Up next in 10
So Many Panama Canal Cruisers STILL Get These 5 Things Wrong!
1K views
Feb 24, 2025
I have done a Panama Canal transit four times and on every trip I see passengers making the same mistakes that get in the way of making it their adventure of a lifetime. But some of the errors are so easy to make that even an experienced cruiser like me can get tripped up – as I did on my most recent Panama Canal trip on Regent Grandeur. So, welcome aboard, I’m Gary Bembridge and hear 5 things I have learnt the hard way that you need to know about doing a Panama Canal cruise. Links mentioned in the video: David McCullough’s “The Path Between the Seas. The Creation of the Panama Canal” ** Buy on USA Amazon: https://amzn.to/3E3QV65 ** Buy on UK Amazon: https://amzn.to/3CdECnb For bonus & exclusive content (including videos, articles, eBooks and more) become a channel member or patron: --------------------------------------------------- * Patreon Patron: https://www.patreon.com/tipsfortravellers * YouTube Channel Member: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_qE-Obs2ocdmPXY0TIU-cw/join Check out my cruise-themed T-shirts and products: --------------------------------------------------- * T-Shirts: http://bit.ly/TFTStore * Mugs, notebooks, hoodies etc: https://www.teepublic.com/stores/tipsfortravellers?ref_id=22354 My social media: --------------------------------------------------- * Blog: https://www.tipsfortravellers.com
View Video Transcript
0:00
I've done a Panama Canal Transit four
0:02
times and on every trip I see passengers
0:05
making the same mistakes that get in the
0:07
way of making their adventure of a
0:10
lifetime but some of the errors are so
0:12
easy to make that even an experienced
0:14
Cruiser like me can get tripped up as I
0:16
did on my most recent Panama Canal trip
0:19
on Regent 7 se's grandier so welcome
0:21
aboard I'm Gary rbridge and here are
0:24
five things I've learned the hard way
0:26
that you need to know about doing a
0:28
Panama Canal cruise the first thing most
0:30
people don't appreciate is that the
0:32
Panama Canal is not actually a canal
0:36
while the other famous canal the 120 M
0:39
sew Canal is a long continuous canal
0:41
running at sea level the Panama Canal is
0:45
not it instead has locks at either end
0:48
to raise and then lower ships 85 ft to
0:52
and from a vast Lake this Lake allows
0:55
ships to sell 50 miles across Panama to
0:58
and from the Atlantic and Pacific oceans
1:00
let me show you what it's like to
1:02
Transit the Panama Canal based on that
1:04
recent region 7 se's Grande cruise I
1:06
mentioned from Miami to Los Angeles
1:08
first early in the morning we sell past
1:11
the Panama City of colon and under the
1:13
Atlantic Bridge towards the Gaton locks
1:16
once at the locks small Metal Trucks
1:18
called mules were attached at the front
1:20
and rear of the ship these held the ship
1:22
in the center of the locks while the
1:24
ship uses its own power to sail through
1:28
we were then raised up 85 F feet to the
1:30
Gaton Lake in a series of three locks it
1:33
was an incredible experience as I
1:35
watched the vast gates close behind us
1:38
and water was pumped in raising our ship
1:40
up once up the gates in front opened and
1:43
we sailed into the next lock and
1:45
repeated the process through each lock
1:47
it is thrilling as vast freight ships
1:50
pass down next to us in the parallel set
1:52
of Gat unlocks heading the other way
1:55
once up we LIF the Gaton locks and sell
1:58
through the vast man-made Gaton Lake
2:00
passing cruise and freight ships heading
2:03
the other way until we reached Gamboa
2:05
this town was built to House people
2:07
building the canal and it's now where
2:09
the Panama Canal dredging operation is
2:12
actually based not long after there we
2:15
headed into an along the narrow channel
2:17
blasted deep into hrock about 9 Mi long
2:20
and only 120 ft deep it's now known as
2:24
the calibra cut but it used to be called
2:26
the Gallard cut after the key engineer
2:29
responsible for overseeing building it
2:32
after passing under the centenial bridge
2:35
we' sailed towards two sets of locks to
2:37
lower us the 85 ft back to sea level
2:41
first we sailed into the single San
2:43
Pedra lock and after having the mules
2:45
attached again the gates closed and this
2:47
time the water levels fell using gravity
2:50
to lower our ship once out we then
2:52
sailed the short distance to the two
2:54
lock ml's lock once in the mirl is locks
2:57
the process was repeated as the gate
2:59
Gates closed and we were lowered by the
3:01
two locks down to sea level all the time
3:05
we were watched and waved at by visitors
3:07
in the popular miles Visitor Center
3:10
which has a viewing platform now after
3:12
leaving those locks we sailed under the
3:14
bridge of the Americas past Panama City
3:17
in the distance and into the Pacific the
3:19
transit by the way took all day we
3:23
entered the G unlocks around 8:00 a.m.
3:25
and sailed into the Pacific near Panama
3:27
City 10 hours later just before 6:00
3:30
p.m. of course if you Transit from the
3:32
Pacific to the Atlantic it's all in the
3:36
opposite order now I'm often asked which
3:39
is the best way to go before I want to
3:41
get into that I want to discuss the huge
3:42
mistake that many people make even when
3:45
they understand what the Panama Canal is
3:48
there is not just one Panama Canal to
3:50
Transit but two quite different routes
3:52
depending on the size of cruise ship
3:55
that you book this is a huge issue as in
3:57
my view one route is a better better
4:00
experience than the other and is the
4:02
must do the original route which opened
4:05
in 1914 uses those sets of locks that I
4:08
went through but only ships of a certain
4:10
size can fit in and use them what are
4:13
known as panamax ships as the size of
4:16
freight ships grew it meant only a third
4:18
of those could pass through the old
4:20
Canal locks so a new set of locks at
4:22
both sides were built and opened in 2016
4:26
these take what are known as New panamax
4:29
or new neop panamax size ships this
4:32
doubled the capacity of ships able to
4:34
pass through the canal system and now
4:36
means many large and mega cruise ships
4:38
including Queen Mary 2 kunard Queen Anne
4:41
celebrity Edge class ships Norwegian
4:43
Bliss and Prima class Sun princess and
4:45
so on can now go through the new Panama
4:49
Canal locks so what are those new locks
4:52
well on the Atlantic side large ships
4:55
use the wider and longer three tier AGA
4:58
Clara locks and on the Pacific side they
5:00
use the wider and longer COK locks
5:03
unlike the original Canal instead of
5:05
gates That Swing close the new ones have
5:08
large sliding Gates the ships whether
5:11
using the original new locks all sell
5:13
through the Gat and lake and calra cut
5:15
between them I could see the entrance to
5:18
the new agaca locks while we headed into
5:20
the Gaton locks off to our left in the
5:22
morning and as we sail towards the pedra
5:24
migal locks the channel leading to the
5:27
kok locks was off to our right and then
5:29
as we left the Mira Flores I could see
5:31
the new locks in my view the
5:34
original 1914 Canal is the canal to go
5:37
through for the following reasons first
5:40
it is the most dramatic visually
5:43
interesting and has an incredible
5:44
history and story to discover it is the
5:47
historic original one and in my view a
5:49
must do if doing the Panama Canal
5:51
especially if it's your bucket list
5:53
dream secondly the cruise ships fit very
5:56
snugly in with often as little as a foot
5:59
each side which is a thrilling
6:00
experience the new are wider and larger
6:02
with more space and they kind of lack a
6:04
little bit of that drama third the
6:06
original locks are largely still the
6:09
original 1914 lock Gates and watching
6:12
them swing open and close is more
6:14
exciting than sliding doors of the new
6:16
in my opinion fourth the original uses
6:19
those mules attached to the ship to keep
6:21
the ship centered which the drivers use
6:23
Bell signals to communicate to each
6:25
other while the new locks they use
6:27
tugboats the old canal
6:30
is the most dramatic and iconic and is
6:32
the one that you should do if you
6:34
possibly can I'm frequently asked how do
6:37
you know if the Panama Canal cruise
6:39
you're considering goes through the new
6:42
or the old locks it's not
6:44
straightforward as the lines will
6:46
usually not confirm even if you ask them
6:49
but here's what I do that has worked for
6:51
me anyway to date first of all check the
6:54
ship size if it is panamax size or
6:57
smaller it will almost certainly be
6:59
going through the original locks is that
7:01
what basically most lines know
7:03
passengers want and actually the best
7:05
use of the canal cuz that's what the
7:06
ships are designed for so lines with
7:08
smaller ships like regen Crystal silver
7:10
sea Seaborn Viking oceanana Azamara
7:12
wistar and so on are a really good
7:15
choice I've been through on Oceania
7:16
Marina which holds 1,200 passengers for
7:19
example also lines with medium-sized
7:22
ships like Vista class ships that take
7:25
up to about 2,000 guests like Kun not
7:27
Queen Victoria that I've transfered
7:29
through Queen Elizabeth and I've also
7:31
been through on holl in America zadam
7:32
through the old locks on those Vista
7:34
class siiz ships now if you're unsure
7:36
also check in the fans of a line
7:39
Facebook group or The Cruise Critic
7:40
boards to get recent passengers to
7:42
confirm which locks the ship that you're
7:45
looking at used on their last
7:47
trip there is then another major mistake
7:51
I see people make before finally
7:52
deciding on the ship and that is
7:54
checking if it offers the best way to
7:57
see the canal because all do not I have
8:00
found that not all ships are good to get
8:03
the most of a Panama Canal Transit you
8:06
want to go on a ship which has the best
8:08
places to do viewings especially those
8:10
forward- facing and forward facing in
8:13
the open air so you're not behind glass
8:16
my recent Regent Grandeur was not one
8:18
for example and even I messed up by not
8:21
checking in detail on this on the
8:23
grander the only place and way to see
8:25
the canal and locks ahead of me was
8:28
sitting behind glass window windows in
8:30
the observation Lounge overlooking the
8:31
bow it was very frustrating however on
8:34
both Queen Victoria and on my Holland
8:36
America Zam trip those ship designs
8:39
allowed the bow to be opened for
8:41
passengers to be up front and get really
8:44
close to the locks both also had full
8:47
prominade decks so you could see the
8:49
mules and the operations up really
8:51
really
8:52
close so how do you know which will
8:55
actually do that again the same approach
8:58
I mentioned earlier ask the line but
9:00
check with recent passengers in those
9:02
Facebook and Cruise Critic groups where
9:05
you could view the canal from I also
9:07
recommend choosing a line that has a
9:09
reputation for great enrichment as
9:11
having good expert Panama Canal speakers
9:14
adds enormously to the trip the Panama
9:17
Canal Authority will supply a guide on
9:20
the day to provide on ship narration but
9:22
I found them to be fairly variable
9:26
another mistake I see people making is
9:28
dismissing a pan Canal cruise due to
9:30
budget or time issues where they really
9:33
want to do one but perhaps their partner
9:35
is lukewarm there are three options you
9:37
have on cruises for the Panama Canal
9:40
that could solve all of those issues
9:43
having done all three types I want to
9:45
share what they are and who I think each
9:48
is best for and why the obvious one is
9:52
the full Transit that I've been speaking
9:54
about and what most cruise ships do this
9:57
is the one for the bucket list and for
9:58
Cruisers who want to see every detail
10:01
and be able to say they've done the full
10:04
iconic Panama Canal Transit but you do
10:07
need time and budget for this because
10:09
most of these trips are at least 10 to
10:11
14-day cruises they tend to take place
10:14
at the start and the end of the Alaska
10:16
season as ships move to and from the
10:19
Caribbean they also are part of many
10:21
world or grand voyages for example like
10:23
the one I did on Queen Victoria or their
10:25
dedicated Panama Cruises like the Miami
10:28
to Los Angeles I region 7 se's grander
10:30
and that I did from Ocean Marina from
10:32
Panama City to Miami the second option
10:36
if you want to get a taste of the Panama
10:37
Canal but mostly want a southern and
10:39
western Caribbean cruise is to do a
10:41
partial Transit crew out of Florida like
10:44
the one I did on Holland America zadan
10:46
now these have a mix of Caribbean ports
10:48
they head up the Gaton locks that I
10:50
mentioned about earlier but they turn
10:52
around in the Gaton Lake and they come
10:54
straight back down however they then
10:56
offer many excursions where you tender
10:58
off in the lake and you meet the ship
11:00
back in Colon these excursions include
11:03
things like the Gamboa AAL Tramway to
11:06
visit the rainforest which is fantastic
11:08
or you can do small boat trips on the
11:10
Gaton Lake to see islands with monkeys
11:12
Birds crocodiles but for those of you
11:14
wanting more of the canal you can either
11:16
do tours to the new agaca lock system or
11:19
the Mira Flur Visitor Center to watch
11:21
ships passing through there or you can
11:24
actually complete the transit on a small
11:27
tourist boat and get a coach back to the
11:29
ship
11:29
the ship by the way waits for all those
11:31
excursions to return in Colon these
11:34
cruises are still fairly long about 10
11:36
days the third option which I did on
11:38
Ocean and Signa and is shorter is to do
11:41
a seven night Western Caribbean cruise
11:43
that calls into colon from colon those
11:46
same excursions I mentioned were
11:47
available with the added ability to also
11:50
do the historic Panama train from colon
11:52
to Panama City so it's great if you have
11:54
limited time or only one or a few of
11:57
your party actually wants to see an
11:58
experience exp the Panama Canal because
12:00
you can just then do it as an Excursion
12:02
now once you've decided to go there are
12:04
also several mistakes that I see people
12:06
making as a prepare to head off that I
12:08
do need to cover being ready to get the
12:11
most of the Panama Canal starts before
12:13
you leave home first learn about the
12:15
history and the politics of the canal
12:17
it's fascinating and disturbing too for
12:20
example over 22,000 people died in the
12:23
failed French attempt and you can then
12:25
discover the extreme political
12:27
Shenanigans the USA got up to to make
12:30
the Panama Canal happen the book most
12:32
rely on and I highly recommend is David
12:34
mullock's the path between the Seas the
12:36
creation of the Panama Canal you'll find
12:38
links in the notes of this second there
12:41
are some key things to pack you're going
12:44
to be outside for a long time it's hot
12:46
it's sticky and you can get very
12:47
sunburned so take a hat ideally with a
12:49
brim all the way around sunglasses
12:52
sunscreen and clothes suitable for a hot
12:55
humid day with very comfy shoes on the
12:58
day as you'll be outside for a while
13:00
really suncreen up I made the big
13:03
mistake of not putting it for example
13:05
the back of my neck and I got really
13:06
sunburn there so really make sure you do
13:08
a good job of that also you're going to
13:10
be taking loads of photos and videos so
13:12
be prepared if using your phone a
13:14
charging unit is a good idea if you're
13:16
taking a camera loads of extra batteries
13:18
and SD cards once on the cruise I
13:21
recommend three key things first go to
13:26
all the talks and briefings and check
13:28
the daily program to know how the day
13:30
will work what viewing areas are on the
13:32
ship are going to be available and
13:34
expected timings for the locks so you
13:36
know when to be up where to be and when
13:38
you can plan breaks and lunch second the
13:42
main viewing area be at the bow or the
13:44
observation Lounge will have people
13:46
stake in claim to the best spots early
13:49
so be ready to get yours over the course
13:51
of the day you'll find that does thin
13:53
out third don't just stay in that spot
13:56
move around the ship and especially go
13:58
to the prominade deck if you've got one
14:00
to see the locks and the mules within
14:02
stretching distance of time and go to
14:04
the rear of the ship because you get
14:05
great views watching the gates close
14:07
there when you go through the Gaton Lake
14:10
and the calbra cut don't worry about
14:12
being out all the time it's really
14:14
interesting but there's less to see so
14:16
it's good for planning perhaps down time
14:18
resting and of course eating if you do
14:21
want to know more about my region
14:22
grander trip that I mentioned and what I
14:24
thought the line does well average and
14:26
not so well join me over in this video
14:28
see you that
#Specialty Travel
#Tourist Destinations
#Travel Guides & Travelogues