Need comparison of cruising through old vs new locks

[alwalaska]

We are currently looking at a Panama Canal cruise and our top 2 contenders include one small and one large ship.  We have sailed through the "historical" locks once before and loved the experience. I'm thinking I would like to do something different, but not at the expense of doing something significantly "less cool".  My husband is an engineer and totally loved the previous cruise.

 

Has anyone sailed both?  Can you please share photos, videos, and your opinion?

 

Thanks!

[Essiesmom]

Here are captures from the bridgecam of NCL Encore on Thursday

In the 9th & 10th pics from the Miraflores cam you can see her in the channel heading for Cocoli Locks.  EM

Edited April 13 by Essiesmom

[dmwnc1959]

One thing to consider as well, is that big ships transiting the new locks are subject to the tidal conditions at the Bridge of the Americas. This may cause the ship to arrive super early when coming in from the Pacific side, and/or find itself in a sort of 'holding pattern' until the 'time is right' to continue the transit from the Atlantic side. 
 

This happened recently on Norwegian Encore as chronicled here...

 

 

[BillB48]

I think going through the new locks is worth the experience particularly if you want the bragging rights in being able to say you have experienced the original and the new locks.  The transit is essentially the same, the only difference is which locks are used and the access channel used to enter and exit the lock.  The other significant difference is you lock through three locks with the original locks and only two locks with the new.  Other than that the transit is the same, both the new and original locks are within one mile of each other.  You will be seeing the same scenery, just from a slightly different perspective. 

 

Now the BUT!  IMO there is considerably less visual attraction to the new locks... missing are the locks locomotives (mules) that assist in your passage through the locks, your ship is tightly packed into the lock chamber with only inches to spare on each side, to me the lock gates opening and closing seems more dramatic.  By that I mean the way the gate halfs open and close at the original locks compared to the rolling gates at the new locks.  You also have the opposite lane to watch and see and compare their progress.  The fill and spill operations at the new locks take a little more time and are slightly less apparent.

 

None of the above is meant to minimize the new locks, only to point out there are fewer things to focus on.  I am sure your engineer partner would still find it interesting whichever locks you decide on. 

[alwalaska]

Thanks all.  I think we have decided on booking the historical locks. I appreciate all of the info.