Norwegian Jade - do they open the bow for Panama Canal Transits

[dmwnc1959]

Still looking at the pros and cons of two different ships for 2025 doing the Panama Canal. When doing a full transit WB, does NCL make it a habit of opening the bow to passengers for viewing the locks? And on these Jewel-class ships, do they always transit the old locks, as opposed to the Breakaway-class which use the new locks? 
 

😁

Edited January 31 by dmwnc1959

[Turtles06]

We’ve done four full transits of the Canal, three on the Gem and one on the Jewel. The bow was opened every time. Canopies were set up for shade, and cold beverages were provided. 
 

And yes, barring something extremely unusual, the Jewel-class ships use the original locks.

 

I took the photos below on the Gem in February 2023.

 

 

 

 

[www3traveler]

(1) On other Jewel Class ships, the bow has been open during the transit.  However it is up to the individual Captain to decide whether or not to open the bow.

(2) Probably you would transit the "Original" Canal 

[njhorseman]

7 hours ago, dmwnc1959 said:

Still looking at the pros and cons of two different ships for 2025 doing the Panama Canal. When doing a full transit WB, does NCL make it a habit of opening the bow to passengers for viewing the locks? And on these Jewel-class ships, do they always transit the old locks, as opposed to the Breakaway-class which use the new locks? 
 

😁

We've done 4 full transits on the Gem and the bow was opened each time. 

 

You'll use the original locks unless there's an operational problem in the Canal and they're forced to move you to the new locks, but that happens only very rarely. 

[Turtles06]

11 hours ago, dmwnc1959 said:

And on these Jewel-class ships, do they always transit the old locks, as opposed to the Breakaway-class which use the new locks? 

 

I wanted to add one additional comment.  I don't know whether this would be your first transit of the Canal.  If so, I think you'll find, especially if you read over in the Panama Canal Port of Call forum, a general consensus that, especially for a first transit, going through the original locks is a more interesting experience.  Of course, that will be your call (and there are other factors in play in deciding on a cruise, including ship and itinerary).  It's one day out of your entire cruise (but, imho, the most important day. 🙂)

 

And if it will be your first transit, I highly recommend reading David McCullough's masterful book, "The Path Between the Seas."  You will appreciate the Canal even more.

Edited January 31 by Turtles06

[dmwnc1959]

39 minutes ago, Turtles06 said:

I wanted to add one additional comment.  I don't know whether this would be your first transit of the Canal….

Thanks for the tips! Definitely the first time, and for this cruiser a once-in-a-lifetime Bucket List item. And I agree that this one day transit is the most important day of the entire cruise.

 

As for Panama Canal cruises: I’ve done a LOT of research on ports, weather, EB vs WB, watched cruise ships on the Panama Canal live web cams, and checked out all of the Discovery Channel, History Channel, and Smithsonian Channel videos on YouTube. I’ve double-checked ships, itineraries, and best time of year to cruise. Narrowed it down to one ship and booked it.
 

Then completely by accident NCL happened along. Found a cruise with a LOT more dining and entertainement options, on a similar sized ship, with an itinerary that’s 9-days longer, for the same price. Now I’m questioning my decision. 

 

I’ll put a deposit down tomorrow on this new option, and spend some more time ironing out the details. In the mean time I’ll continue to research, read books, and contemplate the meaning of life in retirement. 😁

[dmwnc1959]

4 hours ago, Turtles06 said:

I took the photos below on the Gem in February 2023.

 

 

 

 

If I’m not mistaken, this looks like it was done on a back-to-back? The first picture is of the Gatun Locks heading into Gatun Lake coming in from the Atlantic side, and the second picture is of the Miraflores Locks looking toward Centennial Bridge coming in from the Pacific side. 

[www3traveler]

1 hour ago, dmwnc1959 said:

Thanks for the tips! Definitely the first time, and for this cruiser a once-in-a-lifetime Bucket List item. And I agree that this one day transit is the most important day of the entire cruise.

 

As for Panama Canal cruises: I’ve done a LOT of research on ports, weather, EB vs WB, watched cruise ships on the Panama Canal live web cams, and checked out all of the Discovery Channel, History Channel, and Smithsonian Channel videos on YouTube. I’ve double-checked ships, itineraries, and best time of year to cruise. Narrowed it down to one ship and booked it.
 

Then completely by accident NCL happened along. Found a cruise with a LOT more dining and entertainement options, on a similar sized ship, with an itinerary that’s 9-days longer, for the same price. Now I’m questioning my decision. 

 

I’ll put a deposit down tomorrow on this new option, and spend some more time ironing out the details. In the mean time I’ll continue to research, read books, and contemplate the meaning of life in retirement. 😁

I much prefer a Panama Canal Crossing going from Los Angeles to Miami.  It puts the Canal Transit toward the end of your cruise rather than toward the beginning of your cruise.

[dmwnc1959]

5 minutes ago, www3traveler said:

I much prefer a Panama Canal Crossing going from Los Angeles to Miami.  It puts the Canal Transit toward the end of your cruise rather than toward the beginning of your cruise.

At first I liked the idea of hitting the Bridge of the Americas at sunrise, with the morning being ‘cooler’ (comparatively) for the transit through the Pacific side locks and Guillard Cut to Gamboa. The light of day is at your back when coming from the Pacific side, so photography is more or less at its best. Once you hit Gatun Lake and that last set of locks you're at the mercy of the heat of the day. 
 

Booking a ship with a completely sheltered and wrap-around promenade deck was key, to be able to enjoy the transit without always being exposed to the sun. 
 

Forward and aft viewing decks are a huge plus. Since Norwegian Jade will most likely open up the bow for the transit that’s a huge plus. And the promenade deck, although greatly lacking in steamer chairs, serves as a benefit to be able to get under some ‘shade’. 
 

The biggest problem I am having is the fact that both ships couldn’t be more opposite from each other in regards to onboard amenities. One cruise is EB and the other WB. 

[Turtles06]

5 hours ago, dmwnc1959 said:

If I’m not mistaken, this looks like it was done on a back-to-back? The first picture is of the Gatun Locks heading into Gatun Lake coming in from the Atlantic side, and the second picture is of the Miraflores Locks looking toward Centennial Bridge coming in from the Pacific side. 

You’ve definitely been doing your research! 😊 Yes, these were taken on B2B cruises. The NCL Gem sailed one-way from NY to Panama City, and then returned to NY. Quite a good-sized group doing the 23-day B2B. It was a great trip!  The second leg was our first northbound transit, and it turned out to be so much more than just seeing things in reverse order. We loved the whole experience. 
 

Re Centennial Bridge — I’m pretty short, so it’s hard for me to see over the bow. I don’t go down there when it’s very crowded, usually during the first locks. But on our NB transit, the bow crowds were small, and so I went down there after Miraflores, and had a nice view of the Gem passing under the Bridge. 
 

 

 

 

[dmwnc1959]

7 minutes ago, Turtles06 said:

You’ve definitely been doing your research! 😊

 

I would LOVE to have done a B2B like that. I’ve seen the one-way cruises that ends/begins in Panama City, but didn’t think to add them together. Darn it!!! More research! LOL

 

Your pictures are inspirational. I can’t imagine what our passenger load/demograpjic is going to be for an April 25-night cruise, that’s right at Spring Break AND Easter, so that makes me very, very nervous.

 

The one thing I do like about the repositioning cruises from California to Florida and visa versa are the number of sea days. Really don’t like an itinerary that’s port intensive. 
 

I really do like the Norwegian Jade. I watched one YouTube tour video that was 75 minutes long and covered pretty much everything. 

[Turtles06]

11 minutes ago, dmwnc1959 said:

I really do like the Norwegian Jade. I watched one YouTube tour video that was 75 minutes long and covered pretty much everything. 

 

We did two-week Med cruise on the Jade, years ago, in the winter (!).  It was great.  We love the Jewel-class ships.  They are a comfortable size, with great public spaces, including the Spinnaker Lounge, the Great Outdoors, and a true promenade deck.   We don't need an amusement park at sea.  🙂 

[dmwnc1959]

4 minutes ago, Turtles06 said:

 

We did two-week Med cruise on the Jade, years ago, in the winter (!).  It was great.  We love the Jewel-class ships.  They are a comfortable size, with great public spaces, including the Spinnaker Lounge, the Great Outdoors, and a true promenade deck.   We don't need an amusement park at sea.  🙂 

Just in case you may not have already guessed 😉 my other ship option is the Coral Princes, and the fact that they have amazing padded steamer chairs all along the promenade is a huge, HUGE draw. Particularly for sea days. I do wish Norwegian would put some of those on the Gem-class ships, most especially where the promenade is wide enough to accommodate them. I saw on a few YouTube videos that the Norwegian Jade’s promenade narrows in quite a few places, but there is still ample locations to accommodate seating. 
 

I do love the fact that they open the bow on Panama Canal transits, I just hope it’s not too hot to enjoy it. Are there other prime locations around the ship for picture taking during that day? My plans are to be ALL over the ship that day so that I can experience the locks and canal from every angle. I’m likely only to get this one shot.

[Turtles06]

56 minutes ago, dmwnc1959 said:

Are there other prime locations around the ship for picture taking during that day? My plans are to be ALL over the ship that day so that I can experience the locks and canal from every angle.

 

You definitely want to experience the Canal from all over the ship -- forward, aft, high, low, midship. From the promenade deck, you'll get great closeup views of the locomotives, as well as the lock walls and how little space there is between the ship and the walls.  Besides being up front as the ship goes through a lock, it's good to look back at the locks from the Great Outdoors.  And get up high on the sun deck.

 

The transit is slow, so you'll have plenty of time to move around.  And as you already know, it will be a hot and humid day, so pace yourself.  If you are sailing SB, once you get to Gatun Lake it will probably be a good time to get back in the a/c and have some lunch. But don't miss the traffic coming from the opposite direction. Incredibly interesting cargo, LNG carriers, and other commercial ships.  And the occasional cruise ship.  Last year in Gatun Lake on the Gem going SB, we passed the Jewel going NB.  It was pretty exciting, since our first transit was on the Jewel.

[dmwnc1959]

46 minutes ago, Turtles06 said:

But don't miss the traffic coming from the opposite direction. Incredibly interesting cargo, LNG carriers, and other commercial ships.  And the occasional cruise ship.  Last year in Gatun Lake on the Gem going SB, we passed the Jewel going NB.  It was pretty exciting, since our first transit was on the Jewel.

This is me: Fear Of Missing Out. 🤣 I’d be on deck, somewhere, all day. I’ve used thr Marine Traffic app while on cruises to see what other ships are passing by, so I’m sure I’ll use it a couple of times (internet package permitting LOL) to see what ships are coming my way in the canal. How exciting it would be to pass another cruise ship, all of the yelling and hollering back and forth would be insane! 
 

I did take a look at some of the Norwegian Jade’s B2B cruises in Jan/Feb 2025 and they are way too port intensive for my liking. Which is a shame, since the double-dipping on the Panama Canal would be soooo amazing. 
 

Over the next couple of months I’ll have to keep an eye on the NCL bridge cams to see how crowded the bow gets, and on the Panama Canal Miraflores Lock live cams to see where everyone is standing.
 

But it would be amazing to be right there at the very front as the ship approaches the Gatun Locks and looking up at that amazing three-tiered water elevator. Wow. 

[Turtles06]

On 1/31/2024 at 7:40 PM, dmwnc1959 said:

Over the next couple of months I’ll have to keep an eye on the NCL bridge cams to see how crowded the bow gets, and on the Panama Canal Miraflores Lock live cams to see where everyone is standing.
 

But it would be amazing to be right there at the very front as the ship approaches the Gatun Locks and looking up at that amazing three-tiered water elevator. Wow. 

 

On our three SB transits, the bow was pretty much packed well before the ship entered the Canal.  I'd say that if you really want to be "at the very front," you'll want to be down there around 6am, maybe even a little earlier.

 

Just by way of example of the crowds, these are photos I took aboard the Jewel in the winter of 2017. In the first one, the ship hadn't even reached the new Atlantic Bridge yet (obviously, still under construction).  The second of course is in the Gatun Locks.

 

 

 

By late in the day, the crowds tend to thin out.  This is the Jewel entering the Miraflores Locks.

 

 

 

 

 

[dmwnc1959]

8 hours ago, Turtles06 said:

 

On our three SB transits, the bow was pretty much packed well before the ship entered the Canal. 

 

By late in the day, the crowds tend to thin out.  This is the Jewel entering the Miraflores Locks.

 
Those pictures are just wonderful. Do they announce the day before what time the bow will be open for passengers? I have no problem being awake at 3am the day of the transit - probably too nervous to sleep - and would want to be as close to the front as possible, at least through the first lock or two then head aft before entering Gatun Lake for a look back at the stair-cased locks.

 

I know these ships have a 24/7 place to eat (O'Sheehan's Bar & Grill). I’m wondering if going there for a light breakfast at 4am is an option? I’ve estimated about an hour elapsed time between the breakwater to the lock pierhead, so  grabbing a bite before heading out to the bow would be nice. 

[prov2727]

I did the Panama Canal onboard the Joy in January of 2023. I did a shore excursion that went from the Pacific through the old locks to Gatun Lake. Then the next day we took the Joy through the new locks all the way from Pacific to Atlantic. It was one of my favorite cruises. In fact, I booked a cruise January of 2026 on the Bliss going through the other direction. So if I do a shore excursion from the Atlantic through the old locks to Gatun Lake, I can say I've been all the way through 3 times in 2 cruises! In the picture, my excursion is in the old locks and the cargo ship is in the new locks.

 

For the Joy's journey through the locks, I stayed in my balcony cabin and had the View from the Bridge on my TV turned up. I went between the two to watch everything. Being under 5 ft., I knew I wouldn't see anything from the bow anyway, LOL. I'm not on a balcony next time (at least not at this point; we'll see if prices go down), so maybe I'll end up venturing out to the bow.

 

As an introvert solo cruiser, I'm a fan of Norwegian but Princess' itinerary is very similar. The cruise from Cabo, Puerta Vallarta and Acapulco is amazing if you are a fan of marine life. I saw whales breaching from my balcony and sea turtles eating in the port where we were berthed. I missed the dolphins, but there was a pod of them that went by as well.

 

Edited February 2 by prov2727

[Turtles06]

3 hours ago, dmwnc1959 said:

Those pictures are just wonderful. Do they announce the day before what time the bow will be open for passengers? 

Thanks for your kind words. I don’t recall any announcements of a specific time that the bow would be open. They did post in the Freestyle Daily the expected arrival time at the various locks, etc. I was surprised, though, that for our NB transit, the list of estimated arrivals did not include the Bridge of the Americas, but instead began with the Miraflores Locks.
 

We went under the Bridge just after 5:30am; it was still dark out, and a beautiful, quiet approach. I think some folks missed this because of the lack of notice. (BTW, as you can see, the crew hadn’t set up the bow yet.)

 

[Turtles06]

11 minutes ago, prov2727 said:

The cruise from Cabo, Puerta Vallarta and Acapulco is amazing if you are a fan of marine life. I saw whales breaching from my balcony and sea turtles eating in the port where we were berthed.

Excellent! You were fortunate to be there in January, during the height of the humpback whale migration season. 
 

For future reference for anyone reading this, taking a whale-watching excursion in Cabo during those months is well worth it. 
 

[dmwnc1959]

Just now, Turtles06 said:

Thanks for your kind words. I don’t recall any announcements of a specific time that the bow would be open. They did post in the Freestyle Daily the expected arrival time at the various locks, etc. I was surprised, though, that for our NB transit, the list of estimated arrivals did not include the Bridge of the Americas, but instead began with the Miraflores Locks.
 

We went under the Bridge just after 5:30am; it was still dark out, and a beautiful, quiet approach. I think some folks missed this because of the lack of notice. (BTW, as you can see, the crew hadn’t set up the bow yet.)

 

See, THAT is approach I was looking forward to on Coral Princess. Stunning. There is nothing to compare it to coming in from the other side - the elegant arc of the iconic Bridge of the Americas silhouetted against the bright industrial lights. Breathtaking. That picture is incredible. I think in most cases coming in towards the Gatun Locks you’re already at the Atlantic Bridge by first light. Not the same. 😢

[dmwnc1959]

47 minutes ago, prov2727 said:

I did the Panama Canal onboard the Joy in January of 2023. I did a shore excursion that went from the Pacific through the old locks to Gatun Lake. Then the next day we took the Joy through the new locks all the way from Pacific to Atlantic. It was one of my favorite cruises. In fact, I booked a cruise January of 2026 on the Bliss going through the other direction. So if I do a shore excursion from the Atlantic through the old locks to Gatun Lake, I can say I've been all the way through 3 times in 2 cruises! In the picture, my excursion is in the old locks and the cargo ship is in the new locks.

 

For the Joy's journey through the locks, I stayed in my balcony cabin and had the View from the Bridge on my TV turned up. I went between the two to watch everything. Being under 5 ft., I knew I wouldn't see anything from the bow anyway, LOL. I'm not on a balcony next time (at least not at this point; we'll see if prices go down), so maybe I'll end up venturing out to the bow.

 

As an introvert solo cruiser, I'm a fan of Norwegian but Princess' itinerary is very similar. The cruise from Cabo, Puerta Vallarta and Acapulco is amazing if you are a fan of marine life. I saw whales breaching from my balcony and sea turtles eating in the port where we were berthed. I missed the dolphins, but there was a pod of them that went by as well.

 

The marine wildlife is always a huge plus. Same here, being an introverted cruiser. And I’m not really dedicated to any particular cruise line, I book a ship based on what is most important to me so I tend to bounce around a lot. In this case what’s important is split between dining options and number of locations on the ship where the transit is best observable. For the former option Norwegian Jade wins, for the latter Coral Princess wins. It really is a difficult decision. First-world problems, right? 
 

I am booked in an inside cabin, so prime viewing deck space (not looking through tinted glass ) where I can move around a lot not hampered by unmovable crowds is important. I’m leaning heavily toward Norwegian Jade simply because of the length of cruise where I can revisit favorites, check off Bucket List items, and hit some new places all in a single trip. 
 

😁

Edited February 2 by dmwnc1959

[dmwnc1959]

Are there an alternative open-air forward-facing observation area(s) on the Norwegian Jade other than the bow? I know there are suites that have the best vantage points, but I’m in steerage 😉 and an inside cabin is the only way I’m able to do this cruise. 🤑 

 

🥸

Edited February 4 by dmwnc1959

[Turtles06]

32 minutes ago, dmwnc1959 said:

Are there an alternative open-air forward-facing observation area(s) on the Norwegian Jade other than the bow? I know there are suites that have the best vantage points, but I’m in steerage 😉 and an inside cabin is the only way I’m able to do this cruise. 🤑 

 

🥸

 

The Sun Deck on Deck 14.  Take a look at the folks in my photos in comment 10 above.  (There is of course a transparent barrier in front of them.) 

[dmwnc1959]

22 minutes ago, Turtles06 said:

 

The Sun Deck on Deck 14.  Take a look at the folks in my photos in comment 10 above.  (There is of course a transparent barrier in front of them.) 

 
Thank you again for all of your great tips and pictures! I was hoping to avoid any type of glass barriers due to the possibility of reflections or built-up sea spray. Those barriers do look tint-free, where-as Princess Cruises ships all have the blue-tinted glass. 
 

I’ve spent nearly two hours this morning watching a single, unbroken, complete YouTube video of the Eurodam’s Gatun Lock transit (with the accompanying ship’s guide narration). At first I thought it was going to be boring, but it turned out to be absolutely and incredibly fascinating!
 

I’m pretty sure that once I find a spot (pre-Puente Atlantico) to watch the transit I’m not going to be moving for probably +3 hours until maybe when entering the last lock, then move down to the promenade deck for a quick walk-around. 
 

😁