BillB48

Pinched these off of FB, a poster I don't know who was recently visited the new cruise terminal at Ft. Amador posted the following pictures. The only comment was it was supposed to open later this year.

Shazam! Look what happens when you just add a little water to the mix. Effective today, the draft has been raised to 47' and on Aug 5 transits will be increased to 35 per day.

My contact at the Canal mentioned that Canal authorities are predicting Gatun Lake will top off by October. I hope they have better luck with their crystal ball than I do with mine!😀

Canal authorities have announced effective July 11 daily transits will increase from the present 32 to 33 per day and on July 22 to 34 per day. Also, effective on June 15 the draft limit for the new locks was raised one foot to 46'. The draft limit for the Panamax Locks is already at the maximum of 39'06".

Ha, I was going to post a similar picture of this mornings fog jam. Even though fog is the transit schedulers nemesis, in this case it might even be welcomed. Fog often times settles in Gaillard Cut during the overnight and is more frequent during Rainy Season, so the return of the fog is another good indication the forecasters prediction of the return of Rainy Season is correct. While it may be a little premature to declare an end to the water crisis, things a certainly looking up. Rains have been sufficient enough to raise the draft limit and to increase the number of daily transits. Both Gatun Lake and Madden (Alhajuela) lake levels have been increasing.

I think it would be worthwhile, you will see Gaillard Cut twice, once on your excursion and once on your transit, but I see that as a plus. The original locks have much more visual interest such as the twin lanes as well as the "mules." I also think that experiencing the locks from a smaller vessel drives home just how big of a structure the locks are. The ride to the ferry and back to Colon can be of interest as well.

Let me second njhorseman's 99.99% chance of using the original Panamax Locks, in fact I could raise that bet a decimal to 99.999% just for good measure. Since 2016 when the new locks opened there has only been 1 passenger ship that could use the original locks been diverted to the new locks. There were so many extenuating circumstances involved there isn't any way you could infer that occasion would have any influence in the future transits. The 5AM-6AM is certainly a good guesstimate, just realize that time frame is very fluid, it could occur earlier or even later. Since you are not due at Fort Amador until 8PM the later estimate would not be out of consideration. Please don't use that as a reason to catch an extra 40 winks. I am always up before those times just to claim a good vantage point. Can't help with the website for Canal transits, the best one was one that EM was very active in, but that one has gone dark and now it is just hit and miss when I see ships.

You will not disembark the ship for your shore excursion until after the ship locks up Agua Clara Locks and reaches Gatun Lake. During the time you are on your excursion the ship will lock back down Agua Clara Locks and proceed to Colon which is where you will rejoin the ship.

Perhaps the weather gods are beginning to shed some of their bounty, at least the Canal's weather forecasters are counting on it! Last Thursday, May 16 the Canal increased transit slots at the Panamax Locks from 24 to 31. On June 1st they will also increase transits using the new locks by 1 slot for a total of 32 transits per day. On June 15th the draft limit at the new locks will be increased from 44' to 45'. The draft limit at the Panamax Locks had remained unchanged at 39'6" during this period. Officially the Dry Season ended on May 7,2024.

There are some upscale hotels on the smaller side sprinkled around the Casco Antiguo as well as some like restaurants. This is not a recommendation as I have not stayed there as it was still under re-construction when I was last there. That is the very upscale Sofitel Legend in the Casco Viejo which has quite a history to it dating all the way back to before the Canal even was opened. Back then it was known as the Union Club and was a big hangout for the luminaries during that time. However it may be something of interest to you. As far as wandering around, during the daytime in the Casco I think it is reasonably safe, however at night I don't think I would do any wandering outside of areas specifically that were not recommended by whatever hotel you are staying at. I would use a cab or shuttle from/to the hotel wherever I could. Even though the area is inhabited by some very influential people, the Casco is not a particularly large area and the flavor of the neighborhood can change quickly. Regarding some early Salsa or Bachata... no recommendations for early or late! Sorry, had to look up Bachata which apparently originated in the Dominican Republic. Even though I was just in the Dominican Republic, I did not encounter any Bachata... lol. Note: I use Casco Antiguo (or just the Casco) to describe the area of Casco Viejo. Either term any local will know what you are speaking about. I differentiate mainly because often times I am also speaking about Panama Viejo which are the ruins of the first settlement. Casco Antiguo came after Henry Morgan "visted" back in 1671. Think multiple Viejos add to the confusion.

I just wrote about the bus ride across the Isthmus in a response to another thread here on the PC board... The Princess tour description specifically mentions going to the ruins of Old Panama. I don't think there are that many things for you to conveniently see if you were to wander around the Casco on your own. While there are some historically significant sites in the Casco, they are a little spread out and I really don't know how easy it would be to try and see them on foot. The area now is largely residential with some smaller hotels and some boutique restaurants. Most of the shopping that you would encounter would be around Las Bovedas and Plaza Francia which is where they generally give you the free time.

My two cents, who knows maybe I will even get some change!😉 I am writing this as though you would visit Agua Clara Locks first, although they may reverse the order to provide the best opportunity to view ships in the Locks. Honestly I don't think the bus ride is all that torturous with a decent road for the most part and nice scenery. From Agua Clara Locks across the Isthmus will run you a little over an hour and from the Pacific side back to Colon closer to an hour. In Celebrity's overview of the tour they mention that you drive through the ruins. While they don't specifically mention the "ruins" of Old Panama, I am pretty sure they are referring to the ruins of the original Panama settlement established in 1519. From there it is on to Casco Antiguo which was founded after Henry Morgan destroyed Old Panama in 1671. In the past they would return to Colon a slightly different route from the trip over. In part this route will take you by the two Pacific Locks and through a portion of one of the national parks which is primarily old growth forest. Then you will reconnect with the major highway back to Colon. You are right... don't stay on the ship all day!

Ditto on what Turtles06 said about the necessity to be on a ship sponsored tour. While the cruise line certainly doesn't object to having a monopoly on shore excursions at this stop, the need is for a good reason. Where you are tendered ashore is in the middle of nowhere and if your contracted tour did not show up for any reason you would have a great deal of difficulty in getting transportation. The excursions are operated by local providers just as they are in other ports and Princess is just the middle man. Yes it can be warm and humid, in all honesty you will find similar weather in any other Caribbean stop. Also the type of excursion you choose can impact your comfort, many of the excursions are primarily sightseeing on a bus with a few stops at selected sights. While others may involve more outdoor activity and therefore exposed to the elements more. Post what excursions you are considering and I am sure a number of people may offer some input.

After clicking through a countless number of pictures looking for lighthouses and the Canal (actually ranges😉) I ran across this one. I did not include it since you really could not really see any of the structures. The three green lights are the southbound range lights for Gatun Locks approach and the middle light is the one in Turtles06 post. On a side note I lived just above and just to the right of the upper light for about 3 years. The house is long gone, but the lighthouse is still there. You will probably never guess the name of the road where the upper light is located... wait for it... Lighthouse Road!

The Chief is absolutely correct and all the lighthouse in the pictures I posted are indeed range lights. I did not want to add to making the response more complicated as the OP was looking for lighthouses. I have been asked a number of times what the black and white markers were for and the picture below shows other types of ranges used in the Canal. The ranges with the black "cross" indicate the center line of the channel. The ranges with the vertical black stripe indicate the center of the "lane" when there is two way traffic. These ranges are illuminated just as the ranges that are lighthouses. The Canal is sectioned off in named reaches which basically are straight sections of the Canal. The picture below is in Gaillard Cut where the reaches in general are about 1 mile long. If memory serves correctly (Big if) we are looking at the south end of Las Cascades Reach with Bas Opispo Reach in the background.

I am sure you noticed the lighthouse in the last picture of my first lighthouse post, there is no Atlantic Bridge. Think the Bridge was completed sometime in 2018 IIRC, so all of those pictures are sometime before then. In your last lighthouse picture (post #8) that tubular tower with the black stripe in the center top is what replaced the Gatun Lighthouse. Maybe it is a 10 when the pilots are using it, as for esthetics it is pretty much a zero.

I did not think I could find a picture I took of one of Eiffel's Canal lighthouses, but I found it like I remembered where I had put it😁. As I said previously these lights are not easily seen. This one is located on the old US Military Base at Ft. Sherman. The name of the light is Toro Point Light built in 1893 and was designed by Eiffel. On entering through the Atlantic Breakwater it can be seen with binoculars on the starboard side of the ship where the breakwater connects to the shore. However some ships do enter before dawn and the structure may be hard to pickout.

While these pictures are not that old, there are some instances where the function of the lighthouse has been replace by a Port Entry Light, sometimes called a sector light. Having said that there are still plenty of lighthouses along various portions of the Canal. They may not always be in plain sight. These lighthouses differ slightly in their use as compared to a lighthouse that is placed to warn of a navigation hazard such as a reef or a shoal. These lighthouses are positioned to enable the pilot to accurately place the ship near the center of the channel. Here are a few... Sea entrance Miraflores Locks, off center right, lower lighthouse just to the right of the structure near the bank. There is also another further in the background and a little higher. At the Chagres River at Gamboa. Black paint indicates no longer an aid to navigation. Upper and lower lighthouses near Barro Colorado Island Another set of upper and lower lights, Gatun Lake Probably the best example of Canal lighthouses. This one is at Gatun Locks, sadly now a days it is painted black and is no longer an aid to navigation... Port entry light has taken over. A close up At the right edge of the picture you can see a lighthouse sticking up out of the trees Same lighthouse on the right, a little closer. Have fun looking for the lighthouses!! Just an aside, there are two lighthouses that are still used for the Panama Canal approaches. These lighthouses were designed by Gustave Eiffel (yes, the one in Paris) and constructed in the early 1890s. These lighthouses are not easily seen.

The traffic control for the Canal always has a plan for the movement of ships through the locks and it is extremely fluid. What is the plan 8 hours ahead can be changed multiple before it actual is cast in stone. Sometimes the scheduling probably is closer to a wish list, just too many variables.

While ships that could have passed through the legacy locks have been re routed through the new larger Neo-Panamax Locks. This is done solely for Canal convenience. To date there has been only one cruise ship shifted from the Panamax Locks (the Canal's terminology to differentiate between the two) and this is one of the smaller HAL ships was sent through the new locks. Lots of extenuating circumstances, mainly during the beginning of the pandemic and there were several active cases on board. As a result they sent the ship through the new locks with a single pilot (who was quarantined after the transit) used no line handlers, and put no lines out while in the new locks. Absolute minimal contact with Canal personnel. The bottom line is they are only locking through about 8 ships per day at the new locks because of the water restrictions. These ships will pay more in tolls than a ship such as the Summit. They would much prefer to save those slots for the ships that are going to pay more in tolls. While a ship such as the Summit would pay a little more if they used the Neo Panamax Locks as compared to the original Panamax Locks it would not equal what they could charge the larger ship.

Arriving Miraflores... In the upper level of Miraflores from the Cocoli cam... Almost back in salt water!

Gatun... Pass in Centennial Bridge headed for Pedro Miguel... Pedro Miguel... I am not sure how may pics I can upload in one post. I'll send the Miraflores pics in another post.

I have several of the Summit at each of the locks plus a few of the Summit as seen from other locks. I sent them to your narrator so he could make a few extra slides of your transit. I will post them to this thread if you like.

Airport, hotel, dinner, bed and to the port is just fine for Panama City. However, dinner close depending on the location of the hotel could be bit more of a challenge. You could choose a hotel that has a restaurant, but so often they are only ho-hum and a wee overpriced. One hotel that is handy for the port is the Radisson in Ft. Amador. Several years ago when I stayed there (it was a Country Inn Suites then), a T.G.I. Fridays was attached to the hotel. Now I am not necessarily recommending to travel all the way to Panama and go dine at TGI Fridays, there are some local eateries a short cab ride away that are located towards the end of the Causeway and near the cruise terminal, about 5 miles away. The hotel could easily help with the cab and there are some great views of the City. Over all Panama City is fairly safe, but just as any other big city the areas can change flavor rapidly often times with out any visual clues. Any of the major hotel brands would be fine.