Celebrity Excursion at Colon- Destination Highlight: Expansion of the Panama Canal " The Present & the Future"

[travelbugforever]

This is a description of the excursion:

Overview

Discover the workings of one of the most incredible engineering marvels in the world: the Panama Canal. Your tour begins at Miraflores Locks, where you'll see how the canal works up-close. You'll learn about this incredible engineering marvel, before your journey to the Expansion Observatory Platform where you'll learn about the canal expansion that includes two lock complexes, one on the Pacific, one on the Atlantic; excavation of new channels; and the deepening and widening of existing channels.

Highlights

• Learn about the workings of one of the most incredible engineering marvels in the world: the Panama Canal.
• Visit the Miraflores Locks of the Panama Canal, learn about the history behind it's construction.
• Step onto the Expansion Observatory Platform to see the process that will allow larger ships to travel the canal.

 

Has anyone done this excursion?  It is a 5 1/2 hour tour. I can't understand why it is so long!  Is there a lot of traveling to and from

the sites?  Is it worth getting off the ship? I feel I could research  Youtube or Netflix and find the same information. I am doing a partial 

transit through the canal. If I get off the ship for this excursion,  I believe I will miss going through the canal. Please inform me if I am incorrect and advise me. Thank you so much.

[RTShaker]

46 minutes ago, travelbugforever said:

This is a description of the excursion:

Overview

Discover the workings of one of the most incredible engineering marvels in the world: the Panama Canal. Your tour begins at Miraflores Locks, where you'll see how the canal works up-close. You'll learn about this incredible engineering marvel, before your journey to the Expansion Observatory Platform where you'll learn about the canal expansion that includes two lock complexes, one on the Pacific, one on the Atlantic; excavation of new channels; and the deepening and widening of existing channels.

Highlights

• Learn about the workings of one of the most incredible engineering marvels in the world: the Panama Canal.
• Visit the Miraflores Locks of the Panama Canal, learn about the history behind it's construction.
• Step onto the Expansion Observatory Platform to see the process that will allow larger ships to travel the canal.

 

Has anyone done this excursion?  It is a 5 1/2 hour tour. I can't understand why it is so long!  Is there a lot of traveling to and from

the sites?  Is it worth getting off the ship? I feel I could research  Youtube or Netflix and find the same information. I am doing a partial 

transit through the canal. If I get off the ship for this excursion,  I believe I will miss going through the canal. Please inform me if I am incorrect and advise me. Thank you so much.

I did this 3 weeks ago. One of the reasons for the length is the drive from Colon to Miraflores, to see the old locks in operation, and back. Then you add in the obligatory "shopping" stop at a small strip mall where you get a sticker to wear so that the vendors can see who is guiding money their way. The stop at the new visitor center is about an hour, and then there is about an hour at the observation building in MiraFlores. Once the new new observation area at the historic locks in Gatun is complete the excursion should be about 2 hours less. It was interesting enough, but the long drive with no guarantee of seeing a ship in the locks (which we didn't) didn't make it worthwhile for me.

[travelbugforever]

21 hours ago, RTShaker said:

Once the new new observation area at the historic locks in Gatun is complete the excursion should be about 2 hours less. It was interesting enough, but the long drive with no guarantee of seeing a ship in the locks (which we didn't) didn't make it worthwhile for me.

Thank you very much. I don't think it is worth the time either. I apprecitate your feedback.