FiremedicMike151 Posted April 23 #1 Share Posted April 23 A Panama Canal cruise is on our bucket list and I'm currently looking at one in 2025. We only ever cruise balconies and did splurge for an aft balcony on our Alaska cruise. The premium for the aft balcony is about 25-30% higher, I'm just curious if you all found it to be a worthwhile upgrade? Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CruiserBruce Posted April 23 #2 Share Posted April 23 As mentioned here frequently, you need to be all over the ship during your transit. Be on the bow (if available) for a locking. Be on the Promenade deck for a locking. Your aft cabin is also a good place to be, but I am not sure I would pay 25% more. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Essiesmom Posted April 23 #3 Share Posted April 23 Remember that the canal transit is only one day of your cruise. If it’s where you want to be the rest of the time, if the price is satisfactory, go for it. If you are happy with a regular balcony the rest of the time, pass on it and move around the ship during the transit. Do you like to see where you are going, or where you have been? If the ship you chose is using the original locks, try to get a balcony on the port side for a westbound transit. For an eastbound transit, starboard side is best. If your ship will be using the new locks, it makes no difference. EM Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Turtles06 Posted April 23 #4 Share Posted April 23 If I were going to pay for a special stateroom for the Canal, it would be one with a forward-facing balcony (and I've done so). But there are folks who have loved their aft-facing balconies for a transit as well. @CruiserBruce is absolutely correct that, wherever your balcony is located, you don't want to spend the whole transit there. You want to experience the transit from all over the ship; high, low, forward, aft. Keep in mind that the Canal is just one day of your cruise. You would likely enjoy your special balcony for the rest of the trip. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FiremedicMike151 Posted April 23 Author #5 Share Posted April 23 The one I'm looking at is a westbound on Norwegian Jade.. How do I know if it's taking the old locks or new? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Turtles06 Posted April 23 #6 Share Posted April 23 19 minutes ago, FiremedicMike151 said: The one I'm looking at is a westbound on Norwegian Jade.. How do I know if it's taking the old locks or new? Barring an unusual operational issue in the Canal, the Jade, like NCL’s other Jewel-class ships, will use the original locks. (My photo above was taken on the NCL Jewel as we were entering the Gatun Locks.) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillB48 Posted April 23 #7 Share Posted April 23 My opinion won't be much different from the others... for the non Canal portion of the trip an aft balcony is great. Even if you only use the aft balcony sparingly at the Canal, it is not my favorite place to be mainly because most of the narration provided during the transit has a forward perspective. By the time you get to see what is being described the narration has long passed. If you opt for the aft balcony for the Canal cruise and you want to enjoy the balcony for a bit, the best time would be after the ship clears Gatun Locks (the first locks you will encounter) and heads across Gatun Lake to Gamboa. This part of the transit is about 23 miles over the open waters of the Lake. Depending on Canal traffic it takes a little over 2 hours and there usually is minimal narration. The rest of the transit, be out and about to be able to take in whatever may be of interest. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FiremedicMike151 Posted April 24 Author #8 Share Posted April 24 21 hours ago, Essiesmom said: Remember that the canal transit is only one day of your cruise. If it’s where you want to be the rest of the time, if the price is satisfactory, go for it. If you are happy with a regular balcony the rest of the time, pass on it and move around the ship during the transit. Do you like to see where you are going, or where you have been? If the ship you chose is using the original locks, try to get a balcony on the port side for a westbound transit. For an eastbound transit, starboard side is best. If your ship will be using the new locks, it makes no difference. EM Hey I just wanted to clarify something, you mentioned that I should be port for westbound and starboard for eastbound. Why is that? If I'm port for eastbound, I'd be facing land once we get out of the canal, wouldn't that be preferable? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Essiesmom Posted April 24 #9 Share Posted April 24 When the ship is sailing you won’t be close enough to land to see anything but a dark silhouette. Coming eastbound down the Pacific coast, you have the sun port side in the morning, starboard in evening. After the canal it reverses, but may depend on your itinerary in the Caribbean. EM Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
9tee2Sea Posted April 24 #10 Share Posted April 24 i enjoyed my aft balcony during the entire transit. It was interesting to see the "mules" ( the little trains) go thru the tie up process. It was fun twitch the gates close, and see the ship slowly rise up to the next lock, then watching the gates open back up. You can always watch the bridge cam station for the entry views of the canal. I left the that station on during the entire transit, so I could hear the narration. Being in aft, sure beat out standing in the hot sun for hours ( In my opinion). AND, I had access to a bathroom without having to "save my place". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MacMadame Posted April 24 #11 Share Posted April 24 1 hour ago, FiremedicMike151 said: Hey I just wanted to clarify something, you mentioned that I should be port for westbound and starboard for eastbound. Why is that? Sunsets. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CruiserBruce Posted April 24 #12 Share Posted April 24 2 hours ago, MacMadame said: Sunsets. That only applies on the Pacific side, not once you get to the Caribbean. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FiremedicMike151 Posted April 24 Author #13 Share Posted April 24 2 hours ago, MacMadame said: Sunsets. The eastbound cruise is primarily northbound once you get past the locks, seems like port would be the better option there for sunsets Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillB48 Posted April 24 #14 Share Posted April 24 3 hours ago, FiremedicMike151 said: Hey I just wanted to clarify something, you mentioned that I should be port for westbound and starboard for eastbound. Why is that? If I'm port for eastbound, I'd be facing land once we get out of the canal, wouldn't that be preferable? IMO the side preference stems from the "preferred" side for the Canal views. The only time you would see land for an extended time is while the ship is in the Pacific. Even then often times the land is so far away it is barely visible and if you factor in haze there really is not much to see. Now at the Canal there more to see on the port side for a southbound transit (your westbound), like wise it would be the starboard side for a Pacific to Atlantic transit. There are just more developed areas such as the cities of Colon and Panama City. While transiting the Canal after clearing the locks there are just a few more things that can be pointed out and may have some historical or significance to the Canal. Also if you are located on the "preferred" while crossing Gatun Lake is the best time to see oncoming ships. However I am still in the camp that believes that the best side of the ship is outside or topside, that way you can take in whatever interests you. This doesn't mean the "non preferred" side of the ship is a wasteland, plenty to see over there as well it just there are fewer things to actually point out. 9 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FiremedicMike151 Posted April 24 Author #15 Share Posted April 24 22 minutes ago, BillB48 said: IMO the side preference stems from the "preferred" side for the Canal views. The only time you would see land for an extended time is while the ship is in the Pacific. Even then often times the land is so far away it is barely visible and if you factor in haze there really is not much to see. Now at the Canal there more to see on the port side for a southbound transit (your westbound), like wise it would be the starboard side for a Pacific to Atlantic transit. There are just more developed areas such as the cities of Colon and Panama City. While transiting the Canal after clearing the locks there are just a few more things that can be pointed out and may have some historical or significance to the Canal. Also if you are located on the "preferred" while crossing Gatun Lake is the best time to see oncoming ships. However I am still in the camp that believes that the best side of the ship is outside or topside, that way you can take in whatever interests you. This doesn't mean the "non preferred" side of the ship is a wasteland, plenty to see over there as well it just there are fewer things to actually point out. Okay that's perfect, thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CruiserBruce Posted April 24 #16 Share Posted April 24 58 minutes ago, FiremedicMike151 said: The eastbound cruise is primarily northbound once you get past the locks, seems like port would be the better option there for sunsets Agree. I think it is too easy to over think this. To quote @BillB48, the best sides are outside and topside... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joyful34 Posted May 14 #17 Share Posted May 14 We booked an aft balcony (wrap around) for our last cruise. 1st time ever for that cabin on our 16th cruise. Hated it. The balcony was covered in salt the entire time. The wind on the wrap around part made it unusable while at sea. Weather was ok the entire trip. Sun, rain showers occasionally....pretty normal. Having to wipe down the furniture every time we went outside was a deal breaker. Who wants to do that at 7am to enjoy coffee or 11pm to enjoy evening cocktail. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
El_Snocat Posted July 14 #18 Share Posted July 14 On 5/14/2024 at 2:11 PM, joyful34 said: We booked an aft balcony (wrap around) for our last cruise. 1st time ever for that cabin on our 16th cruise. Hated it. The balcony was covered in salt the entire time. The wind on the wrap around part made it unusable while at sea. Weather was ok the entire trip. Sun, rain showers occasionally....pretty normal. Having to wipe down the furniture every time we went outside was a deal breaker. Who wants to do that at 7am to enjoy coffee or 11pm to enjoy evening cocktail. Interesting. Can you tell me what ship you were on, which deck, and what was the itinerary? Haven’t considered spray for my Feb 25 Panama Canal cruise…Thx Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joyful34 Posted July 14 #19 Share Posted July 14 Carnival Glory. Cabin 8448. Deck 8. Western Caribbean. Jamaica. Grand Cayman. Cozumel. You also have zero privacy b/c the barrier comes down on a slant to the back cabin next to you. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joyful34 Posted July 14 #20 Share Posted July 14 You can see where the lounge chair is. That section was never used by us b/c when ship was kn motion it was way too windy. When we were in port we were off the ship. The balcony has a lot of space but for the 1st time ever we hardly used our balcony. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ilovesparky13 Posted August 28 #21 Share Posted August 28 On 4/23/2024 at 8:59 AM, Essiesmom said: Remember that the canal transit is only one day of your cruise. If it’s where you want to be the rest of the time, if the price is satisfactory, go for it. If you are happy with a regular balcony the rest of the time, pass on it and move around the ship during the transit. Do you like to see where you are going, or where you have been? If the ship you chose is using the original locks, try to get a balcony on the port side for a westbound transit. For an eastbound transit, starboard side is best. If your ship will be using the new locks, it makes no difference. EM Why is one side better than the other when going through the old locks? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CruiserBruce Posted August 28 #22 Share Posted August 28 19 minutes ago, ilovesparky13 said: Why is one side better than the other when going through the old locks? I would disagree there is much of any advantage to being on one side or the other, because the last place we have been on our 4 full and 1 partial transits, with one future full transit booked, is on our balcony during our transit. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillB48 Posted August 28 #23 Share Posted August 28 I basically agree with Bruce, although I will add the proverbial but! I have done a number of full and partial transits in cabins from balconies to the cabins one deck below where the black gang sleep😉. I never have spent any time in my cabin or balcony (times I had one) while the ship was in Canal waters. I realize that many cruisers are not that wrapped around the axle when it comes to a Canal cruise, so they may wish to take a break and retreat to their balcony for a quick recharge of the batteries. Now for he but... for this reason I would pick the port side on a Atlantic to Pacific transit. To me the time to take a break would be the during the passage across Gatun Lake after clearing Gatun Locks to Gamboa where the ship enters Gaillard Cut. This the Gatun Lake portion of the transit and the best time to be able to see on coming ship traffic. The rest of the time I prefer to be up and out where I can see what is ahead and on either side. If you are considering a transit in the opposite direction, Pacific to Atlantic, the reverse is true. Pick the starboard side. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillB48 Posted August 29 #24 Share Posted August 29 12 hours ago, BillB48 said: If you are considering a transit in the opposite direction, Pacific to Atlantic, the reverse is true. Pick the starboard side. I am afraid I need to take issue with myself! While the above statement would be my choice, I must point out that you will not be on the side that would allow you to view oncoming ships while you are crossing Gatun Lake. That side would still be the port side, sorry if I mislead anyone. What you do see are spectacular views of Panama City on your approach and generally there are few other things that are visible if you happen to be on your starboard side balcony. In short, the best place to be is up and out where you can see whatever is of interest. Enjoy the balcony on a sea day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare mahdnc Posted September 23 #25 Share Posted September 23 (edited) We booked a spacious aft cabin on Summit during our westbound crossing in April. I t is true that you should be out and about the ship to see the crossing from different vantage points. The view from the bow is a terrific. It was open all day for all passengers on Summit. However initially it was very crowded even when it was pouring rain (and it did pour). However it was nice to be able to retreat to our balcony during the day and not have to be elbow to elbow with others and we could watch without getting wet. Our private aft balcony also allowed me to put my iPhone on a tripod to do a time lapse movie of our crossing. Once you set it, you could walk away--something you can't do in a public area including the bow (which otherwise would have been better). It was tough to capture sunsets from any cabin balcony because on the evenings it was clear, the ship's bow was pointed at the sun. Edited September 23 by mahdnc 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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