Caveat Emptor - "Panama Canal & IMAX Experience" 1/5/2023

[GJustice]

I guess I learned the hard way to ALWAYS READ THE FINE PRINT AND ASSUME NOTHING when purchasing Shore Excursions in the Cruise Planner:

 

We had 4 options mentioning Panama Canal, and 3 had lots of mobility restrictions (not wheelchair accessible, lots of steps/standing required, etc) that prevent my wife (and I) from taking them. So....

 

I bought "Panama Canal & IMAX Experience" ASSUMING that since the movie is IN the Mira Flores Visitor Center, that we'd be going to the Observation Deck and Gift Shop and THEN see some of the Canal Zone on the way to/from there.

 

Imagine our surprise when we learned (after the fact) that our tour doesn't even SEE the canal, ONLY the movie. We were herded off the bus up to the 2nd floor theater and back down as soon as the credits roll and herded back onto the bus. NO opportunity to visit the Observation Deck or Gift Shop. No explanation or anything.

 

After we were back on the bus and pressed the tour guide for explanation we were told that in spite of the NAME of the tour, we ACTUALLY received a TOTALLY boring "Canal Zone Sightseeing"  tour of a cemetery and former US outpost facilities/neighborhoods that were converted to civilian use when President Peanut gave away the Canal Zone.

 

Had this been ADVERTISED as a "Canal Zone sightseeing ride that totally bypasses SEEING the Canal" I'd have certainly purchased a different excursion in spite of the restrictions and made it work.

 

Once in a lifetime/bucket list cruise pretty much destroyed by poor RCCL Shore Ex marketing/delivery.

 

Maybe a one-time fluke, maybe not. Anyway, don't let this happen to you 🙂 

[FionaMG]

Sorry to hear about your experience but thanks for the heads-up. I would have been gutted if this had happened to me.

 

I think Royal's excursion descriptions generally leave a lot to be desired. I've never sailed with Princess but am considering them for Panama Canal because they have more sailings. I've taken a look at some of their excursion descriptions and, frankly, they put Royal's to shame.

[firefly333]

I'm really sorry to hear this. I saw someone post they booked this, and had some mobility issues for my 1/30 radiance  which I missed. 

 

Their write ups are so lacking. Carnival posts some reviews. Idk why rcl doesnt. I had one last sept over 2 hanging bridges not mentioned. If you don't like heights it was a issue and should be mentioned. 

 

So sorry ... and it wasn't even that cheap what you booked. .. a movie. 

[clochette]

I hope that you did complain to the excursion's manager and got some of your money back, that tour is not cheap.

[moposh]

After my first cruise, I realized you have to read between the lines so to speak.  Now I google the name of the excursion to get more info on it and read reviews.

 

What cruise were you doing?  Did you just visit Panama?

[moposh]

41 minutes ago, FionaMG said:

I've taken a look at some of their excursion descriptions and, frankly, they put Royal's to shame.

Maybe they get descriptions from the vendor.

 

I went on a horseback riding excursion where it said water was provided.  It wasn't.  It was offered for sale.  I complained when we got back and was told they got the info from vendor.  

[Cruiser_1977]

@GJustice Is the description below the same as it was for you?

1. Panama Canal & IMAX Experience

Overview

Take a virtual trip through the Panama Canal with an IMAX experience before exploring the former Canal zone and learning its history.

Highlights

• Visit Panama's first IMAX theater and settle in for "Panama Canal in 3D: A Land Divided, a World United," a spectacular, 3-D documentary that takes you from the days Conquistadores struggled through a water-soaked quagmire to the engineering achievement that established the canal as revolutionary in shipping and tropical medicine.
• Enjoy free time at the IMAX experience and a panoramic tour of the Old Canal Zone to learn more about the canal's history.

[DallasGuy75219]

1 hour ago, FionaMG said:

I've taken a look at some of their excursion descriptions and, frankly, they put Royal's to shame.

Definitely.  I like that Princess lists the estimated time for each part of the excursion, e.g. one hour driving time from port to point A, 2 hour tour of point A, 30 minutes driving time to point B.

 

This lets you determine if the excursion is mostly driving time and therefore something you want to skip, or maybe if there's not enough time scheduled at stop you really want to visit.

 

In OP's case, it might have clued him in that the 15 minutes at the Visitor Center was only enough time to see the movie, and it might even have specifically said the stop was (just) to see the movie.

 

And Royal should also be sending their ShoreEx employees on their excursions as "secret shoppers" in plain clothes to make sure their vendors are actually providing what Royal advertises.

Edited February 6, 2023 by DallasGuy75219

[CruiseMomTX]

So sorry for your experience and from the tour description it sounded like you should have also done the observation deck.  I would have gone straight to the excursion desk and complained and asked for a refund or some sort of compensation.  

This is why I wish people would do more reviews on here of their tours. Just a basic review of the ship excursions and no need for a huge review unless you wanted to.   We are on the Radiance 2/27 also our first time to Colon & Cartagena.  For Colon we purchased the ship excursion Eco Cruise on Gatun Lake and for Cartagena we booked a tour with Dora the Explorer.

[FionaMG]

4 minutes ago, moposh said:

Maybe they get descriptions from the vendor.

 

I went on a horseback riding excursion where it said water was provided.  It wasn't.  It was offered for sale.  I complained when we got back and was told they got the info from vendor.  

 

That's very possible but it's not acceptable. They should have a member of staff going out on every excursion they sell to check the descriptions and rewrite them if necessary, otherwise they're selling the proverbial pig in the poke. When I worked as a resort rep for a UK tour operator many years ago, I had to go on all of the excursions I was selling so I could provide guests with full details. People should be able to make a fully informed decision before they buy.

[moposh]

Just now, FionaMG said:

They should have a member of staff going out on every excursion they sell to check the descriptions and rewrite them if necessary, otherwise they're selling the proverbial pig in the poke.

Definitely.  

[GJustice]

1 hour ago, JennyB1977 said:

@GJustice Is the description below the same as it was for you?

1. Panama Canal & IMAX Experience

Overview

Take a virtual trip through the Panama Canal with an IMAX experience before exploring the former Canal zone and learning its history.

Highlights

• Visit Panama's first IMAX theater and settle in for "Panama Canal in 3D: A Land Divided, a World United," a spectacular, 3-D documentary that takes you from the days Conquistadores struggled through a water-soaked quagmire to the engineering achievement that established the canal as revolutionary in shipping and tropical medicine.
• Enjoy free time at the IMAX experience and a panoramic tour of the Old Canal Zone to learn more about the canal's history.

Yes.

 

But there was NO free time at the IMAX at all.

[GJustice]

On 2/6/2023 at 10:46 AM, clochette said:

I hope that you did complain to the excursion's manager and got some of your money back, that tour is not cheap.

I did, got apologies and a 20% refund. Sent a letter to ShorEx and MBayley explaining my dissatisfaction.

[GJustice]

On 2/6/2023 at 11:09 AM, moposh said:

After my first cruise, I realized you have to read between the lines so to speak.  Now I google the name of the excursion to get more info on it and read reviews.

 

What cruise were you doing?  Did you just visit Panama?

10 nights visiting Progreso, Cartegena, Panama and Cozumel. Panama Canal was the primary reason, the other ports were just on the way 🙂 

[GJustice]

On 2/6/2023 at 11:22 AM, DallasGuy75219 said:

In OP's case, it might have clued him in that the 15 minutes at the Visitor Center was only enough time to see the movie, and it might even have specifically said the stop was (just) to see the movie.

The tour was listed as 6:40 with 90 minutes each way to/from the Canal zone/theater. We were there on Sunday, so there was NO TRAFFIC and we made it to the Visitor Center in about an hour. The only mention of time on site was in the original tour description:

 

• Enjoy free time at the IMAX experience and a panoramic tour of the Old Canal Zone to learn more about the canal's history.
• I'd already verified that the movie was 45 minutes, so we had PLENTY of time to hang out there a bit to take some pictures.

[moposh]

If you can, I would suggest you go on a cruise that goes through the Panama Canal.  Note that some go through the canal, but do not stop in Panama.  

[GJustice]

Just to follow up - My email to mbayley@rccl.com got an OUTSTANDING response. We were refunded the entire cost of the excursion as well as an FCC good through 2/9/2024 for 20% of the fare. $364.00.

 

NOT happy about not getting to see the Panama Canal, but pleased with RCCL's accommodation.

 

I'd always heard emailing him was a good thing, and I think this confirms that. 🙂 

[Rogueperson]

On 2/8/2023 at 8:34 AM, moposh said:

If you can, I would suggest you go on a cruise that goes through the Panama Canal.  Note that some go through the canal, but do not stop in Panama.  

 

YES!  When i was planning our honeymoon, we found that Princess at the time did NOT stop in Panama.  It just goes right through and onto Aruba.  Celebrity did, and since I wanted to stop in Panama, we ended up going on Celebrity.

[jclinard]

I was on this tour, and it's actually one of the few ship tours I've been extremely disappointed with in my 25 years plus of cruising.  It was poorly organized, the tour guide wasn't all that great, and the bus seats made airline coach seems seem roomy.

 

The film was good.  Almost everything else wasn't.  I wish I had seen this beforehand and I'd have gone on a different excursion.

 

 

[CruiseMomTX]

Thank you for the information and update and glad they handled it well for you!  We are booked on the Eco Cruise on Gatun Lake if anyone has a review of that excursion.