Crowds at Bow During Transit??

[Wisconsin Travelers]

I just heard something unbelievable from someone who took a HAL Panama Canal cruise a couple of years ago. Please tell me it ain't so!

 

She said that in order to actually SEE the ship going through the locks you must stand in the bow of the ship along with 1,000 of your closest friends! She said that people started "saving" spots at the rail at 2 a.m. for a 5 a.m. transit time - sort of how people "save" loungers at the pool by throwing towels on several of them. Can this really be right?!

 

Does the ship open any of the public rooms at the front of the ship (like the gym or whatever)? Do they make the bow accessible from the floors that just have staterooms?

 

I'd really appreciate hearing from people who've done this cruise before. Frankly, I can't imagine standing at the rail in a big crowd for 3 hours prior to the transit with no coffee and no food. I have a good sense of humor, but these conditions would put a damper on my whole day!

[CruiserBruce]

Travelers[/color];40335412]I just heard something unbelievable from someone who took a HAL Panama Canal cruise a couple of years ago. Please tell me it ain't so! Some what overstated, but true. Commonly discussed here.

 

She said that in order to actually SEE the ship going through the locks you must stand in the bow of the ship along with 1,000 of your closest friends! She said that people started "saving" spots at the rail at 2 a.m. for a 5 a.m. transit time - sort of how people "save" loungers at the pool by throwing towels on several of them. Can this really be right?!Have sailed the Canal 3 times. Once was rainy, so stayed on balcony. The other two times I was on the bow. Not at 2am. Around 5. Yes, there were lots of people there. But I was on the rail, at the very front.

 

Does the ship open any of the public rooms at the front of the ship (like the gym or whatever)? Do they make the bow accessible from the floors that just have staterooms? Those public rooms aren't closed, so yes, they are open. What a ship makes available is cruise line policy, so best to research on the cruise line board. If you are going on HAL, as we have, yes, everything possible will be open.

 

I'd really appreciate hearing from people who've done this cruise before. Frankly, I can't imagine standing at the rail in a big crowd for 3 hours prior to the transit with no coffee and no food. I have a good sense of humor, but these conditions would put a damper on my whole day!

 

Again, if you do some reading on the HAL board, there will be their famous Panama buns, coffee, juices. The whole situation is fun, not a misery. On the other hand, I have not seen anyone being forced to be on the bow. You can easily see from all over the ship.

Edited October 16, 2013 by CruiserBruce

[barbados]

Not to worry! There is plenty of room for everybody to see!

 

Here is a frame-grab from a video I shot while going through the canal last December on the Celebrity.

 

My wife was up front and got there about 6am. I walked up and took this video about 10am. No problem.

 

There is so much to see that folks move all around the ship.

 

Enjoy! :)

[Wisconsin Travelers]

Thank you so much for your responses! The way I heard it seems to be totally exaggerated. A bunch of people, no problem. Wait till 5 am for food/coffee? No problem either. It sounded like unless we wanted to get to the railing at the bow at 2:00 am we weren't going to see squat. Thanks to you folks, I feel confident that we can see and experience the wonder of the locks without getting up in the middle of the night. We're really looking forward to this cruise, and you've just made my day! Thanks again!

 

Barbara

[BillB48]

While most of the ships doing the Canal transit allow passengers on the bow, not all of them do. On those that do allow it, if you wait until the afternoon passage through the Locks on the other side of the Canal, it is usually less crowded. Of course the first opening of the gates at the first Lock is the picture everyone wants. You still can get a very good view as long as you are on any of the forward facing decks. While you don't need to throw your towel over the deckchair at 2:AM, you do need to be a little bit of the early bird. I always get up early so it is not a problem for me, on my last trip through I was up on top around 4:AM and I was not alone! But, it wasn't really that crowded either... in any case it is not a day I try to get a few extra winks in the morning!

[pilotdane]

Yes, some folks will be out waiting anxiously on the bow before daybreak. Luckily there are not deck chairs where people swing by and drop a towel to return hours later. If there are folks on the bow that early they have a great love of the canal and are generally friendly and want to share the experience with others. Another thing in your benefit is that the transit takes a long time. Everyone needs a pee or lunch break so even though there are bodies on the bow it tends to be a ever changing crowd and generally thins as the day progresses.

 

I am a ship spotting nerd so I awoke well before dawn (my wife rolled back over and went back to sleep) without setting an alarm and long before the buns were available. I bounced around all over the ship. The bow is nice but there are spectacular views off other sides of the ship as well so up on the point of the bow is not the only game in town. At some points when transiting the locks you'll want to be on a promenade or other side deck to see how close you are to the walls or to see the mules up close and try your Spanish with the operators. I even met one of the crew at lunch who took me on a personal tour of great viewing spots around the ship so keeping a good attitude never hurts.

[Richard in Panama]

It has always amazed me, on the ships that open the foredeck to guests [and not all do - sometimes it's a "crew only" area because you have to access it through crew areas, other times the foredeck has equipment that is in use during the transit or just was never designed for guests to safely be in the area - HAL generally does allow guests onto the foredeck and even serves coffee and "Panama Rolls" there] . . . but it's always amazed me to walk onto the bridge at 5 am, intending to start talking when the pilot comes on board, to see just how many folks are on the foredeck waiting. And it really is a magical time, with the sun coming up, etc. Being there at the start just adds to the magic and wonder of the day. Of course it's your cruise, so sleep in as late as you want. The other thing that's always amazed me is by afternoon . . . most folks are working out in the gym, playing bridge, sitting by the pool or sleeping and hardly anyone is at the railing!

 

Bottom line: not to worry! It will be a magical time. In the public areas, like the Crows Nest on some HAL ships, or the front lounge on Princess ships, yes, folks will get there early to be front and center, but you can always look over their heads and the real way to see the Canal is NOT to sit and stay put but to move around the ship.

 

Regards, Richard

[Keith1010]

I want to note that after the first hour people tend to leave so if you can't get up front at the beginning don't give up. Also, remember that the best views of the canal are from all four sides of the ship and also from different decks to get the perspective from all the way up top to the lower decks.

 

Keith

[OCruisers]

I want to note that after the first hour people tend to leave so if you can't get up front at the beginning don't give up. Also, remember that the best views of the canal are from all four sides of the ship and also from different decks to get the perspective from all the way up top to the lower decks.Keith

 

Keith is so right! The best views are actually moving around the ship. :)

 

LuLu

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[pulledporky]

We had an aft cabin last March on our PC transit. Got up to the bow early (so I thought) and there were hundreds of people up there. Probably a dozen or so drug a lido chair up to sit on. After the first lock I went back to cabin and noticed the view from our aft balcony was the same (but backwards). Best advice already given: Move around. There's also a viewing area on shore. Get a picture of them taking a picture of you.

[Watson's aunt]

I did this last week and got up early. It was crowed. But I did not stay there I walked to other parts of ship. On way back the bow was empty and well as other parts of ship. I went all sides of ships all had great views.

 

Mary

[orchestrapal]

There is nothing like your own aft balcony for the crossing.:D