Panama Canal partial transit excursions from Ship

[cruiser4242]

We are booked on a March 2020 partial transit cruise on the Island Princess. Does anyone have any experience on taking a ships excursion while in the canal?

[Bonnie J.]

Have done this cruise. There are no trips off the ship while IN the canal. But, if you are dropping anchor in the lake before leaving back thru canal next day, there are tours there. Click on your ship, then the day in lake and tour should come up. Or try Panama canal lake tours. Forget name of the lake,

[OCruisers]

Gatun Lake  

The ship will offer excursions while you are anchored in Gatun Lake.

The only thoses with excursions booked with the ship are allowed off.  

It's a good thing to do because sitting around in Gatun Lake becomes very boring.  

 

[zqvol]

Ships offer excursions after you enter Gutan lake. They pick you up in Colon afterwards. If you don't take a ship tour you don't get off. There is nothing but a building with restrooms where the tenders drop you off.  Sitting in Gutam Lake is just like a sea day except that there are more ships to see.

[GeezerCouple]

33 minutes ago, cruiser4242 said:

We are booked on a March 2020 partial transit cruise on the Island Princess. Does anyone have any experience on taking a ships excursion while in the canal?

 

You might want to post this question on the Princess cruise line section of CC.

That way, you'll get answers from those who are familiar with the specific choices of excursions that Princess offers.

Many may be similar from line to line, but it also might be that not all lines offer all of the same choices.

 

We are hoping to do a full transit at sometime.

Watching documentaries of how that Canal was built was... awesome.

 

GC

[jagsfan]

16 hours ago, cruiser4242 said:

We are booked on a March 2020 partial transit cruise on the Island Princess. Does anyone have any experience on taking a ships excursion while in the canal?

We did the excursion from Gatun Lake on a small boat that took us all the way through and briefly into the Pacific. We were motor coached back from Panama City to meet the ship in Colon. 

It was wonderful. We sat on the top deck which was open. We were served lunch in baskets including beverages (no alcohol). Lunch was very good. 

Going through locks practically at water level is a whole different experience. Looking up at the huge lock doors, watching them open, watching the lock fill up or empty, going through it jammed up against a catamaran with French college students as crew, going under the spectacular and unexpected bridge, seeing the solidly high rise skyline of Panama City, all the ships riding at anchor in the Pacufic...Priceless!

I would do it again in a heartbeat!

[George C]

We enjoyed seeing wild life in Gutan lake and area in general seeing sloths hanging from trees was cool .