partial transit panama canal oct 30 2011

[sheldon87cam]

hello fellow cruise lovers , looking for some info on wether or not my wife and i should book the boat tour though the rest of the canal alot of people say its great what are your opinions as i still have not booked it as princess does not have any dates yet for this falls tours listed and also i have read about secret doors on island pricess that lets you go outside to see transit through locks from outside were are these located and anything else that we sould see on this cruise thanks s

 

sheldon

[satxdiver]

We had a stateroom on the baja deck. We went down the hall towards the stern and out onto an open deck. The Island has open areas on the stern of most of the decks. You could move from side to side and was great. Like other ships that have staterooms on the stern, the Island does not. It has open areas instead with deck chairs - a nice quiet place to hang out.

 

We did the train ride to the Pacific coast and Panama City. We met some people who took the boat ride. After entering Gatun Lake the ship goes immediately to the left side of the locks where those who bought shore excursions were taken off by tender to the shore where buses were waiting. We were taken by bus to the train station. The people who were on the boat tour were taken to their buses which took them to the middle of the canal and they boarded a boat for the remainder of the canal before being brought back on a bus. Unfortunately they got behind a cargo ship and the trip was extended waiting for the cargo ship to go through the two sets of locks on the Pacific side. It was the luck of the draw type of thing. They enjoyed the trip but it was delayed due to being behind the cargo ship. They got back to the Island just before it sailed. Since they were on a ship's tour, the ship would wait if necessary but they got back in time.

[LeeW]

hello fellow cruise lovers , looking for some info on wether or not my wife and i should book the boat tour though the rest of the canal alot of people say its great what are your opinions as i still have not booked it as princess does not have any dates yet for this falls tours listed and also i have read about secret doors on island pricess that lets you go outside to see transit through locks from outside were are these located and anything else that we sould see on this cruise thanks s

 

sheldon

 

This is one of the very best cruises Princess offers. The real question is why are you taking a Panama Canal cruise? Answer - to see the Canal (and pay the extra $300 each passenger pays the Canal Zone for these cruises)! That said, definately take the boat trip through the rest of the canal. And look for the dent in the Miraflores lock. They won't tell you which pilot did it.

 

Return trip is usually by bus (although on ours you could do boat and train combo).

 

Yes, a lot of people would rather take the dugouts to the Embrara village or the train, but save that for another trip.

[silverfoxcruiser]

Sheldon -- cannot specifically answer your query. We did want to take this excursion, unfortunately, my DH is partially disabled and could not physically handle it. BUT -- we did the partial Canal on the Coral a few years ago and I highly recommend you read "The Path Between the Seas" by David McCullough before embarking. I found it so enlightening and informative, and I am so glad I read it before we went. Have a great cruise!! It was so pleasurable and enjoyable, I'd do it again in a heartbeat!! Silver

[itzmered]

It depends on what you want to do. We just did this cruise and we chose to do the Embera Village tour it was like stepping into a National Geographic magazine. We felt going through the Gatun Locks was enough for us and wanted to experience something else.

[gertz]

We just don't do the Caribbean anymore partly because the islands are so crowded with ships and we don't care for the extra deck ships because they are also crowded.

 

But you can get around that by doing the R/T on the Island or Coral to the canal. Wonderful ships never crowded and a great itinerary.

[GingerCandy]

hello fellow cruise lovers , looking for some info on wether or not my wife and i should book the boat tour though the rest of the canal alot of people say its great what are your opinions as i still have not booked it as princess does not have any dates yet for this falls tours listed and also i have read about secret doors on island pricess that lets you go outside to see transit through locks from outside were are these located and anything else that we sould see on this cruise thanks s

 

sheldon

 

YES, YES, YES. Take the boat excursion through the rest of the canal. You'll be so glad you did. We did it the first time, and then we did a cruise another year through the whole canal. The two experiences are so different. Going throughthe locks in a small ship vs. the cruise ship is such a different thing.

 

People who took the train option we not as happy nor did they have the experience you expect. You are taking this cruise for the Canal, so from my experiences, I'd definately vote "yes" for you to do the offered excursion. You won't be sorry. Plus you see so much of the country both getting to the excursion boat and on the return bus ride to the cruise ship.

 

You will also get a lunch on the excrusion boat, and you'll get up close to the locks, get to touch them, and take great pictures. :)So much more I could add.