Thread: Panama Canal: Have You Been? Do You Want to Go?

Voted partial but in fact have done a full transit. The cruise ship anchored in the Gatun Lake, and we got off and completed the transit on a smaller boat, then bused back to Colon. It was a fun cruise, and we got to see the operation of the canal up close and personal...better than on a cruise ship. I'd do it again.

We have done several full transit canal cruises -- have another in 2009.


We also have entered the Panama Canal from the Caribbean cruise where we anchored in Gatun Lake and took a tour from there -- we returned to our ship in Gatun Lake.


We have also done a couple of cruises were we entered the Canal - from the Pacific side and overnighted at Gatun Lake - and then exited back out on the Pacific side -- love those cruises -- unfortunately we were scheduled to another one in 2009 but HAL has cancelled it.

Originally Posted by daWoods

Voted partial but in fact have done a full transit. The cruise ship anchored in the Gatun Lake, and we got off and completed the transit on a smaller boat, then bused back to Colon. It was a fun cruise, and we got to see the operation of the canal up close and personal...better than on a cruise ship. I'd do it again.

Thanks! Princess calls this one "Panama Canal Experience by Boat".

While we've never taken it, EVERYONE (without exception) we've met on cruises who has ... always raved about it ... saying it's the BEST possible way to see the Panama Canal!

I voted that we went to Colon on a shore excursion. This is sad, but I don't know if we went up to Gatun Lake?

I think we went through 2 sets of locks and then took buses back to the ship, but the reason I don't know for sure is that the excursion was the worst group of people on a smaller ship that I've ever encountered. Pushing, shoving, not enough room to sit, etc.

I would only ever do a Full Transit through the Canal on a cruise ship now.

We sailed Infinity through the canal - Ft. Lauderdale to San Diego. It was awesome, and I highly recommend it to anyone interested. It was a very long day going through the locks, the lake was beautiful, the machinery and process was just amazing. We had a great time!

Ooops... I clicked the Panama trip I WANT to take... I haven't been yet!

My bad. Didn't mean to skew the results...

So, we are considering doing the full canal in 2010, on the Sea Princess.
Am I right in assuming that a starboard balcony stateroom would be preferable? We would be traveling from FL to CA, so the starboard would be facing land predominately, and would face the north side of the canal.

We took a full transit from Seattle to Ft. Lauderdale.

I would like to do it again one day but in the other direction.

Originally Posted by RaeVynn

So, we are considering doing the full canal in 2010, on the Sea Princess.
Am I right in assuming that a starboard balcony stateroom would be preferable? We would be traveling from FL to CA, so the starboard would be facing land predominately, and would face the north side of the canal.

Hm, I don't think it would really matter which side of the ship you are on, but I have heard that the cabins on the stern of the ship offer a phenomenal view.

Originally Posted by daWoods

The cruise ship anchored in the Gatun Lake, and we got off and completed the transit on a smaller boat, then bused back to Colon. It was a fun cruise, and we got to see the operation of the canal up close and personal...better than on a cruise ship.

We did the same thing from the Brilliance OTS a few years back. Into Gatun while perched on the ship, and then the secondary experience, very up close and personal, from a small boat.

Originally Posted by daWoods

I'd do it again.

Agreed! And doing it this way was the best of both worlds.