"Privileged Access" Miraflores Locks Excursion on Panama Canal

[junglejane]

I've tried using the search function to find comments on this but didn't get anywhere. We're booked on our first Viking cruise, which is a full transit of the Panama Canal on 10/24/2023. Our booking window for shore excursions opens on 8/8. DH is especially interested in the locks themselves and we've both read the Path Between the Seas. So looking at the excursions in Colon, we see that there's one that's labeled "Privileged Access" and says: "At the Miraflores Visitor Center, watch an IMAX movie about the canal and see the Miraflores locks from a unique perspective while visiting the operational area with a private guide from the Panama Canal Authority. After lunch, visit the Panama Canal Expansion Observation Center to learn more about this engineering marvel and the massive Panama Canal Expansion Project, which doubled the waterway’s capacity when completed in June 2016." It says the excursion is 8.5 hours.

 

Any feedback on this excursion option for someone interested in the engineering and operational side of the lock operation? 

Also, what's the advice on whether to pick all excursions and then check out, or check out one at a time? I think I saw some advice on this board suggesting you should immediately check out for your top priority excursion. Is that good advice? Thanks very much.

[formernuke]

Yes we took this excursion in February and we were pretty happy with it. I’m an engineer and found it interesting and would recommend it. Good comparison of the old and new lock technologies. 

[janetcbl]

Unless you are in a suite, I would suggest picking your favorite optional cruise and paying for it immediately, then pick your second (and maybe third) and pay, etc. We never had a problem in PV or above, but depending on how full the ship is….? Would be interested in hearing other people’s thoughts.

[Azulann]

Always have stayed in DV staterooms. I set up e- check in my MVJ (paying by credit card just adds additional step of entering your card info each time). Then pick my first priority  optional tour and pay for it go back and pick second etc. I pick the included tours last. Always have gotten the optional ones I really wanted when the tours open up for booking.

I loved  the Panama  full transit cruise many years ago. It is indeed a wonder of the world!  Now they have two canals !

[May B]

From all I’ve read, absolutely try to book your #1 selection and finish the purchase, then go back to book the rest.

 

No matter how good or bad that excursion is, I can’t imagine that there’s any better choice for you. If you don’t care all that much, let him do it on his own. Oh! Wait! I just looked at all the excursions that will probably be offered. There are some other fun ones! The reason they’re so long, I think, is that you do them all from Colon. The bus ride will be long. Then the next day is your transit. You know where the sun will be as you start out n the a.m., right?

 

I wish I had better first-hand info for you. I think Azulann answered, while I was typing this, and I bet she has first-hand experience!

 

Full transit of the canal is a wonderful trip. And I saw a few fun excursions at some of your other ports, too.

 

one good thing about lots of sea days. At least you’ll have trivia in the daytime.

 

I hope you have an absolutely fabulous time.

[junglejane]

Thanks everyone for this great feedback. 

[Cienfuegos]

The Miraflores exhibit center is very nice, several stories high, located adjacent to the original  locks. When my wife and I visited in 2015, there was a huge exhibit on the construction of the new canal waterway.