coral princess panama excursion

[verypoor]

need help deciding which panama excursion on 10 day cruise would show more of the locks

[CleoChase]

We went on a tour that you get onto a bus once the cruise ship anchors at Gatun Lake and they take you to a smaller boat that goes through the locks on the other side.

 

Our tour did not go well, but others that have taken the tour in the past have posted really good reviews about it. We spent most of the day on the bus over an hour at a tourist trap/fast food restuarant. We actually missed the part of the canal that I was most interested in seeing, but we did get an upclose and personal view of the locks on the pacific end of the canal.

[mii]

We have also done the 10day r/t to the panama Canal. What we chose was the 200 passenger ferry excursion. You are tendered to a yacht club where you board the ferry. It goes all of the way to the pacific Coast side. You will go through the two locks that are there. Then you are taken back by bus to the ship where it is waiting at the pier. Thoroughly enjoyed that excursion but just be prepared it is hot and humid and if you go by the ferry stay inside and looked out at the views that way. Upstairs it is brutally hot and humid. By the way this was a ship excursion so check out the princess site and the shore excursion section.

 

Marilyn

[flamomo]

We loved the "Ocean - to - Ocean" tour. It was worth the money, time and heat to have the experience of going thriugh the rest of the Canal on the smaller ship. The perspective of being in the locks on a smaller ship was so different from going through the ones from the Caribbean on the cruise ship. On ours, we went thru the locks with an automobile transport vessel and 2 privately owned sailboats. All 3 of them plus the small ship as a group fit into each lock easily. After we got thru the western locks and into the Pacific Ocean, we sailed out around Panama City, docked at a yacht club, and boarded nice tour buses for the trip back across Panama to Cristobal, which is where we reboarded the Coral Princess. It was a great excursion.

Afterward we talked to some other PAX who took the train excursion, and they were disappointed because, they said, it was not as good as the one we were on. They didn't get to see as much of the Canal as ours does.

[Iceberg2]

We loved the "Ocean - to - Ocean" tour. It was worth the money, time and heat to have the experience of going thriugh the rest of the Canal on the smaller ship. The perspective of being in the locks on a smaller ship was so different from going through the ones from the Caribbean on the cruise ship. On ours, we went thru the locks with an automobile transport vessel and 2 privately owned sailboats. All 3 of them plus the small ship as a group fit into each lock easily. After we got thru the western locks and into the Pacific Ocean, we sailed out around Panama City, docked at a yacht club, and boarded nice tour buses for the trip back across Panama to Cristobal, which is where we reboarded the Coral Princess. It was a great excursion.

Afterward we talked to some other PAX who took the train excursion, and they were disappointed because, they said, it was not as good as the one we were on. They didn't get to see as much of the Canal as ours does.

 

WE are going on the Coral Jan 6/2008 and was considering the deluxe train ride, but am wondering if that is a mistake. Hopefully others will post as to what they did and we will be more informed. Looks like you had a great time

Thanks

[whale-watcher]

We also enjoyed the ferry excursion...it is completely different to be in the smaller ferry after transiting the gatun locks in a larger ship. In the ferry, you can actually feel the temperature changes as the water level drops and you descend into the lock chamber, and you also have a chance to touch the actual walls of the canal.

[sunnyv]

We totally enjoyed the train ride, reserve early on the cruise personalizer and book the Dome car. It is worth the little bit extra.

[mii]

WE are going on the Coral Jan 6/2008 and was considering the deluxe train ride, but am wondering if that is a mistake. Hopefully others will post as to what they did and we will be more informed. Looks like you had a great time

Thanks

 

Go to the Ports of Call board for Panama Canal and do a search of the train ride. All sorts of info comes up about the ride.

 

Marilyn

[DrivesLikeMario]

We went on a tour that you get onto a bus once the cruise ship anchors at Gatun Lake and they take you to a smaller boat that goes through the locks on the other side.

 

Our tour did not go well, but others that have taken the tour in the past have posted really good reviews about it. We spent most of the day on the bus over an hour at a tourist trap/fast food restuarant. We actually missed the part of the canal that I was most interested in seeing, but we did get an upclose and personal view of the locks on the pacific end of the canal.

 

We totally experienced the samething CleoChase did. That's definitely a tour I will not ever repeat.

 

If you're sure you want to do a shore excursion in Panama, go for the train instead of the boat.

 

If/when I do this cruise again, I'm staying onboard & watching the locks up close as the cruise ship moves through them. It's amazing how well you can really see it - even on the big ships. :)

[Fairport]

We loved the boat (sea to sea) excursion. We had sun, rain, heat and humidity, but it was an experience not to be missed. The captian of the "small" 200 passenger boat even let some of the passengers take the helm.

[cindep]

Flamomo, I was on that same trip with you -- thought the conditions sounded familiar -- April 2004 on the Coral.

 

I agree with everyone -- if you're only going once, definitely take the Ocean to Ocean excursion and go all the way over to the other side. That way you can at least say you've done the whole thing.

 

One suggestion -- be sure to eat a hearty breakfast. The lunch they serve was closer to a snack and we got back VERY late for dinner (in fact they were holding the ship for us to get back).

 

Traffic along the canal is VERY unpredictable and as such they honestly can't say whether the tour will take 8 hours or 12!

[djstweety]

WOW, thanks for the advise. I am signed up for the ocean to ocean tour.\\ DH is diabetic. I wll make sure we are prepared.

[venusbello1]

It is a very long day and you can not take food off the ship, no fruit or sandwich or unsealed food! This will be in the Patters as well as announced. I'm not saying it's enforced but it's something to think about. If you do bring unsealed food into the country you may be fined.

 

With any health condition you need to keep in mind, the heat and humidity in Panama can be overwhelming to those who are not used to those things (even though it is Winter in North America). On my past two trips (Dec 06 and Feb 07) passengers had a hard time dealing with the environmental issues.

 

You can always take the bus to the Miraflores locks to see the other side, not the same as via boat/ship but you will get to see the Pacific side. You take the train back through the rain forest and it's wonderful!

 

And as an alternative, although you will not go through the Pacific locks, staying on the ship and going back through the Gatun locks is more amazing than upon arrival--it's a totally different experience!

 

Just my two cents...

 

Take care,

VB1

[djstweety]

I was thinking of the chewable tablet, to keep his bood sugar up. I that going to be a problem

[venusbello1]

I was thinking of the chewable tablet, to keep his bood sugar up. I that going to be a problem

 

No, I don't think that will be a problem! I just worry about folks on cruises (especially diabetics, sorry I think spelling is wrong) my cousin had type 1 juvenile until her transplant so I just try to think of all of the issues. Just drink lots of water!

 

Take care and have a wonderful excursion!

 

All my best,

VB1

[whale-watcher]

you cannot take unsealed food, but you can buy small sealed packages of chips and cookies in the ship's store and bring these along. They also sell some snacks on the ferry itself (I think). There is unlimited access to free bottled water and soft drinks.

 

We were lucky...our ferry whipped through the canal and locks in record time, and we arrived pack at the pier with plenty of time to shop and watch the dancers.

[flamomo]

Flamomo, I was on that same trip with you -- thought the conditions sounded familiar -- April 2004 on the Coral.

 

I agree with everyone -- if you're only going once, definitely take the Ocean to Ocean excursion and go all the way over to the other side. That way you can at least say you've done the whole thing.

 

One suggestion -- be sure to eat a hearty breakfast. The lunch they serve was closer to a snack and we got back VERY late for dinner (in fact they were holding the ship for us to get back).

 

Traffic along the canal is VERY unpredictable and as such they honestly can't say whether the tour will take 8 hours or 12!

 

 

cindep - - yes, that had to be the same excursion. We were delayed by something (accident??) going on on the road back across Panama, and they held the ship for over an hour waiting for us. Our tablemates at dinner complained that we held up their dinner!!

 

The lunch on the excursion was a bag-lunch consisting of a 6" Subway sandwich, small bag of chips. a cookie (I think), and a can of soda. There was also snack food for sale in that little "gift shop" on the tour boat, but it was rather pricey.

 

For the poster traveling with a diabetic, the glucose tablets sound like a good idea. We used to use them or glucose gel for my DH when we were away from home and his sugar bottomed out. Plus, after the tabs raised his sugar, I always had a couple of packages of cheese crackers with peanutbutter in my purse for him to eat to keep his blood glucose up once the tabs had raised it. Their effect is not longterm, thus the crax w/ PB.

 

RE: the concerns with the heat. As I recall there was an enclosed seating area that was air-conditioned, for those who didn't want to / couldn't tolerate to be outside. We chose to spend the whole time standing at the railing and watching what we figured would be our once in a lifetime trip thru the Canal.

[djstweety]

Thanks for all of your wonderful advice

[pinksuit]

WE are going on the Coral Jan 6/2008 and was considering the deluxe train ride, but am wondering if that is a mistake. Hopefully others will post as to what they did and we will be more informed. Looks like you had a great time

Thanks

 

We took the very expensive train ride and it primarily went through the countryside and on a bus to view the visitor's center and such. You can better spend your monies with taking the Panama City tour and or like the prior posting of the yacht tour.

PinkSuit