Tour Guide / Gatun Lake

[Waterskier1]

Has anyone taking a tour, not through the cruiseline, departing at Gatun Lake and ultimately returning you to Colon/Cristobal? I think I read somewhere (maybe Mario) that this is possible. But I have not seen any reviews or discussion about excursions departing Gatun Lake. We will be on HAL Amsterdam in early December, and I'm exploring options to the Cruiseline excursions. I would be interested in a tour through the canal (since you really haven't entered the main canal at Gatun Lake) to the Pacific, and then return. Does anyone have any info on Tour Guides/Operators departing Gatun Lake?

[wrp96]

Waterskier, check with your cruiseline to see if they allow it. I know RCCL/Celebrity does NOT allow passengers to get off in Gatun Lake unless they are on a ship excursion.

[DonLou]

To add further, this restriction on only allowing ship excursions onto Gatun Lake is a rule of the Panama Canal Authority. Probably to maintain the security of the canal.

[Waterskier1]

Well, I just got a reply from Mario, he included, as an attachment, the official document the tour companies file with the Panama Tourist Transportation Agency (I think...it's in Spanish) which also notifies the Cruiseline that they have been contracted to take you on a private shore excursion in Panama.

 

Mario said that the only cruiseline that will not accept this is Princess Cruiselines.

 

Unfortunately, he is completely booked with Carnival pax the day we will be there, so I'm still looking.

 

Bottom Line: You do need to have a tour/excursion booked to get off at Gatun Lake, but it does NOT have to be with the cruisline. Private tours are allowed (except with Princess).

 

Hopefully this will help others interested in booking something that is not offered through the ship, and clear up some miss-information that is being passed along that private tours are not allowed.

 

Now, does anyone have any experience with private tour operators in Panama besides Mario?

[wrp96]

Well, I just got a reply from Mario, he included, as an attachment, the official document the tour companies file with the Panama Tourist Transportation Agency (I think...it's in Spanish) which also notifies the Cruiseline that they have been contracted to take you on a private shore excursion in Panama.

 

Mario said that the only cruiseline that will not accept this is Princess Cruiselines.

 

Unfortunately, he is completely booked with Carnival pax the day we will be there, so I'm still looking.

 

Bottom Line: You do need to have a tour/excursion booked to get off at Gatun Lake, but it does NOT have to be with the cruisline. Private tours are allowed (except with Princess).

 

Hopefully this will help others interested in booking something that is not offered through the ship, and clear up some miss-information that is being passed along that private tours are not allowed.

 

Now, does anyone have any experience with private tour operators in Panama besides Mario?

 

Mario is incorrect. I sailed Royal Caribbean this past February. They made specific announcements on the ship that only people on ship booked shore excursions would be let off in Gatun Lake and there were some very upset people with independent shore excursions booked that weren't allowed off the ship.