you did such an amazing job showing us this. I’m so excited for my partial transit. because of you, I decided on that so much better than most cruise bloggers who wanna show us their dinner instead like wth
You are going to love the locks. It was a great day and I think I made the right choice for staying on the ship but the trip through the next locks and into the Pacific would have been a great excursion too. Enjoy the day and your cruise!
Enjoyed watching as I am doing same on Princess in December 2024. Suggest that you identify that you are going through the “old” locks and the ship/cruise line. I will be going through the “new” locks on the Emerald Princess using your tips.
That is a very good suggestion! The newer bigger ships have to go through the newer larger locks. We luckily were able to just fit in the old original locks. I think they have much more history. Thanks so much for watching and for sharing.
Good choice! You'll love it! Depending on the size of the ship, you may go through the original locks like we did or if you are on a larger ship, you will go through the newer wider locks. Either way, it is really something to behold. If your cruise line offers a presentation talk before the canal, make sure that you consider attending. Ours was very informative! Thanks so much for sharing and for watching!
My wife and I are doing a half transit Cruise on 1/30/24. Through the Panama Canal locks from the Atlantic Ocean side. Great video and very informative. We will be waiting for the Cruise Ship exit the Panama Canal. To watch the transit and to avoid the crowds. My wife and I have also booked an excursion that goes through the locks and return. That will transit a vessel to their path to get to the Pacific Ocean.
I wish you and amazing adventure! Going through to the Pacific side is going to be our next Panama Canal trip in the next few years. Thanks so much for sharing and for watching!
We did the full transit MANY years ago on the Celebrity Summit. This was/is truly a bucket list cruise. Part and parcel of this cruise is not only the engineering feat of this marvel (the locks) but the history attached to it. Great assessment of your transit!
The history added so much to the experience. We luckily had a historian providing a very detailed presentation the afternoon before we arrived and they were narrating during the transit. The 1/2 transit was great but maybe we will do a full transit in the future. Thanks so much for sharing and for watching!
Thank you so much for this. We have done a full transit. We will be doing a partial in 2025 with family for the first time. We are hoping that they will enjoy it also.
Great video. I’m going on a half transit Panama cruise in Oct/Nov!! Im extremely excited especially after watching your video. I was thinking about going on an excursion but I’ve read some pretty terrible reviews. I hear that on some tours you spend most of the time on the tour bus and getting back on the ship is a nightmare for some. After watching the video I think I might do the same thing you did, which is to stay on the ship and enjoy the locks both ways. I’m a little disappointed because I wanted to do both. I’ve never been to Panama so it would’ve been nice to see the country but not if Im going to be stuck in a car or bus. What are your thoughts? What is your honest opinion about the excursions? Should I ignore the reviews and book the excursion or just enjoy the amazing canal from the comfort of the ship? I would really appreciate your advice seeing that I’ve been contemplating this for a couple of months now. Thanks in advance. You now have a new subscriber.
Thanks so much for sharing! I know exactly what you are going through. I thought about the exact same things. I made the right decision for us and stayed onboard and really enjoyed it. I also read so many reviews that there was up to an 1 1/2 bus ride back to the port from the Pacific side of the canal and that the process of getting to your destination was difficult. A Panama Canal voyage normally goes to other countries nearby so save the entire day for the canal passing and go to the rain forests and other areas in the other ports. That is my recommendation but do what is right for you and your family. I am a cruise geek so I loved the canal and have to say I liked it in the afternoon even better when there were less guests onboard and from the elevated perspective going through the locks. Have a great cruise and thank you so much for subscribing! Lots more to come!
@@seemoreseascruises3791 Thanks so much for taking the time to answer. I think we’re probably going to stay on the ship and just enjoy the view. We’re going to Colombia and Costa Rica on that itinerary too so we’ll have lots of new places and sights to explore. Thanks again for helping a fellow cruise geek out! Looking forward to seeing more!
Great video. We did the full trans of the locks (San Diego to Galveston, Disney Wonder), and it was an all-day adventure. The day started when it was still dark but all the ships waiting on the Pacific side were lit up. The Wonder was the first ship of the day (I'm sure The Mouse pays for that honor). The journey ended near dinner time when we saw the sunset from the aft of the Wonder while dining in Palo. You should have included the mules "communicating" with each other with their bells. That sound is only heard on the PC cruise.
Thanks so much for sharing! I did capture a few of the bells but such a great point! There were various bells from each side and only after completing did I understand what the bells were for. Our live cruise director narration did not explain that. Thanks as always for supporting the channel!
@@seemoreseascruises3791 The guest speaker on our crossing was the head pilot for the canal (when the USA still owned it). He talked about the bells (he didn't say what they meant because he was a ship pilot, not a mule driver), so we knew what to expect.
Rode Panama Railway, tour of new locks and shopping in Pan. City excursion on Princess. Your trip through original locks is still on bucket list. New locks are somewhat different
I have to look up that railway. That was a new one. Princess and HAL are sisters so you would think I would have noticed that. Our excursion selection though was blank for most ports until two weeks before the cruise due to a website glitch. That could have been some of my problem.
@seemoreseascruises3791 I wonder if staying onboard has better views of the Canal? I will be starting my NCL Jade cruise from Panama City to go through the whole Canal. Though I would like to get images of the Jade from the side of the Canal it's going through. I've been through the Panama Canal 3 times before in the 80's with the Navy. Our ship was small enough for a few other boats to be in the locks at the same time. The first time through my ship went down the coast of South America and through the Straits of Magellan and up the East Coast of South America.
Its a great idea to read "The Path Between The Seas" by David McCullough. Very well written and eye opening history and facts! Enjoy both book and cruise.
I'm so glad that you were helped by my video! That is why I do this. I hope you have a great cruise! I enjoyed the afternoon reverse transit more than the morning. I liked the perspective of traversing the locks from the higher elevation to the lower. Thanks so much for watching!
Did a full transit from LA to Miami on the NCL Bliss, it went through the newer locks, the older ones are better and more authentic experience, but the ship needs to be smaller. Great video See More See
Thanks so much! I agree and did not realized until we booked the Eurodam that the bigger ships needed to use the newer locks. It is still an amazing experience either side. Thanks for watching!
Thanks so much! It really was a great day. Only the smaller ships use the old locks. We just had friends that went on the HAL Rotterdam and they had to use the new locks which are similar but we were thankful that we went through the original locks. The newer bigger ships do not fit in the old locks. Celebrity Edge class also uses the newer locks. When planning make sure that you research which locks you will be transiting. Thanks for watching!
@@rgruenhaus We were on the Eurodam and it goes through the original locks. The Rotterdam does not fit and goes through the new locks. I have had clients on each and they confirmed which locks that they went through. This is the same with Celebrity. The Edge Class must go through the new locks as well.
@seemoreseascruises3791 that's what I thought! I've seen several videos with massive tankers. Even had a tough time getting through the Suez Canal so the new locks were made to save them having to go around the continent.
We sailed the canal at the end of March 2023. Weather was great and the Eurodam used the original canals. The Rotterdam and the Celebrity Edge Class use the new canal because of the size.
We would have loved to do the full transit as well but time and budget didn't work for us this time. It was still very cool to experience the amazing engineering of the canal. Thanks for sharing and for watching!
In addition, this is an excellent 30 minute video that lays out and explains the entire Panama Canal - ua-cam.com/video/28ozGwaA5Gw/v-deo.htmlsi=-ZSFKNb95IssWvD2 Thanks for the response to my first comment. I enjoy you content very much.
you did such an amazing job showing us this. I’m so excited for my partial transit.
because of you, I decided on that
so much better than most cruise bloggers who wanna show us their dinner instead like wth
I'm so happy that you enjoyed it! Have a great time - it is an amazing experience. Thanks for watching!
Thanks for the video. We are doing this next month. So excited now after seeing this.
You are going to love the locks. It was a great day and I think I made the right choice for staying on the ship but the trip through the next locks and into the Pacific would have been a great excursion too. Enjoy the day and your cruise!
Enjoyed watching as I am doing same on Princess in December 2024. Suggest that you identify that you are going through the “old” locks and the ship/cruise line. I will be going through the “new” locks on the Emerald Princess using your tips.
That is a very good suggestion! The newer bigger ships have to go through the newer larger locks. We luckily were able to just fit in the old original locks. I think they have much more history. Thanks so much for watching and for sharing.
Great job on this; thanks.
Thank you! So happy you enjoyed it! Thanks for watching!
Great video! We are taking the Panama Canal half transit from the Atlantic side in November 2024. Can’t wait!
Good choice! You'll love it! Depending on the size of the ship, you may go through the original locks like we did or if you are on a larger ship, you will go through the newer wider locks. Either way, it is really something to behold. If your cruise line offers a presentation talk before the canal, make sure that you consider attending. Ours was very informative! Thanks so much for sharing and for watching!
Nov. 24 partial for us!
Thank you so much. I finally understand the process. So glad I found you.
Glad it was helpful! I'm so happy that it was good information for you! Thanks for watching!
My wife and I are doing a half transit Cruise on 1/30/24. Through the Panama Canal locks from the Atlantic Ocean side. Great video and very informative. We will be waiting for the Cruise Ship exit the Panama Canal. To watch the transit and to avoid the crowds. My wife and I have also booked an excursion that goes through the locks and return. That will transit a vessel to their path to get to the Pacific Ocean.
I wish you and amazing adventure! Going through to the Pacific side is going to be our next Panama Canal trip in the next few years. Thanks so much for sharing and for watching!
How was this excursion since we will be doing the same excursion in December 2024?
We did the full transit MANY years ago on the Celebrity Summit. This was/is truly a bucket list cruise. Part and parcel of this cruise is not only the engineering feat of this marvel (the locks) but the history attached to it. Great assessment of your transit!
The history added so much to the experience. We luckily had a historian providing a very detailed presentation the afternoon before we arrived and they were narrating during the transit. The 1/2 transit was great but maybe we will do a full transit in the future. Thanks so much for sharing and for watching!
Thank you so much for this. We have done a full transit. We will be doing a partial in 2025 with family for the first time. We are hoping that they will enjoy it also.
Great video. I’m going on a half transit Panama cruise in Oct/Nov!! Im extremely excited especially after watching your video. I was thinking about going on an excursion but I’ve read some pretty terrible reviews. I hear that on some tours you spend most of the time on the tour bus and getting back on the ship is a nightmare for some. After watching the video I think I might do the same thing you did, which is to stay on the ship and enjoy the locks both ways. I’m a little disappointed because I wanted to do both. I’ve never been to Panama so it would’ve been nice to see the country but not if Im going to be stuck in a car or bus. What are your thoughts? What is your honest opinion about the excursions? Should I ignore the reviews and book the excursion or just enjoy the amazing canal from the comfort of the ship? I would really appreciate your advice seeing that I’ve been contemplating this for a couple of months now. Thanks in advance. You now have a new subscriber.
Thanks so much for sharing! I know exactly what you are going through. I thought about the exact same things. I made the right decision for us and stayed onboard and really enjoyed it. I also read so many reviews that there was up to an 1 1/2 bus ride back to the port from the Pacific side of the canal and that the process of getting to your destination was difficult. A Panama Canal voyage normally goes to other countries nearby so save the entire day for the canal passing and go to the rain forests and other areas in the other ports. That is my recommendation but do what is right for you and your family. I am a cruise geek so I loved the canal and have to say I liked it in the afternoon even better when there were less guests onboard and from the elevated perspective going through the locks. Have a great cruise and thank you so much for subscribing! Lots more to come!
@@seemoreseascruises3791 Thanks so much for taking the time to answer. I think we’re probably going to stay on the ship and just enjoy the view. We’re going to Colombia and Costa Rica on that itinerary too so we’ll have lots of new places and sights to explore. Thanks again for helping a fellow cruise geek out! Looking forward to seeing more!
Great video. We did the full trans of the locks (San Diego to Galveston, Disney Wonder), and it was an all-day adventure. The day started when it was still dark but all the ships waiting on the Pacific side were lit up. The Wonder was the first ship of the day (I'm sure The Mouse pays for that honor). The journey ended near dinner time when we saw the sunset from the aft of the Wonder while dining in Palo. You should have included the mules "communicating" with each other with their bells. That sound is only heard on the PC cruise.
Thanks so much for sharing! I did capture a few of the bells but such a great point! There were various bells from each side and only after completing did I understand what the bells were for. Our live cruise director narration did not explain that. Thanks as always for supporting the channel!
@@seemoreseascruises3791 The guest speaker on our crossing was the head pilot for the canal (when the USA still owned it). He talked about the bells (he didn't say what they meant because he was a ship pilot, not a mule driver), so we knew what to expect.
In February we were on Celebrity EDGE. Went through the “new” locks, built for ships that size. We did not go on any excursions.
I am sure that was a great trip. I love the Celebrity Edge. Thanks for sharing!
Nice video, thank you
I am so glad that you liked it. I hope it helped you learn what a half transit might consist of. Thanks for watching!
Rode Panama Railway, tour of new locks and shopping in Pan. City excursion on Princess. Your trip through original locks is still on bucket list. New locks are somewhat different
I have to look up that railway. That was a new one. Princess and HAL are sisters so you would think I would have noticed that. Our excursion selection though was blank for most ports until two weeks before the cruise due to a website glitch. That could have been some of my problem.
@seemoreseascruises3791 I wonder if staying onboard has better views of the Canal? I will be starting my NCL Jade cruise from Panama City to go through the whole Canal. Though I would like to get images of the Jade from the side of the Canal it's going through. I've been through the Panama Canal 3 times before in the 80's with the Navy. Our ship was small enough for a few other boats to be in the locks at the same time.
The first time through my ship went down the coast of South America and through the Straits of Magellan and up the East Coast of South America.
That’s our next trip!
I hope that you have a great cruise! Thanks for watching!
Its a great idea to read "The Path Between The Seas" by David McCullough. Very well written and eye opening history and facts! Enjoy both book and cruise.
Excellent recommendation! Thank you so much for sharing and watching!
thank you!!! You have possibly helped me decide to just save the $$$ and stay on the ship the day we do this
I'm so glad that you were helped by my video! That is why I do this. I hope you have a great cruise! I enjoyed the afternoon reverse transit more than the morning. I liked the perspective of traversing the locks from the higher elevation to the lower. Thanks so much for watching!
Did a full transit from LA to Miami on the NCL Bliss, it went through the newer locks, the older ones are better and more authentic experience, but the ship needs to be smaller.
Great video See More See
Thanks so much! I agree and did not realized until we booked the Eurodam that the bigger ships needed to use the newer locks. It is still an amazing experience either side. Thanks for watching!
Thanks for the Awesome Video. This trip is on my Bucket List. 5 Stars to your Video.
Thanks so much! It really was a great day. Only the smaller ships use the old locks. We just had friends that went on the HAL Rotterdam and they had to use the new locks which are similar but we were thankful that we went through the original locks. The newer bigger ships do not fit in the old locks. Celebrity Edge class also uses the newer locks. When planning make sure that you research which locks you will be transiting. Thanks for watching!
You are more than welcome and yes I subscribed. Happy sailing
Welcome aboard!
Very interesting 😊
This was a very cool cruise. I have a lot of great memories from this week and it was so different from other cruises.
Only one Canal in the 80's when I was through the Panama Canal.
The new canal does not have the history that the original does. The bigger, newer ships can't fit.
@@seemoreseascruises3791 are you sure?
@@rgruenhaus We were on the Eurodam and it goes through the original locks. The Rotterdam does not fit and goes through the new locks. I have had clients on each and they confirmed which locks that they went through. This is the same with Celebrity. The Edge Class must go through the new locks as well.
@seemoreseascruises3791 that's what I thought! I've seen several videos with massive tankers. Even had a tough time getting through the Suez Canal so the new locks were made to save them having to go around the continent.
good job with your vid
Thank you very much and thanks for watching!
What month did you go?
We sailed the canal at the end of March 2023. Weather was great and the Eurodam used the original canals. The Rotterdam and the Celebrity Edge Class use the new canal because of the size.
I would rather the full transit than the partial one, since it’s much more excited ocean to ocean crossing experience.😊
We would have loved to do the full transit as well but time and budget didn't work for us this time. It was still very cool to experience the amazing engineering of the canal. Thanks for sharing and for watching!
1+ subscriber!
Thanks for the subscription!
Bucket list
It was for us for sure!
In addition, this is an excellent 30 minute video that lays out and explains the entire Panama Canal - ua-cam.com/video/28ozGwaA5Gw/v-deo.htmlsi=-ZSFKNb95IssWvD2
Thanks for the response to my first comment. I enjoy you content very much.
Thank you for the additional information!