Panama Canal Excursions

[California Traveler]

Did I read a thread here one is not allowed to disembark the ship in Panama if you do not have an excursion planned with HAL?

 

We are thinking about doing a tour with an independent local company.

 

CT

[CruiserBruce]

If you are on a partial transit, where you turn around in Gatun Lake, you are correct. Only people on HAL excursions can get off.

 

Edit-- just saw your cruise listed in your signature. You must take a HAL excursion to get off in Gatun Lake.

[richwmn]

Unfortunately, CruserBruce is correct. When I did the partial Canal in 2010 I really wanted to see some places around Colon, Christobal and Coco Solo where I lived for a year and a half. No one could point me to any way to get off the ship without a HAL excursion.

 

Rich

[CruiserBruce]

Unfortunately, CruserBruce is correct.

 

Gee, Petty Officer, what did I say???;) You sound like my DW, who had two silver bars on her Navy uniform.

[BillB48]

You can get off the ship in Colon after it locks back down through Gatun Locks. The ship docks there to pick up the passengers who got off in Gatun Lake for excursions. It is not normally a long stop, 2 to 3 hours maybe, but enough time to get the obligatory T shirt.

[Krazy Kruizers]

That is a Panama ruling that people not on tours can not get off the ship via the tenders in Gatun Lake.

Plus there are no vendors there or taxis located there.

Years ago we anchored the entire day in Gatun Locks. People had a choice of taking tours, or paying $10 a person to go to the "beach" or stay on the ship. Those people who went ashore could use the 'beach" or walk around the small dock area -- some locals would come out and play music and do dances and sell molas.

Our tour ended up taking longer than it should have and we only had a chance to glimpse at the items being sold as we had to get onto the tenders to get back to the ship.

That was really a nice idea they had then.

[California Traveler]

Thank you everyone - this is why I LOVE Cruise critic. I did not see this warning on their website under the excursions for Panama - unless I missed it :(

 

Anyway I did sign up for the HAL Indian Village Excursion so I'm safe.

 

CT

[Richard in Panama]

Thank you everyone - this is why I LOVE Cruise critic. I did not see this warning on their website under the excursions for Panama - unless I missed it :(

 

Anyway I did sign up for the HAL Indian Village Excursion so I'm safe.

 

"Warning under their excursions" - why? No problem taking their excursions. You will love the all day Authentic Embera Village excursion and still get to see Gatun Locks on the way in, Gatun Lake, and have a very brief glance at Colon (which is more than enough.) REgards, Richard

[CruiserBruce]

"Warning under their excursions" - why? No problem taking their excursions. You will love the all day Authentic Embera Village excursion and still get to see Gatun Locks on the way in, Gatun Lake, and have a very brief glance at Colon (which is more than enough.) REgards, Richard

 

The warning is about the inability to get off the ship unless you are on a HAL excursion.

[richwmn]

"Warning under their excursions" - why? No problem taking their excursions. You will love the all day Authentic Embera Village excursion and still get to see Gatun Locks on the way in, Gatun Lake, and have a very brief glance at Colon (which is more than enough.) REgards, Richard

 

For someone who lived in Colon for over a year, a brief glance is not enough.

[Krazy Kruizers]

For someone who lived in Colon for over a year, a brief glance is not enough.

 

Sadly -- even if you don't do a HAL excursion and stay on the ship until you get to Colon, the 3 or so hours you are there is not really enough time to do anything.

[richwmn]

Sadly -- even if you don't do a HAL excursion and stay on the ship until you get to Colon, the 3 or so hours you are there is not really enough time to do anything.

Agreed, and when I did my Partial Canal a couple of years ago the weather was bad enough that we didn't even dock in Colon. And, the dock is only about 8 blocks from the house I lived in.

[kazu]

Thank you everyone - this is why I LOVE Cruise critic. I did not see this warning on their website under the excursions for Panama - unless I missed it :(

 

Anyway I did sign up for the HAL Indian Village Excursion so I'm safe.

 

CT

 

You'll like this tour I think. We enjoyed it and we don't do a lot of HAL tours;)

[Typhoon1]

I wouldn't get off the snip if they let me if I wasn't on a tour.

 

The street of Colon do not appear to be very safe.

[Tarpeian Rock]

I wouldn't get off the snip if they let me if I wasn't on a tour.

 

The street of Colon do not appear to be very safe.

 

 

 

Truly. Prior to our partial transit last year, we were warned by several sources not to go out beyond the cruise ship shopping area on the Colon dock. One hour there and we were back on the ship with no regrets.

[Typhoon1]

Truly. Prior to our partial transit last year, we were warned by several sources not to go out beyond the cruise ship shopping area on the Colon dock. One hour there and we were back on the ship with no regrets.

 

Our tour took us from the ship to the train station. I saw enough of Colon in those ten minutes.

 

You didn't miss anything.

[BillB48]

Agreed, and when I did my Partial Canal a couple of years ago the weather was bad enough that we didn't even dock in Colon. And, the dock is only about 8 blocks from the house I lived in.

 

richwmn.... If you would like to take a trip down memory lane and try and see some of your old haunts, rent the James Bond movie Quantum of Solace. The first part of the movie that is supposed to be Port au Prince, is actually Colon. There just might be some sort of message when your city can be the stunt double for the capital of Haiti:eek:! If you look quickly there are couple of long shots of the old Ft. Sherman.

 

Colon is certainly some sort of enigma.... the ports that make up Colon are doing a land office business, there such and influx of capital in the country, but Colon just sits there and festers. Someone said that Colon hit rock bottom years ago and is still digging! A shame that it is such a poor front door for the Canal and the rest of Panama.

[Krazy Kruizers]

When we did the partial Panama Canal cruise on the Zuiderdam in 2010, our stop was Crystobal.

We were also warned not to go beyond the "terminal" -- located in the freight area.

[Typhoon1]

When we did the partial Panama Canal cruise on the Zuiderdam in 2010, our stop was Crystobal.

We were also warned not to go beyond the "terminal" -- located in the freight area.

 

Some of the locals were trying to convince us how safe their country is.

 

That's why there are soldiers with machine guns every few blocks.