Panama Canal partial transit cruises

[rlkubi]

Anyone on Carnival? We are booked on the Pride next year but want to make sure.

[DebJ14]

Don't know about Carnival, but when we did a partial on Celebrity out of Galveston we went through 3 locks into Gatan (can't remember how to spell it) Lake. Those that had excursions got off, the ship turned around and we came back the same way.

 

There are 3 sets of locks in the Canal (old lanes). The Gatun Lock has 3 chambers. Then Pedro Miguel lock is a single chamber and the Miraflores lock has 2 chambers. Technically from the Atlantic into Gatun lake you pass through the Gatun lock, which has 3 chambers. It is a fascinating process with the ship moving up and down within the cement chambers. The ships are literally inches from the walls. We did the partial transit out of Galveston on RCCL in 2003 and did a full transit from Acapulco to Fort Lauderdale on Celebrity. We did not get off in Gatun Lake to tour Panama, but stayed on to watch the process of going through the locks in reverse. On the Journey cruise from Galveston I hope to tender off in Gatun Lake and take the excursion that is the train ride across Panama.

[DebJ14]

For thoses of you who have done a partial transit didn't the ship go thru one lock? We are booked on the Pride next February.

 

All of the partial canal sailings on all cruise lines come in from the Atlantic side, go through the Gatun Lock into Gatun Lake. Although it is 3 chambers, it is considered one lock.

 

After letting off passengers by tender in the middle of Gatun Lake to do excursions in Panama , the ship goes back through the Gatun Lock and docks at Colon to await the passengers out on the tours.

 

I hope they use the newly completed locks. Princess is advertising the New Locks on their partial on the Caribbean Princess, which is 112,894 tons compared to the 110,000 tons of the Freedom. I know Princess used the 91,000 ton Coral Princes in the past for the partials, as it was Panamax (met length, width, height and draft specifications to fit in the old locks). The new RCCL ships (Oasis, Allure, Anthem, etc.) would fit in the new locks, but can't transit the Canal because they don't fit under the Bridge of the Americas.

Edited September 10, 2016 by DebJ14

[packedandready]

There are 3 sets of locks in the Canal (old lanes). The Gatun Lock has 3 chambers. Then Pedro Miguel lock is a single chamber and the Miraflores lock has 2 chambers. Technically from the Atlantic into Gatun lake you pass through the Gatun lock, which has 3 chambers. It is a fascinating process with the ship moving up and down within the cement chambers. The ships are literally inches from the walls. We did the partial transit out of Galveston on RCCL in 2003 and did a full transit from Acapulco to Fort Lauderdale on Celebrity. We did not get off in Gatun Lake to tour Panama, but stayed on to watch the process of going through the locks in reverse. On the Journey cruise from Galveston I hope to tender off in Gatun Lake and take the excursion that is the train ride across Panama.

 

We got off the ship in the lake and got on a much smaller boat and went through to the pacific side. Great way to see the locks. It is one of our favorite cruises.

[CarnieAddict]

Anyone on Carnival? We are booked on the Pride next year but want to make sure.

 

We are on the Pride Partial Transit February 26th. We go to the Lake Gaton and back out. When I booked this tour we were supposed to stop in Colon. But they changed it to partial transit. Luke.

[CarnieAddict]

We got off the ship in the lake and got on a much smaller boat and went through to the pacific side. Great way to see the locks. It is one of our favorite cruises.

 

I'm not sure if that option will be available to us. There is nothing for excursions for Panama listed.

[Froufie]

I'm not sure if that option will be available to us. There is nothing for excursions for Panama listed.

 

 

I was wondering the same thing - and found this on another thread - guess there is not stop or excursions on the Carnival partial transits :(

 

Originally posted by Essiesmom

Carnival's

partial

transits do not have a stop after leaving the lake, so there are no excursions offered. The

transit

is the excursion. EM

True and I think cb at sea's experience was on a different cruise line. Unlike some others (HAL, Princess), Carnival does not have any shore excursions on partial transits which depart the ship via tender in Gatun Lake nor does it stop in Colon Panama after exiting the Lake and locks on the Caribbean side.