Panama Canal 10 day partial, Ft. Lauderdale

[lachaffin]

Got our cruise booked for Feb 7, 2001 and already getting stoked! The only thing that bothers me about the cruise is the partial of the canal. For those cruisers that have done this one, how much time is actually spent cruising the canal?

 

Other posters seem to be okay with it...unless you are an engineering buff.

[loliola]

Got our cruise booked for Feb 7, 2001 and already getting stoked! The only thing that bothers me about the cruise is the partial of the canal. For those cruisers that have done this one, how much time is actually spent cruising the canal?

 

Other posters seem to be okay with it...unless you are an engineering buff.

 

Well, first I hope you mean something other than 2/7/01...

I booked the same cruise for 11/19/11...thought the full transit was better..but itinerary is more than 10 days and airfare starting and stopping at different destinations is very expensive...and my husband does not want anything to do with a stay in Mexico right now. But after researching everything, I think a partial r/t is the very best solution. If you add the $175 excursion that takes you through the rest of the canal, I do no think you are missing anything at all; and have the added benefit of doing part of the canal in a large ship and part in a small vessel. We are leaving in 86 days and I cannot wait!!!

[lachaffin]

Departure is February 7, 2012. Thanks for the heads up and the information. Have fun!

[Kirsten T]

The "canal experience by boat" excursion will let you see most of the canal, and we thought it was well worth it. We've also just stayed onboard and watched ships, then enjoyed the triple lock back down from Gatun lake. Those are the most interesting locks IMO. We've done the 10-day partial 4 times and enjoyed every time. Just drink lots of water, wear lots of sunscreen and prepare to get up REALLY early on canal transit day! It's awesome.

[lachaffin]

The "canal experience by boat" excursion will let you see most of the canal, and we thought it was well worth it. We've also just stayed onboard and watched ships, then enjoyed the triple lock back down from Gatun lake. Those are the most interesting locks IMO. We've done the 10-day partial 4 times and enjoyed every time. Just drink lots of water, wear lots of sunscreen and prepare to get up REALLY early on canal transit day! It's awesome.

 

 

 

Hey thanks for your input. This helps...

[ldubs]

Did this itinerary in April. We did take the excursion on the smaller ferry boat all the way through to the Pacific. It was actually pretty cool being in the smaller boat and sharing the lock with larger ships. Also could reach out and touch the side of the locks.

 

If I managed it correctly, here are a couple of photos - Ship view vs small boat view.

 

Have fun.

 

Oops - had to resize images due to smaller file size.

[RickEk]

We've done the partial transit twice. The first time, we took the train to the Pacific and viewed the Miraflores locks in action. They had just opened their new visitors center and it was fun. The second time, we stayed on the ship and experienced the transit back on a mostly empty ship. That was a lot of fun too. We hope to do the full transit too, but if we had to do a partial transit again, I think we'd do the small boat excursion to experience that too...

 

And, it will be certainly interesting to see what happens when the new locks open and every Princess ship will be able to do the transit! :) The possibilities boggle the mind... :D

[lachaffin]

We've done the partial transit twice. The first time, we took the train to the Pacific and viewed the Miraflores locks in action. They had just opened their new visitors center and it was fun. The second time, we stayed on the ship and experienced the transit back on a mostly empty ship. That was a lot of fun too. We hope to do the full transit too, but if we had to do a partial transit again, I think we'd do the small boat excursion to experience that too...

 

And, it will be certainly interesting to see what happens when the new locks open and every Princess ship will be able to do the transit! :) The possibilities boggle the mind... :D

 

Hey thanks Rick! Looks as if those that have taken the small boat excursion were pleased. Thought about the train also but want to spend time in the city also. We'll have fun whatever we do. Thanks for the pictures too.

[BillB48]

You do miss some things in a partial transit cruise, one of the things you will miss is the 2+ hour sail across Gatun Lake. Crossing the Lake is very scenic and it is almost a trip back in time, the area is pretty much as it was back in 1914. However if it is not a convenient time for you to do a full transit cruise, the partial transit cruise is an excellent choice. Combining your cruise with the partial transit of the Pacific Locks and Gaillard Cut excursion is perfect. You will see a large part of the Canal by combining the cruise and excursion. You will be able to compare your morning lockage through Gatun Locks on a Panamax ship, then the smaller craft on your excursion through the Pacific Locks. A great A/B comparison. While I always believe that a full transit is best to see the Canal, the partial transit is a great alternative. You can always come back and do the full transit later, taking the partial transit will not diminish the full transit one bit. In fact it will serve as an enhancement.

[geoherb]

We had a great time on the Island Princess last Christmas doing the partial canal cruise. We did not do any excursions in Panama--just stayed on the ship and enjoyed going back out the Gatun locks.

[sabookkeeper]

Got our cruise booked for Feb 7, 2001 and already getting stoked! The only thing that bothers me about the cruise is the partial of the canal. For those cruisers that have done this one, how much time is actually spent cruising the canal?

 

Other posters seem to be okay with it...unless you are an engineering buff.

We are on the same cruise! We decided on the partial because we drive to Ft. Lauderdale so leaving and arriving at the same port is important to us. We have booked the boat cruise through the rest of the locks and are really looking forward to it.

[arkansasrumrunner]

Got our cruise booked for Feb 7, 2001 and already getting stoked! The only thing that bothers me about the cruise is the partial of the canal. For those cruisers that have done this one, how much time is actually spent cruising the canal?

 

Other posters seem to be okay with it...unless you are an engineering

buff.

In answer to your origional question, you will transit the locks in the morning, cruise into the lake, drop anchor for a couple of hours, then transit out thru the locks in the afternoon. It is still a wonderful ride..

[lachaffin]

In answer to your origional question, you will transit the locks in the morning, cruise into the lake, drop anchor for a couple of hours, then transit out thru the locks in the afternoon. It is still a wonderful ride..

 

 

 

Exactly what we thought when we booked this cruise. Most likely will take the smaller boat or an excursion. Thanks for your help and best to you.

[BillB48]

Let me expand a little on what arrumrunner posted. When you enter the Atlantic breakwater it is about a 5 miles to Gatun Locks. The travel through Gatun Locks is about a mile and the anchorage the ship will use is within sight of the Locks. The total distance probably being under 7 miles of the Canal that you will be traversing, so it probably is not a great deal of "cruising" the Canal in the traditional sense of cruising. It's a fairly slow process. If you are just looking for a taste of the Canal this may satisfy you, even staying on the ship for the return lockage and the sail to Colon is interesting, (I've done that as well) there still a lot more of the Canal (and Panama) to see.

 

While the visual aspects of the Atlantic Locks is great, IMO there is more eye candy on the Pacific Locks and Gaillard Cut. There are two impressive bridges to sail under as well as the lock complex is divided into two separate locks. The passage through Gaillard Cut illustrates what a task that was completed almost a 100 years ago and they are still working on it!

 

Taking the excursion on the smaller boat through the Pacific Locks will certainly give you a good picture of what the Canal is all about. Whether you take that excursion, another excursion or elect to stay on the ship, it's a great cruise.... enjoy.

[lachaffin]

Let me expand a little on what arrumrunner posted. When you enter the Atlantic breakwater it is about a 5 miles to Gatun Locks. The travel through Gatun Locks is about a mile and the anchorage the ship will use is within sight of the Locks. The total distance probably being under 7 miles of the Canal that you will be traversing, so it probably is not a great deal of "cruising" the Canal in the traditional sense of cruising. It's a fairly slow process. If you are just looking for a taste of the Canal this may satisfy you, even staying on the ship for the return lockage and the sail to Colon is interesting, (I've done that as well) there still a lot more of the Canal (and Panama) to see.

 

While the visual aspects of the Atlantic Locks is great, IMO there is more eye candy on the Pacific Locks and Gaillard Cut. There are two impressive bridges to sail under as well as the lock complex is divided into two separate locks. The passage through Gaillard Cut illustrates what a task that was completed almost a 100 years ago and they are still working on it!

 

Taking the excursion on the smaller boat through the Pacific Locks will certainly give you a good picture of what the Canal is all about. Whether you take that excursion, another excursion or elect to stay on the ship, it's a great cruise.... enjoy.

 

Very thorough Bill, thanks for your insight.

[luvtravel88]

We are on the November 9 partial transit from FLL. We are taking the small ship tour after we go through the first three locks. We actually chose this itinerary so we would have the opportunity to go through the locks on both large and small vessels. We can't wait!!!

[sunsetbeachgal]

We also did Partial transit, and did the small boat excursion. Just a word of warning that the small boat excursion makes for a very, very long day. You are up so early watching your ship go through the Gatun locks, then the small boat excursion-in addition to the boat there are two long bus rides (our buses did not have bathrooms)-one to get from Gatun Lake shore to the small boat, and then the second to get from the Pacific side back to the Atlantic side. Others will probably disagree, but for me I thought seeing the Island Princess go through the locks was far more interesting than the small boat, and while I was glad I did it, it is not for everyone. Plus, it was raining off and on while on the small boat--hot and very humid! Enjoy your cruise whatever you choose to do!

[Mapu]

We are on the November 9 partial transit from FLL. We are taking the small ship tour after we go through the first three locks. We actually chose this itinerary so we would have the opportunity to go through the locks on both large and small vessels. We can't wait!!!

 

We did that exact same excursion in March and it was great. Enjoy!