Why do HAL ships not tie up at the pier in Panama City, Panama?

[casavaha]

We have been thru the canal 3 times and planning on this month to do 2 more.

 

I hate tendering at Fuerte Amador. I cannot understand why the ship does not

 

tie up at the pier at the entrance to the Canal. For what you pay it should be included.

 

More people would get off the ship and go into Panama City.

 

Just recently I saw one of the Aida ships docked at the pier. So I know it can me done.

 

Thanks

 

Greg

[Krazy Kruizers]

I hope you get an answer.

 

I asked this a couple of years ago as we have also always had to tender at Fuerte Amador -- and did see another ship docked one time.

[kjw869]

We have been thru the canal 3 times and planning on this month to do 2 more.

 

I hate tendering at Fuerte Amador. I cannot understand why the ship does not

 

tie up at the pier at the entrance to the Canal. For what you pay it should be included.

 

More people would get off the ship and go into Panama City.

 

Just recently I saw one of the Aida ships docked at the pier. So I know it can me done.

 

Thanks

 

Greg

 

 

Greg, You might also post this question on the Panama Canal board. There's a person who lives in that area that provides a lot of information. I believe he was from Wisconsin.

 

I did ask a few questions on that board regarding our upcoming cruise, and he answered them very quickly.

 

Happy Holidays,

 

Ken

 

PC Board: http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=89

[bepsf]

Which HAL ship are you sailing on?

The reason I ask is that there is most likely a limitation to the size of ship that the pier can handle due to it's length or the depth of the dredge - the newer AIDA ships are roughly the size of the HAL R-Class and the older ones are smaller than the S-Class.

[casavaha]

We are on the Statendam.

[Jemima]

Just guessing, but there might be an issue with getting an early start through the canal if docked.

[Tropic]

Just guessing, but there might be an issue with getting an early start through the canal if docked.

 

The Rotterdam heads on down the pacific coast and it uses the tender spot.... which is a little more classy location to move about from. But it seemed interesting that there were many ports that HAL uses that are not the normal onces used by other lines, such as at Costa Rica (using a cargo port instead of Punterinas (sp?). I think that because they go to a lot of ports not heavily visited by cruise ships, there are no real alternatives to cargo ports unless you made them all a tender port. But often the "bad" neighborhoods or out of the way locations became a hinderance to people getting off the ship... they need to improve on their "shuttle" systems, though some were quite good. But many people would set out on foot in busy cargo ports trying to find their way to "independant" taxi's etc.

 

Alternatively, the shuttle at Lima functioned wonderfully to the front gate, but without the local jewelers in Peru getting to the downtown was sketchy at best. Even some of the Mexican ports lacked reasonable alternatives. We were at Manzanillo a couple of years ago and were at the cargo port and sort of lost. This time there was a new crusie ship pier right at the main town square of Manzanillo with plenty of parking etc for tour buses, etc. But if you wanted to walk and enjoy the local color it was a great location. This isn't always the fault of the cruiseline... there just aren't alternatives to the cargo ports. But thought should be given to the passenger that enjoys a more "independant" route then the tours given by the cruise ship. Maybe, just maybe, this works out better for the revenues of the cruise ship.... you think?

[iriemon]

.....such as at Costa Rica (using a cargo port instead of Punterinas (sp?).

 

I know exactly what you mean regarding Costa Rica. We were there earlier this month for the first time. We did not have any tours booked so we wondered through the little straw market and outside. Went one block and back again, not a great neighborhood and really nothing to see. Would not get off the ship again if we did not have anything booked to do.