Confirming I understand Canal Touch Correctly & suggestions on tours

[pl281]

We are doing a New Years Canal Touch Cruise (Celebrity Edge)  It will be our first time doing anything canal related.

 

As I understand it, we enter the canal around 6am - it will take about 3 hours or so to get into the lake (based on the shore excursion times) - the ship will hang out there for a few hours and it shows leaving at 3pm with docking in Colon from 4pm to 9pm - I assume to pick up any tours

 

One tour I'm considering is Panama City Tour & Miraflores Locks - 9:30 AM  - 7 Hours

the other is Wonder of Engineering Panama Canal Locks & Culebra Cut Cruise - 9:00 AM - 8 Hours

 

The 2nd excursion is on a ferry the rest of the way through the locks - which I get the impression is a better experience as you see it from the large ship as well as the smaller ferry

 

I'm interested to know what others think - thanks

[BillB48]

Your understanding of the two excursions is correct, that is the manner in which they will operate.  Just one minor point on the Wonder of Engineering...& Culebra Cut Cruise, that cruise does not take you all the way through the remainder of the Canal.  It does take you through the two Pacific Locks and Gaillard (Culebra) Cut.  What is missed is the 23 miles of the Canal that crosses Gatun Lake.  You will tender off the ship once it reaches Gatun Lake, board a bus which will take you the Pacific side where you will join the ferry which will take you through the Pacific Locks and the Cut.  The ferry portion will operate between Gamboa and Ft. Amador or vice versa.  After the ferry portion of the excursion is completed you will return to the Atlantic side by bus where you will rejoin the ship in Colon.

 

Since the Edge will be using the new locks this excursion will give you an opportunity to experience the original locks along with passing through the Cut. 

Edited April 2, 2022 by BillB48

[pl281]

@BillB48

 

Thank you for the information - it is very helpful 

I did read a couple of reviews of the excursion that said once on the ferry it was wonderful - the negative had to deal with waiting for the canal pilot and being on the bus - but I know that going in