Booking tours in Colon after arrival

[Richard Parker]

I am on Liberty's holiday sailing and am not sure what we want to do about this stop in Colon. I have noticed that most destinations have no shortage of tour operators willing to take people who have not previously made reservations. Anyone know if this will be the case in Colon?

I would like to have the flexibility of deciding that day what we feel like doing, whether that be staying on the ship or taking one of the expensive tours through the canal.

Thanks for any input.

[sptrout]

If you have never visited Panama I highly recommend that you take a tour. You will not see much of anything if you just walk around the pier area. (There are two cruise ship piers in Colon, mostly likely you will be at the pier called "Colon 2000" (if I remember correctly), which is located very near downtown Colon. The other pier that is used mostly by ships that pass into the Canal is called Cristobal). If you dock at Colon 2000, I would not recommend walking into downtown Colon unless you know where you are going; not a tourist town, mainly an industrial port city.

 

In either case, I would not take a chance on being able to purchase a tour on the spot as you can in many other popular cruise stop countries. Panama is still relatively new to being a cruise stop and the conditions are very different the other more established cruise ports.

 

I have been to Panama three times, two of which docked in Colon (one time at each pier); the first visit was a full transit with no stops. We have taken two tours (from Celebrity) that are offered by many cruse lines, 1) Grand Tour of Panama, and 2) (my favorite) Ocean to Ocean Train Tour. I can highly recommend both, especially #2.

 

If you do not take a tour, you will not see the Canal at all, or any of the country. In my opinion, it would be a mistake not to see everything possible during your brief visit.

[Richard Parker]

Thanks for your input. I guess I'm just used to the ultra-cruise friendly "regular" stops.

It makes sense to take advantage of the opportunity to see an exotic place like this and if booking a tour before we go is the way to do it, that's what we'll do!