Panama Canal Cruise - Day 12 - Transit through the Panama Canal - February 23, 2022

After the excursion the day before, I was ready.  The Princess Patter we received in the room the night before gave us the following schedule plus the Captain indicated we would be picking up the pilot at 5:00 a.m.

I set my first alarm for 5:00 a.m. but when I looked out the window it was still pitch black with no sign of any activity.  After checking our location, I re-set the alarm for 5:35 a.m.  At that time the lights of ships surrounding us cut through the darkness and a pilot boat was behind us.

As the sun started to rise, I ordered an almond milk latte on the Medallion app and got dressed.

Panama City

With my latte, I was now ready for the long day through the canal.

We had a beautiful aft corner balcony with extra space and the ability to see a little bit of the starboard side.  It was the perfect viewing area for the locks. 

As we entered the channel, we first traveled under the Bridge of the Americas.

A tugboat followed us and would eventually tie up to the aft of our ship to help us through the locks.

Here is a time-lapsed video of the trip under the bridge.

As we continued our travel down the canal to the first set of locks, I realized the sun was going to be brutal so put on a lightweight long sleeve shirt as we passed by shipping ports and then watched the aft tugboat tie up to our ship.

The tugboat getting close enough to our ship to toss the lines and hook up.

This smaller tugboat followed us until we entered the Cocoli Locks and then turned around.

Here is the tugboat all tied up.  It plays an important part in the locks to help keep the ship centered.  Another tugboat just like this one would hook up to the front of our ship (once closer to the locks) for the same purpose.  I assume both tugboats were in constant contact with the Panama Canal pilots that boarded our ship and took over the controls.  A Panama Canal pilot would be stationed on each side of the bridge able to monitor the distance between the ship and the side of the lock.  All forward and backwards movement of the ship was made with the ship's engines, the tugboats only help us stay centered.

As we left Panama City, there were multiple shipping ports with huge container ships.

Before we actually entered the first locks, this smaller boat came and delivered additional staff to the tugboat.

Cruising away from the Bridge of the Americas

Magnificent Frigatebirds share the canal with the cargo and passenger ships.

As we approached the Cocoli Locks (the new locks on the Pacific side of the Panama Canal), an additional tugboat followed us.  It never seemed to interact with us so I think it was just hitching a ride through the locks with us since there was room.

A close up of one of the lock doors

The two lock doors were fully open to let us enter.

The tugboat attached to our aft (to keep us centered) and the one that hitched a ride.

The door closing

The water level has been raised.  We will be raised 85 feet after going through all three chambers.  

It took four guys (and a supervisor) to lift the ropes and unhook the ship so we could proceed to the next chamber.

These bumpers are being tested just on this side of one of the chambers to see if they work better than the other ones they have been using.

These are the older bumpers that clearly need replacing.  The concrete seems more brittle in the new locks.  Several staircase were out of use because they clearly had been damaged by a ship.  Rebar showed through in spots and bumpers were missing in places.

The door is closing again.  Because we had an additional tugboat hitching a ride, they only closed one of the two doors between each chamber, as there wasn't really room to close both doors.  

The tugboat that hitched a ride didn't tie up on the first chamber and it sounds like got in trouble for doing that.  So for the next two chambers, it sent up a rope and then when the chamber was full, would toot it's horn to remind them to unhook it when it was time to move on.

The chamber is full and so we started moving on to the third chamber.  Next to each chamber are three reservoir ponds (this photo shows the three to the left of the first chamber).  These reservoirs are used to hold water that is recycled with each lowering and raising of the water in the chambers.

At some point during these locks, my husband and his Mom went down to the International Cafe on deck 5 to get some breakfast.  From that vantage point, they got a really interesting perspective as deck five is low enough that when the water is low in the chamber, the view out the windows is just of the walls of the locks and then as the water raises, daylight returns.  Here is a short video he took through a salt-covered window (from all the spray and splash up) at the International Cafe.

They then brought up some banana bread for breakfast for me!  Yay!

More photos of the line handlers

One of the damaged staircases

The Cocoli Locks command tower

The line handler's first attempt to throw out the lead line (which the ship would then tie to the big rope so the line handlers can pull the big rope to the dock).

Unfortunately, their first attempt wasn't caught by the ship and then the lead line got caught in one of the bumpers as they tried to reel it in.  It took them a bit (as the ship continued to move forward) to get it unstuck.  In the meantime the ship tried to send over their own lead line unsuccessfully and then the line handlers got their line unstuck and successfully threw it to the ship.

Brown Pelican on the fence between the reservoir pools.

An Iguana (I believe a Black Iguana) sitting on the wall between reservoir pools

A view of all three chambers as we leave the Cocoli Locks

A view of the reservoir pools

The Miraflores Locks (old locks) visitor's center - We viewed these locks from the top level (and also one of the lower levels) the day before during our excursion.  The old locks are parallel to the new locks.  In some places you get a view of one from the other.  In other places they are too far apart or separated by trees.

A small boat heading out to sea just after we got out of the locks.

A small boat that briefly tied up to one of the buoys that lined the side of the channel; red ones were on our port side.

Here is a time-lapsed video of the entire process through this lock (from our aft balcony).

Our next event, a little further down the Canal, was passing under the Centennial Bridge.

We were able to get a little closer glimpse of the old locks and the mules.

I believe this is the Pedro Miguel Locks.

Centennial Bridge

At this point, we decided to see what my parents were up to and check out the views from their balcony.  We knew we would have some time in Lake Gatun before continuing on to the final set of locks later in the afternoon.  At one point, the Captain made an announcement that due to where we were in line, we would spend about 2 hours anchored in Lake Gatun although he made it clear that was a very rough estimate.  When going through the Panama Canal, cruise ships have priority but there still is a process and they switch the direction of the new locks every 6 hours so ships fully expect they need to be ready to go when they are told to go and ready to wait when they are told to wait.

The tugboat tied to our aft through the first locks left us in Lake Gatun and another joined us as we got closer to the second set of locks.

I think this crane might have been used for maintenance with the old locks.

It was my Dad that put the bug in my ear to try photography.

My husband and his Mom went to the main dining room for lunch.  My parents ordered pizza and I ordered a chicken sandwich in their room.  We took this time to enjoy the air conditioning and views of Lake Gatun from inside as a reprieve from so much of the morning spent out on our balconies.  Then the fun began again as the Captain announced we were taking up anchor and continuing on to the Agua Clara Locks.

Time for the aft tugboat to get hooked up again.

I'm sure this guy on his cell phone has a very important job.

Holland's Eurodam in the old locks - they were on a partial transit Panama Canal cruise round trip from Ft. Lauderdale

The Agua Clara Locks observation center - the excursion took us to this observation center the day before.

No extra tugboat hitching a ride this time so both doors could be closed.

My husband wandered to the front to check out that view.

These locks (of three chambers) dropped the water level 85 feet.

This large cargo ship approached with four tugboats visible (and likely at least one in the aft).  They couldn't all fit in though so all but three of the four in the front turned away as the ship entered the lock.

Tugboats can turn on a dime and this one did a little circle for us before leaving.

The left channel is the new locks.  The right channel is the old locks.  And the very small channel that veers off to the right is the French's attempt at building a canal.  They didn't get very far before they gave up.

A time-lapsed video going through the locks and the Bridge of the Atlantic

As soon as we were through the Agua Clara Locks, we approached the Bridge of the Atlantic.

We ended the transit through the canal close to 5:30 p.m. and I wasn't up for dinner in the main dining room so after a shower, we headed up to the Lido Deck for some tacos at the Salty Dog Grill and then went down and tried to listen to some music in the Piazza but by then the seas had gotten a bit rough and I wasn't feeling the greatest so called it an early night.