Worth Taking Excursion Through Canal or Stay On Ship?

[trumag]

We will be cruising through the Panama Canal on October 13, 2006 on Celebrity's Infinity, arriving at 6:00 a.m. and departing at 4:00 p.m. Celebrity has an excursion available "Panama Canal Locks by Ferry" for $149 per person. This is a 7 hour excursion that we are considering. My question is: Is it worth doing or should one stay on the ship and get the views from the ship?

[paradisegal]

my question exactly!

[wrp96]

Is your cruise a full transit or a partial transit? If it is a full transit, I would just stay on the ship because you will get to see the entire canal anyways. BUT, if you are on a partial transit, it is truly worth it as you get to see the entire operation of the canal which is pretty amazing.

[trumag]

We have a full canal cruise. I just don't want to be sorry after traveling through the canal that we didn't take the tour offered.

 

The brochure says: After a 1-hour narrated drive to Balboa, the ferry will travel through the Miraflores Locks, along Miraflores Lake, through the Pedro Miguel Locks and through the Gaillard Cut. Your canal experience concludes at the pier in Gamboa for a 1 hour bus ride back to the ship."

 

I haven't got a clue what that all means! I hope I get other responses.

[wrp96]

If you are on a full transit, then you won't be missing anything. I was on a partial transit cruise, so the only way I got to see the full Panama Canal was to get off the ship and take the ferry through the canal.

 

What happens on the ferry is they pick you up, drive you to the ferry and instead of transiting the canal on your nice comfortable cruise ship (which has air conditioning and unlimited food), you would be on an open air ferry going through the exact same locks that your cruise ship is going through.

[mii]

If you are on a full transit, then you won't be missing anything. I was on a partial transit cruise, so the only way I got to see the full Panama Canal was to get off the ship and take the ferry through the canal.

 

What happens on the ferry is they pick you up, drive you to the ferry and instead of transiting the canal on your nice comfortable cruise ship (which has air conditioning and unlimited food), you would be on an open air ferry going through the exact same locks that your cruise ship is going through.

 

Trumag wrp96 is correct. I have done a full and partial transit and on a full transit you will not miss a thing. But if you were to take the partila transit like I did then you would take the ferry to see the whole canal and all of the locks. So since you are on a full transit there is no need for the ferry ride.

 

marilyn

[trumag]

Thank you Wrp96 and Mii. You have made our decision for us and have saved us money that we will use elsewhere.

[RB Bonzo]

Thank you Wrp96 and Mii. You have made our decision for us and have saved us money that we will use elsewhere.

 

I'll be on the Celeb Connie in March stopping in Colon but, as I understand it, not making any transit. I take it folks would suggest the ferry excursion?

[mii]

I'll be on the Celeb Connie in March stopping in Colon but, as I understand it, not making any transit. I take it folks would suggest the ferry excursion?

 

If your stop is only at Colon and does not even go into the Canal then yes if the excursion is available for you to take on that particular cruise then by all means take the ferry if you wish to see the workings of the canal. Some of the cruises have what they call a partial transit where they go just into one of the locks, turn around and go back out. If you choose to get do the excursion that goes through the rest of the locks then you get off by tender and taken to the ferry. Really read what your cruise entails. Do some search. Maybe you do have a partial transit.

 

marilyn

[wrp96]

I'll be on the Celeb Connie in March stopping in Colon but, as I understand it, not making any transit. I take it folks would suggest the ferry excursion?

 

 

Yes, I would highly recommend the ferry excursion, especially if you really want the opportunity to see the canal.

 

I've also heard good things about the railroad excursion, but you won't see as much of the canal with this excursion.