Norwegian Encore idle in Gatun Lake

[dmwnc1959]

After going through the new locks for the Panama Canal, Norwegian Encore took up position in the southwest side of Gatun Lake and basically just came to full stop two hours ago. Right now she is basically station keeping in one position. 
 

She is doing a full transit in route from Cartagena to Fuerte Amador. 
 

Is there any reason that she would still be stopped in Gatun Lake for so long? She really should be at this point well into Culebra Cut. Don't think I've ever seen this on a cruise ship doing a full transit. 

 

 

 

 

Edited April 11 by dmwnc1959

[Kodiak99]

While on the encore last April we sat in the lake for a while before proceeding. I don’t think it’s unusual.

[hallux]

10 minutes ago, dmwnc1959 said:

Don't think I've ever seen this on a cruise ship doing a full transit. 

My Bliss transit earlier this year did something similar.  Something about timing of ship transits, it ended up making us 'late' for exiting the canal and we had to tie up at the exit of the last lock on the Pacific side to wait for low tide to pass under the bridge.

[zqvol]

Nothing unusual here, simply traffic control.

[yakcruiser]

It also stopped for a couple hours two years ago. The captain said it had to do with the tides to fit under the bridge. We had one of the smaller jewel class ships pass by in the opposite direction and we had the battle of the horns and everybody got to wave hello.

[dmwnc1959]

12 minutes ago, Kodiak99 said:

While on the encore last April we sat in the lake for a while before proceeding. I don’t think it’s unusual.

At the rate she's going now, they won't exit the Cocoli Locks until dark. There comes a point in time when the directional traffic through the narrows at Culebra Cut becomes on way. She may bring up the tail end of that window heading southbound. But as of right now she's still sitting there. 
 

 

Edited April 11 by dmwnc1959

[dmwnc1959]

5 minutes ago, zqvol said:

Nothing unusual here, simply traffic control.

 

3 minutes ago, yakcruiser said:

It also stopped for a couple hours two years ago. The captain said it had to do with the tides to fit under the bridge. 

This also explains why last November she was coming in from the Pacific side at 2 o'clock in the morning. 
 

 

Edited April 11 by dmwnc1959

[hallux]

3 minutes ago, dmwnc1959 said:

At the rate she's going now, they won't exit the Cocoli Locks until dark

Which is exactly what happened to my cruise.  I have pictures and a short video clip from The Waterfront as we sailed out of the last lock between 7:15 and 7:30 PM.  It was dark because it was Jan 31.  I was eating dinner as we were descending in the locks.

[dmwnc1959]

13 minutes ago, hallux said:

My Bliss transit earlier this year did something similar.  Something about timing of ship transits, it ended up making us 'late' for exiting the canal and we had to tie up at the exit of the last lock on the Pacific side to wait for low tide to pass under the bridge.

I've seen that coming in from the Pacific side, after exiting the Cocoli Locks heading into the canal, they did the same before proceeding towards Centennial Bridge. 

 

[dmwnc1959]

Just now, hallux said:

Which is exactly what happened to my cruise.  I have pictures and a short video clip from The Waterfront as we sailed out of the last lock between 7:15 and 7:30 PM.  It was dark because it was Jan 31.  I was eating dinner as we were descending in the locks.

Maybe that's an advantage of doing a full transit on one of the smaller NCL ships over the mega-ship, since it's more of a full 'daylight transit' even in January. Basically from just after sunrise to exiting well before sunset. 

[hallux]

@dmwnc1959 I'll be honest - the pics I got exiting the lock in the dark are kinda cool.

[dmwnc1959]

3 minutes ago, hallux said:

@dmwnc1959 I'll be honest - the pics I got exiting the lock in the dark are kinda cool.

Oh, I'm sure they are! Earlier this week the small cruise ship Island Sky did a full nigh-time transit heading northbound. And I've seen some of the small National Geographic ships do that as well. And the NG ships will anchor off of Barro Colorado Island overnight. I think going through the Culebra Cut in the dark would be totally crazy with all of the buoys and range markers blinking on and off all the time. 

[dmwnc1959]

Well, she is definitely underway now. It'll be interesting to see what time she comes out the other side of the last locks. 
 

[pete_coach]

The Panama Canal is very scheduled. Delays are common.

Gatun Lake is where they stage the ships.

[hallux]

There's a bulk carrier, Vitality Diva, that is ahead of the Encore, she passed through the old locks, so it's probably a scheduling thing, alternating vessels that can go through the old and new locks.

Edited April 11 by hallux

[ppcox]

34 minutes ago, dmwnc1959 said:

Maybe that's an advantage of doing a full transit on one of the smaller NCL ships over the mega-ship, since it's more of a full 'daylight transit' even in January. Basically from just after sunrise to exiting well before sunset. 

Our transit Miami to LA on the Encore is our favourite cruise of all we have taken (15) A perfect mix of interesting ports and scenery combined with a fantastic ship. We had Vibe passes and the view as we passed through the locks was epic. Slightly off topic but yes we had a holding pattern in the lake too. 

[dmwnc1959]

1 hour ago, ppcox said:

Our transit Miami to LA on the Encore is our favourite cruise of all we have taken (15) A perfect mix of interesting ports and scenery combined with a fantastic ship. We had Vibe passes and the view as we passed through the locks was epic. Slightly off topic but yes we had a holding pattern in the lake too. 

My very first time will be April 2025. Not sure I could do the Panama Canal fifteen times. 😉
 

And of all the full transits I've looked into none of the ships were larger than 60-90k tons. I'd most definitely prefer the smaller ships for this, just to hit the historic locks and see them (and the old lock gates) from the promenade deck at eye level while we are wedged into a 110-year old lock chamber. But that's probably just the beginner and me talking. 😁

 

 

Edited April 11 by dmwnc1959

[Turtles06]

2 hours ago, dmwnc1959 said:

Maybe that's an advantage of doing a full transit on one of the smaller NCL ships over the mega-ship, since it's more of a full 'daylight transit' even in January. Basically from just after sunrise to exiting well before sunset. 

 

Not always.  Our first full transit, which was southbound on the Jewel in 2017, did not reach the Bridge of the Americas until after dark. 

 

Edited April 11 by Turtles06

[dmwnc1959]

[ppcox]

1 hour ago, dmwnc1959 said:

My very first time will be April 2025. Not sure I could do the Panama Canal fifteen times. 😉
 

And of all the full transits I've looked into none of the ships were larger than 60-90k tons. I'd most definitely prefer the smaller ships for this, just to hit the historic locks and see them (and the old lock gates) from the promenade deck at eye level while we are wedged into a 110-year old lock chamber. But that's probably just the beginner and me talking. 😁

 

 

I meant the Panama Canal cruise is our favourite cruise of the 15 cruises we have taken. 

[dmwnc1959]

Edited April 11 by dmwnc1959

[hallux]

1 hour ago, dmwnc1959 said:

just to hit the historic locks and see them (and the old lock gates) from the promenade deck at eye level while we are wedged into a 110-year old lock chamber

I did an excursion that went in the old locks in a much smaller boat...

[dmwnc1959]

40 minutes ago, Turtles06 said:

 

Not always.  Our first full transit, which was southbound on the Jewel in 2017, did not reach the Bridge of the Americas until after dark. 

 

That's my next goal, to do northbound hopefully to hit this area just before sunrise. The approach to the industrialized Gamboa area lit up and passing under the bridge that early in the morning would be fairly impressive. 

[dmwnc1959]

6 minutes ago, hallux said:

I did an excursion that went in the old locks in a much smaller boat...

That I am going to do as well. Our port stop prior to the transit is Colón, and as soon as that tour opens I'm going to book it. 

[dmwnc1959]

 

 

Edited April 11 by dmwnc1959