Panama Canal

[riverdees05 Platinum Contributor Find all posts View Profile Close riverdees05]

Is there a way to go through the Panama Canal without taking one of the Cruise line ships? We are wanting to take our Grandchildren through it, but none of the cruises work out with them missing a lot of school?

[Pstreet1 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Pstreet1]

I definitely don't know, but I do know that it costs a lot for a ship to use the canal, so any ship going through has to enough cargo or enough passengers to make it worth paying the canal use fee.

[Spence Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close Spence]

When I was a youngster, we visited Panama on our way to Rio de Janeiro. It was quite a trip and I remember being amazed by the tour we had at one of the locks. You don't need to go through the canal to do this and it's a memory I've had for about 35 years now.

15 years ago I went through the canal in each direction, a once in a lifetime and once in a career experience as second in command and Navigator on a USN warship. It was an awesome experience.

Sorry I can't answer your specific question.

[starlifter Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close starlifter]

I lived on one side of the canal and worked on the other side of the canal for 3 years from 1992-1995. Control of the canal shifted from the US back to Panama in 1999. I know there were a lot of small boats that would go through the locks of the canal, but I do not know of any type of charter that would do it. I lived at the Panama City end of the canal, the Pacific side. The Miraflores Locks were just a mile or two down the road from where I lived. You can go there and watch the ships go though the locks. Back then they had bleachers in a viewing area for people to sit and watch. They also had a film and information area. You can also drive the entire length of the canal from Panama City to Colon. They had a railroad that was in disrepair when I was there that ran the length of the canal, but I have heard since that they fixed the Panama Canal Railway and made a tour out of it.

David

[starlifter Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close starlifter]

Just found these trips through the canal. Click on the link below.

EcoVentures Nature Tours

FULL OCEAN TO OCEAN TRANSIT OF THE PANAMA CANAL

2007 Full Ocean to Ocean Panama Canal Transit Departure Dates: January 4, 6 & 20 // February 1, 3, 8 & 17 // March 1, 3 & 17 // April 7 & 21 // May 5 & 19 // June 2 & 16 // July 7 & 21 // August 4 & 18 // September 1 & 15 // October 6 & 20 // November 3 & 17 // December 1 & 15.

PARTIAL PANAMA CANAL TRANSIT ITINERARY

Panama Canal partial transit Departure Dates:
Every Thursday and Friday in January, February and March. Every Saturday all year long.

David

[riverdees05 Platinum Contributor Find all posts View Profile Close riverdees05]

Thanks

Thanks for the great information.

[alleng Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close alleng]

Stay at Gamboa

There is an ecotourism hotel named Gamboa on the river that feeds the canal just upstream from it. We took a boat trip right up to the canal and it was pretty cool.
They have some other features like a tram through the jungle.