Cristobol closed?

[Sugar&Buddy]

We just tried to book a tour with My Friend Mario in December. We are on the Zuiderdam sailing 12/03/10. He stated that he did not know where we will dock since Cristobol closed. HAL knows nothing about it. Does anyone know what is going on?

[LHT28]

I had read someplace they are upgrading the port area there so that maybe the reason

 

They have port schedules at but only up to the end of Oct

http://www.portarrivals.com/list.asp?sec=Type&item=95&t=CRUISE%20SHIP

[LHT28]

We just tried to book a tour with My Friend Mario in December. We are on the Zuiderdam sailing 12/03/10. He stated that he did not know where we will dock since Cristobol closed. HAL knows nothing about it. Does anyone know what is going on?

Just looked at your cruise you are Cruising only at Cristobal & docking in Colon on Dec 9th

 

see the little side notes

Port Notes:

CO CRUISING ONLY

SC SERVICE CALL

SE NO AIR TO THIS PORT CITY

TR TENDER REQUIRED

[Richard in Panama]

Unfortunately Panama Ports has decided it can make a whole lot more money by converting the Pier 6 "Cristobal" pier to handling containerized cargo vessels, so it is no more. According to a friend now visiting us in Boquete who works for the Ship's Agent for several of the major cruise lines, Pier 6 has already been demolished. Ships that were calling at Cristobal will be calling at Colon 2000 or Home Port which are the other ports in Colon. I suspect ZUIDERDAM will end up using Colon 2000 if there is space because that port is connected to Carnival. As we speak I am having to rewrite those sections of my YOUR DAY IN THE PANAMA CANAL book. It is too bad because I liked Pier 6. There was a nice bar at the end where you could sit and watch the Canal traffic go by. There were always dance shows by the Indians, and a big Kuna and Embera craft market in addition to the jewelry and t-shirt shops. Best of all the buses could return from tours and drive right into the pier so guests didn't have to wait in the rain or hot sun to board the ship.

 

Pier 6 also dated back to when it was used as a coal refueling station for ships passing through the Canal. Captains liked it because it was easier to dock at, closer in and helped them toward their fuel-saving bonus.

 

Progress. Time marches on.

 

Regards, Richard

[Sugar&Buddy]

Just looked at your cruise you are Cruising only at Cristobal & docking in Colon on Dec 9th

 

see the little side notes

Port Notes:

CO CRUISING ONLY

SC SERVICE CALL

SE NO AIR TO THIS PORT CITY

TR TENDER REQUIRED

 

 

Thank you -- just checked side notes. Since we will be in Colon port only 4 hrs (3pm - 7pm) is there anything to do?

[LHT28]

Thank you -- just checked side notes. Since we will be in Colon port only 4 hrs (3pm - 7pm) is there anything to do?

Unless you do a shorex from HAL... where you get off in Gatun Lake & reboard in Colon (same day)

Last time we were in Colon (2008) there was some shops there at the port but we did not go any further than there.

You might only have a couple of hrs to sight see there if you do not take the HAL tours

[Sugar&Buddy]

Unless you do a shorex from HAL... where you get off in Gatun Lake & reboard in Colon (same day)

Last time we were in Colon (2008) there was some shops there at the port but we did not go any further than there.

You might only have a couple of hrs to sight see there if you do not take the HAL tours

 

 

 

I was not aware that we could get off ship at Gatun Lake. HAL calls it a "service call". I just contacted MFM to see if he can accomodate.

[BillB48]

Normally if you wish to take a tour after the ship has reached Gatun Lake, you must book it through the cruise line. This probably is the one place that private tours (not booked through the ship) are not permitted. I don't think MFM can help you in this case.

[Richard in Panama]

HAL does not let anyone tender off in Gatun Lake except those people going on tour. There is NOTHING to do when you get to Colon . . . around 4 pm and it is too late to do anything independently. There are some great tours offered in Panama on ZUIDERDAM. Get off the Dam ship and enjoy! Regards, Richard

[LHT28]

I was not aware that we could get off ship at Gatun Lake. HAL calls it a "service call". I just contacted MFM to see if he can accomodate.

as I stated above

Unless you do a shorex from HAL you will not get off in Gatun lake.

 

A service call is to let people that on on HAL tours tender into shore

[Linda&Vern]

HAL does not let anyone tender off in Gatun Lake except those people going on tour. There is NOTHING to do when you get to Colon . . . around 4 pm and it is too late to do anything independently. There are some great tours offered in Panama on ZUIDERDAM. Get off the Dam ship and enjoy! Regards, Richard

Richard - I enjoy reading your info. Thank you for your efforts! I am traveling on the Zuiderdam for Thanksgiving and will be doing the Canal Experience on November 29th. Below is HAL's write-up. Can you offer any more info on this trip? (Example - How long is the bus ride to the ferry departure locations from Gatun Lake? Do you think the buses have restrooms? How is the ferry ride - I know it will be HOT. Once we go to meet the ship in Colon is there anything there to do at the dock?). My husband is excited to be doing this excursion as he wants to say he went to the Pacific side.

 

from HAL: The journey begins when we board the buses for a ride to either Gamboa Dredging Division Pier or Cucaracha Pier inside the Panama Canal where you will take the ferry boat that will transport you through The Panama Canal. The ferry will have sufficient space for everyone.

The navigation starts through Gaylard Cut that was the most important and difficult part of the Panama Canal construction, here is where the continental divide is located. After crossing Gaylard Cut we will enter Pedro Miguel Locks on our way into Miraflores Lake. After crossing Miraflores Lake we will enter Miraflores Locks on our way to the Pacific Ocean. Centennial and America’s bridge will be seen during the adventure.

 

Finally you will arrive at Pacific Port that is the entrance of the Panama Canal at the Pacific Ocean. Here you will take the buses back to the ship. The drive from Panama City to Colon is approximately 90 minutes.

[Richard in Panama]

Richard - I enjoy reading your info. Thank you for your efforts! I am traveling on the Zuiderdam for Thanksgiving and will be doing the Canal Experience on November 29th. Below is HAL's write-up. Can you offer any more info on this trip? (Example - How long is the bus ride to the ferry departure locations from Gatun Lake? Do you think the buses have restrooms? How is the ferry ride - I know it will be HOT. Once we go to meet the ship in Colon is there anything there to do at the dock?). My husband is excited to be doing this excursion as he wants to say he went to the Pacific side.

 

 

 

It should be about an hour ride to where the ferry leaves in Gamboa. The buses do NOT have restrooms. They are very basic buses. The ferry has shade. The wind is usually blowing and that helps. They've always had lots of bottled water free on the ferry tours that I have done. It's interesting and you get to see the other locks, other than Gatun which you will have already gone through, from a the totally different perspective of a small boat. Yes, you can reach out and touch the walls of the locks. They have a nice, basic, but nice lunch. Once you get back to Colon there isn't usually much time. There are a few shops if you are at Colon 2000 and a Super 99 grocery store where you can pick up things like wine and soda and junk food. Usually there are long lines to get back on the ship since the tours all return about the same time.

Enjoy! Regards, Richard

[723travelingal]

Haven't looked into the tours, sounds like it is best to schedule one through HAL, We usually do independent tours. Any advice from any one?

This is my first time through the Canal, I want it to be a great experience and stress free.

[BillB48]

The HAL stop on your ship at the Canal are little different from some of the others. I'm referring to the SAN-FLL (Pacific to Atlantic) cruise as that is a late afternoon/evening stop the day before your transit and they are only offering a very limited number of tours. If you are looking for stress free, I think I would opt for one of their tours at your stop Ft. Amador.

[boating girl]

Unfortunately Panama Ports has decided it can make a whole lot more money by converting the Pier 6 "Cristobal" pier to handling containerized cargo vessels, so it is no more. According to a friend now visiting us in Boquete who works for the Ship's Agent for several of the major cruise lines, Pier 6 has already been demolished. Ships that were calling at Cristobal will be calling at Colon 2000 or Home Port which are the other ports in Colon. I suspect ZUIDERDAM will end up using Colon 2000 if there is space because that port is connected to Carnival. As we speak I am having to rewrite those sections of my YOUR DAY IN THE PANAMA CANAL book. It is too bad because I liked Pier 6. There was a nice bar at the end where you could sit and watch the Canal traffic go by. There were always dance shows by the Indians, and a big Kuna and Embera craft market in addition to the jewelry and t-shirt shops. Best of all the buses could return from tours and drive right into the pier so guests didn't have to wait in the rain or hot sun to board the ship.

 

Pier 6 also dated back to when it was used as a coal refueling station for ships passing through the Canal. Captains liked it because it was easier to dock at, closer in and helped them toward their fuel-saving bonus.

 

Progress. Time marches on.

 

Regards, Richard

 

Are there any plans for the Indians to move their crafts and dancing over to

the Colon port area since Cristobal is closed?

[Richard in Panama]

Are there any plans for the Indians to move their crafts and dancing over to

the Colon port area since Cristobal is closed?

 

The head of one of the Embera village that was always at Pier 6 "Cristobal" is actually coming tonight with his family to stay with us for a few days and to speak at the Tuesday Morning Expat meeting for expats in Boquete tomorrow, so I will ask him what's going on.

 

We had one of the guys who works for the Colon Port Agent visit last week and he gave me some pics of Cristobal under demolition which I've posted on my Panama Canal blog . . . http://panamacanalblog.wordpress.com/

 

It's a shame to see a historic building like that demolished, and it was wonderful for ships docking there . . . the Indian craft mart, covered from wind, sun and rain when all the buses got back to the ship at the same time, nice shops, Indian dancing, nice bars . . . progress I guess, or just the fact that a container dock makes a whole lot more money.

 

So the two Colon piers are now "Colon 2000" and "Home Port" which was built for the two RCCL ships that home port in Colon during the Northern hemisphere winter months.

 

Regards, Richard

[boating girl]

Richard, I appreciate your responses and great info. Please keep us posted about

whether the Indians will move to Colon. I was looking forward to seeing them at

Cristobal. I don't think my elderly mother can do the trip to the Embera village.

Just curious, do the Kuna and Embera tribes mind being referred to as Indians?

[Richard in Panama]

Apparently the Indians tried with Colon 2000 and Home Port, but the ports will only allow them to sell their crafts if they rent a high priced store. Too bad.

 

Regards, Richard

[boating girl]

So sad......doesn't seem fair to the Indians. Sometimes I hate progress......

[dpm321]

This is getting really confusing. Earlier we had been told by HAL that the 13 Dec trip on Zuiderdam would have no Panama excursions because they could not dock anywhere. The thread here talks about Cristobal no longer being available, pushing the ships to Colon. Now we learn from HAL that the Zuiderdam will be having excursions from the lake and docking at Cristobal. Did they change plans for Cristobal? Will HAL be changing plans again?

[BillB48]

The only thing I can tell you for certain is Pier 6 in Cristobal is in the process of having the warehouse portion of pier demolished, Richard posted some pics in his blog. This where they had a very nice covered shopping area all enclosed in the warehouse portion. I know that HAL had cancelled the stop initally there due to the fact there were two ships using the Colon facilities on Dec. 19 and they can only accomodate two ships at a time. Perhaps the Zuiderdam will be able to use one of the other container piers either in Cristobal or Coco Solo to reboard the passengers who have taken tours, just speculation on my part. There is ample places to moor ships with all the dock space that is available in the Colon vicinity, to make it suitable to accomodate passengers may have taken a little extra effort. I would imagine they don't like to see a ship sail off over the horizon without letting passengers off to spend a few $$s and take some tours!!

[Richard in Panama]

Cristobal is just the name for another area of Colon . . . same rather small city. Regards, Richard