Panama Canal commentary

[Tsunami74]

We are considering a Regent Panama Canal cruise.  We previously did one on another cruise line.  The commentary over the PA system in public areas approaching and going through the canal was pretty good (explaining things, pointing out things, etc) 

 

I have heard that some cruise lines do not offer commentary at all.

 

Has anyone who has gone through the canal on a Regent ship comment on what Regent does for information. (PA commentary in pubic areas, written info?)

[GOARMY]

Five times through the Canal, four of which were on Regent ships. Combination of 'Carib to Pacific; and visa versa. Next-up: January, 2025.  Grandeur, L.A. to Miami.  

 

Regent passages included having one of the Guest Lecturers present briefings in the Theater two or three days prior to entry.  Commentators referred to David McCullough's classic:  "The Path Between the Seas".  Chapter, a verse or two, and pictures. The first time through, I brought that heavy book onboard.  

 

In addition, Regent boarded a local Commentator on the morning prior to entry.  The ones we heard had detailed Canal experience as Engineers and Pilots.  Their ongoing commentary from the Bridge was accessible to folks observing happenings while on-deck, as well as those in Suites. 

 

Added to the experience. 

 

GOARMY!

 

  

 

   

[Tsunami74]

20 minutes ago, GOARMY said:

Five times through the Canal, four of which were on Regent ships. Combination of 'Carib to Pacific; and visa versa. Next-up: January, 2025.  Grandeur, L.A. to Miami.  

 

Regent passages included having one of the Guest Lecturers present briefings in the Theater two or three days prior to entry.  Commentators referred to David McCullough's classic:  "The Path Between the Seas".  Chapter, a verse or two, and pictures. The first time through, I brought that heavy book onboard.  

 

In addition, Regent boarded a local Commentator on the morning prior to entry.  The ones we heard had detailed Canal experience as Engineers and Pilots.  Their ongoing commentary from the Bridge was accessible to folks observing happenings while on-deck, as well as those in Suites. 

 

Added to the experience. 

 

GOARMY!

 

  

 

   

That sounds great. Exactly what we were hoping for.

[xrvlcruiser]

The Panama Canal Commission frequently boards someone to describe the passage through the Canal.

[Nachosdelux]

A man a plan a canal Panama

 

what else is there?

[GOARMY]

Or, as Teddy Roosevelt opined (not totally in jest):  

 

"I stole Panama, fair and square."  

 

That is why McCullough's book is so instructive as to the political and military calculations "TR" made while assigning construction of the Canal to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. 

 

GOARMY!

 

[DavidTheWonderer]

Granted it has been 7 years since our Panama Canal transit, but we were fortunate to have the spectacular Terry Breen on board the cruise for various enrichment talks. For the canal she did extensive commentary before entering the canal, but during the transit the commentary was done by people from the Canal authority.  Terry said the authority insisted on this. Perhaps this has changed?
Incidentally, the same authority insisted that their pilots took over the bridge during the transit. They managed to slam the ship into the side of the canal hard enough that glassware all over fell off their tables onto the floor, where gravity did its thing and the glassware shattered.  We heard the captain, Serana Melani, went thermonuclear on the bridge: captains tend to hate it when somebody bumps their boat.

Edited June 19 by DavidTheWonderer

[labonnevie]

We, too, had the incomparable Terry Breen on the Mariner for a Panama Canal passage. This was many years ago (when we actually could swim in Gatun Lake) and I recall she handled the commentary by herself. 
More recently, in 2022, on Explorer, it was solely the Panamanian provided by the Canal Authority. It was hard to understand the gentleman and not nearly as interesting as Terry’s commentary. 

[Hambagahle]

On our Panama Canal cruise on Mariner in 2008 or thereabouts we had a lecturer on board who had spent 25 years working with the Canal Authority, based in Panama.  There wasn't much he didn't know.  He gave several pre-transit lectures and then was on the Bridge throughout the transit along with a person from the Canal Authority staff, pointing things out etc.   Following the transit he held a wrap up session for Q&A about anything we had seen.   It was simply amazing.  AND icing on the cake - There was a Cordon Bleu Cooking programme going on as well.  We had several sessions with one of their chefs from Paris.  In Acapulco the chef (Michael Katz) and the Executive Chef, Quinn took us around the market and lectured on how to choose fish.   Quin bought loads of fish for that nights dinner.    A totally amazing cruise!!