Panmax or new canal

[nanatutu]

For those of you that have recently cruise on the Coral Princess did you enter the canal via the old Panmax canal or the new canal?

 

We are booked on Coral March 18th and was just wondering.:)

[CineGraphic]

The new locks have a higher toll, so the boats that can fit the older locks will always go through the older locks.

[CruiserBruce]

This is heavily discussed on the Panama board, here:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=89

 

No cruise ship has used the new locks as of yet, and none is scheduled until this spring, IIRC. If your ship doesn't require the new locks, due to size, it is unlikely the ship will use the new locks.

[Colo Cruiser]

Old locks.

[yuccaman]

Due to capacity, efficiency, and costs, only ships that have to use the new locks, will. The old locks will likely go on another 100 years.:)

[BillB48]

There have not been any passenger ships use the new locks as yet. The Canal is not accepting passenger ships for the new locks until April 2017 and right now the first one scheduled is the Disney Wonder. Princess' first use of the new locks is schedule to be in October 2017 with the Caribbean Princess.

 

A side note... the Wonder has transited the legacy locks as a Panamax ship, however due additions during a recent dry dock she now longer technically "fits" in the old locks.

[Astro Flyer]

The Caribbean Princess begins sailing through the new locks beginning on 10/21/17.

 

The ship is too large for the original lock's system & is sailing a 10-day roundtrip itinerary from Ft. Lauderdale.

 

http://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/cruises/2016/06/03/princess-cruises-panama-canal/85336090/

[fox02554]

Great question , we're on the March 18th cruise too :) . I couldn't even find anything in the excursions that spicificly focused on new Locks , I spent my Teenage years as an Air Force brat in the canal so can't wait to see the changes

[Pythian]

Just my opinion, but if you are only sailing from the Atlantic to get to the Pacific (or vice-versa), then the new locks will be great. Panama is hot and wet, so enjoy your day inside near the buffet or taking a nap in your cabin. If you are sailing specific to see the Panama Canal and want to experience the wonder and awe that comes with sailing through the canal, then the original locks are what you will want to take.

[Eagle_and_hawk]

We would go with the original locks for a first time cruise, especially if you are interested in the history of the Panama Canal. We have done the partial transit twice on the Coral, and in 2018, we are booked on the Caribbean Princess to venture through the new locks. We are interested in the different experience.

[Colo Cruiser]

Just my opinion, but if you are only sailing from the Atlantic to get to the Pacific (or vice-versa), then the new locks will be great. Panama is hot and wet, so enjoy your day inside near the buffet or taking a nap in your cabin. If you are sailing specific to see the Panama Canal and want to experience the wonder and awe that comes with sailing through the canal, then the original locks are what you will want to take.

 

 

Take a nap? During the canal transit? I think not. :eek:

[fox02554]

Take a nap? During the canal transit? I think not. :eek:

 

:p , I know , but going through on the big ship isn't enough for me , I'll pass on a balcony cabin :( so I can take a little boat through the locks too :D

[sloopsailor]

Just my opinion, but if you are only sailing from the Atlantic to get to the Pacific (or vice-versa), then the new locks will be great. Panama is hot and wet, so enjoy your day inside near the buffet or taking a nap in your cabin. If you are sailing specific to see the Panama Canal and want to experience the wonder and awe that comes with sailing through the canal, then the original locks are what you will want to take.

 

Not in March as the op is doing. March is still considered the dry season in Panama. February, March, September and October are the least rainy months, making March a good time for the transit.

 

In 2009 we did our transit on March 23rd in near perfect weather. In fact, our entire three week land and cruise vacation beginning in Santiago, Peru on March 8th and ending in Ft. Lauderdale on March 29th was completely rain free with minimal humidity.

Edited November 29, 2016 by sloopsailor

[caribill]

Just my opinion, but if you are only sailing from the Atlantic to get to the Pacific (or vice-versa), then the new locks will be great.

 

Very few cruise ships that cannot fit in the old locks will be low enough to fit under the bridges that are on the Pacific side. So thus there will be few ships using the new locks on a full transit.

[BillB48]

Very few cruise ships that cannot fit in the old locks will be low enough to fit under the bridges that are on the Pacific side. So thus there will be few ships using the new locks on a full transit.

 

Princess along with the rest of the Carnival family are all in good shape to fit under the Bridge of Americas on the Pacific side. The only cruise line that has a number of ships that exceed the 205' limit is Royal Caribbean. I'm sure with all the delays in the opening of the Canal expansion has dampened the cruise lines enthusiasm to commit to Canal cruises on the larger ships. Now that it is up and running perhaps Canal itineraries will pop up for the ships that can't use the old locks.

[yuccaman]

I'm sure with all the delays in the opening of the Canal expansion has dampened the cruise lines enthusiasm to commit to Canal cruises on the larger ships. Now that it is up and running perhaps Canal itineraries will pop up for the ships that can't use the old locks.

 

Yes, I've heard that this was quite true. There was a shyness to heavy commitment given the long-in-advance nature of cruise line scheduling, especially since the new locks were scheduled at first to operate below capacity in sort of a shakedown or beta test.

 

When it comes to very large ships (not counting the ones that don't fit under the bridges :) )I would also personally speculate off the record, questioning the number of passengers the lines feel they could get to commit to 10-day partial cruises and longer through-trips, given the very high per/day and total cost, to fill very large ships. It's definitely a $ commitment one makes, to earmark this trip, compared to "the family cruise". They may be going in slow, to "test the waters", so to speak - pun intended!

[Grego]

We had booked a full transit voyage from Port Everglades to Vancouver occurring in April of 2018 and when we learned that the Coral Princess would be using the old locks we opted out. Prior voyages in Panama were partial transits and on one of them, we took a small charter boat that took us "full transit" to Panama City. We really wanted to experience the new locks with the tugs doing the positioning work instead of the mules.