Gatun lake independent tour

[kitkat343]

On my panama canal cruise many years ago, we were told we could only leave the ship at gatun lake on an official cruise tour, not an independent excursion due to panama canal authority regulations.  Are the cruise lines allowing people to disembark in Gatun lake and tour independently now, or is this still the case?

[Turtles06]

39 minutes ago, kitkat343 said:

Are the cruise lines allowing people to disembark in Gatun lake and tour independently now, or is this still the case?

 

From what I've read on here, only cruise line tours. 

[BillB48]

Only cruise line tours as Turtles06 says, been that way for some time.  The reason is more practical than anything.  Where you land after being tendered ashore is what was called the Gatun Yacht(less) Club which was near the town of Gatun.  Since the construction of the new locks there is no longer a town of Gatun, as a result there is nothing there.  If they were to permit private tours the cruise line could have a potential problem if they took you ashore and your tour did not show up as scheduled.

 

Of course I am sure the cruise lines don't mind having a monopoly for tours at this stop!

Edited June 26, 2023 by BillB48