Panama Canal?

[alcpa1]

The original question was asked if anyone had had itinerary changes. We sure have, We will now embark from PC and go through the Canal instead of embarking from Cartagena and hitting some of the lower islands for longer port stays. This is a Sirena sailing in March 2024.

We were originally scheduled to sail on Sirena in '21 from PC and ended up on the Marina for the same itinerary. 

[njhorseman]

7 hours ago, Snaefell3 said:

We disagree on why, but we agree that ACP has freed up lots of room in the new locks for ships that would otherwise use the original.  Add their preference to use the new locks to the old and...  Wish it weren't.

No, we don’t agree. 

Under normal operating conditions 9 to 11 ships per day transit the Neo Panamax locks. 

Under current conditions the maximum number permitted is 9.

How is that freeing up a lot of room?

Unless fewer than 9 Neo Panamax ships are scheduled for transit on a particular day there's no way to move a Panamax ship from the original locks to the new locks. 

 

Anyway,  I've already spent too much time arguing about this. If you want to have the last word feel free to fire away. 

[chengkp75]

20 hours ago, Snaefell3 said:

Since ACP currently prefers to transit vessels via those new locks because they use less water, expect to transit via the new locks

Not sure how you came to this conclusion, as even in good times they have limited the number of neo-panamax transits to just 10-11.  If they used that much less water, and they "preferred" to use the new locks, why were they still having over 3 times the number of transits through the old locks as the new locks?  The new locks don't use less water than the old locks, but they reuse a portion of the water each transit, so they use less water than the larger lock would have used under the old system.

 

I was starting to answer your other misconceptions, but NJhorseman did a fine job of that.  Please note that the number of reserved transits have not been reduced, it is the number of "spot" transits (show up and wait your turn) that are being reduced.  Cruise ships pay a premium for a reserved day, and even more for a confirmed daylight transit.

[Tranquility Base]

Princess operates a fleet which has some ships which can use the Old Locks, and other ships which can only use the New Locks.

When they first publish their itinerary on their website they indicate which Locks  are planned to be used for each cruise.