Excuse my ignorance about the locks

[pklopp]

Hello - first off, I apologize for my ignorance regarding the Panama Canal - we are interested in taking a cruise - do any of the cruise ships actually go through the locks - partially I guess I'm asking - not going from east to west? Or do the ships just offer a ferry ride through? Thank you and so sorry for the stupid questions.

Peggy

[LHT28]

There are two sets of locks on the partial transit ship will go though one set of locks and anchor in Gatun Lake then go back to the Caribbean side though the same locks.

Thew full transit they go though both sets of locks from Atlantic to Pacific or Pacific to Atlantic

http://www.pancanal.com/eng/photo/camera-java.html

http://www.pancanal.com/eng/general/asi-es-el-canal.html

[jff50]

There are some ships that go to the canal, but don't even go through any of the locks. One of the first thing to know is whether the ship is too big to go through the locks. I believe that the maximum size to go through the locks is about 92,000. If the ship is 100,000 tons or more it will not be able to go through any of the locks. It will anchor outside the locks, and if you want to go through any of the locks or transit the whole canal, you will have to take a smaller ship/ferry. I'm not sure about other lines, but I do know that the Coral Princess is doing partial transits (R/T from Ft Lauderdale) that go through the Gatun Locks, once in Gatun Lake they let people tender ashore for Princess shore excursions (such as the ocean to ocean ferry), and then go back out the Gatun Locks to anchor and pick up people returning from the shore excursions. The Coral is a great ship, and the itinerary is very nice. I would strongly suggest a full transit (ocean to ocean on the cruise ship) first or the partial transit with the ocean to ocean ferry ride. Otherwise you miss a significant portion of the canal--the Culebra cut was the most difficult part. The Island Princess (another great ship that is a sister ship to the Coral) is doing several full transits from 10 days up this winter. If you are able to go between Thanksgiving and Xmas I think you can get some great deals--we are on it 12/4/07 for 11 days from San Juan to Acapulco.

 

If you go, make sure that you read "The Path Between the Seas".

[wrp96]

On the roundtrip cruises, in general RCCL, Holland America, Princess, and Celebrity will enter one set of locks, turn around, and then go back out the same set of locks. This is called a partial transit. From the East coast, you go through the Gatun Locks, cruise around Gatun Lake, and then go back out the Gatun Locks. From the West coast it is the Miraflores Locks.

 

Carnival does not have its ship enter the locks, they just dock at Colon and the only way to see the canal is to take an excursion (either through the ship or independently).

 

I did a partial transit on RCCL's Brilliance of the Seas, but I also did the ferry excursion to be able to see the full length of the canal. After our ship had passed through the Gatun Locks and had entered Gatun Lake, we tendered off to meet the ferry. We missed the ship exiting Gatun Lake via the Gatun Locks, but met back up with it at Cristobal Pier.

[BillB48]

Princess and RCI offer the most partial transits of the canal. This normally is a cruise that departs Florida and visits other Caribbean destinations along the way to the Panama Canal. Once at the canal the ship will lock through Gatun Locks to Gatun Lake. Passengers who have booked tours through ship will be tendered off to meet their tours. Your ship will then lock back down Gatun Locks and proceed to Cristobal piers and tie up. This is where you can do a little shopping and the passengers who are on tours will rejoin the ship.

 

Many cruise lines offer repositioning cruises that are complete transits. These usually occur in April/May for west bound cruises and Oct/Nov for east bound cruises.

 

To get the real feel of the canal, a complete transit is probably better. On a complete transit you probably would not want to get off the ship to see Panama because you would miss the transiting of the canal. This is where the partial transit gives you the opportunity to see some of Panama. They are both great cruises in any event.

[jff50]

On the roundtrip cruises, in general RCCL, Holland America, Princess, and Celebrity will enter one set of locks, turn around, and then go back out the same set of locks. This is called a partial transit. From the East coast, you go through the Gatun Locks, cruise around Gatun Lake, and then go back out the Gatun Locks. From the West coast it is the Miraflores Locks.

You don't see many partial transits from the west coast. There are a few reasons for this:

• It takes a lot longer to get to the canal from an American homeport on the Pacific side (i.e. LA or San Diego) than it does on the Atlantic side (i.e. Ft Lauderdale).
  
• I think the only place to turn around within the canal is Gatun Lake. If you enter from the Caribbean side, you are in Gatun Lake as soon as you enter. If you enter from the Pacific side, you have/get to sail all the way across the canal to Gatun Lake before turning around and heading back to the Pacific.

To give an example, Princess has ongoing round trips/partial transits from Ft Lauderdale that are 10 days each. In contrast, their round trip/partial transit on the Pacific side is from LA and is a 19 day cruise. There is a larger market for 10 day cruises than for 19 day cruises, so you will see more of them.

[pklopp]

Thanks for all of the info - we are looking at the Brilliance, so I have the answers now for the locks. Thanks again, that's why I am always checking these boards!

Peggy

[jff50]

Many cruise lines offer repositioning cruises that are complete transits. These usually occur in April/May for west bound cruises and Oct/Nov for east bound cruises.

 

To get the real feel of the canal, a complete transit is probably better. On a complete transit you probably would not want to get off the ship to see Panama because you would miss the transiting of the canal. This is where the partial transit gives you the opportunity to see some of Panama. They are both great cruises in any event.

The Island Princess is doing a series of full transits this winter. We are on an 11 day San Juan to Acapulco this December 4th. Great ship and itinerary. Prices are also very good between Thanksgiving and Christmas.

[bogotababe]

From the East coast, you go through the Gatun Locks, cruise around Gatun Lake, and then go back out the Gatun Locks. From the West coast it is the Miraflores Locks.

 

Just a geographical correction. The Gatun Locks are on the NORTH coast of Panama, and the Miraflores Locks are on the SOUTH coast. Panama is shaped like a tipped-over "S" and the canal runs from the northwest to the southeast (or vice versa.)

[AZMembergs]

Hi,

We've done a Panama Canal trip on Celebrity's Infinity in Jan. 2004 (check our photo link below) and loved it so much, we're doing it again next Nov. on RCL's Radiance. Check it out:

 

Leave Ft. Lauderdale

2 sea days!

Port: Cartagena, Colombia

Sea day

Cruise thru Panama Canal (all day--fantastic views!)

Port: Panamal (Fuerte Amador)

Sea Day

Port: Manta, Ecuador

Sea Day

Port: Lima Peru

Sea Day

Port: Arica, Chile

Sea Day

Port: La Serena, Chile

Port: Valparasio (disembark)

 

If you enjoy interesting ports with a good mix of relaxing sea days, this might be just up your alley! :p

 

Nessa

[wrp96]

Just a geographical correction. The Gatun Locks are on the NORTH coast of Panama, and the Miraflores Locks are on the SOUTH coast. Panama is shaped like a tipped-over "S" and the canal runs from the northwest to the southeast (or vice versa.)

 

I know that. My use of the word West was in reference to cruises from the West Coast of the US.:)

[Terpnut]

Just a geographical correction. The Gatun Locks are on the NORTH coast of Panama, and the Miraflores Locks are on the SOUTH coast. Panama is shaped like a tipped-over "S" and the canal runs from the northwest to the southeast (or vice versa.)

I think he meant if you sail from the US west coast, you first enter the Miraflores locks, and if you sail from the US east coast, you first encounter the Gatun locks.

[woodofpine]

I think he meant if you sail from the US west coast, you first enter the Miraflores locks, and if you sail from the US east coast, you first encounter the Gatun locks.

 

And if YOU REALLY want to have a Brain Teasor of a Canal Question...

 

The EASTERN entrance of the Panama Canal is on what ocean?

 

[That's right... THE PACIFIC... the Western entrance is the Atlantic! The canal cut runs NW to SE from Atlantic to Pacific so that the question's weird answer is correct albeit counterintuitive.]