Panama Canal questions

[hasentreelake]

We're planning a Panama Canal transit in spring 2025.
Options are Celebrity Summit or Coral Princess
Since we're kinda X loyalists, my questions are more about PC than the cruise lines
We always sail on an aft veranda (SV).  We've done SS SV and that would be our very fav location,
but we 'settle' for the SV.  
Questions are ... 
Is the aft veranda a good cabin for a PC transit?
Seems a lot of the time you might want to be in the forward Sky lounge or even lower on the ship to be closer to the locks.
We are currently booked in an SV.  We love that place on the ship just want to know from those that have done it if they would chose it or otherwise and why?

Also, if you didn't want a SV would you suggest port or starboard when the sailing is E to W and why? 🙂

 

[Luvcrusn]

The transit through the PC is likely to be hot weather and we spent quite a bit of time forward and then went up to the sky lounge when we had had enough heat. We could hear the narration there about what we were seeing which you'd not be able to hear in your cabin. Being forward on the ship you'll be able to see how the ship transits through the locks and you'd miss a lot in a sunset verandah. If you are transiting the canal from the Atlantic side to the Pacific, I'd suggest a portside cabin and you'll be able to see the abandoned French passage (vice versa if doing the opposite).  If you're a reader try getting the Path Between the Seas by David McCullough before you go. It's really interesting and tells the story about the construction of the canal. Unless you're a weight lifter you might want to read a digital edition of the book! 

[jelayne]

We did the transit in a SV, like Alaska it is the only location we would book.  We left our SV occasionally to go forward or down but the SV gave us a 180 degree plus view.  

[curmudgeon98]

There is an argument for doing PC in a "Panamax" ship.  That is, a ship built to the old maximum size to fit through the locks, typically about 2000 passengers or less.  There are two parallel sets of locks, and while the new locks are more technologically advanced and handle large ships, people say they aren't nearly as interesting to watch operate.

 

We went through last year on HAL Eurodam, and squeezing through the old locks with only a couple of feet of clearance on each side was a fascinating experience.  On the other hand, the canal transit is only one day of your trip, so having a ship (or ports) that you otherwise prefer might outweigh the transit experience.

[the penguins]

5 hours ago, hasentreelake said:

We're planning a Panama Canal transit in spring 2025.
Options are Celebrity Summit or Coral Princess
Since we're kinda X loyalists, my questions are more about PC than the cruise lines
We always sail on an aft veranda (SV).  We've done SS SV and that would be our very fav location,
but we 'settle' for the SV.  
Questions are ... 
Is the aft veranda a good cabin for a PC transit?
Seems a lot of the time you might want to be in the forward Sky lounge or even lower on the ship to be closer to the locks.
We are currently booked in an SV.  We love that place on the ship just want to know from those that have done it if they would chose it or otherwise and why?

Also, if you didn't want a SV would you suggest port or starboard when the sailing is E to W and why? 🙂

 

Any cabin, any side. To get the best experience you want to be up on the deck so you can move about to get the best views. 

[prmssk]

5 hours ago, curmudgeon98 said:

There is an argument for doing PC in a "Panamax" ship.  That is, a ship built to the old maximum size to fit through the locks, typically about 2000 passengers or less.  There are two parallel sets of locks, and while the new locks are more technologically advanced and handle large ships, people say they aren't nearly as interesting to watch operate.

 

We went through last year on HAL Eurodam, and squeezing through the old locks with only a couple of feet of clearance on each side was a fascinating experience.  On the other hand, the canal transit is only one day of your trip, so having a ship (or ports) that you otherwise prefer might outweigh the transit experience.

Both the Summit and the Coral Princess are small enough for the old locks.

[prmssk]

We had an aft balcony going through the new locks on the Emerald Princess and had a great view of leaving each lock.  I think it was a great choice for the new locks.

 

That said, we have a cruise booked to go through the old locks and I intentionally chose a side facing balcony in the first third of the ship (the last third would have accomplished the same) to be able to watch the mules up close.  I don't think an aft facing balcony would have given me such a great view of the mules.  I don't know if there is a better side.  Coming from the east means you will actually travel through the canal from the north (northwest) towards the south (southeast) so port side should get morning sun (including seeing the sunrise).

 

We will likely stay on our balcony for the morning lock through to get the view from our balcony and then move to a forward facing view for the afternoon lock through (when it gets quieter on deck) to get a forward facing view.  It's also really neat to go down on a lower deck while in a dock to see the walls so close.

 

Of the two ships you are considering, the Summit will have the better indoor viewing space, the Sky Lounge (although it will get packed).  The Summit may also open up the helipad (to at least some passengers) which would be pretty amazing outdoor forward facing views.

[DaKahuna]

 We did an East to West transit this past April-May on Millennium through the old locks.  We had about 6 - 9 feet of clearance on each side of the ship so you got an up close and personal view of the sides of the locks.  Any cabin on the M-Class ships would be just fine.  There are a lot of public spaces, e.g. Helo Pad, Sky Lounge, and Deck 4.  Of course having a balcony cabin allows you to relax on your balcony and get various views of the locks and the scenery. 

 

I did a live review of our sailing and the Panama Canal beings on page 14 at post #338.  This was definitely a bucket list cruise that we were happy to enjoy. 

 

 

[TeeRick]

45 minutes ago, prmssk said:

Both the Summit and the Coral Princess are small enough for the old locks.

And importantly they fit under the Bridge of the Americas on the Pacific side.  That is the other big issue.

[mahdnc]

11 hours ago, hasentreelake said:

We're planning a Panama Canal transit in spring 2025.
Options are Celebrity Summit or Coral Princess
Since we're kinda X loyalists, my questions are more about PC than the cruise lines
We always sail on an aft veranda (SV).  We've done SS SV and that would be our very fav location,
but we 'settle' for the SV.  
Questions are ... 
Is the aft veranda a good cabin for a PC transit?
Seems a lot of the time you might want to be in the forward Sky lounge or even lower on the ship to be closer to the locks.
We are currently booked in an SV.  We love that place on the ship just want to know from those that have done it if they would chose it or otherwise and why?

Also, if you didn't want a SV would you suggest port or starboard when the sailing is E to W and why? 🙂

 

 

According to @DaKahuna, last year when Millennium sailed through the old locks, the helipad was open to everyone.  That would be a nice spot although it is very exposed. 

 

If you are a real canal enthusiast, you may also want to supplement your trip by taking the shorex (Colon) where you ride a ferry through the Pacific side locks (Miraflores and Pedro Miguel).  It makes for a very long day but you get a real closeup view of the locks and you can even touch the walls.

 

Edited December 6, 2023 by mahdnc

[Essiesmom]

7 hours ago, curmudgeon98 said:

There is an argument for doing PC in a "Panamax" ship.  That is, a ship built to the old maximum size to fit through the locks, typically about 2000 passengers or less.  There are two parallel sets of locks, and while the new locks are more technologically advanced and handle large ships, people say they aren't nearly as interesting to watch operate.

 

We went through last year on HAL Eurodam, and squeezing through the old locks with only a couple of feet of clearance on each side was a fascinating experience.  On the other hand, the canal transit is only one day of your trip, so having a ship (or ports) that you otherwise prefer might outweigh the transit experience.

The new locks may appear more technologically advanced, and the collecting ponds may be, but the operation of the lock gates is the same as the locks on the Kiel Canal, which date from 1895-1914.

10 hours ago, Luvcrusn said:

The transit through the PC is likely to be hot weather and we spent quite a bit of time forward and then went up to the sky lounge when we had had enough heat. We could hear the narration there about what we were seeing which you'd not be able to hear in your cabin. Being forward on the ship you'll be able to see how the ship transits through the locks and you'd miss a lot in a sunset verandah. If you are transiting the canal from the Atlantic side to the Pacific, I'd suggest a portside cabin and you'll be able to see the abandoned French passage (vice versa if doing the opposite).  If you're a reader try getting the Path Between the Seas by David McCullough before you go. It's really interesting and tells the story about the construction of the canal. Unless you're a weight lifter you might want to read a digital edition of the book! 

The abandoned French canal is on the starboard side if entering from the Atlantic.  The channel used for the new locks was originally started by the US during WWll and abandoned.

 

25 minutes ago, mahdnc said:

 

According to @DaKahuna, last year when Millennium sailed through the old locks, the helipad was open to everyone.  That would be a nice spot although it is very exposed. 

 

If you are a real canal enthusiast, you may also want to supplement your trip by taking the shorex (Colon) where you ride a ferry through the Pacific side locks (Miraflores and Pedro Miguel).  It makes for a very long day but you get a real closeup view of the locks and you can even touch the walls.

 

On a full transit, unless you overnight in either Colon or Panama City, there will be no excursions.  EM

[mahdnc]

2 minutes ago, Essiesmom said:

The new locks may appear more technologically advanced, and the collecting ponds may be, but the operation of the lock gates is the same as the locks on the Kiel Canal, which date from 1895-1914.

The abandoned French canal is on the starboard side if entering from the Atlantic.  The channel used for the new locks was originally started by the US during WWll and abandoned.

 

On a full transit, unless you overnight in either Colon or Panama City, there will be no excursions.  EM

 

No overnight is necessary to do that shorex.  It is offered for our port stop at Colon and we do not overnight there. 

[Luvcrusn]

2 hours ago, Essiesmom said:

The new locks may appear more technologically advanced, and the collecting ponds may be, but the operation of the lock gates is the same as the locks on the Kiel Canal, which date from 1895-1914.

The abandoned French canal is on the starboard side if entering from the Atlantic.  The channel used for the new locks was originally started by the US during WWll and abandoned.

 

On a full transit, unless you overnight in either Colon or Panama City, there will be no excursions.  EM

You are absolutely correct! Apparently I should have gone to sleep earlier. I mixed up port and starboard! Thanks for the correction. I knew it was on the right side of the ship (starboard) going from Atlantic to Pacific. Happy sails and smooth seas.😊

[goofysmom99]

Even though I usually have an aft cabin, I normally head to the shady side of Deck 4 when going through the locks.  It's so blazing hot, being in the sun just cooks me.  I lasted less than 5 minutes on the helipad. 🥵

[Ken the cruiser]

We've cruised through the Panama Canal 3 times, once on the HAL Veendam in 2016, then on the Island Princess in 2020, and then on the Caribbean Princess in 2022, and we're currently booked on the HAL Eurodam to go through it again in April 2025, and always in an aft-facing cabin. If there are some available on the itineraries you are currently considering, I would not hesitate to book one of them. Although you might not want to wait too long as they book up quickly.

 

Starting at Page 18 starting at post #440 are some of the views we experienced from our aft-facing cabin on the Caribbean Princess in May 2022 going through the Panama Canal from west to east.

 

 

Edited December 6, 2023 by Ken the cruiser

[TeaBag]

We just cruised through the Panama eastbound in Oct on Eurodam in an aft cabin.  It was amazing watching the water rise and fall and watching the gates open and close, also the ship behind us.  if we got hot, we just stepped into the cabin for a few minutes.  It was great being able to view both sides of the canal.

I don't remember what cabin we had on Mercury where we viewed the canal from the lounge.  Not as spectacular.

[mahdnc]

So I would think that if you wanted to book an aft balcony cabin from which to watch the canal crossing, that the westbound sailing has the advantage of sun placement.  The westbound cruise has the ship traveling in a generally southern direction across the canal.  So if you are in an aft cabin looking out over the stern, the sun is "behind" you which makes it more likely that you will be sitting in the shade depending on the overhead coverage.

[RedIguana]

2 hours ago, mahdnc said:

So I would think that if you wanted to book an aft balcony cabin from which to watch the canal crossing, that the westbound sailing has the advantage of sun placement.  The westbound cruise has the ship traveling in a generally southern direction across the canal.  So if you are in an aft cabin looking out over the stern, the sun is "behind" you which makes it more likely that you will be sitting in the shade depending on the overhead coverage.

If I remember my astronomy correctly, that would be true except for the end of April til the middle of August, when the sun is above roughly 10 degrees north.

[mahdnc]

35 minutes ago, RedIguana said:

If I remember my astronomy correctly, that would be true except for the end of April til the middle of August, when the sun is above roughly 10 degrees north.

 

Then forget what I said!

[LeeW]

Have done multiple through and partial transits on Coral and Island Princess.  Spent very little time on our balcony.  Most interesting view is from the Promenade deck, since this is almost unobstructed and runs most of the way around the ship.  Shore disappears as the ship is lowered.  Great views from the front and rear "hidden" area on decks B and C.  These are normally in crew-only areas but are opened for the transits.  You need to move around a lot to get the full experience.

 

Note that the Promenade deck and balconies feel like a furnace if you are in the sun.  Typically very little breeze in the canal.

 

Have also twice done the small boat through the rest of the locks on partial transits.  Great tour, although expensive.  Ask the pilot about the dent in the Miraflores Lock gate.  You can touch the walls during locking.  A bit too far to reach from the cruise ship.

Edited December 7, 2023 by LeeW
more

[raudacruise]

8 hours ago, goofysmom99 said:

Even though I usually have an aft cabin, I normally head to the shady side of Deck 4 when going through the locks.  It's so blazing hot, being in the sun just cooks me.  I lasted less than 5 minutes on the helipad. 🥵

A shady spot on Deck 4 sounds like a fine idea.  I remember nice viewing aft, must have been on Mercury.  I’ll be on Summit April 2025 following the shade.  Wonder if an umbrella would help.  But I think the one provided in the cabin is kinda dinky.  I’m packing electrolyte packets.

[Shiba_Lover]

We are on this sailing.  We booked 6131 .  Hoping that's a good balcony to watch for part of the day.

[raudacruise]

4 hours ago, Shiba_Lover said:

We are on this sailing.  We booked 6131 .  Hoping that's a good balcony to watch for part of the day.

I’m in 6134.  Almost neighbors!

 

If there’s shade on my balcony that’s where I’ll be, with my Trusty Kindle and an adult beverage.🍸

[hasentreelake]

After considering everyone's comments, feedback, suggestions, and cost, we booked Summit for April 2025 Panama Canal transit after comparing with Coral Princess.

We selected a SV (9201).  The SV may not be the best location for the transit, but we will likely be moving about the ship during transit and we may find it a good viewing location.  And we'll be aft for all other ports just like we prefer 🙂

The cost of the Summit SV was comparable to the CP Premium Balcony.  We know what the X experience is and are happy with it even knowing of all the cuts.  We can make do with fewer wine options for 2 weeks.  
I know others are looking at options other than X for future cruises but at this time we are sticking with X for Spring and Fall of '24 and Spring of '25.  

[mahdnc]

1 hour ago, hasentreelake said:

After considering everyone's comments, feedback, suggestions, and cost, we booked Summit for April 2025 Panama Canal transit after comparing with Coral Princess.

We selected a SV (9201).  The SV may not be the best location for the transit, but we will likely be moving about the ship during transit and we may find it a good viewing location.  And we'll be aft for all other ports just like we prefer 🙂

The cost of the Summit SV was comparable to the CP Premium Balcony.  We know what the X experience is and are happy with it even knowing of all the cuts.  We can make do with fewer wine options for 2 weeks.  
I know others are looking at options other than X for future cruises but at this time we are sticking with X for Spring and Fall of '24 and Spring of '25.  

 

Congratulations.  I am sure you will enjoy your cruise.