Panama Canal NCL transfers question with air deviations

[JennKach]

Is anyone in the situation of air deviations on both sides of the trip, and trying to figure out transfers?  This pertains to the Jewel 2/22/23 10 day sailing which is a full transit embarking in Panama City (south end) and ending in Colon (north end).  We are flying into Panama City two days early, and staying two days after, ideally booking hotels on our own in the Panama City area.  NCL added transfers to the trip at $80 per person.  I contacted NCL through chat to ask what exactly they were, and was told they don't do transfers with air deviations.  That conflicts with info I've seen on cruise critic reviews about catching transfers at the airport or other hotels.  I asked if they do transfers with NCL hotel packages and was told no.  I asked if I could purchase a transfer from the ship directly to the airport (and take my own transport from airport to hotel) and was told no.  I asked if there would be shore excursions post cruise that drop at the airport, and they didn't know.  I'm really only concerned with getting from the ship in Colon back to Panama City since it is over an hour trip, with no easy transit options at the port.  I know I can arrange private transport for about $110, but NCL's prices are so much better if they indeed cover all transfers from airport to hotel to ship and back.  I have no issues booking the NCL hotel, or one close to it and walking to the Hilton to take the transfers.  Can anyone report their experience in a similar situation?  Is this one of those times I should call NCL back and see what answers I get from another rep?  I've attached a screenshot of our transfer charge and itinerary which is quite confusing.

NCL Itinerary.pdf

[julig22]

As to the transfers on your itinerary, you would need to ask - they normally cancel all transfers if you request a deviation so hard to say what they are.

 

Call the transfer # on the reservation - your pcc and the general help people apparently can't do much with transfers/deviations.  For whatever reason they don't seem to understand that sometimes people will go back to the airport even if they fly in early.  When I tried to add the transfer back to my reservation after requesting a deviation, they told me to just go to the airport and find the transfer people and go with it.  Nope.  I want my name on a manifest so I know there is space and I don't have to worry about payment.  But it might take a little persistence.

I have this arrangement set for next month (too bad I still don't have my flight info) and plan to do the same again in August, just haven't gotten around to it.

However, this is the first I've heard that they won't provide a transfer if you use their hotel.  And you can most definitely buy a transfer from the ship to the airport.

 

 For hotel, transfer, Travel Protection, call 1-800-327-7030

[ronheg]

I had a one day deviation on my jewel 3/4/23 Panama canal cruise.  They charged me399 for air, 280 for the hilton panama inn (this included $100 for the transfer airport to hotel and hotel to ship).  They also charged me 100 for airport transfer.  This was part of their precruise package.  Today  I’m cancelling the package because united airlines just had a big price reduction.  I found that viator for $123.12 will take my husband and I on the hour plus trip from panama city to colon 

[reeinaz]

I've had deviations in the past and had them leave the transfer on since my plan was to return to the airport for the transfer. I would call back and speak to someone else. By the way, my transfer was $100 until I requested a deviation on my March 2023 Panama Canal cruise. It's now $50. I was fine with them removing the transfer to the port since my hotel is close to the port and provides a shuttle.

[Turtles06]

54 minutes ago, ronheg said:

I found that viator for $123.12 will take my husband and I on the hour plus trip from panama city to colon 

Just making sure you know that Viator is a 3d party booking company, not the company doing the transport. 

[JennKach]

4 hours ago, reeinaz said:

I've had deviations in the past and had them leave the transfer on since my plan was to return to the airport for the transfer. I would call back and speak to someone else. By the way, my transfer was $100 until I requested a deviation on my March 2023 Panama Canal cruise. It's now $50. I was fine with them removing the transfer to the port since my hotel is close to the port and provides a shuttle.

If you don't mind me asking, which hotel are you using that includes a shuttle to the port?

[Middleager]

Panama is not difficult to get around.  From Panama airport, there are lots of taxis, and uber, to take you into City of Panama.  For us it costed around US$22 uber, while another couple paid something like US$14 (Panama airport to a Panama city hotel)

 

Hotels are cheap in Panama.  You can spend high prices to be booked with NCL chosen hotel, or often much cheaper at other comparable class hotels.  Many of us in the 2022.3.29 Panama cruise booked our own hotels in Panama City (for much cheaper).    Many people also arranged their own transportation from Panama city to Colon.

 

In our case, we had four couples staying at Le Meridien.  We arranged a big van to take us, with a detour stop at For San Lorenzo for an hour, then to ship, US$75/couple.

[PapaGoose]

Hi Middleager.

 

Which company did you book the van with? We will be staying in Panama City for a night before our Feb 13, 2023 cruise and will be looking for transportation to the ship. I like the idea of adding in a sightseeing stop on the way!

[darius427]

On 6/11/2022 at 12:56 PM, JennKach said:

Is anyone in the situation of air deviations on both sides of the trip, and trying to figure out transfers?  This pertains to the Jewel 2/22/23 10 day sailing which is a full transit embarking in Panama City (south end) and ending in Colon (north end).  We are flying into Panama City two days early, and staying two days after, ideally booking hotels on our own in the Panama City area.  NCL added transfers to the trip at $80 per person.  I contacted NCL through chat to ask what exactly they were, and was told they don't do transfers with air deviations.  That conflicts with info I've seen on cruise critic reviews about catching transfers at the airport or other hotels.  I asked if they do transfers with NCL hotel packages and was told no.  I asked if I could purchase a transfer from the ship directly to the airport (and take my own transport from airport to hotel) and was told no.  I asked if there would be shore excursions post cruise that drop at the airport, and they didn't know.  I'm really only concerned with getting from the ship in Colon back to Panama City since it is over an hour trip, with no easy transit options at the port.  I know I can arrange private transport for about $110, but NCL's prices are so much better if they indeed cover all transfers from airport to hotel to ship and back.  I have no issues booking the NCL hotel, or one close to it and walking to the Hilton to take the transfers.  Can anyone report their experience in a similar situation?  Is this one of those times I should call NCL back and see what answers I get from another rep?  I've attached a screenshot of our transfer charge and itinerary which is quite confusing.

NCL Itinerary.pdf 398.51 kB · 10 downloads

Per your attached itinerary, NCL refunded you $50 for the transfer fees.  This is the norm when requesting an air deviation.  They refund you $25 per transfer.  On the itinerary, it says "Airedev fam - no hotel or transfers inlc bus from hotel to port".  So, they cancelled your transfers, and gave you a $50 credit but you now have to find your own transportation to and from the port.

[JennKach]

Interesting.  I called NCL and got a very helpful gentleman that explained there is a security advisory at the Panama City airport that doesn't allow NCL (or anyone else) to schedule transfers to or from the airport unless they have a flight that day.  That's why I couldn't purchase a transfer from the ship to the airport and find my own way to my hotel after that.  They also mistakenly charged me $180 for transfers which he took off my invoice.  

 

For the "pre" days, I could book the NCL hotel package for $240 per night that includes breakfast and transfers from the airport and to the ship in Panama City.  "Post" cruise would be $250 per night and it was unclear whether it included a transfer from the ship in Colon to the Hilton hotel in Panama City.  He elevated to his supervisor to try and get a more definitive answer.  His impression from the available information was it does include that transfer, but I won't trust that info unless I see it in writing.

 

For people flying out the day the ship returns, transfers from Colon to the airport are $50.  I didn't ask about purchasing a NCL transfer from the hotel to port, or hotel to airport.

 

So for now it looks like I'm scheduling all transportation on my own.  Getting the $50 savings for air deviation, and booking much lower hotel rates on my own, I will come out ahead and have full control over my schedule.

 

[reeinaz]

On 6/11/2022 at 10:57 PM, JennKach said:

If you don't mind me asking, which hotel are you using that includes a shuttle to the port?

Radisson Hotel Panama Canal. Be sure to call to see if the shuttle is still available. I made my reservation a few months ago and things change. But it’s right there by the port, so even a taxi will be cheap.