Lenette Posted November 5, 2009 #1 Share Posted November 5, 2009 This will be our first time cruising the Canal. I want also to see rainforest from gondola. Offer to see rainforest is available for the last leg of the locks; leaving ship at Guatlan Lake and rejoining ship at the pier 5 hours later. DOES ANYONE KNOW WHAT WE WOULD MISS BY GETTING OFF SHIP DURING THE LAST FEW HOURS IN THE LOCKS? We could book a differnt gondola through the rainforest in Costa Rica BUT that one is a 9 hour excursion and we like the idea of a shorter one. Any advice????:o Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SWACruising Posted November 5, 2009 #2 Share Posted November 5, 2009 The highlight of our Panama Canal cruise was the transit through the canal. If you haven't done it before, I would recommend staying on board for the entire transit. I've done the transit once and still wouldn't want to miss it when we do it again. Enjoy the Panama Canal. It was by far the best cruise we have had to date. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sekhmet Posted November 5, 2009 #3 Share Posted November 5, 2009 Agreed, first time stay on the ship for the full transit. I might also add that Costa Rica is probably a better rainforest experience, too - this wonderful little country is one of the most enlightened in terms of it's stewardship of the natural world. As well as visiting on cruises, we've had a two week land based stay here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eandj Posted November 5, 2009 #4 Share Posted November 5, 2009 The ship transit thru the locks is beautiful. I'd stay onboard. When we were in Costa Rica we did a boat ride down the "canals" in the rainforest. It was one of our best excursions ever! Monkeys swinging in the trees , sloths watching as we went by, alligators, blue butterflies...just amazing. Do your rainforest here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CruisingChick Posted November 5, 2009 #5 Share Posted November 5, 2009 I agree about Costa Rica it was one of our favorite stops. Who ever knew. The rainforest there was great, so was the banana plantation. Have a great vacation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dzcruisers Posted November 6, 2009 #6 Share Posted November 6, 2009 I agree with the above posters. Stay on board! That's the highlight of your cruise. Costa Rica has great rain forest and river tour. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mardon Posted November 6, 2009 #7 Share Posted November 6, 2009 we just got back from our Panama Canal cruise and I agree with the above posters. STAY ON BOARD. I found it very interesting. I found the whole Panama Canal cruise to be VERY VERY HOT. The people we met on the cruise were sorry they signed up for the Costa Rica tours. TOO LONG and they found the busses VERY UNCOMFORTABLE. Happy we went through the canal and that I saw it because this was a cruise I would never do again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dzcruisers Posted November 6, 2009 #8 Share Posted November 6, 2009 We booked our own tours in Costa Rica with okey dokey tours dot com. All the vans were air conditioned and we all had fun. Acapulco and Cartagena were incredibly hot!!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snausman Posted November 6, 2009 #9 Share Posted November 6, 2009 Stay on board, isn't this why you booked this cruise, to go thru the canal.:rolleyes: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Norcal Cruiser Posted November 6, 2009 #10 Share Posted November 6, 2009 Stay on board through the Canal.In Costa Rica we loved the La Paz waterfalls booked through the ships excursions.We normally do independent excursions but in Central America are more comfortable booking through the cruiseline.This was one of our all time favorite excursions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FunForUs Posted November 6, 2009 #11 Share Posted November 6, 2009 The ship transit thru the locks is beautiful. I'd stay onboard. When we were in Costa Rica we did a boat ride down the "canals" in the rainforest. It was one of our best excursions ever! Monkeys swinging in the trees , sloths watching as we went by, alligators, blue butterflies...just amazing. Do your rainforest here. I'd like some information on this tour as I am still looking for what to do in Costa Rica on our cruise next month. Was this a Celebrity tour and if so which one? If not, who was it with? Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jazzbo Posted November 6, 2009 #12 Share Posted November 6, 2009 We used Okey Dokey tours and had a fantastic day. We booked online through Charlie Soto. He responded to my e-mails promptly. His website is: http://nanada.com/tours/ Only 3 of the 6 of us wanted to do the excursion, so Charlie sent a driver/guide with a car. He had other, larger tours going out that day, too from the port (Puerto Limon). We did the banana plantation, Tortuguero Canals (saw monkeys, sloths, alligators, birds, lizards), went zip-lining in the rainforest, ate a lobster lunch at a beach restaurant (paid separately), and then went to a grocery store in town where we could buy coffee and vanilla substantially cheaper than at the port. This was in spring of 2007, and the cost was $89 (included fresh fruit, soft drinks and beer at the zip-lining location). Charlie will customize the tour for you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
raudacruise Posted November 7, 2009 #13 Share Posted November 7, 2009 Keep in mind that there are two ports in Costa Rica. Porto Limon on the Carribean side and Punta Arenas on the Pacific side. Limon had the best tour. I didn't arrange it so I can't tell you the name of the operator but can probably can find out. We first did the boat ride where we saw the crocs, sloths and monkeys. We then went to a another place with more monkeys that would eat (or snitch) provided fruit out of your hands. Then a reserve for Macaus. Then on to another stop at an orchid farm that had a colony of howler monkeys. Finally back to the port but not before stopping at a super market to pick up coffee and other provisions. We lucked on this because it was sort of a busted tour and the person that arranged it spoke fluent Spanish. Still, one of the best tours we've ever gone on (maybe the Best). Punta Arenas was a little bit of a let down after that but still good. We did see the crocs and a lot of birds but no monkeys and no sloths. A little cooler on the Pacific side. But as recommended by other posters - you want to do the full transit of the Panama canal. Even both ways as we have done. And I recommend the book "A path between the seas" by David McCullough. It really helps bring the whole thing into perspective. You can point at things and go - OK, now I get it. The one thing I would not recommend is a tour in Panama City. For us at least (and was different cruise that didn't go through the canal) was very bad experience. Getting up to the see the locks was a logistical nightmare. And our tour guide was - well, I probabably shouldn't go there. Let's just say that all of Panama's problems is because of the United States (thank you very much for us giving you the canal that WE built). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hflors Posted November 7, 2009 #14 Share Posted November 7, 2009 This will be our first time cruising the Canal. I want also to see rainforest from gondola. Offer to see rainforest is available for the last leg of the locks; leaving ship at Guatlan Lake and rejoining ship at the pier 5 hours later. DOES ANYONE KNOW WHAT WE WOULD MISS BY GETTING OFF SHIP DURING THE LAST FEW HOURS IN THE LOCKS?We could book a differnt gondola through the rainforest in Costa Rica BUT that one is a 9 hour excursion and we like the idea of a shorter one. Any advice????:o We left the ship and took a train ride in a dome car thru Panama. Saw the Mira Flora locks and a ship passing thru it to the Pacific Ocean, Went to the "bridge of the AMericas, it connects north and south America and then went on to Panama city for a look at the pacific ocean. It was great. We had a tour guide who was so knowledgeable about the Panama Canal. Yes the passing and locks are wonderful, but for us the Train Trip along the Canal really made the trip special!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
outerspaceguy Posted November 7, 2009 #15 Share Posted November 7, 2009 And I recommend the book "A path between the seas" by David McCullough. It really helps bring the whole thing into perspective. You can point at things and go - OK, now I get it. Just as an FYI-- I checked my local public library's website, and they have it. I put in a request. Your local library might have it as well. Here's the full listing: Format: Book Author: McCullough, David G. Title: The path between the seas : the creation of the Panama Canal, 1870-1914 / David McCullough. Publisher, Date: New York : Simon and Schuster, c1977. Description: 698 p. : ill. ; 24 cm. Subject: Panama Canal (Panama) -- History. Includes index. Bibliography: p. 655-669. ISBN: 0671244094 (pbk.) 0671225634 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
raudacruise Posted November 7, 2009 #16 Share Posted November 7, 2009 Just as an FYI-- I checked my local public library's website, and they have it. I put in a request. Your local library might have it as well. Here's the full listing: Format: Book Author: McCullough, David G. Title: The path between the seas : the creation of the Panama Canal, 1870-1914 / David McCullough. Publisher, Date: New York : Simon and Schuster, c1977. Description: 698 p. : ill. ; 24 cm. Subject: Panama Canal (Panama) -- History. Includes index. Bibliography: p. 655-669. ISBN: 0671244094 (pbk.) 0671225634 Its a great book even if you don't read "History". McCullough does a good job of showing the political intrigue that went into the whole thing. Sort of what we are seeing now about opening up a Pana-Max plus locks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hflors Posted November 7, 2009 #17 Share Posted November 7, 2009 Just as an FYI-- I checked my local public library's website, and they have it. I put in a request. Your local library might have it as well. Here's the full listing: Format: Book Author: McCullough, David G. Title: The path between the seas : the creation of the Panama Canal, 1870-1914 / David McCullough. Publisher, Date: New York : Simon and Schuster, c1977. Description: 698 p. : ill. ; 24 cm. Subject: Panama Canal (Panama) -- History. Includes index. Bibliography: p. 655-669. ISBN: 0671244094 (pbk.) 0671225634 Wow I just picked up this book from the Library today! Then I came on here are you posted this. I can't wait to read it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jewels57 Posted November 8, 2009 #18 Share Posted November 8, 2009 Stay on board through the Canal.In Costa Rica we loved the La Paz waterfalls booked through the ships excursions.We normally do independent excursions but in Central America are more comfortable booking through the cruiseline.This was one of our all time favorite excursions. We got off and regretted it. We booked a tour of Gatun Lake thru Celebrity and it was a waste of time and money. Our tour in Costa Rica was much more interesting. Also, because the ship took longer than expected to go thru the locks, we ended waiting in the heat and humidity for almost 2 hours, for the ship to arrive at the dock. Not a fun time!!! Enjoy the transit thru the canal!! JC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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