Review: Panama Canal by Ferry

[Namvet4]

I am reviving this thread to see if anyone has a current update on the ferry tour!?!?!(changes, good or bad or photos)

Any info is greatly appreciated . . .

Thanks in advance for all replies! :)

[jff50]

I've done this tour as part of a partial transit, as well as a full transit. I would highly recommend this tour if you ar doing a partial transit. Why do a cruise to the panama canal if you are not going to see the whole thing? The canal if a lot more than the Gatun locks and Gatun lake. While I'm not sure what cruise ship paid the highest fare, I am pretty certain it was not the Grand Princess. The Grand Princess cannot fit through the locks.

[auntdot]

I am also interested in any updated info on this tour. Maybe someone who does a partial transit this fall will be able to post.

 

We chose the partial as neither of us wanted to do all the ports in Mexico that were on the full transit itineraries; we do want to see the whole canal so hopefully a ferry trip will give us a sense of it.

[SDN]

No flames please - this is a very long tour - 7 hours according to Carnival's website. Does anyone know what the smoking policy is on the ferry and at the various stops? I doubt you can smoke on the bus, but is there a "smoking section" on the ferry? Also, how long was the bus ride to get to the ferry? Thank you.

 

I went on this tour booked through Carnival in May and they were letting people smoke in an area in front of the ferry.

 

All other areas of the ferry were non smoking.

 

No smoking was allowed on the 45-60 min bus ride.

[Namvet4]

I went on this tour booked through Carnival in May and they were letting people smoke in an area in front of the ferry.

All other areas of the ferry were non smoking.

 

No smoking was allowed on the 45-60 min bus ride.

 

WOW . . . I won't get relegated to the stern !!!:eek:

 

Thanks for the update SDN . . . :D

[sharonh1885]

Aside from the smoking, any pictures or reviews of the tour? I would love to hear something recent about the excursion.

[spearmint]

We have booked this tour in Dec/07 for four of us through Celebrity. We travel by bus from dock (Colon) to Balboa (Pacific side, I think?) and travel back through 2 locks and into Gatun Lake, if I recall properly. Then we bus back to the ship.

 

Has anyone any further advice for us? Such as, what to take with us..e.g. sunscreen, bottled water, extra snack items (if the lunch is poor), insect repellent?

 

What about appropriate apparrel....i.e. long/short shirt/pants? (Hat of course.)

 

Any advice you can give us will be appreciated.

 

Thanks, Bill

[Namvet4]

Has anyone any further advice for us? Such as, what to take with us..e.g. sunscreen, bottled water, extra snack items (if the lunch is poor), insect repellent?

 

Bill . . . All of the above. :) As far as I can tell this part of the world is hot and humid jungle...Even though the bus and ferry maybe air conditioned being out in the open air to observe and enjoy is part of the experience...

 

What about appropriate apparrel....i.e. long/short shirt/pants? (Hat of course.)

Bill . . . I will probably go with light weight shorts and shirt (read: gauze type fabric) and most definitely a hat! The choice will depend on the weather when we arrive in port. ;)

 

 

Any advice you can give us will be appreciated.

 

Thanks, Bill

Hopefully others will chime in and perhaps some one who is sailing before us will report back....

[wrp96]

Absolutely bring sunscreen and wear lightweight clothes and a hat. There will be lots of shade onboard but it still was hot and humid. I did not need insect repellant.

 

Definitely bring snacks. They will provide a small lunch which for us consisted of a small turkey sandwich and a muffin. They had chips for sale onboard (but not many). I brought some granola bars and peanut butter crackers with me. Be aware though that they won't let you bring anything that isn't prepackaged off the ship.

 

On the ferry they provided iced down sodas and water at no charge and were constantly encouraging people to drink (which one person onboard ignored and paid the consequences of - she had to be evacuated from the ferry while we were in one of the locks). I would bring a few bottles of water with me just in case.

[spearmint]

Namvet4 and wrp96...thanks a lot. Your information is just what I was hoping for, and will be really useful. :)Bill