Celebrity Beyond- Panama Canal- Different Excursion- Need Feedback!

[travelbugforever]

Destination Highlight: Panama Canal Locks and Culebra Cut Cruise

Day 5 - Colon, Panama

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Overview

Board a local ferry and venture into the Panama Canal to experience the unforgettable sensation of crossing between two oceans in one day. Cruise through the Culebra Cut, the biggest structural challenge of the canal. Feel the waters slowly rise and fall as your captain navigates the massive lock system. Spend your day inspired by one of the greatest engineering feats in history.

Highlights

• Navigate through the incredible lock system of the Panama Canal by ferry.
• Admire Panama's many manmade treasures, including the Bridge of the Americas.

Important details and advisements

• This tour includes a lunch buffet served onboard the ferry.
• Guests receive a commemorative certificate for participating on the Panama Canal Transit.
• The Panama Canal tour and its final duration is subject to change as per confirmation with the Panama Canal Authorities. In case needed, the tour can be operated in a different way by transiting only one of the sets of locks.
• Please be advised that there may be a substantial delay at the pier while awaiting the required Panama Canal Pilots to arrive. Although the planned arrival time of the pilots is reconfirmed, their actual arrival time may vary and is beyond the control of Celebrity Cruises. Your understanding and patience is appreciated.
• The travel time on the ferry is dependent on the schedule set by the Canal Authorities.
• Tour duration varies. Canal transits are scheduled and controlled by the Panama Canal Authority based on their operation inside the locks. The lockage schedule for the tour is received only on the day before the operation (24 hours prior). The return drive from Panama City to the ship is approximately one hour and 15 minutes on the new four lane highway - very scenic. The transit itinerary for this tour is subject to change depending on your cruise ship's transit times through the locks.
• For guests sailing on the Celebrity Edge: The Panama Canal Authority assigns specific time slots for the transit of a vessel through the locks. The ship will anchor in a designated area and will wait for instructions. Once clearance is transmitted to the ship, procedures begin to bring ship's tour passengers ashore. Therefore, tour departure times may vary and will be announced onboard. The return time of the ship to Colon Port may also be delayed due to transit through the locks. We recommend that you are prepared for any potential of delay in the ship's arrival to Colon and plan accordingly by bringing any needed medication or essential items on tour

 

This tour is 8 hours.  Has anyone done this?  Is it worth  the time? It means not going through the partial transit of the Panama Canal, with Celebrity Beyond. Thank you for your responses.

 

[mahdnc]

Back in 2005, we took the same Celebrity "Panama Canal Locks and Culebra Cust Cruise" tour when our ship, Horizon, docked at Colon.  The tour was named something else at the time, but it is the same tour.

 

Our motorcoach took us to the Pacific side where we boarded our ferry ride.  We went through the Miraflores and Pedro Miguel locks.  We sailed through the Cut and then got off the ferry at Gamboa--that's where our motorcoach buses were waiting for us to take us back to the ship.

 

If you are a canal fanatic/nerd/geek, you will find the ferry ride of great interest.  There were good views of the locks and its operation.  Unlike a cruise ship, the walls of each lock towered over us. One of the advantages of being on a small ferry was that you could easily look behind you as well as ahead with a little bit of walking.  Everyone that wanted to could touch the walls.  The tour was well narrated.  The only drawback is that the whole trip is fairly long and it can get pretty hot and humid while you are out on deck.  So you will find the tour exhausting.  Also, back then the box lunch that was served wasn't very good although it is now a lunch buffet.

 

Taking the shore excursion whetted my appetite for taking a cruise that does the full transit.  I had to wait 19 years, but we will be on Summit's canal cruise this coming April.

 

I have attached a few photos from our ferry ride which I hope you find useful.

 

IF you are having to choose between doing the partial transit onboard Beyond vs doing this excursion, I would probably not bother with the excursion unless you are a diehard fan.  Also Beyond is going to transit the new (larger) set of locks while the ferry will do the old legacy ones.  However I didn't realize that you had to choose between the two because typically this shore excursion is done during a port day at Colon while the partial transit should be done by Beyond on a different day--at least that is how I thought it is set up.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[travelbugforever]

Thank you for all the info and pictures. They are wonderful! On the  Celebrity Beyond itinerary it has March 15, 2024-Panama Canal: 6:00 AM (A) 3:00 PM (D). The next entry is: March 15, 2024- Colon: 5:00 PM (A)

9:00 PM (D). The next day we are cruising!  So, I am guessing it is one or the other- stay on ship through the locks or miss the locks for the ferry  excursion or another excursion. I will most likely stay on the ship. There may be complications waiting for the ferry to get the okay to go through the locks plus not sure what amenities the ferry has and how busy it will be. We are not up for standing several hours.  Thank you so much for your information. It is very helpful to me.

[prmssk]

I have not done a partial transit (only a full transit) but my understanding is that this excursion starts in Gatun Lake.  (Related to the Edge which should also apply to the Beyond, it mentions anchoring and waiting for clearance to bring tour passengers ashore).

 

Assuming that is the case, you will be on the ship when it goes through the locks in the morning (usually just after sunrise).  Once the Beyond reaches Gatun Lake  (the lake between the Pacific and Atlantic locks) mid-morning, the ship will anchor for a number of hours.  That is the time that people with tours will tender to their tours and eventually meet up with the ship in Colon after it has turned around and gone through the Atlantic locks in the afternoon.

[travelbugforever]

That makes a lot of sense. Thank you. 

[janabelle61]

There is a risk of cancellation with the excursion.  The Canal Authority schedules the smaller boat traffic one day before and if the time doesn't fit with the ship schedule,  they will cancel.  Fortunately for my sailing we were able to go, but they notified us with our excursion tickets.

 

The ferry itself is nice, with lots of seating.

[mahdnc]

5 hours ago, travelbugforever said:

Thank you for all the info and pictures. They are wonderful! On the  Celebrity Beyond itinerary it has March 15, 2024-Panama Canal: 6:00 AM (A) 3:00 PM (D). The next entry is: March 15, 2024- Colon: 5:00 PM (A)

9:00 PM (D). The next day we are cruising!  So, I am guessing it is one or the other- stay on ship through the locks or miss the locks for the ferry  excursion or another excursion. I will most likely stay on the ship. There may be complications waiting for the ferry to get the okay to go through the locks plus not sure what amenities the ferry has and how busy it will be. We are not up for standing several hours.  Thank you so much for your information. It is very helpful to me.

 

It looks like you are right then about the schedule. 

 

Our ferry ride was very basic amenities wise. It was not a luxury cruise. I'm sure if you search for it, you can find the company that runs the tour and get a better idea of how well the boat is furnished. If I have time later, I'll take a look. 

[travelbugforever]

9 hours ago, janabelle61 said:

There is a risk of cancellation with the excursion.  The Canal Authority schedules the smaller boat traffic one day before and if the time doesn't fit with the ship schedule,  they will cancel.  Fortunately for my sailing we were able to go, but they notified us with our excursion tickets.

 

The ferry itself is nice, with lots of seating.

Thank you .

[travelbugforever]

5 hours ago, mahdnc said:

If I have time later, I'll take a look. 

That’s OK,. All I wanted to know is if they have restrooms. I am sure they do!

[Arubamoose]

We did this tour in 2019 on the Reflection.  We docked in Colon and they bussed us to a point on the canal where the tour boats picked us up.  

 

The tour boat was basic.  Buy your own beer, ok food.  Ride was amazing.  Great views.  Got off in Panama City and bussed back to Colon.

 

The issue was waiting for the pilot to show up at the tour boat entry.  They now own up to it and warn you about "substantial delays" in their description.  

 

Picture 300 people waiting for hours in the hot Panama sun with only one bathroom?!?!  They would not let us reboard the busses to wait it out.  It was a poop show to say the least.  Many refunds were issued that evening by those smart enough to complain.

 

Not sure how they do the tour now.  But be warned.  Go potty before!!!

 

We just got off the Edge and did the partial transit.... different views than the tour boat.  Didn't bother with an excursion that day and enjoyed an empty ship.  

[janabelle61]

We were fortunate in that the excursion wasn't canceled or delayed, but they are definitely both valid concerns to be aware of when booking.

[Turtles06]

On 5/28/2023 at 11:36 AM, travelbugforever said:

On the  Celebrity Beyond itinerary it has March 15, 2024-Panama Canal: 6:00 AM (A) 3:00 PM (D). The next entry is: March 15, 2024- Colon: 5:00 PM (A)

9:00 PM (D). The next day we are cruising!  So, I am guessing it is one or the other- stay on ship through the locks or miss the locks for the ferry  excursion or another excursion.

 

I hope the comments above have clarified for you that it is not a "one or the other" situation of missing the locks.  All of this will happen on March 15.  The Beyond will enter the Canal and go through the new Agua Clara locks.  You will be on board.   The ship will then anchor in Gatun Lake, and those who have chosen to take the excursion you are considering will get off for that. 

 

So if you did get off in order to take that excursion, you should go through the original locks on the Pacific side and you will have a very different experience than the new locks you had gone through in the morning.  What you would miss would be the Beyond turning around and going back through the Agua Clara locks (which you'd just come through in the morning.)   The ship will dock in Colon to await the guests who headed off on shore excursions from Gatun Lake.

 

I hope you enjoy whichever option you choose. 

Edited May 29, 2023 by Turtles06

[travelbugforever]

4 minutes ago, Turtles06 said:

 

I hope the comments above have clarified for you that it is not a "one or the other" situation of missing the locks.  All of this will happen on March 15.  The Beyond will enter the Canal and go through the new Agua Clara locks.  You will be on board.   The ship will then anchor in Gatun Lake, and those who have chosen to take the excursion you are considering will get off for that. 

 

So if you did get off in order to take that excursion, you should through the original locks on the Pacific side and you will have a very different experience than the new locks you had gone through in the morning.  What you would miss would be the Beyond turning around and going back through the Agua Clara locks (which you'd just come through in the morning.)   The ship will dock in Colon to await the guests who headed off on shore excursions from Gatun Lake.

 

I hope you enjoy whichever option you choose. 

Thank you so much! Still trying to decide what to do, but I am clear about everything now.

[mahdnc]

9 minutes ago, Turtles06 said:

 

I hope the comments above have clarified for you that it is not a "one or the other" situation of missing the locks.  All of this will happen on March 15.  The Beyond will enter the Canal and go through the new Agua Clara locks.  You will be on board.   The ship will then anchor in Gatun Lake, and those who have chosen to take the excursion you are considering will get off for that. 

 

So if you did get off in order to take that excursion, you should through the original locks on the Pacific side and you will have a very different experience than the new locks you had gone through in the morning.  What you would miss would be the Beyond turning around and going back through the Agua Clara locks (which you'd just come through in the morning.)   The ship will dock in Colon to await the guests who headed off on shore excursions from Gatun Lake.

 

I hope you enjoy whichever option you choose. 

 

Thanks for that clarification, it makes a lot more sense.

[travelbugforever]

On 5/29/2023 at 9:54 AM, Arubamoose said:

We did this tour in 2019 on the Reflection.  We docked in Colon and they bussed us to a point on the canal where the tour boats picked us up.  

 

The tour boat was basic.  Buy your own beer, ok food.  Ride was amazing.  Great views.  Got off in Panama City and bussed back to Colon.

 

The issue was waiting for the pilot to show up at the tour boat entry.  They now own up to it and warn you about "substantial delays" in their description.  

 

Picture 300 people waiting for hours in the hot Panama sun with only one bathroom?!?!  They would not let us reboard the busses to wait it out.  It was a poop show to say the least.  Many refunds were issued that evening by those smart enough to complain.

 

Not sure how they do the tour now.  But be warned.  Go potty before!!!

 

We just got off the Edge and did the partial transit.... different views than the tour boat.  Didn't bother with an excursion that day and enjoyed an empty ship.  

Thank you.

[maggiecharlie]

On 5/28/2023 at 12:09 PM, janabelle61 said:

There is a risk of cancellation with the excursion.  The Canal Authority schedules the smaller boat traffic one day before and if the time doesn't fit with the ship schedule,  they will cancel.  Fortunately for my sailing we were able to go, but they notified us with our excursion tickets.

 

The ferry itself is nice, with lots of seating.

How were the bathroom facilities on the ferry and waiting for the ferry?

[tigervixxxen]

I did this excursion with Princess a few years ago, I didn’t know what I was in for. We didn’t get on the ferry until about 12:30pm (tour started around 9am, we drove around for a bit) and the tour guide told us that he’d pick us up around 5pm once we cleared the canal. Problem is sail away from Colon was 5pm. Oh not to worry he told us the cruise line was aware of this. Ok fabulous, would have been nice to know this ahead of time. Yes they did wait for us and we got back at 6:30pm to sail away around 7pm but I was not comfortable with this at all. What if the bus broke down? How much more wiggle room was left? 
 

Anyway the ferry was long, hot, cramped and ultimately not worth it imo. Going through the locks is interesting and all but not for nearly 5 hours of it. On a previous trip to the canal I found it much more interesting to stand and watch the ships go through the locks. 
 

Bathroom was fine. There’s no building to wait for the ferry, the bus doesn’t drop you off until it’s ready, it was just a dirt road and a grassy area. In my experience anyway. Not my favorite excursion but I time out right at 4 hours on most excursions so your experience might differ but it was one of the worst experiences I’ve had. 

[maggiecharlie]

20 minutes ago, tigervixxxen said:

I did this excursion with Princess a few years ago, I didn’t know what I was in for. We didn’t get on the ferry until about 12:30pm (tour started around 9am, we drove around for a bit) and the tour guide told us that he’d pick us up around 5pm once we cleared the canal. Problem is sail away from Colon was 5pm. Oh not to worry he told us the cruise line was aware of this. Ok fabulous, would have been nice to know this ahead of time. Yes they did wait for us and we got back at 6:30pm to sail away around 7pm but I was not comfortable with this at all. What if the bus broke down? How much more wiggle room was left? 
 

Anyway the ferry was long, hot, cramped and ultimately not worth it imo. Going through the locks is interesting and all but not for nearly 5 hours of it. On a previous trip to the canal I found it much more interesting to stand and watch the ships go through the locks. 
 

Bathroom was fine. There’s no building to wait for the ferry, the bus doesn’t drop you off until it’s ready, it was just a dirt road and a grassy area. In my experience anyway. Not my favorite excursion but I time out right at 4 hours on most excursions so your experience might differ but it was one of the worst experiences I’ve had. 

We currently have this booked but have been receiving some negative comments.  Sounds like I can add yours as well.  Thanks for information.

 

[janabelle61]

On 9/2/2023 at 12:09 PM, maggiecharlie said:

How were the bathroom facilities on the ferry and waiting for the ferry?

 As I recall, there were bathroom facilities at the pier awaiting the ferry and the typical facilities on the ferry itself, but I don't recall using them. At a minimum, they were unremarkable,  neither bad nor exceptional. 

 

There were also facilities on the bus for the return trip.

 

FWIW - I would this excursion again!

 

 

[janabelle61]

On 9/2/2023 at 12:49 PM, maggiecharlie said:

We currently have this booked but have been receiving some negative comments.  Sounds like I can add yours as well.  Thanks for information.

 

I can't comment on other experiences,  of course.  I was on Celebrity Millennium and enjoyed the trip. You could go outside and on the top deck if the surroundings inside were not to your preference. It is a long day and some time on the bus to join the ferry and return to the ship, so plan for that. We had no issues with port times, but again, this may be ship specific.

[Oceans 818]

On 9/2/2023 at 4:49 PM, maggiecharlie said:

We currently have this booked but have been receiving some negative comments.  Sounds like I can add yours as well.  Thanks for information.

 

Hi, we booked the Panama Canal excursion on our upcoming December cruise after reading a great review from another poster who gives much detail and some wonderful photos.

Here's a link to the review  :Cartagena/Colon/Limon: Detailed Port Reviews Here by Elbodans Colon Port Day (Panama Canal by Ferry  excursion): http://www.suitcasescholar.com/2023/01/10/transiting-the-panama-canal-by-ferry-an-msc-cruise-ship-excursion/

She posted with the links and some here on cruise critic admonished for it not being posted in the proper place, but I for one, am happy as I wouldn't have found it buried in with all the other postings & replies.

Still learning to navigate the forums...

 

[mahdnc]

9 minutes ago, juraspark said:

Hi, we booked the Panama Canal excursion on our upcoming December cruise after reading a great review from another poster who gives much detail and some wonderful photos.

Here's a link to the review  :Cartagena/Colon/Limon: Detailed Port Reviews Here by Elbodans Colon Port Day (Panama Canal by Ferry  excursion): http://www.suitcasescholar.com/2023/01/10/transiting-the-panama-canal-by-ferry-an-msc-cruise-ship-excursion/

She posted with the links and some here on cruise critic admonished for it not being posted in the proper place, but I for one, am happy as I wouldn't have found it buried in with all the other postings & replies.

Still learning to navigate the forums...

 

 

Thank you for posting the link.  I agree with her (and I posted this earlier) the ferry experience is different than the cruise ship experience.  However I found the ferry experience physically grueling because of the length of the trip and the exposure to the hot sun and humidity.  When we do our full canal transit in April, I am not sure whether we will take that tour again. 

[Oceans 818]

41 minutes ago, mahdnc said:

 

Thank you for posting the link.  I agree with her (and I posted this earlier) the ferry experience is different than the cruise ship experience.  However I found the ferry experience physically grueling because of the length of the trip and the exposure to the hot sun and humidity.  When we do our full canal transit in April, I am not sure whether we will take that tour again. 

Your photos are very nice and make the tour look very interesting.

I've been having doubts, only because a couple people we know went through on the ship and said it was boring. Plus we live in an area with canals and locks, so perhaps that makes them a bit jaded towards them. I know if the bridge is up, it's looked at as an inconvienance and not something of interest, here. I for one, will still stop on the bridge when walking and look at the old canal and am still impressed with them. If caught by the bridge, I still like to get out of the car and watch the ships pass.

I think had I already done this tour, I would be looking at seeing old Panama city or may just stay on the ship. We are docking at Colon, and many excursions require going to Panama City, which is a long bus ride anyway.  I don't plan on telling my husband, how long this day is going to be, until we are on the ship.

While writing this, I'm wondering why I've never travelled our canal system by boat! Maybe I should be looking into that!!