Cruising the Panama Canal is a unique experience and it is important to make the most out of your day cruising the canal, especially if you are only doing a partial transit. The tips below will help you know how to make the most of your time during a Panama Canal Partial Transit.
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Tips for a Panama Canal Partial Transit:
Get a balcony
This is not the cruise to get an inside cabin on. You want a balcony so you can wake up and roll out of bed and see the majesty of the Panama Canal. You also want you own chair where you know it will always be reserved for you when you return. Good spots at the railing can be hard to come by so splurge for the balcony.
Scope out the best spots on the ship
Which decks wrap all the way around the building? Where are there interior places with comfy chairs and windows to see outside? Are you physically able to stand in the heat and watch for hours or will you need chairs and air-conditioning?
Get up early
Expect the ship to get started on the process of transiting the canal early. Even if you “officially” enter the canal a little later, the progression of ships behind you, the bridge you have to go under to get into the canal and the encroaching jungle is worth getting up early for.
Order room service
Room service is a great way to ensure you have coffee and snacks in your room while you watch the ship sail through the canal. It is also a great way to get you up and going for the sunrise over the jungle.
Claim a seat
If you want or need to stay in one spot all day, claim your location early and don’t leave it. Plenty of people will be roving around the ship all day moving from one spot to the next, so hold on to your spot if you want to keep it.
Don’t stay in one place all day
Or do. But plan how you want to spend your day. Do you want to have one spot where you see everything from for the entire day? (Preferably somewhere on the front or back of the ship) Or do you want to move around the ship as the day goes on and see from different vantage points? There are benefits to both, but make the decision with your viewing partner before the day gets started so you have a game plan.
Take a break
The ship has to turn around in the lake. It will not immediately start sailing back through the canal. As soon as the ship hits the lake, take your lunch, nap, coffee, shopping break and relax for a couple of hours. The lake is interesting historically, but not aesthetically. It just looks like a lake with really big boats on it. This is your time to rest, recharge and relax before you are going again.
Plan for a long day
Our partial transit lasted from before 8am until 5pm. It was a long day! (Read the times of how long everything took here.) If you want to watch the entire experience plan for a long, hot day.
It will be hot
We were told it would be hot but we are used to heat. We’re from Georgia – usually when people tell us something is hot it’s not as bas as we expect. But Panama was hotter than I was expecting. Plan to find shade, an umbrella, an overhang or something. Wear lots of sunscreen and drink lots of water. And trust me when I say it’s hot.
Charge your camera batteries in advance
Just do it. You may take more pictures than you expect because you never know exactly which part is going to be the most picturesque. Be prepared for a lot of pictures!
Invest in a tripod to attach to the deck railing
We use a tripod that attaches to the deck railing. This makes it so much easier to take time-lapses and videos. Of course, the ability to attach to the railing depends on your cruise ship. Please make sure it is very secure before you walk away from it! \
(Just because we enjoy attaching the camera to the railing does not mean it is for everyone. It may make you too nervous or the particular ship you are on may have too wide of railings for it to work. Use your judgement on this one!)
Or you can just use a basic tripod – it takes up a little more room in the luggage but is less difficult to work. Or, you know, bring both!
Check out the adjustable tripod and the stand tripod. You don’t want to have to hold your cameras the whole time, especially if you plan on taking any videos or time lapses.
Check out the onboard TV stations
We used the TV station that showed the front camera to help us figure out when we were coming up to something interesting. We also left it on while we were in the lake so we knew when to get up from out mid-day nap and head back out into the heat because we were about to start our journey back through the canal.
Not all cruise lines have the same cameras, but most have a front camera that at least rotates through one of the TV stations. Check in advance if this is an option on your cruise!
Appreciate it
Learn something about the history. Read about the history of the Panama Canal – the David McCullough book The Path Between The Seas is pretty good. Stop and think about the fact that the Panama Canal has been working for over 100 years.
Watch the mechanical mules work. Think about the workers here every day. Watch them cross on their way to and from their jobs. Pause and reflect on what a man-made marvel the Panama Canal is and how lucky you are to be able to cruise through it.
Check out our experience on the Panama Canal here.
What to read next:
Carnival Pride Review: Embarkation and the first two sea days of the epic Panama Canal Cruise
Veragua Rainforest Review: What we did on our excursion in Costa Rica
Caribbean Cruise Tips: Because you can always read a little more to help you get the most from your cruise!
