Crossing through the Panama Canal was one of the highlights of our 19-day sailing on the Island Princess. An engineering marvel, the live commentary elicited excitement and wonder as we spent the day travelling from the Atlantic to the Pacific oceans.
Here is a photo recap of our day through the Panama Canal. Rocket scientist hubby added a bit of technical information below the photos:
We approached the Panama Canal from the Caribbean Sea at about 6am. Here pilot boats came out to meet us and four pilots boarded the Island Princess. From this point, it is the pilots who controlled our passage.
It took about 2 hours to rise through the three Gatun Locks.
Next we entered Gatun Lake, where we sailed passed a few interesting things (just below) for over four hours before the next set of locks.
Hubby and I in the Panama Canal.
Prison and current home to Manuel Noriega.
This section, called Culebra Cut, was the most difficult to excavate.
Continental Divide and Centennial Bridge.
Island Princess heading into the Pedro Miguel Locks – With only one set to lower through here it took a bit less than an hour.
It took over an hour to go through the final set, the Miraflores Locks. Here people filled the decks of Miraflores Visitors Center, a land-based opportunity to view and learn about the Panama Canal.
Panama City Skyline as we sailed away in the Pacific Ocean.
The Island Princess was built to go through the canal, and she just fits. Ariel views of our crossing were available for purchase. Here are two of my favourites, used here with permission. The first in the Gatun Locks, the second, as we passed through Miraflores Locks. You can see the dredging for the new locks to the left.
A Bit of History from Rocket Scientist Hubby:
The modern Panama Canal crossing was first attempted by the French after their successful building of the Suez Canal in 1869. Engineering and medical science hurdles caused this attempt to fail in bankruptcy. The Suez Canal was a flat crossing excavated through sand. The Panama Canal would need to excavate the 110-meter mountainous spine of Central America consisting of rock. In addition, the Chagres River crosses the canal and flows strongly in the rainy season making navigation difficult.
These difficulties plus tropical mosquito born diseases doomed the French attempt. The French work was not in vain as a significant amount of excavation and dredging was completed. The Americans came in during the early 1900s under George Washington Goethal’s engineering direction to complete the task. The current canal uses a three-level lock system that raises ships 25 meters prior to transiting through manmade lakes and a cut through the continental divide. The ships then arrive at the other side of Panama to lower down 25 meters through 3 final locks that lead out to sea.
Practical Information
- It cost the Island Princess in excess of $250,000 to cross the Panama Canal.
- Bookings for ships are made over 18 months in advance. Personal craft can book within 96 hours of arrival but will have inspections and other holdups prior to transit.
- The inaugural sailing of the new over five-billion dollar expansion of the Panama Canal was on June 26, 2016.
- The Panama Canal crossing a once-in-a-lifetime, not to be missed experience. While it took all day, the live commentary provided by Princess Cruises kept it fascinating. It is a day we will not soon forget, and one which I would recommend.
- The cruise ports were also fascinating, and we were in Cartagena Colombia just prior to crossing the Panama Canal and will Visiting the Cruise Port of Puntarenas Costa Rica on the other side.
- If you are thinking about cruising, check out the deals at Princess.
Don’t Miss our Best Cruising Tips:
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Have you been through the Panama Canal? Is it something you would want to do someday?
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Disclaimer: In addition to VIP treatment onboard the Island Princess we were provided with many complimentary extras. The opinions expressed here are strictly my own.
Thank you for this travel log. Some day I hope to do just what you are doing, going through the Panama Canal.
Cruisin Paul
My cruisin friend, I am sure you will make it through the Panama Canal someday.
Love boats, water and the history of the Panama Canal!
Hubby watched a video on Panama canal history and he was fascinated by the hurdles they went thru to build it.
My mouth is hanging open! I thought the reason for the locks was the fact that the Pacific was a different level than the Atlantic. And it cost the Island Princess WHAT?? $250,000 is huge! Just for passing through a canal? Well, considering the Panama Canal Authority’s location, it’s not like they have to worry about competition. Thanks loads for the great pics! 🙂
The Suez canal is a same ocean level passage so no locks are needed. The engineering needs for the Panama canal were staggering for the time frame in which they were built. Considering how m
Those aerial views are amazing! Funnily enough, I just picked up a chart of the southwest Caribbean Sea which shows the Panama Canal and have been thinking about how much fun it would be to go through it. I thought it was expensive to take a sailboat through, but it sure is expensive to transit a big ship like the one you were on.
We knew somebody who transited the canal in a yacht and it took a lot of time to schedule (and it was not cheap).
Have never been through panama canal. I’m pretty sure we never will as both of us hate the cruise ships. It would be interesting to experience though.
Have a fabulous day and we’ll see you this evening. 🙂
I think they should have ship that goes back and forth in the canal so people can experience the transit.
Hi Rhonda – brilliant photos and enough information to keep me happy … absolutely fascinating; I’d love to visit and see and learn more … but here you provided plenty to whet my appetite … cheers Hilary
It was a fascinating passage and the cruise had commentary the entire day.
This is something that paul would love to do!!
Seeing the pictures, there wasn’t much space left for the cruise. Amazing work to fit the cruise in the locks
Seems that the ships were built to size for this purpose.Based on the ship and canal dimensions, hubby says there is .65m clearance on each of the two sides.
Thanks for the visual guide through the canal. Everyone knows about it, but few get to really see it.
Yes, we feel really lucky to have made the passage.