Panama Canal transit West to East....Question

My husband have a balcony cabin on the starboard side going through the canal from West to East. Is that a good side to sit on the balcony to enjoy the view as we go through?

You'll actually spend more time on deck as the ship transits the canal then your balcony.

If you read down the board, you will see variants of this question asked regularly. And as Kamloops stated, you will likely be all over the ship, from bow to stern. Port to starboard.

I guess it would really depend more on when you spend your time on the balcony since there will be portions of the Canal that you probably want to see what is on the "other" side of the ship. In the morning when you are starting from the Pacific anchorage into the entrance of the Canal, the starboard probably is the "preferred" side as it will have a great view of the Panama City skyline as you are approaching the Bridge of Americas. An added bonus here would be (as long as it is reasonably clear) sunrise in the Pacific. It's not often you can see the sunrise in the Pacific and see the sunset in the Atlantic all in the same day!

Shortly after you pass under the Bridge of Americas you may wish to have a view from the port side as this will be the first chance to catch a glimpse of the Canal Expansion project and will the only point where you will see the construction site of the new Pacific Locks. I am just not sure as to how much of the lock construction will be plainly visible. On the starboard side will be the port of Balboa with Ancon hill and the skyline of Panama City in the back drop. As you continue on in your approach to the first locks, Miraflores, it is impossible to predict which side of the ship would give you a better view. For example if you are on your starboard side balcony and the ship is scheduled to take the East lane (the right lane in the direction you are traveling) you would only have the side wall of the locks to view. What you would not see is the rest of Miraflores Locks which would be on the port side and the vessel traffic in the West Lane.

Crossing Miraflores Lake when you clear Miraflores Locks will provide a view of the huge earth moving project on the port side. This project is the construction of the Pacific Access Channel which will connect Gaillard Cut with the new Pacific Locks. The Pacific Access Channel even though it is just a part of the Canal Expansion, it probably is the item that will be the most visible of the entire project.

Your arrival at Pedro Miguel Locks will present the same “dilemma” you had at Miraflores Locks, whether you be locking up the East (right) or West (left) Lane and how it will impact your viewing, just not any way to predict. After clearing Pedro Miguel Locks you will be in the Gaillard Cut, two of the most notable things to point out on the starboard side would be Gold Hill and just before exiting the Cut Manuel Noriega’s not so swank abode at the Gamboa Penitentiary. This doesn’t mean that the port side is barren at all, it only means that there are not particular items of interest to point out…. It’s all great to see.

If I have not lost you yet, probably the best time to just take in the scenery from your balcony would be for your crossing of Gatun Lake. The Gatun Lake portion of the transit begins after you leave the Cut just before the town of Gamboa. This part of the transit has fewer things to point out, you can just take in what you see and realize that is the way it looked almost a hundred years ago when the Canal opened. The only thing you won’t be able to see from the starboard side balcony is the ship traffic headed in the opposite direction and there is no way to tell how much or how little you may see.

There is a lot to see, I hope you enjoy it all.

We have done three full transits of the Panama Canal. We always book balcony cabins because we enjoy a balcony, but the day of the transit we are moving through the ship from side to side, bow to stern. The scenery is quite varied, and so unless a person has severe mobility problems they will be on an upper deck.

My wife and I differ greatly. I did not set an alarm but I was up well before sunrise and out on the balcony to see all the ships at anchor before we entered. As we started entering the channel proper I went up on deck and brought back a snack & coffee for wifey, who gave me a grumpy look for awakening her at 6am on vacation. I was on the balcony or up walking around the deck continuously during the transit. I'm a bit of a ship nerd so everything was terribly exciting. My wife however was happy to sit on the balcony with a glass of wine and watch from there. It's all what you're into.

If you want to win a trivia contest: sailing from the Pacific to the Atlantic when you are traveling thru the canal you are actually sailing East to West. Strange but true.

If you want to win a trivia contest: sailing from the Pacific to the Atlantic when you are traveling thru the canal you are actually sailing East to West. Strange but true.

The correct answer is South-East to North-West. From the Pacific side you are east of the entrance on The Atlantic Side.:)

I think you might be able to phrase the question in such a manner that East or West would be answers you would have to choose from. Say something like...... If you started on the Pacific side at Panama City and traveled through the Canal to Cristobal/Colon would you be further East or West on reaching Colon? Another little tidbit, when ships are dispatched by the Canal's Marine Traffic Control, they are dispatched as North-1, North-3, North-5 and so on. In the opposite direction they are South-2, South-4, South-6 etc.

My husband have a balcony cabin on the starboard side going through the canal from West to East. Is that a good side to sit on the balcony to enjoy the view as we go through?

By far the best views are not from your balcony. Rather go on the open deck an the key is to move around. You want to see the Canal from very far forward, from the port and starboard sides and even from the Aft (back) of the ship. I've done the Canal several times and the key is getting out on the open deck.

Keith

Hi. I am looking for a time line of going thru the canal. I will be on Royal Caribbean, Vision leaving San Diego for Ft Lauderdale on 4/2/13. This is the information I have, just need approx times and if I missed anything.

enter Canal channel

Bridge of the Americas

enter Miraflores locks (takes 45 minutes)

exit Miraflores locks

enter Pedro Miguel lock (takes 30 minutes)

exit Pedro Miguel lock

Centennial Bridge

Gamboa/Culebra Cut (snake)

just before exiting the Cut, Manuel Noriega’s not so swank abode at the Gamboa Penitentiary, 9°6'31"N 79°41'18"W (It will be before you reach the town of Gamboa.)

enter Gatun locks (3 sets) (takes 1 ½ hours)

exit Gatun locks

exit canal channel

Hi. I am looking for a time line of going thru the canal. I will be on Royal Caribbean, Vision leaving San Diego for Ft Lauderdale on 4/2/13. This is the information I have, just need approx times and if I missed anything.

 

enter Canal channel

Bridge of the Americas

enter Miraflores locks (takes 45 minutes)

exit Miraflores locks

enter Pedro Miguel lock (takes 30 minutes)

exit Pedro Miguel lock

Centennial Bridge

Gamboa/Culebra Cut (snake)

just before exiting the Cut, Manuel Noriega’s not so swank abode at the Gamboa Penitentiary, 9°6'31"N 79°41'18"W (It will be before you reach the town of Gamboa.)

enter Gatun locks (3 sets) (takes 1 ½ hours)

exit Gatun locks

exit canal channel

That's why I wrote the book . . . to give you a time frame as well as tell you exactly what to look for en route.

Regards, Richard

I hate to be OT, but was there any word on what the problem was, back in November when that ship got away from the pilot and nearly took out the railroad bridge?

We had our full transit the day before.

Please remember these times are guesstimates and can slip very easily from 1 to 2 hours... probably won't be a lot earlier however.

enter Canal channel: About 6:AM

Bridge of the Americas: 6:45 to 7:15

enter Miraflores locks (takes 45 minutes): 7:30 to 8:00 A side note, the ship arrives at the locks when the bow reaches the arrow, this occurs before the ship actually enters the lock.

exit Miraflores locks: Ship will clear Miraflores about 45-60mins after arriving. Let's just say 8:45.

Depending on what is ahead of you and if Pedro Miguel is waiting for you, 20 to 30 minutes to cross Miraflores Lake.

enter Pedro Miguel lock (takes 30 minutes): Arrive Pedro Miguel 9:15.

exit Pedro Miguel lock: 9:45 to 10:00, at this point you are in Gaillard/Culebra Cut.

Centennial Bridge: About 10 to 15 minutes after clearing Pedro Miguel Locks. After passing under the Centennial Bridge on the starboard side is Gold Hill, this marks the Continental Divide.

Gamboa/Culebra Cut (snake): You will be in Gaillard/Culebra Cut from the time you leave Pedro Miguel Locks. The "Cut"is about 8 miles long and takes about an hour to reach Gamboa. Based on the times I am using, it will be near 11:00.

just before exiting the Cut, Manuel Noriega’s not so swank abode at the Gamboa Penitentiary, 9°6'31"N 79°41'18"W (It will be before you reach the town of Gamboa.): You will still be in the "Cut" when You see Manuel's digs. The penitentiary will be on the starboard side, on that same side you will see the Chagres River Bridge ahead not far after the penitentiary. Gamboa is right after that bridge.

enter Gatun locks (3 sets) (takes 1 ½ hours): From the time you leave Pedro Miguel Locks it will take in round numbers 3 hours to reach Gatun. Depending on traffic you may or may not proceed through Gatun Locks immediately, it is possible the ship could go to anchor for a brief period. So with that in mind exiting Gatun Locks will be around 1.5 hours from the time you actually start the lockage.

exit Gatun locks: Assuming no huge delays going to anchor etc. probably exit Gatun 2:30 to 3:00.

exit canal channel: About 40 to 60 minutes after clearing Gatun you will sail through the breakwater on the Atlantic side.

Just for a teaser..... Noriega's palace..

The Chagres River Bridge, at this point the penitentiary will be almost to your starboard side...

Went throught the canal from East to West on the Celebrity Century on Christmas Eve.

We were to start at 6:00am but got bumped up in line. Was on deck at 5:30am before dawn and people were all lined up on the top deck. it started to rain. We had one of the onboard lecturers pointing out various landmarks and giving us some history over the PA system throughout the transit.

By the time we went through the Gatun locks the sun came out for the rest of the day. The Windstar cruise ship was behind us the whole way.

As we were ready to enter the first of the Miraflores lock, we had a medical evacuation. I was on the Panaroma deck and saw the shore and ship medical personal line up a portable gangway and take the woman off ship to waiting ambulances. She waved to all of us from the gurney. She had fallen and broken her leg. Her companion and five suitcases got into the other vechicle and away they went to the hospital.

We then transited the final locks and began our next two days at sea.

I hate to be OT, but was there any word on what the problem was, back in November when that ship got away from the pilot and nearly took out the railroad bridge?

 

We had our full transit the day before.

Here's a short video of the ceremony honoring the control pilot. It's in Spanish but they did put English subtitles in..... They said the ship lost "main control".... they weren't specific but I would guess steering, but it could have been engine or a combination of both.

 

As we were ready to enter the first of the Miraflores lock, we had a medical evacuation. I was on the Panaroma deck and saw the shore and ship medical personal line up a portable gangway and take the woman off ship to waiting ambulances. She waved to all of us from the gurney. She had fallen and broken her leg. Her companion and five suitcases got into the other vechicle and away they went to the hospital.

Azulann: In 2008 we did our first Panama Canal cruise on the now departed Mercury. The very first lock we entered, and then nothing happened. Then we realized that canal employees were talking to someone on board the Mercury. Then we saw an ambulance in the distance, seeming to be headed our way. Sure enough -- it also was a medical evacuation. We were in that lock at least forty-five minutes, which must have caused some scheduling problems for canal management. The rumor on the ship was that the gentleman had pneumonia.

Northern Aurora,

I am more and more amazed what crews have to be ready for anywhere and anytime for the unexpected.

Most of us cruisers never know medical and other issues are part of any cruise.

I was very impressed and even mentioned to an officer the next day that the medical evacuation was very well organized.

I just felt sorry for the passenger, spending Christmas Eve in a hospital in Panama and then trying to figure out how to get home with her cruise ending before it really began.

Thanks BillB48 and Azulann. That is exactly the answer I was looking for. I am going to go post it on my roll call. You guys rock!:D

I guess it would really depend more on when you spend your time on the balcony since there will be portions of the Canal that you probably want to see what is on the "other" side of the ship. In the morning when you are starting from the Pacific anchorage into the entrance of the Canal, the starboard probably is the "preferred" side as it will have a great view of the Panama City skyline as you are approaching the Bridge of Americas. An added bonus here would be (as long as it is reasonably clear) sunrise in the Pacific. It's not often you can see the sunrise in the Pacific and see the sunset in the Atlantic all in the same day!

 

Shortly after you pass under the Bridge of Americas you may wish to have a view from the port side as this will be the first chance to catch a glimpse of the Canal Expansion project and will the only point where you will see the construction site of the new Pacific Locks. I am just not sure as to how much of the lock construction will be plainly visible. On the starboard side will be the port of Balboa with Ancon hill and the skyline of Panama City in the back drop. As you continue on in your approach to the first locks, Miraflores, it is impossible to predict which side of the ship would give you a better view. For example if you are on your starboard side balcony and the ship is scheduled to take the East lane (the right lane in the direction you are traveling) you would only have the side wall of the locks to view. What you would not see is the rest of Miraflores Locks which would be on the port side and the vessel traffic in the West Lane.

 

Crossing Miraflores Lake when you clear Miraflores Locks will provide a view of the huge earth moving project on the port side. This project is the construction of the Pacific Access Channel which will connect Gaillard Cut with the new Pacific Locks. The Pacific Access Channel even though it is just a part of the Canal Expansion, it probably is the item that will be the most visible of the entire project.

 

 

Your arrival at Pedro Miguel Locks will present the same “dilemma” you had at Miraflores Locks, whether you be locking up the East (right) or West (left) Lane and how it will impact your viewing, just not any way to predict. After clearing Pedro Miguel Locks you will be in the Gaillard Cut, two of the most notable things to point out on the starboard side would be Gold Hill and just before exiting the Cut Manuel Noriega’s not so swank abode at the Gamboa Penitentiary. This doesn’t mean that the port side is barren at all, it only means that there are not particular items of interest to point out…. It’s all great to see.

 

 

If I have not lost you yet, probably the best time to just take in the scenery from your balcony would be for your crossing of Gatun Lake. The Gatun Lake portion of the transit begins after you leave the Cut just before the town of Gamboa. This part of the transit has fewer things to point out, you can just take in what you see and realize that is the way it looked almost a hundred years ago when the Canal opened. The only thing you won’t be able to see from the starboard side balcony is the ship traffic headed in the opposite direction and there is no way to tell how much or how little you may see.

 

There is a lot to see, I hope you enjoy it all.

Thanks for the information.