Colon (Cristobal) Panama Canal Experience Excursion Reviews

The port of Colon itself is a real dump, and you will be advised by both crew and tour guides to not wander outside the shopping center of the cruise port, since it's a really rough looking slum, no joke. The tours are necessary so you can get out of there to see the Canal visitors center from another view point, and perhaps go to Panama City. The tour descriptions offered through Celebrity are spotty, so it's not clear how long the various operators spend at which place. And they're also useless at being clear on where you're going when they say the "Old City"--do they mean series of ruins in a city park not worth a long visit, or the "Casco Viejo" which is the old colonial section of town being restored. Unfortunately, the tour I was on was represented as going to the UNESCO-protected colonial town, however once on the tour: 'Sorry, sir, our buses don't fit into that neighborhood'...

Provider: Celebrity Cruises

Went to the Miraflores locks and to see Panama City. The lunch included was a joke - a turkey sandwich (mine had something in it resembling a fingernail, and it was no good at all for my vegetarian husband - with no alternative). The lock is absolutely amazing, and the old part of Panama City will be great once fully restored.

Provider: Celebrity Cruises

This was a wonderful excursion to see the Panama Canal up close from a smaller boat and all the way to the Pacific. The bus takes you back to the port of Colon where the ship is docked - there is quite a large shopping area there - many stores with the similar items but different prices so check around. There was rioting in Colon a few weeks prior to our cruise and two ships skipped this stop so I was glad we were able to enjoy it

Provider: Holland America Line

This was the reason we took the trip - to see the Panama Canal. Panama -- a really long day that started too early. The time changed on the ship overnight, they forgot to set the wake-up call computer back... we were awakened an hour earlier that we had scheduled. Do not miss the Panama rolls served on all of the outside areas. We started watching the transit from our 5th floor forward portside balcony, and I couldn't take it anymore, I had to go to the bow to see the gates open - A really cool experience in the heat of Panama. Since we were scheduled on the Canal Experience excursion midway through the 2nd lock we had to go get breakfast -- after all, we had been up now for 5 hours. After scarfing that down, I was up on deck 10 by the time we entered Gatun Lake. EVERYONE was on a tour...therefore EVERYONE was in the Vista Lounge for their turn at the tenders. The tenders got us off to the yacht club and awaiting busses quickly and efficiently. Upon arrival at the ferry boat dock about an hour's bus ride away, we were told that they had to add a 2nd boat to accommodate all the passengers... we were assigned to the smaller boat -- only had 84 passengers and had a really great lunch... glad not to have had to fight for space on the larger ferry with over 200 folks fighting for a space. Started at the bridge of Americas and ended at the Pacific ocean through the Pedro Miguel lock and the 2 Miraflores locks -- got to touch the sides of the 100 year old locks... pretty cool. Panama City is quite the modern city compared to the other Panama, the 3rd world dirty trashy place I had expected. Panama is checked off the list -- no need to go back there.

Provider: Holland America Line