Panama Canal ?

[BillB48]

Thanks for your quick reply and I appreciate your input. We are booked on the eastern tour out of Acapulco to Florida. We have the full transit from 5am to 4:30 pm and then arrive in Cristobal @ 5pm and leave at 8pm. Is there anything for us to do when is Cristobal ? I can't see anything available on the Princess website.

 

I have not seen any tours offered after the ship docks in Cristobal when completing a transit. The main purpose of the stop is really to pick up the passengers who jumped ship and took tours. There is a very nice shopping area contained within the pier, very safe and clean. Many shops from Colon are represented and the last time we were there, they had some folkloric presentations and the Embera Indians sold some of their wares. There is a lot to look at in the short time you are there and the prices for the most part are not horrible.

[smoosh21]

Parital transits, usually out of Florida, typically transit the northern (atlantic side) locks at Gatun and anchor in Gatum Lake for the day. Some offer limited shore excursions from the anchored ship. Later that day the ship exists via the Gatum locks and re-enters the Atlantic once again. Some pluses and minuses to a partial transit - its not as long and thus less expensive, but you miss seeing some of the greatest parts on the canal, specifically the Gallard Cut.

 

There are a few partial transits from the west coast, but these seem to come a go season to season.

 

 

It is my understanding that Royal Caribbean has dropped the partial transit and now just docks at Colon. If you want to go through the canal you will have to take an excursion.

 

I loved doing the full transit in March.

[Sailaways_]

The Princess website doesn't show any excursions that visit the San Blas Islands on their partial transits. I stopped at the San Blas Islands on my first canal cruise (Sitmar back in 1983) and would love to be able to do so again. But it would have to be on a small ship, and those ships just don't have the amenities to satisfy my 8 YO.

 

 

Re: San Blas Islands . . . the Kuna leadership didn't want to become another Nassau, so they have severely limited the number of cruise ships calling at Kuna Yala. It would be too far to do a day trip from the ship.

 

Thanks for the info! Richard, your blog is super helpful - thanks for sharing it!

[travelnnana]

We did the Canal on the Island several years ago - I just recently posted my album on Picasa -I highly recommend the Ocean to Ocean tour - they take you to someplace whose name I forget and you board a 50(Ithink) passenger ship and go to the Pacifc - it was a fabulous experience

here is the link to my albums

http://picasaweb.google.com/prescottgal

 

Enjoy your cruise!

[RickEk]

Depends on the ship. If you are on a panamax (about 90,000 tons--Island or Coral Princess) you go through the Gatun locks. If you are on a larger (for Princess, Grand Class) ship, it is too big for the current locks

 

The Grand-class ships do not have itineraries that go anywhere near the Canal... :)

[jff50]

The Grand-class ships do not have itineraries that go anywhere near the Canal... :)

I have seen the Grand do a few cruises to, but not into, the canal a few times in the past--but it has been at least a few years.

 

I think other cruise lines have post-panamax ships that do "canal" cruises.