NCL Pearl partial Panama Canal - how do shore excursions work?

[jerseylily]

We are on a cruise that includes a partial transit of the Panama Canal in November. The ship seems to only make one stop during this transit for 3 hours between 5 p.m. and 8 p.m. I assume this would be in Colon. The ship excursions for this day however include trips of up to five hours and more. How does this work if we are officially only stopping for 3 hours in the early evening. Do they stop at a point where they join the Panama Canal and let people to join these excursions and then pick them up later? Any help would be great as I am trying to plan what we can do on this day, would we miss the locks and lake if we take a trip?

Edited July 30, 2015 by jerseylily

[hypercafe]

After it goes through the locks it anchors in the lake. Pass on the tours get off by tender, later that day the ship goes back out and goes around and ties up in Colon. The tour people rejoin the ship there.

[jerseylily]

Thank you for your swift reply. You mentioned tendering is that to enable people on the ship to get to the lake shore and can you visit the lake shore whilst the ship is at anchor there

[jerseylily]

I think I have answered my own question to quote NCLs web site 'Please note, only booked shore excursion guests can disembark at Gatun Lake. But everyone is welcome to explore at our port-of-call in Colón.'

[hypercafe]

Yes you did, only people on the shore trips can go ashore while in the lake. When you get to Colon you can go ashore however there is not much there, a small terminal/shopping mall. There were taxies however I had read the place was not a good place to go alone so we just sat in a club there and had a drink. It was fun to see the locks and go through them, have fun