Thanks so much for watching this video! If you enjoyed, then please do hit both the THUMBS UP and SUBSCRIBE buttons to support my channel and help me grow to reach more people! If you'd like to see a FULL Panama Canal transit, let me show you my day onboard Cunard's Queen Elizabeth: th-cam.com/video/mnK7fTyFn70/w-d-xo.html
We just got back from a 16-day Panama Canal cruise on the Coral Princess going through the original locks. This was out fourth cruise on Princess and by far the best. This trip was enhanced since we took a full suite rather than a balcony cabin as we have dome previously. This cruise departed on 12/1/24 from Ft. Lauderdale. After 2 days at sea we arrived in Curacao. Many people just got off the ship and walked into the capitol town on Willemstead which we saw as a mistake. We took the full island tour which went to a national park at the far west end, stops at fabulous bays and beaches, salt ponds with flamingos and a walk through of a mid-1800's plantation house which has turned into an art museum. We then were at sea for a day before entering the Panama Canal at 6:30 am. Most people went to the front of the ship to see the passage through the canal but it was crowed and hard to see through the blue plastic wind screen. Our cabin steward suggested that we go to the viewing platform at the back of the ship (reached though the end of deck 9) and we got a much better view of the locomotives pulling us along as well as the filling and emptying of the locks and the other ships behind or next to us in the opposite direction. We exited the locks at 4:30 pm. We spoke with several passengers who had been on larger ships going through the new Panama canal and they said that going through the old locks was much better and more interesting and that they would not go though the new locks again. The ship also made stops in Panama City, Costa Rica, and three stops in Mexico (Puerto Chiapas, Huatulco an Puerta Vallarta( before stopping in Las Angeles. We can heartely recommend that this tour through the canal on the Coral Princess is probably the best choice you can make for a Panama canal cruise.
Thanks so much for this comment - it sounds like you had an amazing cruise! I totally agree - having done both old and new, I found the old locks to be much more impressive - isn’t it astounding that two men in a rowboat attach the ship to the machines to pull through? I was amazed! Thanks a lot for watching my video - really appreciate the support!
The best video I have ever seen on transiting the Panama Canal, Fraser. Your enthusiasm is infectious. Sounds like the Queen Elizabeth is a great sized ship to go through the canal on, although one of the smaller Silversea or Seabourn ships could be great too. The less crowds the better :)
Hey! Thanks so much for watching - I’m so glad you could tell I was delighted to be experiencing the canal first hand. I’ll never forget it - that’s for sure!
Such valuable information and things I really wouldn’t have thought about. Your enthusiasm for the canal and your knowledge is invaluable for those planning
Ahh, thanks Joanne - I’m so glad my enthusiasm came through as genuine - this place blew my mind, for sure! A really special experience 😊 Thanks for watching as always!!
Ah, I’m so glad this could help you - thanks a lot for supporting me by watching! 😊 Let me know if you have any questions that I can help further with!
Thanks, Christine! I’ve collected them over time, but don’t get them for every ship I’m on - I don’t think I could afford that many, ha! They do serve as nice reminders of my travels 😊
I thoroughly enjoyed this although I had already done a full transit Atlantic to Pacific in 2018. However, I am repeating this journey next year so it was good to have reminders about what a grreat experience it is. Thanks Fraser.
Ah, great to hear that you've done it before and enjoyed it to the point where you'd repeat. Thanks a lot for watching my video and supporting my channel!
I'll be on the Rotterdam doing the Gatun Lake on 12/8/2024 12 day cruise. I believe it is the same itinerary you booked through Holland America.. I did book the excursion that takes you through the old Pacific locks and Panama city, then get bused back to Colon on the Atlantic side. Giving me the full-transit experience in a way, and up close and personal. I'm so excited!
Ahh, brilliant - that will give you the full experience! Unfortunately, these excursions were cancelled during my cruise as we couldn’t dock to let people off due to protests in the area, but I really hope you’ll have more luck! Thanks a lot for watching!
@@FraserAtSea You gave me the courage to do this trip solo. It's been on my bucket list for years. I'm hoping the excursion does not get cancelled. Thank you for sharing your adventures!
Like you been I have been through it twice like you many years ago. Went into Panama City. I remember the Prison travelling through the canal. The prisoners ran to the fence and waved us on our way. The canal still looks the same.Thank you for your wonderful vlog and for the memories. It’s all so very interesting .
Hey, thanks a lot for watching, and thanks for taking the time to leave this comment! I didn’t realise there was a prison within sight of the ships - I wonder if it’s still there…!! Thanks again - have a great day!
Great video. I've done the Panama Canal on the NCL Pearl a few yrs ago, but we're doing it in January on the Joy ... L.A. to Miami, then back-to-back from Miami to L.A. I find the canal cruises to be pretty relaxing and look forward to 32 days onboard. The Joy is large, so we'll be doing a partial transit in the new locks it appears. We're doing Cabo, Puerto Vallarta, Acapulco, Puerto Quetzal, Panama City (2 days), Cartagena, Georgetown, Miami, Cartagena again, Colon, Puntarenas (Costa Rica), and then some of the same ports as the first passage with Manzanillo, Mexico thrown in.
Oh, brilliant ports - this is such a great itinerary! I’d suspect that Joy will go through the new lock system - I don’t think she’d be Panamax - she’s huge from memory! What a wonderful trip that’s going to be for you!
By watching this video I hope that puts a fire under me to definitely do this. I will have to do both versions or maybe three versions: old locks, new locks, and then mix and match full and partial.
Oh, I’m so glad you’ve found this useful. I’d really recommend seeing it once in your life as a minimum - I was absolutely amazed! Thanks a lot for watching! 😊
Good info, thanks Fraser! I wish I had been able to do it. I had a lot of amazing cruises, but this one didn't happen. I love watching other cruisers experiences there! Amazing place, for sure!
I watched your video earlier but have been watching another TH-camr and the Panama Canal was mentioned. It was a theatre show recording in Windsor from about 2011, and you may be interested in the humour. It was a performance by Pam Ayres and she was a guest speaker on a cruise ship (probably Saga but not sure), and the route was through the Canal. She has a humorous poem when they went through the Gatineau Locks. If you don’t want to watch the whole recording as it is quite long, she tells the story at about 30.00 in. I have just got her book on Audible called The Necessary Aptitude which she tells her life story. She came to fame on Opportunity Knocks (you will be too young to know about it) and I can remember her winning (I am so old so can remember it!) I felt like having an evening of laughter so watched a number of her performances on TH-cam.
We really enjoyed this video, it was very informative and detailed. We are doing a Rotterdam partial transit of the Panama Canal Dec 8 of this year. You gave us a lot of info to check out. Thank you!👍😊
Hi Fraser. My wife and i are doing the panama canal full transit in January. We are concerned about the mosquitos. What sort of clothing is suitable...especially for the trips ashore. We're doing a river Crocodile trip and the Mayan trip. Any thoughts would be very helpful. Thanks John and Gill.x
Hi John, thanks for your comment! Don’t worry too much for the mosquitos - just take insect repellent and you’ll be fine! Are you doing the crocodile river trip in Costa Rica? If so, you may enjoy this video… th-cam.com/video/bTt-BVsfZI4/w-d-xo.html I loved the full transit - you’re going to have a blast!
Hi Fraser, tnx for so much detailed information. Not having the Panamacanal-cruise on my list yet but it will be after May 2026 some time. I did Greek Isles on the NCL Epic few weeks ago and told the other solo's about your channel. The Epic wasn't the best ship I was on by far but the cruise itself was great. O, and the solo-studio..it is not for me haha. Never again. Next is west Carribean in december on the Regal Princess.
Ahh, I’ve heard such mixed reviews on Epic recently - I saw that Ben and David were on there, and really didn’t rate the ship! That next one will be great - I really enjoyed Regal when I cruised on her a few years back. Thanks for helping to spread the word about Fraser at Sea! ❤️
@@FraserAtSea I'll be meeting my 2 friends from the States again on the Regal so it will be awesome. About Ben and David....most of the time I like their video's but sometimes they pick on everything. They knew what cabin they booked so in this case I felt a bit irritated. But hey, the sun is shining and next thursday I'm off to Germany for 5 days ;) Let's just enjoy life while we still can!
Odds and ends: Stuck in Colon - what a nightmare that would be! The onboard commentary was excellent throughout the transit. Travellers might like to look out for birds and crocodiles while passing the rainforest areas at the Atlantic end and the Panama Canal railway system running parallel in parts towards the Pacific end.
Some great tips - I actually forgot to mention the crocodiles, but we did see some when we passed through on Queen Elizabeth - I couldn't believe my eyes! Thanks for watching!
Thank you Fraser, such wonderful helpful advice. On an aside, I wonder if you've heard of the Darien Project? It was Scotland's attempt to unite the Atlantic with the Pacific in 1690 by servicing an overland route. A settlement called New Caledonia was established near present day Panama. A lot of the wealth of Scotland was heavily invested in the project. It failed for various reasons, disease, attacked by Spanish forces and various other factors. But ithe failure changed the course of history - in that it bankrupted the nation and led to the Act of Union with England and forming of the UK. Had it succeeded Scotland may well have been a very wealthy nation, and have disproportionate influence on Global affairs for its' size in modern times. Possibly.
Oh, wow. I’ve never heard of this, but will spend some time on google later having a read - sounds so interesting! Thanks very much for bringing this up, and thanks also for watching my video and therefore supporting my channel 😊
@@FraserAtSea Cheers Fraser, I found it really fascinating too. Thank you again for all your hard work. I really enjoy your videos and coming along on your adventures.
Fraser....What side of the ship do I want my balcony to be on? North, or South? As for the sun...I just wear a long sleeved, light shirt, and a big Tilley hat.
Good shout - covering with layers is perfect too! Your balcony side depends on what route you’re doing, and what you want to see - a difficult question, haha!
Oh, that’s good to know that they’re so open and honest about it - not all cruise lines do. Thanks for this comment - I’m sure some people will find it super useful!
Fraser is putting out great quality cruise vlogs. Please show your support by hitting that thumbs-up and Subscribe buttons. It cost you nothing and helps him out. 👍 Thanks Fraser…..we appreciate you!
Thanks so much for watching this video! If you enjoyed, then please do hit both the THUMBS UP and SUBSCRIBE buttons to support my channel and help me grow to reach more people!
If you'd like to see a FULL Panama Canal transit, let me show you my day onboard Cunard's Queen Elizabeth: th-cam.com/video/mnK7fTyFn70/w-d-xo.html
We just got back from a 16-day Panama Canal cruise on the Coral Princess going through the original locks. This was out fourth cruise on Princess and by far the best. This trip was enhanced since we took a full suite rather than a balcony cabin as we have dome previously. This cruise departed on 12/1/24 from Ft. Lauderdale. After 2 days at sea we arrived in Curacao. Many people just got off the ship and walked into the capitol town on Willemstead which we saw as a mistake. We took the full island tour which went to a national park at the far west end, stops at fabulous bays and beaches, salt ponds with flamingos and a walk through of a mid-1800's plantation house which has turned into an art museum. We then were at sea for a day before entering the Panama Canal at 6:30 am. Most people went to the front of the ship to see the passage through the canal but it was crowed and hard to see through the blue plastic wind screen. Our cabin steward suggested that we go to the viewing platform at the back of the ship (reached though the end of deck 9) and we got a much better view of the locomotives pulling us along as well as the filling and emptying of the locks and the other ships behind or next to us in the opposite direction. We exited the locks at 4:30 pm. We spoke with several passengers who had been on larger ships going through the new Panama canal and they said that going through the old locks was much better and more interesting and that they would not go though the new locks again. The ship also made stops in Panama City, Costa Rica, and three stops in Mexico (Puerto Chiapas, Huatulco an Puerta Vallarta( before stopping in Las Angeles. We can heartely recommend that this tour through the canal on the Coral Princess is probably the best choice you can make for a Panama canal cruise.
Thanks so much for this comment - it sounds like you had an amazing cruise! I totally agree - having done both old and new, I found the old locks to be much more impressive - isn’t it astounding that two men in a rowboat attach the ship to the machines to pull through? I was amazed!
Thanks a lot for watching my video - really appreciate the support!
The best video I have ever seen on transiting the Panama Canal, Fraser. Your enthusiasm is infectious. Sounds like the Queen Elizabeth is a great sized ship to go through the canal on, although one of the smaller Silversea or Seabourn ships could be great too. The less crowds the better :)
Hey! Thanks so much for watching - I’m so glad you could tell I was delighted to be experiencing the canal first hand. I’ll never forget it - that’s for sure!
Such valuable information and things I really wouldn’t have thought about. Your enthusiasm for the canal and your knowledge is invaluable for those planning
Ahh, thanks Joanne - I’m so glad my enthusiasm came through as genuine - this place blew my mind, for sure! A really special experience 😊 Thanks for watching as always!!
Thanks much for this- looking specifically at a Canal trip early in the new year. This helped a lot! Cheers!
Ah, I’m so glad this could help you - thanks a lot for supporting me by watching! 😊 Let me know if you have any questions that I can help further with!
Great vlog Fraser love all your model cruise ships behind you 😻
Thanks, Christine! I’ve collected them over time, but don’t get them for every ship I’m on - I don’t think I could afford that many, ha! They do serve as nice reminders of my travels 😊
I thoroughly enjoyed this although I had already done a full transit Atlantic to Pacific in 2018. However, I am repeating this journey next year so it was good to have reminders about what a grreat experience it is. Thanks Fraser.
Ah, great to hear that you've done it before and enjoyed it to the point where you'd repeat. Thanks a lot for watching my video and supporting my channel!
Great video. We have done partial trip and plan a full transit next year
Ahh, it’ll be interesting to hear if you agree with my points in this video 😊 Thanks a lot for watching!!
this was so helpful with great information. It was almost like have a class on it!
Ahh, what a compliment! Thanks so much for watching - really appreciate your support! 😊
I'll be on the Rotterdam doing the Gatun Lake on 12/8/2024 12 day cruise. I believe it is the same itinerary you booked through Holland America.. I did book the excursion that takes you through the old Pacific locks and Panama city, then get bused back to Colon on the Atlantic side. Giving me the full-transit experience in a way, and up close and personal. I'm so excited!
Ahh, brilliant - that will give you the full experience! Unfortunately, these excursions were cancelled during my cruise as we couldn’t dock to let people off due to protests in the area, but I really hope you’ll have more luck!
Thanks a lot for watching!
@@FraserAtSea You gave me the courage to do this trip solo. It's been on my bucket list for years. I'm hoping the excursion does not get cancelled. Thank you for sharing your adventures!
Like you been I have been through it twice like you many years ago. Went into Panama City. I remember the Prison travelling through the canal. The prisoners ran to the fence and waved us on our way.
The canal still looks the same.Thank you for your wonderful vlog and for the memories. It’s all so very interesting .
Hey, thanks a lot for watching, and thanks for taking the time to leave this comment! I didn’t realise there was a prison within sight of the ships - I wonder if it’s still there…!!
Thanks again - have a great day!
Well done Fraser. Great tips.
Thanks a lot, Geoffrey - glad you enjoyed! 😊
Great video. I've done the Panama Canal on the NCL Pearl a few yrs ago, but we're doing it in January on the Joy ... L.A. to Miami, then back-to-back from Miami to L.A. I find the canal cruises to be pretty relaxing and look forward to 32 days onboard. The Joy is large, so we'll be doing a partial transit in the new locks it appears.
We're doing Cabo, Puerto Vallarta, Acapulco, Puerto Quetzal, Panama City (2 days), Cartagena, Georgetown, Miami, Cartagena again, Colon, Puntarenas (Costa Rica), and then some of the same ports as the first passage with Manzanillo, Mexico thrown in.
Oh, brilliant ports - this is such a great itinerary! I’d suspect that Joy will go through the new lock system - I don’t think she’d be Panamax - she’s huge from memory! What a wonderful trip that’s going to be for you!
Thanks a lot for watching 😊
Very informative!! I always learn something new from your videos. Thanks Fraser. ♥
Ahh, I’m so glad you enjoy them - thanks so much for supporting me 😊
By watching this video I hope that puts a fire under me to definitely do this. I will have to do both versions or maybe three versions: old locks, new locks, and then mix and match full and partial.
Oh, I’m so glad you’ve found this useful. I’d really recommend seeing it once in your life as a minimum - I was absolutely amazed!
Thanks a lot for watching! 😊
Good info, thanks Fraser! I wish I had been able to do it. I had a lot of amazing cruises, but this one didn't happen. I love watching other cruisers experiences there! Amazing place, for sure!
Thanks for watching, Tammy, and I’m so thankful I get to take you with me! 😊
I watched your video earlier but have been watching another TH-camr and the Panama Canal was mentioned. It was a theatre show recording in Windsor from about 2011, and you may be interested in the humour. It was a performance by Pam Ayres and she was a guest speaker on a cruise ship (probably Saga but not sure), and the route was through the Canal. She has a humorous poem when they went through the Gatineau Locks. If you don’t want to watch the whole recording as it is quite long, she tells the story at about 30.00 in. I have just got her book on Audible called The Necessary Aptitude which she tells her life story. She came to fame on Opportunity Knocks (you will be too young to know about it) and I can remember her winning (I am so old so can remember it!) I felt like having an evening of laughter so watched a number of her performances on TH-cam.
Ahh, I’ve actually never heard of this before - will need to find time to take a look. Thanks for the tip!
We really enjoyed this video, it was very informative and detailed. We are doing a Rotterdam partial transit of the Panama Canal Dec 8 of this year. You gave us a lot of info to check out. Thank you!👍😊
Ahh, you’ll be doing the same as what I did Linda - be sure to check out my other Holland America videos - hopefully you’ll find them useful! 😊
@@FraserAtSea We watch you quite a bit and really enjoy your videos, so thank you.
Great advice. Leaving next weekend on a full transit through the old locks. Your videos have been very helpful. Thank you.
Ooh, wonderful! Which ship are you making the journey on? Have the best trip!!
@@FraserAtSea Nieuw Amsterdam (HAL)
@@patriciamorash2763 ooh, wonderful. Have a great trip!
Hi Fraser.
My wife and i are doing the panama canal full transit in January.
We are concerned about the mosquitos.
What sort of clothing is suitable...especially for the trips ashore.
We're doing a river Crocodile trip and the Mayan trip.
Any thoughts would be very helpful.
Thanks John and Gill.x
Hi John, thanks for your comment! Don’t worry too much for the mosquitos - just take insect repellent and you’ll be fine!
Are you doing the crocodile river trip in Costa Rica? If so, you may enjoy this video… th-cam.com/video/bTt-BVsfZI4/w-d-xo.html
I loved the full transit - you’re going to have a blast!
Thanks Fraser.
All the very best to you.
And if it's not too early...Merry Christmas 🎉🎉🎉🎉
Hi Fraser, tnx for so much detailed information. Not having the Panamacanal-cruise on my list yet but it will be after May 2026 some time. I did Greek Isles on the NCL Epic few weeks ago and told the other solo's about your channel. The Epic wasn't the best ship I was on by far but the cruise itself was great. O, and the solo-studio..it is not for me haha. Never again. Next is west Carribean in december on the Regal Princess.
Ahh, I’ve heard such mixed reviews on Epic recently - I saw that Ben and David were on there, and really didn’t rate the ship! That next one will be great - I really enjoyed Regal when I cruised on her a few years back.
Thanks for helping to spread the word about Fraser at Sea! ❤️
@@FraserAtSea I'll be meeting my 2 friends from the States again on the Regal so it will be awesome. About Ben and David....most of the time I like their video's but sometimes they pick on everything. They knew what cabin they booked so in this case I felt a bit irritated. But hey, the sun is shining and next thursday I'm off to Germany for 5 days ;) Let's just enjoy life while we still can!
@@FraserAtSea Everything bad they said about the Norwegian Epic is true. the ship is poorly maintained and has a very unhappy demeanor.
Very interesting Fraser, thanks.
Glad you enjoyed - thanks, Stephen!
Very thorough info. Ta.
Thanks a lot for watching!
Odds and ends: Stuck in Colon - what a nightmare that would be! The onboard commentary was excellent throughout the transit. Travellers might like to look out for birds and crocodiles while passing the rainforest areas at the Atlantic end and the Panama Canal railway system running parallel in parts towards the Pacific end.
Some great tips - I actually forgot to mention the crocodiles, but we did see some when we passed through on Queen Elizabeth - I couldn't believe my eyes! Thanks for watching!
My pleasure. Keep up the good work!
Thank you Fraser, such wonderful helpful advice. On an aside, I wonder if you've heard of the Darien Project? It was Scotland's attempt to unite the Atlantic with the Pacific in 1690 by servicing an overland route. A settlement called New Caledonia was established near present day Panama. A lot of the wealth of Scotland was heavily invested in the project. It failed for various reasons, disease, attacked by Spanish forces and various other factors. But ithe failure changed the course of history - in that it bankrupted the nation and led to the Act of Union with England and forming of the UK. Had it succeeded Scotland may well have been a very wealthy nation, and have disproportionate influence on Global affairs for its' size in modern times. Possibly.
Oh, wow. I’ve never heard of this, but will spend some time on google later having a read - sounds so interesting!
Thanks very much for bringing this up, and thanks also for watching my video and therefore supporting my channel 😊
@@FraserAtSea Cheers Fraser, I found it really fascinating too. Thank you again for all your hard work. I really enjoy your videos and coming along on your adventures.
Fraser....What side of the ship do I want my balcony to be on? North, or South?
As for the sun...I just wear a long sleeved, light shirt, and a big Tilley hat.
Good shout - covering with layers is perfect too! Your balcony side depends on what route you’re doing, and what you want to see - a difficult question, haha!
Princess list. Cruise as Historic or New Locks
Oh, that’s good to know that they’re so open and honest about it - not all cruise lines do. Thanks for this comment - I’m sure some people will find it super useful!
Next month!
Ooh, have the BEST time!
@@FraserAtSea Thank you! Full transit on the Viking Octantis. Your video is a big help.
Fraser is putting out great quality cruise vlogs. Please show your support by hitting that thumbs-up and Subscribe buttons. It cost you nothing and helps him out. 👍 Thanks Fraser…..we appreciate you!
Oh, thanks so much for this!! ❤️
Grazie se metti i sottotitoli in italiano
:)