A View of the Pacific Locks from a Different Perspective

[BillB48]

Here is a view from the Bliss's bridge cam with Miraflores Lake and Locks to the left of the Borinquen Dam.  The Dam is the barrier between Gaillard Cut (Gatun Lake) and the lower Miraflores Lake.  The approaching ship has just cleared the Cocoli Locks.  The Bliss started her Canal transit yesterday (9/27) and presumably complete her transit today.

 

[Turtles06]

Thanks Bill!  Any reason why the Bliss didn’t do the transit in one day? 

 

For those who may not know, the Bliss is sailing without passengers. I think it’s great that NCL did their typical Canal setup of covered chairs in the bow, so that the staff and crew could enjoy the transit. 

[CruiserBruce]

11 minutes ago, Turtles06 said:

Thanks Bill!  Any reason why the Bliss didn’t do the transit in one day? 

 

 

Probably for a cheaper fare? Without the priority transit fees, etc, as they aren't traveling with pax and a tight schedule to keep?

[njhorseman]

21 minutes ago, Turtles06 said:

Any reason why the Bliss didn’t do the transit in one day? 

 

8 minutes ago, CruiserBruce said:

Probably for a cheaper fare? Without the priority transit fees, etc, as they aren't traveling with pax and a tight schedule to keep?

I suspect @CruiserBruce is right. I believe you pay a premium for a guaranteed single day daylight transit. 

[Turtles06]

1 hour ago, CruiserBruce said:

Probably for a cheaper fare? Without the priority transit fees, etc, as they aren't traveling with pax and a tight schedule to keep?

 

1 hour ago, njhorseman said:

 

I suspect @CruiserBruce is right. I believe you pay a premium for a guaranteed single day daylight transit. 

 

Thank you both.   I know there's an additional payment for a guaranteed daylight transit, it just seemed odd to me that they were there during daylight, and then did not complete the transit.  So perhaps there is a cheaper "fare" if they don't care about completing the transit in daylight?  Fascinating. 

[BillB48]

I can't speak with any certainty as to whether or not the Bliss paid for a reservation or not, probably be dependent on when they needed to get the ship up to the West Coast for whenever she starts Mexican Riviera cruises in October.  I just looked at the number of days wait for a NeoPanamax ship (one that uses new locks) and it is presently a one day wait for transit for a southbound ship, so they may have had enough slack built into their schedule to not have a reservation.  However northbound neo ships are presently facing a 6 day wait for a transit.  I feel certain they probably skipped the $30,000 day light transit guarantee expense.

 

I really think the reason she camped out overnight in the Cut is because of her air draft.  To have unrestricted passage under the Bridge of Americas the air draft cannot exceed 190'.  For ships with air draft in excess of that figure passage is permitted at low tide on a case by case basis up to 205' air draft.  The Bliss is a little over 198', so she would have had to be at the Bridge of Americas at 1:48PM for low tide, probably too tall of an order.  Holding her north of Cocoli Locks for a low tide today was probably a convenient option.  There was another low tide a little after 2AM this morning, but I would think they are holding off for this afternoon's low tide at 2:36.  Just an aside, the low tides  during yesterday and today are not all that low of a tide.  To put some numbers to the height of the tide, last night's low was +3.1' and this afternoon's low will +4.0.  Tides at Balboa can range from a high of +18' to a low of -3'.

 

My source tells me that she paid $816K or $861K, may have swapped the smaller of the numbers, not the first number!

 

Headed to the locks now.

 

Edited September 28, 2021 by BillB48

[njhorseman]

1 hour ago, BillB48 said:

I can't speak with any certainty as to whether or not the Bliss paid for a reservation or not, probably be dependent on when they needed to get the ship up to the West Coast for whenever she starts Mexican Riviera cruises in October. 

Her first cruise departs October 24, so they're under no time pressure .

[txjim09]

On 9/28/2021 at 11:07 AM, BillB48 said:

...

  I just looked at the number of days wait for a NeoPanamax ship (one that uses new locks) and it is presently a one day wait for transit for a southbound ship, so they may have had enough slack built into their schedule to not have a reservation.  However northbound neo ships are presently facing a 6 day wait for a transit. ...

Interesting numbers, thanks for the data!  I'm curious how west coast to east coast full transit cruise ships requiring the new locks handle this.  Do they pay to cut the line?

 

 

edit - Never mind, just read your other informative post in another thread, thanks!

Edited November 11, 2021 by txjim09

[BillB48]

7 hours ago, txjim09 said:

Interesting numbers, thanks for the data!  I'm curious how west coast to east coast full transit cruise ships requiring the new locks handle this.  Do they pay to cut the line?

 

 

edit - Never mind, just read your other informative post in another thread, thanks!

 

Here is a postscript to the waiting times I referenced earlier for ships showing up without a reservation.  Recently the Canal had been going through a slight sag in transits and the waiting times were minimal.  Things have picked up in the numbers of arrivals for ships needing to use the new locks.  The first three classes of vessels are ones that must use the new locks and the last two entries are original locks customers.

 

In addition to purchasing a reservation, one transit slot in each direction is offered on bid.  So if time is the gorilla in the room, whatever you bank book can afford!

 

Edited November 11, 2021 by BillB48
Not enough coffee