Panama Canal New Locks

[Coloradohawk]

Does anyone know if Princess (or any cruise line for that matter) will be using the new locks now that they are open? Have cruised through the old locks and would like to go through the new locks for a new experience.

[Goldiesmom]

Yes, Check out the Caribbean Princess sailings beginning next October 2017 thru the first several months in 2018. These cruises also have the Sip and Sail Promotion - which is the All Inclusive Beverage Package - Included FREE. We are booked on the November 30 sailing out of Fort Lauderdale for the 10-day cruise through the New Locks. :)

[fishywood]

Caribbean Princess will begin sailing partial Panama Canal transits using the new locks starting in October 2017. Many, many existing threads about it for you to search through.

[Colo Cruiser]

Does anyone know if Princess (or any cruise line for that matter) will be using the new locks now that they are open? Have cruised through the old locks and would like to go through the new locks for a new experience.

 

Yes next year. :)

[Astro Flyer]

According to this Cruise Critic article from June:

 

A spokesperson for Princess Cruises said: "As a result of the expansion, 2017 will see Caribbean Princess sail her maiden Panama Canal season through the new locks on 10-night voyages, while the smaller Coral Princess and Island Princess return to transit the traditional locks."

 

http://www.cruisecritic.com/news/news.cfm?ID=7087

 

Here's info from USA Today which includes other cruise lines:

 

http://usat.ly/28Su5Qk

Edited August 1, 2016 by Astro Flyer

[Grego]

We are booking a BTB on the Caribbean Princess late February 2018 specifically to see the new locks. Originally, we were looking at a BTB on the Ruby Princess but the 30 days with the same itinerary there and back didn't appeal. It would have been nice to do the full transit on the Ruby, but the partial on the Caribbean is fine as we have done it twice before.

[zahav1]

Please see this thread

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2367597

[caribill]

We are booking a BTB on the Caribbean Princess late February 2018 specifically to see the new locks. Originally, we were looking at a BTB on the Ruby Princess but the 30 days with the same itinerary there and back didn't appeal. It would have been nice to do the full transit on the Ruby, but the partial on the Caribbean is fine as we have done it twice before.

 

The Ruby is not doing any Panama Canal cruises and no Grand Class ships are making a full transit.

[Grego]

The Ruby is not doing any Panama Canal cruises and no Grand Class ships are making a full transit.

Absolutely correct. We had also been looking at the Ruby for a coastal from Mexico to Alaska and inadvertently wrote that ship. What we were looking at for the full transit to S.F. BTB was indeed the Island. Regardless, we ended up booking a BTB on the Caribbean Princess partial transit in the new locks next February.

 

Thanks for pointing that out.

 

Greg

[cr8tiv1]

It is my understanding that the Caribbean Princess is only able to do a partial transit from FLL since she is too tall to fit under the Bridge of America. She will enter through the North New Lock and sit in Gatun Lake as they off load passengers for Princess excursions ONLY.

[BillB48]

It is my understanding that the Caribbean Princess is only able to do a partial transit from FLL since she is too tall to fit under the Bridge of America. She will enter through the North New Lock and sit in Gatun Lake as they off load passengers for Princess excursions ONLY.

 

The Caribbean Princess's air draft is not an issue with the Bridge of Americas, she will slide through comfortably.

[trbarton]

I'm waiting for Princess to have cruise that does a full transit through the new locks, not the partial transit. Since I live in San Francisco having to pay airfare only one way is a plus.

Tom:)

[patfred]

Ncl is sending her new ship the bliss thru the new locks

[creel5857]

For someone doing Panama Canal the first time we are trying to decide on the old vs new canal. I am aware about full vs partial transit but wondering what advantages to new canal over old canal.

[Astro Flyer]

For someone doing Panama Canal the first time we are trying to decide on the old vs new canal. I am aware about full vs partial transit but wondering what advantages to new canal over old canal.

My recommendation would be to first experience the original locks & to learn about the great sacrifices & engineering that it took to create them. The canal is primarily the same for all crossings & the options are the old vs new locks.

 

Famous historian David McCullough's book The Path Between the Seas first documents the French's effort to build the canal led by Gustave Eiffel who designed the famous tower in Paris. To learn about the 20,000 workers who died from disease & accidents during the French's construction & another 5,000 during the USA's completion of the canal.

 

While the new locks are technologically more advance they don't have the tremendous historical significance of the original locks system during the construction of the Panama Canal.

 

If you don't want to read his book, he narrates a decades old PBS Nova program A Man, A Plan, A Canal, Panama and the DVD & book are available online from sites such as Amazon. There are lectures about the construction & on my Panama Canal cruises they showed his Nova documentary so you could instead learn about the history of the Panama Canal on the ship.

 

I know that your question was about the advantages to the new canal over old canal however for a first time Panama Canal experience I think the advantage goes to sailing through the original locks system

[cr8tiv1]

I also agree with Astro Flyer. Do the full transit through the old locks first. It will give you a greater appreciation for the canal. You should be able to "see" the new locks as you transit. Your ship lecturer should also have visuals of the differences.

 

Do a transit from FLL to San Pedro or beyond. You will have an additional 5 hours on the ship (with all the time changes). Okay...technically only three. Think of how much more you can sleep, eat, and/or drink!

[NavyVeteran]

I agree with Astro Flyer and cr8tiv1. For your first trip, definitely go through the historical old locks.

 

Also I strongly agree with the recommendation to read David McCullough's book The Path Between the Seas. It will add a lot to your understanding.

 

If you take a partial transit roundtrip from Fort Lauderdale, I recommend the Princess excursion that goes through the Pacific locks on a small boat. That way you will actually do a full transit even though your ship doesn't. Also you get a completely different view of the locks from a small boat than from the Panamax cruise ship.

 

I am going through the new locks on the Caribbean Princess in January, but only because I have already been through the old ones.

[jagsfan]

DH finally agreed to do this excursion on our March 28 sailing. To me it would be a fabulous chance to see the rest of the way without flying home at the end, and more exciting, to see the locks in a small boat. If this excursion was available last time we did the partial in '99, I sure didn't know it.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums mobile app

[BillB48]

For someone doing Panama Canal the first time we are trying to decide on the old vs new canal. I am aware about full vs partial transit but wondering what advantages to new canal over old canal.

 

As soon as I have the opportunity to go through the new locks I will no doubt do it. Let me add that you will still go through 90% or so of the original Canal when using the new locks. You will still experience travelling through the man made fjord of Gaillard Cut and your crossing of Gatun Lake is still the original route of the Chagres River. These have not changed, only the way you reach Gatun Lake and the Cut had changed.

 

Transiting the new locks to many cruisers is going to be a little anticlimactic as there will not be any where near the visual interests that are available at the legacy locks. There are no "mules" that will guide your ship, only two tugs... one on the bow towing and one on the stern and the process is s l o w. Unless you are in the right spot you will see very little of them and the tugs are not nearly as unique as the mules are. A ship like the Coral Princess will use approximately 95% of the lock chamber where the Caribbean Princess when she transits the new locks will use only about 60% of the chamber. The visual impact will certainly be somewhat less dramatic. The new locks is a single lane, there won't be any inter action between your ship and the ship in the opposite lane. All these things don't necessarily mean that a passage through the new locks won't be something to do and enjoy. It is just going to be different than a passage through the legacy locks.

 

I would prefer to do the old locks first.

[Lucky TGO]

Transiting the new locks to many cruisers is going to be a little anticlimactic as there will not be any where near the visual interests that are available at the legacy locks. There are no "mules" that will guide your ship, only two tugs... one on the bow towing and one on the stern and the process is s l o w. Unless you are in the right spot you will see very little of them and the tugs are not nearly as unique as the mules are. A ship like the Coral Princess will use approximately 95% of the lock chamber where the Caribbean Princess when she transits the new locks will use only about 60% of the chamber. The visual impact will certainly be somewhat less dramatic. The new locks is a single lane, there won't be any inter action between your ship and the ship in the opposite lane. All these things don't necessarily mean that a passage through the new locks won't be something to do and enjoy. It is just going to be different than a passage through the legacy locks.

 

I would prefer to do the old locks first.

 

Thanks for all the info.

Tony

[jdeanski]

I agree with Astro Flyer and cr8tiv1. For your first trip, definitely go through the historical old locks.

 

Also I strongly agree with the recommendation to read David McCullough's book The Path Between the Seas. It will add a lot to your understanding.

 

If you take a partial transit roundtrip from Fort Lauderdale, I recommend the Princess excursion that goes through the Pacific locks on a small boat. That way you will actually do a full transit even though your ship doesn't. Also you get a completely different view of the locks from a small boat than from the Panamax cruise ship.

 

I am going through the new locks on the Caribbean Princess in January, but only because I have already been through the old ones.

 

No to mention you can actually touch the lock's walls.

[NavyVeteran]

No to mention you can actually touch the lock's walls.

 

Yes, I did from my balcony.

 

I could also touch lock walls on my last river cruise. However the scale is so much different. The Panama Canal locks are so much larger than European river locks.

 

I don't expect to be able to touch them on my cruise through the new locks next year. But then, I don't have a balcony on that cruise anyway.

[cruiselvr1]

Does anyone know if Princess (or any cruise line for that matter) will be using the new locks now that they are open? Have cruised through the old locks and would like to go through the new locks for a new experience.

Yes we have a cruise scheduled on the CB in March of 2018.

[NavyVeteran]

Yes we have a cruise scheduled on the CB in March of 2018.

 

We'll be on the Caribbean Princess going through the canal in January. The Caribbean Princess has several partial transit cruises scheduled round trip from Fort Lauderdale - and I can guarantee she won't be going though the old locks.:)