Review of Former Canal Zone History excursion (Partial Transit cruise)

[Noodle77]

I couldn't find any information about this excursion when planning our Partial Transit cruise on the NCL Jade, so I wanted to provide a review if others are considering it.  This excursion was a clear choice for my mom and I, as she and my dad lived in the Canal Zone when I was born.  She was excited about seeing areas of the Canal Zone that she remembered and since I have no memories of living there, I wanted to see it for the first time.  

 

Here's the description: 

You’ll visit the Miraflores Locks Visitors Center which offers exhibits about the canal operations with interactive modules, video presentations and models of the Panama Canal. Hopefully you’ll also have an opportunity to see a vessel transit the Miraflores Locks’ chambers.

 

This historical excursion will take you past the former, old Panama Canal Zone where the military installations of the American administration are a gentle reminder of the strategic importance of the area. Your specially trained guide will provide a narration, during your scenic drive of the City of Knowledge, Clayton, Albrook Airport, a former US Air Force Base. A photo stop will be made at the Panama Canal Administration offices.

 

Enjoy a scenic drive over the palm-lined Amador Causeway with fantastic views of the downtown skyline. This causeway was built with excavated material during the construction of the Panama Canal, it took 18 million yards of solid rock. Originally part of a military base, this is now a popular recreational area with shops, restaurants and a marina attracting locals and visitors alike. A short stop will be made at Fort Amador, before your return to the ship.

 

Most of the sightseeing was from the bus -- my one disappointment was that the stop at the Canal Administration Offices wasn't a stop at all.  We spent some time driving around the town of Balboa, where the Admin offices were, and got a general sense of where some of the former military installations were.  The stop at Fort Amador was kind of a waste -- it's a lovely location right on the water, and there are some restaurants there, but the shopping was one large duty-free store and one very small souvenir stand.  

 

The visit to Miraflores Locks was great -- it was nice to see Canal operations from the land side, since we had been on the boat that morning.  The guide was able to plan the timing so that we could see a couple ships passing through.  

 

In case you're wondering about logistics -- after the ship entered Gatun Lake and anchored, they released the excursion groups one by one from the theater.  We tendered over to a small dock and loaded up on buses.  We had a chance to see the "new" locks and learn about the expanded Canal a little bit on the bus.  Then we drove to the Pacific side, around 45 minutes, for the sightseeing and visit to the other set of locks.  At the end we were transported to Colon, where the ship was docked after having gone back through the locks.

 

This was a great excursion if you have a connection to the Canal Zone.  We only saw Panama City from a distance, so if that's your interest, I would look into one of the other tours.  I'll try to post a couple photos shortly!

[ski ww]

Thanks for posting, sounds interesting. We did a full transit, enjoyed it enough to some day do it again.

[Coolcruise02]

Thanks for the info!

 

[ISLABONITA]

On ‎11‎/‎27‎/‎2018 at 12:38 PM, Noodle77 said:

I couldn't find any information about this excursion when planning our Partial Transit cruise on the NCL Jade, so I wanted to provide a review if others are considering it.  This excursion was a clear choice for my mom and I, as she and my dad lived in the Canal Zone when I was born.  She was excited about seeing areas of the Canal Zone that she remembered and since I have no memories of living there, I wanted to see it for the first time.  

 

Here's the description: 

You’ll visit the Miraflores Locks Visitors Center which offers exhibits about the canal operations with interactive modules, video presentations and models of the Panama Canal. Hopefully you’ll also have an opportunity to see a vessel transit the Miraflores Locks’ chambers.

 

This historical excursion will take you past the former, old Panama Canal Zone where the military installations of the American administration are a gentle reminder of the strategic importance of the area. Your specially trained guide will provide a narration, during your scenic drive of the City of Knowledge, Clayton, Albrook Airport, a former US Air Force Base. A photo stop will be made at the Panama Canal Administration offices.

 

Enjoy a scenic drive over the palm-lined Amador Causeway with fantastic views of the downtown skyline. This causeway was built with excavated material during the construction of the Panama Canal, it took 18 million yards of solid rock. Originally part of a military base, this is now a popular recreational area with shops, restaurants and a marina attracting locals and visitors alike. A short stop will be made at Fort Amador, before your return to the ship.

 

Most of the sightseeing was from the bus -- my one disappointment was that the stop at the Canal Administration Offices wasn't a stop at all.  We spent some time driving around the town of Balboa, where the Admin offices were, and got a general sense of where some of the former military installations were.  The stop at Fort Amador was kind of a waste -- it's a lovely location right on the water, and there are some restaurants there, but the shopping was one large duty-free store and one very small souvenir stand.  

 

The visit to Miraflores Locks was great -- it was nice to see Canal operations from the land side, since we had been on the boat that morning.  The guide was able to plan the timing so that we could see a couple ships passing through.  

 

In case you're wondering about logistics -- after the ship entered Gatun Lake and anchored, they released the excursion groups one by one from the theater.  We tendered over to a small dock and loaded up on buses.  We had a chance to see the "new" locks and learn about the expanded Canal a little bit on the bus.  Then we drove to the Pacific side, around 45 minutes, for the sightseeing and visit to the other set of locks.  At the end we were transported to Colon, where the ship was docked after having gone back through the locks.

 

This was a great excursion if you have a connection to the Canal Zone.  We only saw Panama City from a distance, so if that's your interest, I would look into one of the other tours.  I'll try to post a couple photos shortly!

Do you remember how long you had at the museum for the exhibit viewing and video presentation? thanks

[BillB48]

That is a real shame you weren't able to stop at the Canal's Administration Building.  The real gem of the building are the murals in the rotunda depicting scenes from the construction of the Canal.  The murals were painted by American artist William B. Van Igen, both the murals and the Building are over a hundred years old.  AFAIK the murals are still accessible to the public.