Colon: Can we tour part of canal?

[amagar]

Hi,

 

We're docking for 8 hours in Colon early next year. Is it possible to see any part of the canal in action? Tours, etc.

 

Thanks

[wrp96]

What cruise line are you sailing? Many of them offer a trip through the Panama Canal by Ferry which is highly worth it to see the Panama Canal in action.

[amagar]

Hi,

 

We'll be on Celebrity...the ferry sounds great. I'll read up on it here...see someone's posted something on it.

 

Thanks for that info!

[mjt2890]

I just wanna see it and don't plan on actually taking a tour to go through the canal as another poster had commented:

I had a great long answer typed and then the board messed up. AARGGH!!

 

If you are talking about the excursion where you transit the entire length of the canal by boat, then yes, this excursion is worth $175 but I would not recommend it for kids.

 

I did this at the end of February. The sites were amazing - it's hard to visualize or write down exactly how this canal was engineered and how it runs. If you can't do a full transit on a cruise ship, this excursion is the way to see how the canal works.

 

That being said, it is a very hot and long excursion. Our transit took about 6 hours, sometimes it can take as long as 12 hours depending on what other ships are trying to transit the canal that day (plus afterwards you then have the very long bus ride back to the ship). Since the ferry is so small, larger ships have priority for the locks over the ferry so the ferry may have to wait for a spot in the locks. We were lucky and only had to wait about an hour at one.

 

The only thing to do on this excursion is see the canal. The ferry is open air (it does have shade) with basic chairs to sit on. No tv to watch, no games to play, nowhere to lay down if you get tired. Food and drinks are provided but it is basically a turkey sandwich and a muffin. There isn't anything to occupy kids with onboard for more than a short period of time, much less several hours.

 

Here is my review of the excursion from my cruise review:

 

The tour started with a bus ride to Gamboa to pick up the ferry. We got to see lots of beautiful foliage plus a three-toed sloth and howler monkeys. Picked up the ferry at Gamboa just north of where the Chagris River enters the canal. We were provided lunch (a turkey sandwich and a muffin) plus all the water and coke we could drink – and were encouraged to constantly drink. The view was breathtaking as we got to see the navigational systems, small boats and large ships, and all three sets of locks. It was very hot – so hot somebody got sick and had to be taken off by ambulance once we were in the 3rd set of locks – they didn’t stay in the shade and didn’t drink enough water. You could even see where the fresh canal water changed over to the salty Pacific Ocean Water. On the drive back, our guide showed us a cashew – very different than what we see in stores. We were the last tour back on the ship.

[yst347]

The Gatun locks are about 20 minutes away from the port by cab. You will see alot of cabbies inside the port shopping areas. They can be quite aggressive but you are in charge. Check out the vehicle and make sure it is in good condition with good air conditioning. Make sure your driver speaks good english.

 

If you only want to see the locks you should plan on spending 45 minutes to an hour there. With drive time that will be 90 minutes to 2 hours. You should expect to pay $25 per person plus tip for this. Everything is negotiable, make sure you are clear on price and expectation before you leave. Don't pay until you return. If you have a nice driver and a nice trip tip well.

 

Here is a link to our pictures from the locks in early Feb 2005 on the Legend:

 

http://travel.webshots.com/photo/1498059809080888825CfPUOJ