Sunfarer/Zuiderdam - Panama Canal ??

[Mystictraveler]

Will be departing on the Zuiderdam Sunfarer cruise on Jan. 23. Can anyone who has been on this similar cruise recently please tell me about the timing of entering the Gatun locks and the duration of getting through them?

 

Thanks!

[1of4]

I haven't done it yet, but am booked for a full transit in April. I know someone will come alone and tell you exactly, but I know the transit begins about 5 in the morning.

 

Enjoy your cruise!

[Kudos2Fly]

I'm interest too, we are leaving Feb 2 for the 11 day cruise to the Panama Canal.

[senorjim]

Will be departing on the Zuiderdam Sunfarer cruise on Jan. 23. Can anyone who has been on this similar cruise recently please tell me about the timing of entering the Gatun locks and the duration of getting through them?

 

 

 

Thanks!

 

 

Did this cruise in November. Should approach the locks between 5:30 to 6:30 AM and be anchored in the lake by 9AM I believe. They will open up the bow for this.

Jim

 

 

 

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[LindaSSF]

We went out on our balcony by 4:45 AM to see all the ships waiting on the approach to the locks. We entered around first light. Watch all the way in - on the right is the old French canal channel. It looks like the harborage canal behind our house in FL. Simply amazing what was eventually accomplished! Look to the left & see the new, wider canal!

 

You can request panama buns with your room service breakfast. We sat on our aft wrap around balcony & took it all in!!!

 

 

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[DaveOKC]

We did the partial on the Z in Nov.

 

As I recall, we started the entry process about 6 am. Pilot came onboard at 6:15 am.

 

We were in the locks (Southbound - from the Gulf) from about 7:30-9:30 AM.

 

We anchored in Gatun Lake at 9:45 am until 11:10 am.

 

We went back through the locks (to the Gulf) from 12:35 to 2:05 PM.

 

We sailed to Colon, docking there at 3:55 PM.

 

Departed Colon at 6:25PM.

 

Detailed enough?? This is per our Cruise Log.

 

Its a great cruise and I am certain you will enjoy it.

 

DaveOKC

[Mystictraveler]

Thank-you all for your responses.....very helpful!

[jankn]

We will be doing this cruise for the fourth time in Feb, and we really do love the whole itinerary....obviously.....:-). We love being in an aft wrap around for this, the view is amazing. The previous posters had all of the information pretty much as we remember, but I just wanted to tell you that you will love it !! And the Panama rolls are served on the front deck, which they open up for this, and they are delicious....of course you may get them from room service too, maybe even from the lido, I'm not sure about that tho.....last Feb when we did this cruise, we booked a little trip on the train over to the Pacific Ocean and back, that was interesting, but you don't get to see very much from the train.....it was an experience, nonetheless....Have a great cruise !!!

[kazu]

I remember getting up VERY early for this. I think we were waiting to go through around 5 am and entered between 5 and 5:30. I really enjoyed it.

 

I liked the way they opened up the front decks. We had no big masses as there was lots of room.

 

Panama buns are available elsewhere but why go anywhere when they are being served to you as you watch? There were other goodies being served like oj, coffee and stuff. It was a fabulous day. We were through and in the lake by early morning and got off around 11:00 or noon if memory serves to head to the Embria Indian Village.

[Himself]

I was on the Zuiderdam a few years ago and I came out on Deck at 5:30 AM and we were approaching the first lock. I had Mass at 8:00 AM and we were already in Gatun Lake when I went in for Mass. I think we started out of Gatun Lake a little after Noon and we were docked at the nearby port for several hours before we sailed on to the next Port of Call.

[barefootguy]

Everyone's right on it... Approach at sunrise, then through the locks, a relaxing day on the lake & then back through. There's a YouTube link to the partial transit on our signature. You'll love the trip!

[Mystictraveler]

Everyone's right on it... Approach at sunrise, then through the locks, a relaxing day on the lake & then back through. There's a YouTube link to the partial transit on our signature. You'll love the trip!

 

Thanks! Great video.

[wandb]

Will be departing on the Zuiderdam Sunfarer cruise on Jan. 23.

!

 

Hello, Mystictraveler! We will be on the same cruise on the 23rd. Hope you will come join our Roll Call Group where we have a good bit of sharing going on. This was a great question, and we ought to share that with the group also.

 

If you are not familiar with the Roll Calls, just pull up the cruise critic main page, scroll down to Holland America Roll Calls, then scroll down to Zuiderdam, then click on January 23, 2015. We were a little slow to get started, but now have a good group chatting.

 

Are you traveling solo? We have room for one more on what looks like a really good tour of Aruba. Just let us know on the Roll Call. Hope to meet you on board.