Panama Canal starboard or port room?

[luvtravel88]

We are getting ready to book a room on the Island Princess for a 10 day cruise to the Panamal Canal. We intend to book a room with a balcony. Would it be better to book a room that is port or starboard on the ship as far as being able to see the various sights from our balcony.

Thanks for the help!

[50scruiser]

Are you doing a partial transit or full transit and where are you starting from? We're just off the Coral doing a partial transit from Ft Lauderdale and we had a port side minisuite. I liked that side better and thought we had a better view from our balcony than the starboard side did.

[FLACRUISER99]

We are getting ready to book a room on the Island Princess for a 10 day cruise to the Panamal Canal. We intend to book a room with a balcony. Would it be better to book a room that is port or starboard on the ship as far as being able to see the various sights from our balcony.

Thanks for the help!

I would think port for the Aruba, Panama Canal and Ocho Rios intinery. For the Canal locks it doesn't make a difference as you cannot tell what lock you will go through until you get there.

[Putterdude]

We have done it with a starboard side balcony and enjoyed it. Next time we would go with a port side just for a change of view.

[wilfros]

I'd be happy with anything, especially the chance to go! If I thought I was missing anything, I would go to the public decks where a Panoramic view was available. Take in as much as you can, you luck dog!!

 

Have a Great Cruise.

[Loonbeam]

It doesn't matter for the canal, as noted you won't know the side until day of. That said, it's been said port is more advantageous sunshine wise. If that makes a difference go port.

[katisdale]

My opinion is that it doesn't matter where my room is because I would not be there on the day we went through the canal. Very early on canal day I would go forward to see the approach and to watch the guys come out in the rowboat to get the lines that will be attached to the electric mules. I would stay there to watch the gates open and to see how we entered the first lock. Then I would go to the rear of the ship to see how the gates close. At some point while we were traveresing the three locks I would go down to watch the walls of the canal. As we passed the control tower I would want to be up top to watch that.

I would love to go back to the canal. The only thing I would do differently is wear more sun screen.

[luvtravel88]

We are thinking of doing the partial transit from Ft. Lauderdale. Thanks for the comments and advice.

I think we would probably go to the front of the ship to watch the entrance into the canal and then go to the back of the ship to watch the gates close.

 

I guess I was thinking of other sights in trying to determine a port or starboard room. We just returned from a Southern Caribbean cruise and I didn't consider which side of the ship would be more advantageous. We happened to be on a starboard side room and were always on the side of the ship away from the port so we couldn't see the hillside towns or what was at the pier from our room. Not really a big deal and certainly didn't hurt our enjoyment at all, but I thought I would consider the option this time.

[ssbeagle]

It really wouldn't make any difference on which side your cabin is because the best place to watch the transit is either at the fore or aft of the ship. We have done both and my favorite place is on one of the aft decks as the ship passes through. It doesn't get as crowded back there as the front does and you can really see the locks at work.

[itzmered]

Are you doing a partial transit or full transit and where are you starting from? We're just off the Coral doing a partial transit from Ft Lauderdale and we had a port side minisuite. I liked that side better and thought we had a better view from our balcony than the starboard side did.

 

I agree we had a cabin on the starboard side and I wish we would have had a port side cabin. For the canal itself it doesnt matter what side you are on because you will not know which lane of the canal you will be in for the rest of the itinerary I thought port side would have been better.

[buddymum]

We have just returned from this cruise on the Coral princess. Did you know there are "secret doors" that let you go right to the front of the ship. Look on "princess secrets" on cruise critic for more details. You may have to hunt but you will find it. Hope you enjoy the adventure as much as we did!!!

[Infi]

If you're doing the partial transit, we docked on the port side in every post except Costa Rica. As for the Canal, it's hard to say because you never known which set of locks the ship will go through, but our port side balcony had an excellent view for entry and exist.

[BillB48]

On a partial transit which side of the ship will not make any difference at all in so far as the Canal is concerned. There possibly may be a preferred side for the rest of the cruise, I really don't know. If you are on a full transit, out and about in the public areas is usually your best bet. However, during the crossing of Gatun Lake and you wish to take a gander from your balcony, depending on your direction of travel one side may just a wee edge over the other. This preference is just for the Canal.

[lilymyrescue]

We did a full transit in Oct....going west to east. I really don't think it makes a difference .... we were in a minisuite on the starboard side....it's a very long day going through the canal.....and typically everyone moves into different positions..... something to see at all the locks.....

[luvtravel88]

Thanks for the help everyone! I booked a balcony room on the Baja deck on the Port side. Now I just have to wait until November!!

[DGSFlorida]

We did a full transit in Oct....going west to east. I really don't think it makes a difference .... we were in a minisuite on the starboard side....it's a very long day going through the canal.....and typically everyone moves into different positions..... something to see at all the locks.....

 

FYI, get out a map of Panama and you will surprised to see that the transit through the canal is mostly north to south when traveling from the east coast(or vice versa if you are traveling from the west coast). We just completed 2 complete transits last October on the Coral and would make the following observations:

 

1) Choice of port or starboard is not all that important as you cannot be sure which side of the ship will be facing into the locks. The major difference will be how hot the sun is and whether you have a preference for sun or shade.

 

2) Most of the best viewing is not done from your balcony but rather from the decks on the bow and aft. The Caribe deck and the Baja deck both have such accessible areas. The front decks are reached through the "secret doors" which are open for passenger use. The decks are also equipped with overhangs which you can move under to avoid the rain. And hope that it rains several times because you will be in tropical jungle weather. (The canal requires the rain in order to operate).

 

3) Also take a trip down to the coffee bar on Plaza deck and see exactly how close you are to the canal wall, less than 2 feet.

 

4) Get up early and prepare to walk a bit as the best view of entering a lock is in the front while the rear allows you to watch the doors close. It is quite a sight to see all the ships lining up in the approach to the first locks early in the morning.

[Lvs2Cruise2]

How long does it take to travel through a lock? I have visions of us "running" from the front to back of the ship! Plus with tons of other people thinking the same thing I'm envisioning a stampede! We are booked starboard.. after reading all the pro port side.. I wish I would have seen this first! (We leave the 24th on Coral) But we plan on being all over the place, not on our balcony!

[BillB48]

At Gatun Locks which has three chambers or levels can take around 1.5 hours to go through the entire Locks. The filling/spilling of each chamber is a round 8 minutes and about 12 minutes to move into the next chamber to repeat the process. Pedro Miguel, (1 level) 40-50 minutes. Miraflores, (2 levels) a little over an hour. These times are basically for the larger Panamax passenger ships and of course are subject to a good deal of flexibility. Things happen fairly slowly and you will have time to stake out another vantage point.

 

PS: I see you're going from ACA-FLL, make sure you are up and about early. The Pacific entrance to the Canal is pretty neat, the skyline of Panama City, the Bridge of Americas! Just an aside, the order of the Locks will in reverse order from the way I have written them, you start with Miraflores.

 

One after thought, as for the Canal in the direction you are going, if I had to choose, starboard would be my preferred side. Not that port is a "bad" choice, there are a few more things to see from the starboard side if you want to take a break and see things from your balcony for a while.

[FLACRUISER99]

PS: I see you're going from ACA-FLL, make sure you are up and about early. The Pacific entrance to the Canal is pretty neat, the skyline of Panama City, the Bridge of Americas! Just an aside, the order of the Locks will in reverse order from the way I have written them, you start with Miraflores.

BTW, The OP stated a partial transit in post #4 a round trip from Port Everglades. Maybe you were referring to the poster above you?:confused:

[BillB48]

Yes, I was referring to the post above. Probably would have been a good idea to throw in the quote:o:D.

[Lvs2Cruise2]

At Gatun Locks which has three chambers or levels can take around 1.5 hours to go through the entire Locks. The filling/spilling of each chamber is a round 8 minutes and about 12 minutes to move into the next chamber to repeat the process. Pedro Miguel, (1 level) 40-50 minutes. Miraflores, (2 levels) a little over an hour. These times are basically for the larger Panamax passenger ships and of course are subject to a good deal of flexibility. Things happen fairly slowly and you will have time to stake out another vantage point.

 

PS: I see you're going from ACA-FLL, make sure you are up and about early. The Pacific entrance to the Canal is pretty neat, the skyline of Panama City, the Bridge of Americas! Just an aside, the order of the Locks will in reverse order from the way I have written them, you start with Miraflores.

 

One after thought, as for the Canal in the direction you are going, if I had to choose, starboard would be my preferred side. Not that port is a "bad" choice, there are a few more things to see from the starboard side if you want to take a break and see things from your balcony for a while.

 

 

Thanks for the great info! Seems like we'll have plenty of time to get to the places where we can see everything! Yes.. we are on the ACA-FLL sailing. Can't wait. Very different itinerary, just disappointed no stop in Panama...just a few hours in Colon. Next time!