Local Tour from Gatun Lake/Disembarking

[unklez]

We are booked on a partial Panama Canal cruise with RCL. The cruise goes through Gatun lock and stops at Gatun Lake, drops people booked on RCL tours and returns through Gatun lock to Cristobal Pier where the people on tours join the ship. The RCL tours in Panama are pricey!!! So I am exploring local tour operators. RCL say we will NOT be allowed to disembark at Lake Gatun unless we book an excursion through them and this is controlled by Panama Canal Authority (ACP).

 

I have called Panama Canal Authority (ACP) and they don't have any rule governing passengers! I have also called Panama consulate and they have confirmed that if we have US Passport or a Panama Visa they don't have any issues with disembarking anywhere as long as we make it back to the ship.

 

Questions:

 

1. Has anyone disembarked from any RCL cruise at Lake Gatun? How do you arrange that?

 

2. Have you taken a private tour from Lake Gatun? Which tour(s), with whom, how and how much did you pay?

 

Regards,

 

Booked on Jewel of the Seas, April 3rd 2009

[BillB48]

You're fighting a losing battle here. The area where you tender off is remote. There are no lines of taxis ready to take the independent tourist, no shops, not really much of anything there, only what little remains of the town of Gatun. In other words unless they have transportation waiting there for ( in the form of a reserved tour) there won't be anything there for you. This is one place they have a corner on the market and of course they use it to their advantage. Even if you could arrange for a tour operator to pick you up and convince RCI to let you tender off, I'm sure the logistics would be a minor nightmare.

 

We were scheduled for that cruise but had to transfer our booking on account of work.... aargh!

 

 

The answers to questions 1 & 2 are; Not to my knowledge

[unklez]

Well thanks for the info anyways. Hoping someone else will have some more insights to share. Getting ready to sail in 2 days :)

:D

[BillB48]

Hope you have a good cruise, it is one our favorites! Wish we were there!

[Host Karen]

They will not let you onto the tender unless you are part of a ship shore excursion group. I would make other plans for the day unless you decide to pay for a ship excursion. As the previous poster wrote, you're fighting a losing battle.

[unklez]

Thanks. :(

[mrobinson]

We are thinking about booking a cruise to Panama on Princess in October 2009. I keep hearing that the Panama excursions are expensive.

 

About how much do they run per person. Just wanted to get an idea so we can budget before booking the cruise.

[EdSails]

We are thinking about booking a cruise to Panama on Princess in October 2009. I keep hearing that the Panama excursions are expensive.

 

About how much do they run per person. Just wanted to get an idea so we can budget before booking the cruise.

 

They are listed under shore excursions on the Princess website. They are also listed as part of the cruise when you are checking the cruise price. I think they are the minimum price for them, however I really didn't notice any difference in the price when I actually booked my tours.

[unklez]

RCI charges between 60 to 160 pp with most tours at Panama around the 100 mark.

[unklez]

Approx 50% of the 2400 people on-board the just concluded Jewel of the Seas cruise, took a tour with RCCL in Panama. Almost all the people that took a land tour in Panama regretted it. I spoke to several groups. It was too hot, not clean and essentially not much different from what could be seen from the ship itself. One of the non-canal tours that you can do is the Embera Indian Village but a group of 10-12 Indians were at Cristobal Pier in traditional wear and did a few dances there. Sufficient for a bird's eye view that a typical cruiser gets anyways at the ports.

[patrickc]

We just got back from HAL. I wasn't sure if we should do an excursion- we ended up booking a bus trip to Panama. It was kind of a long ride, but really educational. Don't be discouraged before your trip! The Panama Canal was the most amazing thing I have ever experienced. Get up early, be part of the morning "festivities".. in hindsight, maybe good to book an excursion on the lake- I think the peacock bass fishing sounded awesome.

 

Lake Gatun was beautiful. When we got off the tenders & were walking to the bus, we saw an army of leafcutter ants marching along the path. The whole thing is remarkable. HAL was great- a lot of info about the natives, etc. At the pier, upon our return from excursions, we had a blast shopping-- everything was very cheap- cigarettes=$10 carton; emeralds $25; french wine $6 bottle.. panama beers $1.50 bottle (get them in the liq store & snag a table out front).

 

I loved panama. wasn't sure what to expect. It was nothing short of phenomenal. Enjoy the locks in the morning. Go to the bow. Go to the back. check it all out- it's like a ballet. Then, be sure to get off & do something. Don't get so upset over the $- it's a once in a lifetime- so I didn't bother getting upset because excursions may be $25 cheaper w/ a local guide.

 

Have fun!

[Calgary North]

Good advice PatrickC - I know I often am guilty of looking to save a few dollars on something, forgetting that I likely will never get the opportunity to experience the location again. I have 7 months to decide what to do.

 

Regards

[unklez]

Good advice PatrickC - I know I often am guilty of looking to save a few dollars on something, forgetting that I likely will never get the opportunity to experience the location again. I have 7 months to decide what to do.

 

Regards

 

Don't forget that taking an excursion in Panama means you will get only 1 shot at the main attraction, i.e. seeing the canal up close and personal. During the return passage the ship is not as crowded and it is easier to enjoy all the views.

[cd2]

We just returned and were on Jewel of the Seas. We took the Lake Gatun Safari and it was wonderful! Our quide ran the small boat up to the shore where the monkeys ate grapes from our hands. We had a really good lunch at a barge restaurant in the middle of the water, we spent some time there as kayaks were offered and free and many had a blast. Many younger people jumped into the water to swim. I loved this tour.

[clarka]

Thanks cd2 for your review of the Gatun Lake Safari. My husband and I are trying to decide between Monkey Watch, Gatun Lake Eco Cruise and the safari.

[Richard in Panama]

One of the non-canal tours that you can do is the Embera Indian Village but a group of 10-12 Indians were at Cristobal Pier in traditional wear and did a few dances there. Sufficient for a bird's eye view that a typical cruiser gets anyways at the ports.

 

Cristobal Pier 6 is no more. The operators at Colon 2000 and Home Port will only allow the Indians to sell crafts if they rent a high-priced store. Unfortunately all they see is the chance to grab the money and aren't interested in the culture, or don't realize the culture is one of the reasons people find Panama interesting. Some folks find Indian baskets, carvings, and Kuna molas more interesting than yet another Diamond's International or Columbian Emeralds, but of course we all know that the only reason people go on cruises is to buy jewelry and art work!

 

Regards, Richard

[islasisterchick]

We leave next week on the coral princess, but I'm not finding the Gatun wildlife safari on their site. Do they not offer it?

thanks

[Richard in Panama]

We leave next week on the coral princess, but I'm not finding the Gatun wildlife safari on their site. Do they not offer it?

thanks

It looks like the closest thing they offer is Monkey Watch & Canal Nature Cruise - New Tour!

Regards, Richard