What is "partial transit" of the Panama Canal?

[JimAOk1945]

SeagoingMom

I have started doing research for taking the partial transit and came across this thread. I appreciate your taking the time to post about your experience on the ferry. I think yours is the first review of the ferry that I have seen here.

Did you enjoy your partial transit otherwise?

[Richard in Panama]

Although the "best" way to experience the Canal is from the outside deck of a cruise ship, the Ferry Boat Excursion does give you the opportunity to see the Canal from a different perspective and get up close and personal actually touching the walls of the locks.

 

The boats are very basic, simple, mostly open but shaded outside deck. There are basic "heads" for toilets. The lunch is basic Panamanian, but very good and when I went there was free bottled water and soda. There is a commentary on a so-so PA system. It does allow you to see the "rest" of the Canal that you wouldn't otherwise experience on a "turn around" itinerary.

 

Regards, Richard

 

[vbmom87]

Although the "best" way to experience the Canal is from the outside deck of a cruise ship, the Ferry Boat Excursion does give you the opportunity to see the Canal from a different perspective and get up close and personal actually touching the walls of the locks.

 

The boats are very basic, simple, mostly open but shaded outside deck. There are basic "heads" for toilets. The lunch is basic Panamanian, but very good and when I went there was free bottled water and soda. There is a commentary on a so-so PA system. It does allow you to see the "rest" of the Canal that you wouldn't otherwise experience on a "turn around" itinerary.

 

Regards, Richard

 

 

Thanks Richard. The "mostly open" is probably the clincher for me. I have been debating if I could handle this cruise in the heat and humidity that is the norm in this area. I don't think I would do well in the ferry being out in heat like that. I know I even have to do my homework regarding cruise ships. I know I read many complaints about air conditioning not working well on some ships when they are in the warmer climates. Thanks for all your contributions.

[SeagoingMom]

SeagoingMom

 

I have started doing research for taking the partial transit and came across this thread. I appreciate your taking the time to post about your experience on the ferry. I think yours is the first review of the ferry that I have seen here.

 

Isujim, wrp96 and mii all posted positive comments about their experience on the ferry, though as you say, did not give a "reviews" per se.

Did you enjoy your partial transit otherwise?

Well, the partial transit part -- going through the first lock, was very interesting, although what I regret is not having been on the bow of the ship in a very visible spot for when the photo was taken of the ship entering the lock. Somehow we missed the announcement about the photo. I would love to have been in that photo to later buy on board. We began to watch the transit from our port side balcony (deck 9) and saw the mules setting up to pull the ship through. This view was good of the side of the ship, of course, but not of the gates. So we went out on an open bow deck after that, and enjoyed the experience from there. I have read on these boards that HAL is the only line that opens the bow deck for observation at times like these, but I cannot verify that. Other lines may do it too.

 

It certainly was not the same thing watching from a high cruise ship deck as it was on the small ferry, where you really were close to the action, and as Richard in Panama pointed out, you could actually touch the canal walls. If and when I do a complete transit on a cruise ship, I will choose a ship with an open promenade deck in order to again have the option of that close-up perspective.

 

Another advantage, I think, of being on a cruise ship for the full transit would be visibility from a high deck of the construction of the new canal .

 

Experiencing the Panama Canal for myself had been a long-standing dream. I am one of those who goes to the PC webcam and just watches ships transit the locks (Miraflores is my favorite). I love all things maritime. So for me, it really was a sort of "necessity" to fully transit the Canal, and I would not have not done it, since I could. The partial transit is very interesting, but I would not have been satisfied with just that. I did what I really wanted to do: depart the Caribbean and end up at the Pacific, experiencing the Canal for its intended purpose. This included seeing Panama (especially Panama City, which was lovely) from that perspective, and sailing alongside the other ships and boats making the transit. As I said, I would not have missed it, and hope to do it again. The partial is merely a taste -- better than nothing, undoubtedly...

 

For what it's worth, we also enjoyed the other aspects of the round trip southern Caribbean itinerary -- 10 nights, four sea days, stops at Half Moon Cay, Aruba, Bonaire, and Costa Rica.

[Richard in Panama]

VBMom, The several times I've done the ferry boat but several years ago, although I think they still use the same boat, there was an air conditioned area, very small, inside, but then you'd miss what you really paid to see.

 

Regards, Richard