Panama Canal Cruise - which locks?

[sansterre]

We are on a Panama Canal cruise this Winter on the Westerdam. Would the Westerdam use the old locks, or might the ship use the new, larger lock built for the mega ships?

It doesn't make much difference to us as all is interesting; just wondering.

[Bouff]

When we did a Panama Canal transit in April we were told that Panamax ships will continue to use the original locks. This is because the new, larger, locks use more water.

[jtl513]

If you ever go through on a Pinnacle class ship (right now only Koningsdam) it will use the new locks because it is too wide for the originals.

 

A Disney ship used the new locks in Apr because modifications made it too big for the old, and other lines are planning to use them:

https://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/cruises/2017/05/01/disney-ship-uses-new-panama-canal-locks/101144666/

Edited September 2, 2017 by jtl513

[rafinmd]

If you ever go through on a Pinnacle class ship (right now only Koningsdam) it will use the new locks because it is too wide for the originals.

 

A Disney ship used the new locks in Apr because modifications made it too big for the old, and other lines are planning to use them:

https://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/cruises/2017/05/01/disney-ship-uses-new-panama-canal-locks/101144666/

 

Can the Koningsdam make it under the Bridge of the Americas (or the new bridge being built on the Caribbean side)? I have a feeling relatively few cruise ships will ever use the new locks.

 

Roy

[BillB48]

Can the Koningsdam make it under the Bridge of the Americas (or the new bridge being built on the Caribbean side)? I have a feeling relatively few cruise ships will ever use the new locks.

 

Roy

 

From what I am able to determine the Koningsdam is just under 180' in air draft, which won't present a problem for the Bridge of Americas. Just about all the cruise ships around will clear the BoA's max air draft of 205'. The cruise line that has an issue with the BoA is Royal Caribbean with their Voyager, Freedom and Oasis class ships. Some of Celebrity's Solstice class ships may have a problem with the Bridge of Americas, however there is a fix for the offending mast. A mast on the Solstice has been retrofitted so it can be lowered telescopically to clear the Lions Gate Bridge in Vancouver. The Lions Gate Bridge has a permitted clearance slightly less than the Bridge of Americas. There won't be any problem with the new Atlantic Bridge since the clearance below is supposed to be 246'.

 

The Caribbean Princess is scheduled to begin partial transits next month using the new locks. Early next year the Carnival Splendor and the Norwegian Bliss are to make full transits using the new locks. The Norwegian Bliss will be the largest of the cruise ships to use the new locks.

[Krazy Kruizers]

The last time we were on the Westerdam -- full transit, we were told that she and the other HAL ships would still be using the old locks.

[jtl513]

I have a feeling relatively few cruise ships will ever use the new locks.

The USAToday article says

 

The Panama Canal Authority says passenger ship companies have booked 18 transits of the new locks for the 2017-18 season. In its current fiscal year, the Authority expects passenger ships to make 233 transits of the canal in all using both the old and new locks.

 

That's 7.7% this year. I would expect it to increase.

[chengkp75]

The USAToday article says

 

The Panama Canal Authority says passenger ship companies have booked 18 transits of the new locks for the 2017-18 season. In its current fiscal year, the Authority expects passenger ships to make 233 transits of the canal in all using both the old and new locks.

 

That's 7.7% this year. I would expect it to increase.

 

Given that the number of transits for the new locks, in total, are limited at least for the next few years, I suspect that the majority of the limited spaces will be given to the container ships which pay an even more exorbitant fee than cruise ships. These ships pay upwards of $800k to transit, and that is without a daylight or expedited fee. I wouldn't expect the number of cruise ship transits for the new locks to go much above 20-25 a year over the next 5 years or so. What say you, BillB?

[BillB48]

The USAToday article says

 

The Panama Canal Authority says passenger ship companies have booked 18 transits of the new locks for the 2017-18 season. In its current fiscal year, the Authority expects passenger ships to make 233 transits of the canal in all using both the old and new locks.

 

That's 7.7% this year. I would expect it to increase.

 

What the Canal doesn't disclose is how many of those 18 transits are multiple transits as in the case of the Caribbean Princess doing 12 or so partial transits. To be fare the Canal doesn't differentiate between a partial and a full transit since the cost is the same. I believe the lion's share of transits will come from the Panamax ships using the old locks.

 

 

Given that the number of transits for the new locks, in total, are limited at least for the next few years, I suspect that the majority of the limited spaces will be given to the container ships which pay an even more exorbitant fee than cruise ships. These ships pay upwards of $800k to transit, and that is without a daylight or expedited fee. I wouldn't expect the number of cruise ship transits for the new locks to go much above 20-25 a year over the next 5 years or so. What say you, BillB?

 

The 20-25 figure may even be a bit optimistic, particularly in the early years and that figure may even be more elusive if you discount the multiple, same ship partial transits. I think most of the mega ships are deployed on itineraries that have already been planned, there probably won't be a great deal of shifting of those itineraries that would necessitate a Canal transit. No doubt a 4000 pax cruise ship would be a nice payday, I'm sure if the Canal had its "druthers" the Canal would much rather hold their hand out and collect a toll from a containership. A couple of months ago the COSCO Devolpement with a little over 13,000teus transited and my spy told me the toll was $1.15 million. Just the other day that record was broken by another containership over 14,000teus. Have not received any feedback on the tolls, but I think you could assume it was a record payday as well. The name of the ship... CMA CGM Theodore Roosevelt!

 

teu= twenty foot equivalent unit container

[Lizzie68]

The last time we were on the Westerdam -- full transit, we were told that she and the other HAL ships would still be using the old locks.

We were also told that in April by the Captain of the Westerdam.

 

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