December 24, 2017 – Scenic Cruising: Panama Canal

The canal is forty-eight miles long and crosses the narrowest stretch of the Isthmus of Panama. At the Caribbean and Pacific end, a vast series of locks lifts and lowers the ship 85 feet from sea level, guided by electric engines (mules) that do the job performed by mules on more ancient canals. This waterway divides continents at the river-like Gaillard Cut and the enormous Gatun Lake. Far from the mechanics of the locks changers, the canal is embraced by the lush beauty of Panama. Emerald green forests stretch into Soberania National Park to the south and Gatun Lake is dotted with islands like jewels in the waters.

As most of you know this was our third time through the canal, so probably did not take as many pictures as we have in the past. But, we did take pictures. On our tour yesterday, our guide gave us some information on the cost to go through the canal. He stated that the biggest ships that use the new canal can pay over a million dollars to pass through. Cruise ships pay $150 per passenger and container ships pay $75 per container. The canal does not take credit cards, only cash or wire transfers. You must pay three days before traversing the canal. If you do not make a reservation, which cost more than $25,000, you have to wait at the entrance till they call you to go through. Some ships you see out there waiting are waiting for their money transfers to go through.

As you start to go through the canal you see a new bridge that is being by the French. It will be the highest and longest of the three bridges that cross the canal. It is scheduled to be completed by the end on 2018. As you get ready to go in tugboats come up to guide you in and to push from the rear.

The first locks you enter are the Gatun Locks, as they empty you in to Gatun Lake where you will sail to get to the next set of locks. Here are some pictures of us entering and going through the Gatun Locks. You can see in some of the pictures the big ships going through the new canal. The new canal does not have the electric mules to pull the ships through, but uses tug boats only. You can also see the mules alongside the canal, and there is a better picture later as we are exiting the canal.

Here are a couple of pictures in the lake and as we start to enter the next set of locks. The large white cruise ship you see starting in the locks is the one that we have been following through the locks. The second set of locks are called the San Miguel Locks.

The bridge that you see in these pictures of us in the San Miguel Locks is the Bridge of the Americas.

We then were in the last set of locks, the Miraflores Locks. This is a double lock, meaning you go down in the first one and then you go down further in the second one. These are pictures in the first lock. There is also a picture of two of the workers on the dock waving to those high up on the ship. We were down on deck 2.

This is the second lock and last lock we go through. There are some good pictures of the electric mules in these pictures.

And then we come out of this last lock and are in the Pacific Ocean for Christmas Day. The tugs turn you lose and do a circle salute to the ship. This is the first Panama Canal passage for Viking Ocean Cruises. The bridge, is the third bridge that crosses the canal and I do not know its name.