Sailing on Celebrity Millennium Oct 27-PC Cruise Questions

[janetmojo]

We are sailing on the full transit Celebrity Millennium cruise on Oct 27th (canal day Sat the 6th, Colon on the 7th)  It is our first time doing this trip.  We have an aft balcony and both have backgrounds in heavy commercial construction.  It appears out ship "should" go through the old locks.  For our Colon day we are only allowed at this time to book ship excursions.  Would you pick an excursion to the new locks?  Old locks?  Or do you see plenty of that on the transit and would you pick a more general "panama" type tour (boat, bus etc.)  We are 44 and 58 and pretty active.  We had a private tour booked with Robtad's which came highly recommended but they are not going to allow us to go.  Note we will be doing this trip again in April as well.

[BillB48]

You are correct the Millie "should" use the original locks!  It will use the original locks almost without a doubt.  I always like to leave room for that infinitely obscure chance that there could some sort of unforeseen circumstances that would cause the Millennium to take the detour through the new locks.  The Canal is certainly mindful that such a detour would create a great deal of disappointment for many of the passengers wanting to see the original locks.  The more practical reason that your ship won't use the new locks is there are only a specific number of transit slots available each day for the NeoPanamax ships (ships too big for the original locks) and they are the ones that would be paying the premium tolls at the new locks.

 

I looked at Celebrities shore excursions and what I saw did not provide me with enough info to know how the tours were constructed.  I think a trip to the new locks would certainly be interesting in just being able to see it up close.  Honestly you probably will get most of your knowledge about the new locks from the video presentations and perhaps not from being able to see a vessel transit the locks.  Even when you are witnessing a vessel going through the locks it all takes place rather slowly.  A large ship can take 2 to 3 hours to get through the new locks.  I think what would make a visit to either the original or new locks a good excursion would be what other items of interest are included in the excursion.  I think the excursion Panama Canal, the Present & Future may take you to the Agua Clara Locks on the Atlantic side and then to the Miraflores Locks on the Pacific side.  I just can't be certain as their description is just a wee too brief.  However if it does visit both locks it would be a pleasant drive across the Isthmus and a great chance to see some of the country.

 

I can try and answer any other questions you may have.

Edited October 15, 2021 by BillB48

[janetmojo]

Thank you, I was hoping you would chime in!  That is the excursion I was looking at.  I guess my only fear in paying $160 or so pp is that then when we get to the different areas some things are closed like visitor's centers and such but that is another reason we have re-booked in April as a good many of the shore excursions in the other ports have been cancelled I am guessing due to local restrictions.   I've done a quick read through of some of the info here and look forward to checking out a lot of other posts on this board while I plow my way through reading The Path Between the Seas before we head out in a little over a week.