Jump to content

Panama Canal NCL GEM January 2019


Billteg
 Share

Recommended Posts

I'm wondering where is a good spot on the ship to spend the day transversing the Canal. I especially like pictures of scenery along the way. The Gem has a great Outdoor bar and buffet on the aft deck.. Would that be a good spot? My mobility is limited and I can't be running all over the ship. You can move from Port to starboard daily on this aft deck location. Thanks for any recommendations

 

Bill T

Link to comment
Share on other sites

You might want to ask this on the NCL board, where there are far more NCL experts...as this is about the ship, not the Canal.

 

I will say, as it will be VERY hot, and probably also VERY humid, shade will be at a premium. So just freely moving around and being comfortable outside may not be as easy as you think.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

You will want to ROAM the ship....you do NOT want to stay in one place! There are sights to see on ALL sides...front, back, both sides...and all LEVELS of the ship! Being on the top deck is totally different than being on deck 4 or 5! Roam! Do not sit! The transit takes lots of time...and you want to see as much as possible!

 

And yes...it's like being in a pressure cooker...hot and HUMID...you will want to get out of the heat every so often. The canal is only about 8 degrees off the Equator....it's HOT!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thank you both for your replies. I do live in NYS currently but I did live many years in the Gulf South so I'm pretty accustomed to the heat and humidity. I'm looking forward to it, in fact, as some relief for mid winter NYS LOL.

 

Bill T

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I think you will find that the approach and passage through the first set of locks, the forward looking views are the most popular as you might expect. That doesn't mean you can't get a good look at what is interesting from any spot that gives you a reasonably unobstructed view out. As your transit progresses through the day you will find the more popular forward positions less crowded. Depending on your direction of travel (Atl-Pac or Pac-Atl) you can prioritize to some degree which side of the ship would be the "better" side for seeing the more interesting sites. If you can I would also recommend positioning yourself on the lowest outside public deck (often times under the lifeboats) for at least a part of the passage through one of the locks. I would recommend you do this later in the day... provides with a completely different perspective.

 

 

Things move at a fairly leisurely pace in the Canal and you can too:D.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I think you will find that the approach and passage through the first set of locks, the forward looking views are the most popular as you might expect. That doesn't mean you can't get a good look at what is interesting from any spot that gives you a reasonably unobstructed view out. As your transit progresses through the day you will find the more popular forward positions less crowded. Depending on your direction of travel (Atl-Pac or Pac-Atl) you can prioritize to some degree which side of the ship would be the "better" side for seeing the more interesting sites. If you can I would also recommend positioning yourself on the lowest outside public deck (often times under the lifeboats) for at least a part of the passage through one of the locks. I would recommend you do this later in the day... provides with a completely different perspective.

 

 

Things move at a fairly leisurely pace in the Canal and you can too:D.

 

Thank you The Other Bill...

 

Bill T

Link to comment
Share on other sites

OP: my wife and I did a full transit of the Canal on the NCL Jewel -- a sister ship of the Gem -- in Jan/Feb. 2017, which was terrific. I'm quite familiar with the Gem and the Jewel class ships. The Great Outdoors is a fantastic place for watching some of the transit (backwards, if you will), plus you'll be able to have some shade and duck into the buffet when you want to cool off. (The Great Outdoors is in fact one of my favorite spots on those ships.)

 

However, as others have said, and to the extent your mobility allows, you'll really want to observe the transit from other perspectives -- forward facing, high, low, etc. It's a very long day, so I hope you'll be able to move around.

 

To the extent this may be helpful to you, here's my detailed review of our cruise. (Unfortunately, thanks to PhotoBucket, most of the photos are no longer viewable.) If you have more questions, don't hesitate to ask.

 

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2456255

 

Have a great trip!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

OP: my wife and I did a full transit of the Canal on the NCL Jewel -- a sister ship of the Gem -- in Jan/Feb. 2017, which was terrific. I'm quite familiar with the Gem and the Jewel class ships. The Great Outdoors is a fantastic place for watching some of the transit (backwards, if you will), plus you'll be able to have some shade and duck into the buffet when you want to cool off. (The Great Outdoors is in fact one of my favorite spots on those ships.)

 

However, as others have said, and to the extent your mobility allows, you'll really want to observe the transit from other perspectives -- forward facing, high, low, etc. It's a very long day, so I hope you'll be able to move around.

 

To the extent this may be helpful to you, here's my detailed review of our cruise. (Unfortunately, thanks to PhotoBucket, most of the photos are no longer viewable.) If you have more questions, don't hesitate to ask.

 

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2456255

 

Have a great trip!

Many thanks Turtles 06. I appreciate your review especially the day of transit through the Canal. I fully agree with you that activities and food on board are very subjective but I appreciate all views, and then make up my own mind. I also don't cruise for the qualities of food. I'm an old bachelor so I just appreciate someone else fixing the food. I also very much enjoy The Great Outdoors and spent most of my 14 day cruise on the Gem back there. I enjoy just relaxing, enjoying the vastness of the ocean and the occasional glimpse of another ship, birds and fish. You write a very interesting post and beautiful pictures. I wish I could afford the luxerious accommodation but I'll be fine in my little cabin.. Lol. Again, my thanks... Bill

 

Bill T

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Please sign in to comment

You will be able to leave a comment after signing in



Sign In Now
 Share

  • Forum Jump
    • Categories
      • Welcome to Cruise Critic
      • New Cruisers
      • Cruise Lines “A – O”
      • Cruise Lines “P – Z”
      • River Cruising
      • ROLL CALLS
      • Digital Photography & Cruise Technology
      • Special Interest Cruising
      • Cruise Discussion Topics
      • UK Cruising
      • Australia & New Zealand Cruisers
      • Canadian Cruisers
      • North American Homeports
      • Ports of Call
      • Cruise Conversations
×
×
  • Create New...