Widened Panama Canal

[NMG318]

I just read an article that indicated the Oasis-, Freedom- and Voyager-class vessels will be too large to transit the widened Panama Canal after 2014. I did a partial transit on a Navy ship 20 years ago and was looking forward to one day going through on one of the ships above but sadly that's not going to happen. Not only is there a width and length issue but the bridge over the entrance to the canal (Bridge of Americas) restricts their height.

[Clarea]

I just read an article that indicated the Oasis-, Freedom- and Voyager-class vessels will be too large to transit the widened Panama Canal after 2014. I did a partial transit on a Navy ship 20 years ago and was looking forward to one day going through on one of the ships above but sadly that's not going to happen. Not only is there a width and length issue but the bridge over the entrance to the canal (Bridge of Americas) restricts their height.

I wonder if the proposed expanded dimensions have changed in the last few years. I remember that the new max dimensions were supposed to be 1200 ft length, 160' width, and 50' draft. These dimensions would seem to allow up to Freedom class, maybe even Oasis. Unless the height of the bridge is the factor that is limiting the cruise ships.

[crisndeefromde]

capt johnny on Allure told us in December at captain's corner that the new panama canal would NOT accommodate the Oasis or Allure. He was also of the opinion that freedom class would not fit either. voyager size would.

[A2Mich]

According to Wikipedia (for whatever that's worth....), the height of the span at high tide of the Bridge of the Americas is 201 ft. The Voyager class, with the overall shortest height of the ships in question, has a height of nearly 207 ft. Even at low tide, I would not think that RCI would want to test the height theory, or even PanCanal (or whatever the current name is) would allow that close of tolerance.

[dmwnc1959]

IMHO bigger is not better when it comes to certain passages, and the Panama Canal would certainly be one of those.

 

To sail on a ship the size of Oasis of the Seas that would seemingly dwarf the surrounding structures, land marks, islands, and locks would be just about pointless, even with the new expansion project.

 

Ships like Celebrity's Millennium- and Radiance-class as well as the Coral Princess and Island Princess are just about as big (for my preferences) as I would want to get when it comes to cruising the Panama Canal. I would actually prefer something smaller than Vista-class ships like the Statendam-class of Holland-America. That is a perfect size for sailing through the canal.

 

Leave the Gigantic of the Seas in the Caribbean where they belong.

[A2Mich]

Leave the Gigantic of the Seas in the Caribbean where they belong.

 

and don't forget her twin sisters.....Ginormous of the Seas and Monstrosity of the Seas.

[smoosh21]

IMHO bigger is not better when it comes to certain passages, and the Panama Canal would certainly be one of those.

 

To sail on a ship the size of Oasis of the Seas that would seemingly dwarf the surrounding structures, land marks, islands, and locks would be just about pointless, even with the new expansion project.

 

Ships like Celebrity's Millennium- and Radiance-class as well as the Coral Princess and Island Princess are just about as big (for my preferences) as I would want to get when it comes to cruising the Panama Canal. I would actually prefer something smaller than Vista-class ships like the Statendam-class of Holland-America. That is a perfect size for sailing through the canal.

 

Leave the Gigantic of the Seas in the Caribbean where they belong.

 

I went through on the Coral Princess, and while in the Canal, it seems like a very large ship. I agree that the Voyager Class and Freedom class would seem too big for the Canal

[A2Mich]

I've only transited the canal a few times, but never by cruise ship. Once was on a freighter, once in a sailboat, once by powerboat, and through Miraflores and Pedro Miguel by kayak - now those were some memorable experiences!!!! The most interesting parts were having to hold on to a rope while in a kayak, and climbing down a rope ladder to the pilot boat from a moving freighter! oh, what memories......

[donaldsc]

and don't forget her twin sisters.....Ginormous of the Seas and Monstrosity of the Seas.

 

You forgot the Behemoth of the Seas.

 

DON

[dmwnc1959]

You forgot the Behemoth of the Seas.

 

DON

 

Ah yes, the sister ship. Sorry. ;)

[dmwnc1959]

One cruise I did a number of years ago was on the now defunct Cruise West aboard the tiny 84-passenger Spirit of Discovery. It was a 7-night cruise from Portland, Oregon up the Columbia River and Snake River with several 'port stops' during the cruise and traveled through a series of eight navigational locks similar to what the Panama Canal has. It went over 340 miles upriver all the way up to Lewiston, Idaho (with a jet boat side trip down Hell's Canyon), then through the same eight locks again back down the Columbia River 460 miles all the way to Astoria (and a side trip to Cannon Beach) on the Pacific Coast.

 

Being on a much smaller ship sitting inside the locks looking UP at the lock walls, necks and heads bent back as they swallowed the ship, had to be to most people a lot more impressive than looking down from Deck 12 of a giant cruise ship while the ship fills to overflowing and towers above the locks of the Panama Canal.

 

You can lose perspective. Bigger is not always better.

 

And the scenery along the majestic Columbia River and Snake River during that cruise could stand toe to toe with anything the Panama Canal has to offer.

[Trainman-2]

RCI has two full transits of the canal scheduled for 2012 and two more in 2013 on the Vision of the Seas.

 

 

We have booked both of them in 2013 so we will be doing a 28 night B-2-B.

 

[pn1]

I am seriously thinking of one of the RCI cruises in 2023; any thoughts on what might be the better direction? I would plan to drive (probably to/from Chicago to/from Fort Lauderdale. The weather might be better in April? Any advice would be appreciated.

 

Paul in Melbourne (Australia)

 

PS the reason for wanting to drive is to cover territory not previously visited and to achieve a lifelong ambition to visit both Bloomington and Savannah. Although I've been to Fort Lauderdale and San Diego the cruise would also be new territory.

 

 

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[pn1]

Of course I meant 2013...(in my previous posting)

 

 

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[BillB48]

The new locks are going to be 1400x160 and right now they are planning to accommodate ships that are 1200x140, so up to the Freedom class would fall into the dimensions without any problems. The sticky wicket comes in the form of the Bridge of Americas. The 201' is supposed to be the minimum maximum (at high tide). Tides on the Pacific side at Balboa are significant, regular tides not counting neap or spring tide run around 14' variation twice a day. If really need extra clearance wait on a spring tide where the variation can be a little over 20'. The biggest problem would be they could not take advantage of vessel squat which they did went they brought the ships under the Great Belt Bridge. Squat is running the vessel at sea speeds in shallow water thereby causing the ship to sit lower in the water. The slower the ship is moving the less affect and the channel at that point would not accommodate "sea speed."

 

The new Centennial Bridge won't be a problem.

[JMG]

We did the canal on the Brilliance in 2003 and it was tight going through the locks. The ship scrapped the side of the canal and we were stopped for at least an hour while the RCI crew and the Canal authorities checked for damage to the ship. It was only a paint scrap and at the next port the ship had been painted and all evidence was gone of the incident.

[Debde]

I'd be thrilled to be on a Vision class ship and bring back that 10 day Partial Canal -please!!!

Princess still does it and would also gladly pay a higher cruise fare to cover the costs through the canal that some say was the deciding factor in why they stopped.

[BillB48]

I too would thrilled if RCI brought back the partial transits and I'm sure the tolls had something to do with it. However the way Princess handles it (I don't know if RCI did it the same way or not) they just add the cost of the transit into the government fees and taxes and is separate from the fare. I was just looking at two different 10 day trips, one to the islands and the other a partial transit. In round numbers the 10 day to islands had the gov. fees and taxes at $100, while the same charge on the partial transit was $300. That $300 figure is more than adequate to cover the tolls. The Canal charges $134/passenger berth, so with taxes and fees that high... it's covered!

[Debde]

I would gladly pay $300.00 extra on a cruise fare for a Partial again!!! :)

[mrsdoc3]

I am seriously thinking of one of the RCI cruises in 2023; any thoughts on what might be the better direction? I would plan to drive (probably to/from Chicago to/from Fort Lauderdale. The weather might be better in April? Any advice would be appreciated.

 

Paul in Melbourne (Australia)

 

PS the reason for wanting to drive is to cover territory not previously visited and to achieve a lifelong ambition to visit both Bloomington and Savannah. Although I've been to Fort Lauderdale and San Diego the cruise would also be new territory.

 

 

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Really? I life-long ambition to visit -- Bloomington?