Is a Panama Canal Cruise worth it?
The Norwegian Jade
When we booked our Panama Canal cruise with Norwegian, we already had experience with the cruise line from previous sailings. While it’s not our favorite cruise line, we chose this itinerary because of the excellent post-holiday pricing and the opportunity to reunite with friends we had met on past cruises.
Boarding the Jade was a smooth and efficient process. Before we knew it, we had found our stateroom, completed the muster drill, and were relaxing with drinks in hand, waiting for our friends to arrive.
A little bit about the Jade—it’s a mid-sized cruise ship operated by Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) that offers a nice balance of comfort, variety, and value. Originally launched in 2006 as the Pride of Hawaii, it was rebranded and redeployed to international routes in 2008. A major refurbishment in 2017 refreshed its décor and upgraded many of its amenities, improving the overall guest experience. We especially appreciate that it’s a smaller ship, which makes it easy to get around and gives it a more relaxed, intimate feel.
Our Room
The great price we got for the cruise did come with a trade-off—an inside room on one of the lower decks. As Bruce joked, “I think we’re rowing the ship!” But to our surprise, the room turned out to be very nice and quiet. One of the unexpected perks was its location: we were always close to the exit for excursions. That meant we never had to wait in long lines to disembark, and when returning to the ship, we could skip the crowded elevator lines and head straight to our room with ease.
The bathroom was typical of most cruise ships—small, but functional. It worked just fine for us. I rather have the glass shower door instead of the shower curtain but it was fine. All in all, considering the deal we got, we were more than satisfied.
Our room had plenty of storage, so we never had to worry about space. Between the large closet and the drawers by both the closet and the bed, we had more than enough room for all our belongings.
The desk area was fine—mostly used by me to get ready and charge our electronics. There was also another outlet under the TV, which was handy for charging devices as well.
We’re all settled into our room and ready for our journey. Our first stop: the Panama Canal—a true wonder of the world!
Our Itinerary
The itinerary worked well for us, even though a few of the stops were places we had visited before. We were especially excited about traveling the Canal and visiting Cartagena—another destination in Colombia that we hadn’t explored yet. If you’ve never been to the Caribbean, the rest of the itinerary would make for a wonderful and memorable cruise experience, with opportunities to take snorkeling excursions, go on countryside safaris, or simply relax on the beach while listening to the sounds of steel drums.
The Canal
Our journey began at 11:59 PM, while most guests were asleep in their cabins. Quietly, the ship left the pier and got in line to begin its passage through the canal. By 6:00 AM, we were ready to start our all-day journey through the three locks.
Bruce and I were up at sunrise, eager to be among the first on the front deck to witness the approach to the first lock. As the sun rose over Panama City, we slowly moved forward, watching in awe as the ship entered the first lock.
We started at the Miraflores Locks, which are on the Pacific side. Each lock chamber functions like a giant elevator that fills and empties with water using gravity. Ships enter the lock, the gates close behind them, and water either fills or drains to raise or lower the ship to the next level. This process repeats through the three sets of locks until the ship passes through the canal. Since we began on the Pacific side in Panama, we moved through the locks from the Pacific Ocean, passing the last lock—the Gatun Locks—before entering the Atlantic Ocean.
This entire process takes most of the day, but once you’ve seen one lock, you can really relax and enjoy the rest of your day. In fact, while we were having lunch in the main dining room, we passed through the Pedro Miguel Locks. That’s the lock where the ship gets incredibly close to the walls—here’s a photo showing just how close! It’s truly amazing to watch how skillfully the ship’s captain and the lock employees work together to guide the vessel safely through such tight spaces.
These are the Mules the electric locomotives that run on the tracks along side the Panama Canal Locks. Their main job is to help guide and stabilize ships as they pass through the narrow lock chambers. They don’t actually pull the ships through—instead, they act like precise brakes and stabilizers, making sure the massive vessels move safely and smoothly through the canal’s tight spaces. The use of mules is a crucial part of the canal’s operation and helps make the whole transit safe and efficient.
Cruising through the Panama Canal is truly a bucket-list experience. It’s fascinating in so many ways—from exploring vibrant Panama City to discovering the incredible history of the Canal itself. It’s definitely a trip worth taking!
