Bridge between 05:30 and 06:00.

 

An excellent spot to watch the transit on the Island/Coral Princess is from one of the fwd decks below the Bridge. Best spot on the ship for getting photos ahead. Enjoy the cruise.

GREAT tip!!! THANK YOU! 🥰

[dmwnc1959]

On 11/20/2023 at 11:51 AM, Heidi13 said:

 

On all my cruise ship transits, we were at the Bridge between 05:30 and 06:00.

 

An excellent spot to watch the transit on the Island/Coral Princess is from one of the fwd decks below the Bridge. Best spot on the ship for getting photos ahead. Enjoy the cruise.

I found this picture that I took of Coral Princess in December 2012 while she was docked in Fort Lauderdale. Are the two decks (Baja and Caribe) viewing areas below the bridge accessible from both the port and starboard forward passenger cabin corridors?  

 

 

Edited November 22, 2023 by dmwnc1959

[Heidi13]

42 minutes ago, dmwnc1959 said:

I found this picture that I took of Coral Princess in December 2012 while she was docked in Fort Lauderdale. Are the two decks (Baja and Caribe) viewing areas below the bridge accessible from both the port and starboard forward passenger cabin corridors? 

 

Affirmative, they are at the fwd end of Decks 10 & 11, with the Bridge being deck 12

 

On both decks, these areas can be accessed from either the port or stbd alleyways, which, if I recall correctly have a X-alleyway fwd. It's been > 10 yrs since I sailed on either ship, so memory might be slightly hazy. Note - at times they did close the areas, but normally they were open for arrivals, canal transit, etc.

[dmwnc1959]

50 minutes ago, Heidi13 said:

 

Affirmative, they are at the fwd end of Decks 10 & 11, with the Bridge being deck 12

 

On both decks, these areas can be accessed from either the port or stbd alleyways, which, if I recall correctly have a X-alleyway fwd. It's been > 10 yrs since I sailed on either ship, so memory might be slightly hazy. Note - at times they did close the areas, but normally they were open for arrivals, canal transit, etc.

I booked an inside cabin at the back end of deck 11, so when I get up in the morning the first thing I can do is going outside and check out the wake. It’ll also come in handy when transiting the locks to be able to get some pictures of the closing lock gates behind us. I’m going to have to see if I can work out some kind of strategy to make sure I’m all over the ship getting some great pictures from different decks and different levels. 

[Essiesmom]

For the pics from the front, wait until the second lock, even preferably the third, which northbound would be Pedro Miguel.  Space hogs will be out early to claim space and hold onto it ferociously.  Once through first set (Miraflores, 2 locks) people will peel off and head for some breakfast.  By the end of the day at Gatun Locks enthusiasm will have waned and views better.  EM

[dmwnc1959]

13 hours ago, Essiesmom said:

For the pics from the front, wait until the second lock, even preferably the third, which northbound would be Pedro Miguel.  Space hogs will be out early to claim space and hold onto it ferociously.  Once through first set (Miraflores, 2 locks) people will peel off and head for some breakfast.  By the end of the day at Gatun Locks enthusiasm will have waned and views better.  EM

Sounds like a plan! THANKS!!! 

[Heidi13]

On 11/22/2023 at 1:13 AM, Essiesmom said:

For the pics from the front, wait until the second lock, even preferably the third, which northbound would be Pedro Miguel.  Space hogs will be out early to claim space and hold onto it ferociously.  Once through first set (Miraflores, 2 locks) people will peel off and head for some breakfast.  By the end of the day at Gatun Locks enthusiasm will have waned and views better.  EM

 

Totally agree, but for avid photographers they will miss some great shots coming through the buoyed channel, under the bridge and the channel to the first locks.

[dmwnc1959]

4 hours ago, Heidi13 said:

 

Totally agree, but for avid photographers they will miss some great shots coming through the buoyed channel, under the bridge and the channel to the first locks.

Looks like it’ll be early to bed, very early to rise for that day. Hope to beat folks to those forward viewing decks. Maybe it’ll be a well-kept secret from my fellow passengers. 😉

[Heidi13]

2 hours ago, dmwnc1959 said:

Looks like it’ll be early to bed, very early to rise for that day. Hope to beat folks to those forward viewing decks. Maybe it’ll be a well-kept secret from my fellow passengers. 😉

 

I'm usually out on deck by 05:00 or 05:30, at the latest.

[dmwnc1959]

13 minutes ago, Heidi13 said:

 

I'm usually out on deck by 05:00 or 05:30, at the latest.

One thing I’ve done in highly anticipated  situations while on a cruise is to set my alarm for 330am, then do a quick check my Marine Traffic app just to see where the ship is. I’ll grab a shower, maybe step down to somewhere and grab a coffee and snack if it’s available. I may have to make sure that I have some kind of fruit, muffins, and yogurt handy just in case. Then, like you, head out to be on deck by 5am and claim some space. 👍🏻😁