Panama Canal help! & Coral Princess

sailingrose · March 4, 2007

DH and I have been considering the Panama Canal. We are looking at this cruise:

Coral Princess

1 Ft. Lauderdale, Florida 5:00 PM

2 At Sea

3 At Sea

4 Aruba 7:00 AM 1:00 PM

5 Cartagena, Columbia 9:00 AM 3:00 PM

6 Panama Canal, Panama 7:00 AM 3:30 PM

6 Colon (Cristobal), Panama 4:00 PM 8:00 PM

7 Limon, Costa Rica 6:30 AM 7:00 PM

8 At Sea

9 Ocho Rios, Jamaica 8:00 AM 4:00 PM

10 At Sea

11 Ft. Lauderdale, Florida 7:00 AM

I'm confused.........Would the partial transit be all day???? Can anyone explain this to me? I don't mind a partial transit but I'm trying to figure out if Panama Canal 7am to 3:30 PM would be the transit part.

Also has anyone sailed on the Coral and are there bigger balconies on Caribe deck like on Caribbean Princess???

TheSkipper · March 4, 2007

Hi Rose,

Did the Coral last May through the Canal. We did the full transit, but a partial would be through the first set of locks into the lake, then return through the locks to the Atlantic side. Don't remember what deck we were on, but our balcony was "average" in size. Your TA can get the sizes for you.

Longboysfan · March 5, 2007

What they do is enter the canal locks in the very early AM.

When we did it last year it was about 5am.

The transit in the locks takes about 2 hours.

The ship goes into the lake and anchors.

The let off the tour people and then sit there the day.

At 4pm the reenter the locks and got back to the pier.

There is a nice shopping area there with native dancers a... Natural.

There is nothing aside from a cab ride within walking distance.

Suzila · March 5, 2007

I just wanted to say that Cartegena was probably the most interesting place we've ever been to, however, the night before we docked there, there was a warning under our cabin door that the U.S. didn't think it was a good idea for us to get off the ship. We did get off the ship the next day, but the Columbians meet you at the dock with guns. It was downright scary.

On the dock there are people with three-toed sloths walking around and you can hold one for a picture. My girlfriend did, but I cringed...not the cleanest-looking animal. And they wrap themselves around you.

We took a city tour and saw the forts...all extremely interesting, but nerve-wracking with people following you around with rifles all day.

One other thing...if you do have a balcony cabin...DON'T sit in the cabin all day while you're going through the locks. Our friends did and each time we went through the locks, it looked like we were pulling in to a train station. Go to the front of the ship and see how the locks actually work. It's fascinating.

Dan · March 5, 2007

Also I found that watching the transit back down the locks in the afternoon was more interesting than going in. First off, it was less crowded on deck. Second, you have a better view from up high on the ship. When you look at the locks as you approach from the channel, most of the public decks on the ship are higher than the lake level already, and makes the whole thing a little less impressive looking. But when you stand over the bridge and look back down the locks from the lake, it almost looks like you are on the top of the first peak on a roller coaster (and I did wonder out loud what the ride would be like should those locks give way, being that they are almost 100 years old LOL).

Make sure you drink lots of fluids, and wear a hat or something. The sun down there is deceiving.

sailinglisa · March 5, 2007

Another interesting place to watch while leaving one of the locks is the from the aft of the ship - you are looking down at where the ship was before it is raised up to the level of the next lock - and the back wash of the ships propellers against the doors of the locks is pretty neat to watch.

sailingrose · March 5, 2007

Keep it coming! Sounds like bow in one direction and aft in the other for an interesting perspective. My mom went to Cartegna and said she was scared.......must be like Guatemala......Guess I'll do something with the ship for sure that day.

terumim · March 5, 2007

Thanks for info everyone.. my trip tp panama is in oct so i am soaking all the info in....

so columbia is a bit scary nuh.....i was looking forward to that place.. also am looking forward to costa rica...and the cliff divers. in acapulco...my cruise is 14 daysf rom fla to san diego .. I only have to fly once because we come into san diego

good thing you said not to sit on balcony because i was thinking about that...so about time do you need to be up to see as we go thur the first lock??

so even in October it will be warm or more humid?? so shorts and lightweight clothes

Tonia