Aft Wake View Okay?

[Cairns Cruisers]

Hi, Thinking of a full transit trip next October.

Are there any negatives to seeing the canal from this position in anyone’s opinion or should we go with a port side balcony cabin?

Thanks.

[njhorseman]

3 minutes ago, Cairns Cruisers said:

Hi, Thinking of a full transit trip next October.

Are there any negatives to seeing the canal from this position in anyone’s opinion or should we go with a port side balcony cabin?

Thanks.

You should move around the ship regardless of where your cabin is. If you just sit on your cabin's balcony wherever it's located you're going to miss a lot. 

[CruiserBruce]

Aft cabins aren't bad. BUT...and its a very important and VERY frequently mentioned here key point (as @njhorseman already did), you need to be moving around the ship during your transit. Be on the bow (as best your ships allows) for a locking or two. Be on the Promenade deck (whatever your ship has) for a locking or two, where you can actually reach out and touch the side of the lock, because (usually) the ship fits so tightly in the lock.

 

Sorry...I honestly don't get the thought that people have that you are going to be locked in your cabin for the 8-10 hours of a Canal transit. There is entirely too many things to see.

 

Not sure why you would think a port side cabin is the better alternative.

[BillB48]

Port side balcony would be preferable depending on the direction you are traveling through the Canal.  Now a stern view could be a better choice in portions of the Canal for example crossing Gatun Lake. However going through the locks and Gaillard Cut I would really recommend being out on some of the forward looking decks.  Homesteading your cabin for major portions of the cruise is not the best idea.

[Cairns Cruisers]

35 minutes ago, CruiserBruce said:

Aft cabins aren't bad. BUT...and its a very important and VERY frequently mentioned here key point (as @njhorseman already did), you need to be moving around the ship during your transit. Be on the bow (as best your ships allows) for a locking or two. Be on the Promenade deck (whatever your ship has) for a locking or two, where you can actually reach out and touch the side of the lock, because (usually) the ship fits so tightly in the lock.

 

Sorry...I honestly don't get the thought that people have that you are going to be locked in your cabin for the 8-10 hours of a Canal transit. There is entirely too many things to see.

 

Not sure why you would think a port side cabin is the better alternative.

Thanks for the smart retort, Never said we wouldn’t leave the room did I?

Only Balcony room we wanted that’s left was on port side,that’s why.

Gotta love the rubbish you get on CC….

[Essiesmom]

1 hour ago, Cairns Cruisers said:

Thanks for the smart retort, Never said we wouldn’t leave the room did I?

Only Balcony room we wanted that’s left was on port side,that’s why.

Gotta love the rubbish you get on CC….

There was nothing ‘smart’ about the retort.  You asked a question, and you got answers.  In fact, the question has been asked and answered here many times.  
  One thing you didn’t mention was the ship.  Will it be using the old locks, or the new?  There is so much more of interest going on when transiting in the old locks.  
    If you seek to spend the transit on an aft facing balcony, you will miss some interesting views:

 

 

[Essiesmom]

But you should not choose your cabin for the transit day.  Choose the cabin for the other 13-14 days of your cruise.  EM

[9tee2Sea]

On 4/21/2023 at 5:41 PM, Cairns Cruisers said:

Hi, Thinking of a full transit trip next October.

Are there any negatives to seeing the canal from this position in anyone’s opinion or should we go with a port side balcony cabin?

Thanks.

i have down complete transit 4 times. and have a full transit booked for Jan ( 15 nights).  This will be my first time in aft cabin.  I would not hesitate choosing the aft.  Although, on my first trip thru the canal, I had a porthole cabin on deck 8.  I made a point to go down to the cabin when going thru the first set of locks.  We were so close to the walls, it looked like the ship was going to sideswipe the lock.  Being on the front of the ship, you will see all the activity needed to get the ship thru the locks ( the little trains, the dock workers).  But being on aft balcony, you will still see the opening/closing of the locks, and the rising of the ship.  you will still see the locks closing behind, but you will also see the ships behind go thru the entire process that you just went thru.  Not to mention going under the Bridge Of the Americas while sitting on your aft balcony.  IMO, go with the aft balcony.  Having breakfast on the balcony while going thru the Canal is very memorable.

[Ashland]

We just did a full transit from Los Angeles - Tampa this past October and wouldn't hesitate to book a true aft although we did love our OS on the RCI Serenade.

[mahdnc]

We have an aft 

On 4/21/2023 at 7:41 PM, Cairns Cruisers said:

Hi, Thinking of a full transit trip next October.

Are there any negatives to seeing the canal from this position in anyone’s opinion or should we go with a port side balcony cabin?

Thanks.

 

We went ahead and booked a nice aft cabin on Celebrity's Summit for this coming April's canal cruise (Miami to Los Angeles).  We were in the same aft cabin on Summit's sister, Constellation, during our transatlantic cruise last fall (photos).

 

To me, maybe the only drawback with an aft balcony during an eastbound crossing such as yours is that your balcony may be exposed to the sun in the southern sky during the canal transit.  If true, it is not necessarily a big drawback unless it is something that you do not want.