Is Panama Canal transit view ok from balcony on Jewel?

[JennKach]

I know that views of the Panama Canal transit from an outside cabin could be just looking at the canal wall.  Obviously the low decks would be that way, but how high up do you have to be in order to see above the wall?  I'm booked on the Jewel and considering changing to a balcony on a higher deck if it's advantageous. We will spend time up on deck as well, but it would be nice to relax on the balcony too.

[CaptainBazz]

Done this trip twice...best place is on the bow if they open it up or anywhere high up at the front. You will miss lots of things if you stay on your balcony. Once you go through the actual canal then move to your balcony...lots to see...when you get to the other side again up front is the place to be.

[desherry]

Deck 7 will be at the top of the wall. I traveled the canal on the Gem, and this was the case. The Gem is the same class as the Jewel. I would travel the various areas of the ship to get different perspectives. On the Promenade deck was great to see the operation of the mules, the bow was great as well, and the top deck gave great views of the surrounding areas.

[Turtles06]

16 hours ago, desherry said:

Deck 7 will be at the top of the wall.

 

Just so the OP has a visual of what you are talking about, here's a photo that I took on Deck 7 (the Promenade Deck) of the Jewel as we were in one of the Gatun Locks.

 

 

(photo by turtles06)

[Turtles06]

18 hours ago, JennKach said:

We will spend time up on deck as well, but it would be nice to relax on the balcony too.

 

Please do be sure that you experience the transit from all different perspectives on the ship -- forward, aft, middle, high, low.  A good time to take a break on your balcony is when the ship is in Gatun Lake.  If you are on the port side, you'll be able to watch the traffic coming from the opposite direction; all kinds of cargo ships, big ships... If your balcony is on the starboard side, do take some time to go over and watch the traffic.

[roger001]

And the Great Outdoors gives you excellent views both sides too.  But yes, I was all over the ship.  Have done it twice.  

[JennKach]

Thanks everyone for the awesome replies and the picture!

[JennKach]

One more question - is it luck of the draw which of the locks the ship uses?  We are leaving Panama City and heading to Colon.  I assume we'll use the old locks, but are they "one way" or do ships just use which ever one is available?  I checked a couple map programs and photos appear to show ships going both directions in each lock.

[desherry]

Here is a picture from the port side of the Gem entering the Miraflores Lock. We are on the Promenade deck. 

[desherry]

2 minutes ago, JennKach said:

One more question - is it luck of the draw which of the locks the ship uses?  We are leaving Panama City and heading to Colon.  I assume we'll use the old locks, but are they "one way" or do ships just use which ever one is available?  I checked a couple map programs and photos appear to show ships going both directions in each lock.

It depends on the ship size. The Jewel class uses the old locks, but the Breakaway and Breakaway plus classes are too big for the old locks and use the new locks. 

[JennKach]

So the old locks have two lanes.  Do the northbound ships always use the right side lane for example, or could they use either one depending on traffic?

[Turtles06]

29 minutes ago, JennKach said:

So the old locks have two lanes.  Do the northbound ships always use the right side lane for example, or could they use either one depending on traffic?

 

I've only been through the Canal twice, both times from north to south, so I hope someone will correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe the Canal changes direction every 12 hours.  This means that when ships enter the Gatun Locks of the Canal from the north in the early morning (heading south), they use the chambers on the west side. (In other words, the portside of the ship will be alongside the center wall of the lock, as in my photo immediately below.)  At the same time, northbound ships that began their transit the night before will use the chambers on the east side of those locks, as you see here:

 

 

By the time the southbound ships get to the old locks on the Pacific side late in the day, they will be running in only one direction, and so a ship may use the lock chamber on either side, as you can see from this photo that I took in the Miraflores Locks as we neared the end of our transit on the Jewel:

 

 

(photos by turtles06)

[desherry]

When I went through on the Gem in January 2020 west bound (North to South), we used the right lane (West side) in the Gatun locks and the left lanes( East side) in the Pedro Miguel and Mira Floras locks.  We may have been the first ships on a  direction shift as all traffic from Gamboa to the Pacific was in the same direction, however, we passed several ships traveling Northbound in the lake and Gatun locks. We followed the Crystal Symphony through the canal.

 

[TrumpyNor]

Just a tip when doing a Panama cruise with NCL: NCL have their photographers making amazing photos of the ship at various points of the canal/locks - they can be be purchased as a photo package at a reasonable price in the photo gallery on board. Here is a collage of the photos I purchased on board and then scanned for my cruise photobook - photos that I would not have been able to make myself no matter where on the ship my cabin would have been located.... 

Edited July 3, 2022 by TrumpyNor

[MagnoliaBlossom]

We have cruise the PC twice, both times on the Jewel in balconies on deck 10.  Very nice views but the best views are outside, but it does get very crowded out there.  On our first trip we had an aft balcony which offered very nice views, but it was pricey.

[Turtles06]

9 minutes ago, MagnoliaBlossom said:

We have cruise the PC twice, both times on the Jewel in balconies on deck 10.  Very nice views but the best views are outside, but it does get very crowded out there.  

A tip about the crowds. They are the largest (especially in the bow) in the morning during the first few lock chambers. But it’s a long, hot day, and the crowds do tend to thin out some by late in the day, when the ship is going through the final locks. 
 

Also, it’s unlikely to be crowded in the bow when the ship is crossing Gatun Lake. 
 

 

[Candy Apple 12]

On 7/2/2022 at 12:36 PM, desherry said:

It depends on the ship size. The Jewel class uses the old locks, but the Breakaway and Breakaway plus classes are too big for the old locks and use the new locks. 

Pros and cons of old vs new locks, anyone?

[Turtles06]

2 minutes ago, Candy Apple 12 said:

Pros and cons of old vs new locks, anyone?

 

Old locks: imho more interesting -- the history factor, and the mules

[njhorseman]

29 minutes ago, Turtles06 said:

 

Old locks: imho more interesting -- the history factor, and the mules

+1

[lawnbowler48]

On 7/2/2022 at 12:32 PM, JennKach said:

One more question - is it luck of the draw which of the locks the ship uses?  We are leaving Panama City and heading to Colon.  I assume we'll use the old locks, but are they "one way" or do ships just use which ever one is available?  I checked a couple map programs and photos appear to show ships going both directions in each lock.

I was told that the Jewel uses the old locks - doing the canal mid December

[Epiro Funchal]

An interesting perspective was had during breakfast on the Norwegian Sun

 

 

Edited August 7, 2022 by Epiro Funchal
remove hyperlink

[Turtles06]

10 hours ago, Epiro Funchal said:

An interesting perspective was had during breakfast on the Norwegian Sun

I’ve tried on several different devices to view the photo you posted, but all I see is a blank white box. (Unless that was the interesting perspective. 😉)

[Turtles06]

17 hours ago, lawnbowler48 said:

I was told that the Jewel uses the old locks - doing the canal mid December

My photos in comment 12 above were taken on the Jewel.  Enjoy your cruise! 

[Epiro Funchal]

let me try again:

 

[auie2]

What time the the ship start to go thru the locks? How long till you get to the Lake? and how long are you in the Lake?

 

David