A Panama Canal cruise is a fun and unique way to explore the world! It is an engineering marvel, with a series of locks that allow ships to pass through the isthmus of Panama. This incredible feat of engineering stretches over 50 miles, connecting the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.
You can witness the locks in action as your cruise ship passes through and take in the lush jungle scenery along the way. There’s no better way to experience the beauty of the Panama Canal than on a cruise!
We’ve sailed the canal once and we are going to do it again. Here are some tips for planning and enjoying your Panama cruise.
Sailing the Panama Canal is a MUST
Tip 1: Everyone Will Be Reading This
Half the people on board any Panama Canal cruise will be carrying a copy of David McCullough’s The Path Between the Seas. It’s popular and readable. In fact, it’s a great gift for your friends with an interest in that era.
We highly recommend reading it before you go. Knowing the politics, personalities, and perils will add a whole extra dimension to your trip through the Canal. You will appreciate the huge cost, both financial and in lives lost, of the Culebra Cut as you pass through. You might even see the clean-up of the latest landslide because they do still happen.
Tip 2: Don’t Go Halfway on Your Panama Cruise
If you can, take a “full transit” when you cruise the Panama Canal. Either direction is fine. There are many cruises, especially from the Atlantic side, that go halfway to Lake Gatun, and then turn around. The interesting locks and the Culebra Cut are on the Pacific side. We think the full transit is a much better experience. And you will be able to add “I went through the Panama Canal” to your brag list.
Tip 3: Old Locks or New?
You can still traverse the old locks if your ship is small enough. Cruise lines will usually call these sailings the “historic locks.” We sailed the old locks while they were building the new locks. The historic transit has more locks, they are smaller, and they date to the early 1900’s. The “mules” – small electric tractors, called that because they originally really were mules – pull the ships through.
The new Canal accommodates larger ships so you will see cruise lines offering more sailings through them. The two locks are parallel.
Tip 4: Get Up Early
Your transit is likely to start very early in the morning. Set your alarm as this is the one day you don’t want to sleep in.
If you get up early enough, you will see the lights of dozens of ships waiting their turn. Usually, you enter the Canal shortly after sunrise.
You will feel the buzz from other passengers as this is they day they have been waiting for. Check the ship’s schedule the night before. Plan to be on deck near the front of the ship at least an hour before the time set for entering the Canal. Later in the day, you will want to roam around the ship.
Tip 5: Don’t Forget the Sunscreen
Seriously, bring sunscreen when you pack and use it on your Panama Canal cruise. You’ll be outside most of the day. Sunscreen can be expensive on the ship. Remember, this is the tropics. The sun can be fierce. And add a headcover, like a perfect Panama hat.
Tip 6: Cruising the Canal
Your journey through the Panama Canal will take most of the day. You will want to see the transit from more than one place on the ship. If you have a balcony, the view will be fine, but only from one side of the Canal. The top decks will let you see a panorama of the area around the Canal. A much lower deck will give you a close-up look at the lock walls and a better sense of how much the ship is raised or lowered. We recommend trying to get a good viewing spot on the bow (front) of the ship, as you enter one of the locks; and from the stern (back) as you leave. You will be surprised by how close the ship comes to the walls of the locks.
Tip 7: Dine Alfresco on the day you cruise the Panama Canal
As much as we love lunching in the dining room, this is the day to eat outside. You will want to watch as you eat. Eat at one of the venues on or near the deck such as the buffet, the grill, or the pizza counter. If you have a balcony, you can do room service. But be aware that everyone else will too so service might be slow.
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