Colon Panama which pier

[ratchet33]

Anyone know which pier Coral Princess uses in Colon on the 10 day Panama Canal itenerary? Trying to meet a friend who lives in Panama.

 

Thanks

[JasmineB]

Several months ago when we were on that cruise, we docked at the Colon 2000 port. We asked at the passenger services desk, as we would have preferred the Cristobal pier that we'd visited many times in the past. The informed us that Princess was not using the Cristobal pier any more. As I believe about half of what I hear at the passenger services desk, maybe once you are onboard, you might find out for SURE which pier you will use and then email your Panamanian friend?

 

You do know that the only way you can get off the ship for a day long tour is if you take a ship's tour, right? Ship tour participants tender off the ship in the middle of Gatun Lake. You would have maybe 3 hours or so at the pier to meet up with your friend (when the ship docks to pick up those who took the ship's tour.)

[BillB48]

The only piers in Colon that passenger ships would use are very close to each other. I would say more than likely the Coral would stop at the Colon 2000 facility. The only reason it would not dock at the Colon 2000 pier would be if another passenger ship was also calling at Colon that day. The other pier which I believe is called Home Port and is in the same general area. The old Cristobal pier 6, which is across town from the two piers mentioned above, is no longer used for passenger ships.

[caribill]

Have your friend contact the port. They will know.

 

Next question is if your friend can come inside the port area or if you have to go outside the port area to meet him/her.

[bubba98]

Just got off th Island today after ten day cruise. We docked right in front of the Raddison hotel not sure what the pier name is.

[BillB48]

That's the Colon 2000.

[ratchet33]

Thanks for the replies. Sounds like Colon 2000 is the proper pier. I presume we can disembark there for a couple hours even if we don't take one of the ship's excursions earlier in the day.

[Loonbeam]

Depends on how long it takes the ship to clear the locks on the way out. On our cruise last year, there would have been less than an hour in port if some tours hadn't come back late, as the ship had a relatively late exit slot.

 

 

Bear in mind that from what I saw, there is NOTHING at the Colon 2000 pier except a gift shop or two.

[buckeye82]

We were on the Island Princess Oct. 23-Nov 2. No one was even allowed to disembark the ship in Gatun Lake. We did not stop in Colon due to worker strikes that had turned violent.

[BillB48]

What triggered the unrest has been put to bed for the time being. Of course there is no way of telling what may set off the next event or when. I'll bet there were some disappointed passengers and some really disappointed tour operators.

[Esprit]

Just got off th Island today after ten day cruise. We docked right in front of the Raddison hotel not sure what the pier name is.

 

Hi Steve

 

That port was a bit of a dump wasn't it? We stayed on the ship to go back through the Gatun locks and were warned not to venture outside the cruise terminal perimeter.

 

After such a long day transiting the locks we were too tired to want to go anywhere else anyway.

[azdmelani]

Hi Steve

 

That port was a bit of a dump wasn't it? We stayed on the ship to go back through the Gatun locks and were warned not to venture outside the cruise terminal perimeter.

 

After such a long day transiting the locks we were too tired to want to go anywhere else anyway.

 

last week we got out by a bunch of not so exciting stores, including an electronics store and a supermarket (if that helps)

[OPSnorkeler]

We took a short excursion, not realizing that we would arrive in Colon 2 hours before the ship. We did not like Colon at all and if we were going again, we would either stay on board or take the full day excursion through the rest of the locks to the Pacific. That way, the ship would be there when you arrive in Clon and you would not have to spend time in that port.