GALAXY Review: Just back from Panama Canal L O N G

[trcori]

I appreciate the reassurance. It's not even in this case that I want to save $ (D&I are about $20/person cheaper than the ship tour to Chacchoben when you add in taxi fare to Mahahual) but I have heard so much about how amazing and interesting they are, I would rather go with them than get stuck with who-knows-who from the ship tour!

 

looking forward BIG TIME to Galaxy 4/1,

TR

[jperkin1]

You'll be so glad you did it (it doesn't even really matter that it's cheaper, although that certainly doesn't hurt!!). The cruise excursions are huge, and you just don't get the one on one that you get with the D&I tour. We spoke to people who went on the ship's excursion, and this one was just much better. Wish we were going again!!

[poetic license]

Wow, lots of questions! Sorry I haven't responded sooner, but I was on another cruise last week. THAT'S another story .... :rolleyes:

 

janiwom: Yes, I was referring to the Ferry Excursion in my review. It is EXCELLENT. We left by tender in Lake Gatun around 10:15 I believe. You will be up hours by then! :D We were transported by bus to Balboa and got the ferry there, and then proceeded by ferry through the other two locks and down to Panama City, where the buses had moved to retrieve us at about 2:00. The tour MAY last up to 7 hours; it just depends on how many other ships are in the canal trying to get through. On the day we went, we never had to wait in a quque ... we breezed right through. The ferry crew said that was fairly unusual. So our tour was about 5 hours instead of 7. They definitely build in a lot of extra time to cushion for a 'worst case scenario'. Seven hours is the longest time it will ever take to get through the tour. We got back to the terminal in Cristobal about 3:00, and had plenty of time to shop there before we left port at 6.

 

Here's a shopping tip: Ignore all the schlocky shops in the terminal, and walk through to the other end and exit. Then walk further down the pier to a 'flea market' kind of area and get local handcrafts there. Yes, there are the usual souvenir and T-shirt stands mixed in, but you can also get locally made panama hats there, pottery and handmade jewelry.

 

About The Native One tour in Costa Maya (with David and Ivan): They are wonderful, and are keenly aware of getting you back to the ship on time. Your tour is so small that they tailor it to your port schedule. There will be a maximum of eight in your group, so all of your time will actually be spent enjoying the ruins instead of waiting for hordes of people to board buses. You WILL arrive back in the pier area in Costa Maya with plenty of time to rejoin the ship before it sails. We are definitely going back to them next year when we take our girls on their spring break cruise.

 

DeepWaterMariner: Boy, I sure wish Fusion was on OUR sailing!!! They were on CONSTELLATION in November and they were great. We got stuck with a couple of dud bands ..... esp. the Black and White Trio. Celebrity should be embarrassed to have hired them! The string quartet was great, though, as was the pianist. It seems as though the bands AND the Captain rotated off the ship after our cruise.