Panama Canal Shore excursions??

[anley]

Hi.

We are booked on Amsterdam Oct 17 th with a partial transit of the Panama Canal. So far I can't find any shore excursions there either Through HAL or my

TA. I read where someone did kayaking in the canal and raved about it but can't find any info.

Please help me .

Stan:cool::cool:

[jhannah]

If you go to this link you can download a shore excursion brochure showing all that's offered.

[hammybee]

I do not think it possible to kayak in the canal. The transit fee alone would probably make this cost prohibitive. I think our ship paid something like $250,000. to transit the canal, explaining why these intineraries tend to be a more pricer than they typical Caribbean sailing, amortized on a cost per day.

 

There are however, a few Panama kayak trips that portage around the canal. I think what you may have heard, occurs in Gatun Lake, adjacent to the canal, sort of a parking lot for ships, waiting their turn. You will most likely tender from here.

 

It's one of two man made lakes, this one with a beach. The water is refreshingly cool, especially delightful in this neck of the woods. It is surrounded by jungle. You can reach the beach, on foot steps from the tendering pier. I think the beach belonged to the former Gatun Lake Yacht Club which sounds more impressive than it really is. I think it was built for R&R for some of the people who worked at building the canal.

 

We were told that the lakes were a part of the canal transit and therefore it was OK for us to say that yes, we did indeed swim in the Panama Canal one Easter Sunday. Works for me.

 

Given we were there during a Spring Break a few years ago, there were many kids on board. The big thrill was seeing bare- breasted Indian women on shore and I swear a lot of people talked more about this than the entire canal feat.

 

If I am not mistaken, someone once swam the canal back in the 20's and was charged according to his weight. You will hear all kinds of stories during your transit.

[Krazy Kruizers]

SOME Panama Canal cruises do offer the kayaking in the canal - but it is offered only on the FULL transit canal cruises.

 

If you are on a partial Panamal cruise, you may be offered a train excursion where once you go through Gatun Locks, the ship will anchor for awhile as those passengers who have booked this tour will get on tenders to go ashore to get a bus which will then take them to the train. The train travels all the way to the outskirts of Panama City. Then you will get on a bus and tour the Miraflores Lock before you go back to the train. At the end of the train tour you will be taken back to Limon where you will get back onto cruise ship.

[hammybee]

SOME Panama Canal cruises do offer the kayaking in the canal - but it is offered only on the FULL transit canal cruises.

 

To the very best of my knowledge, kayaks are in the lake, not the canal proper. There is a part of me that really wants to be mistaken because the concept sounds neat, albeit potentially dangerous.

[hammybee]

If you have not done so already, you may want to visit the Panama boad on CC for ideas on what to do in Panama. I searched for kayaking and while it is available in Panama, it's not in the canal.