Traversing the Panama Canal on board the Jewel of the Seas and need to know if anyone has taken the Panama Canal boat tour from Balboa pier down the Panama Canal back to Cristobal pier. It sounds like a great adventure and want to check if anyone has taken this excursion and offer their opinions. First time taking a RCCL cruise.
Hi aviana, welcome to Cruise-Chat. I haven't been on the Panama Canal cruise----yet, but when we booked it, our cruise consultant was telling us all about it. She said it is good to go through the locks on board, then take a tour on the ground to watch the ship go through them. She said that way, you get a total experience. Please let us know what you think when you return. We've booked for next April, but may have to move it back some if things don't straighten out with the economy. Best wishes, and once again, welcome aboard!
Aviana, I'm booked on the same cruise, Jewel of the Seas, but sailing April 3rd. I've been trying to figure out what to do for excursions also.
Personally, I think you'll be fine and get the full Canal experience just by being onboard through the Gatun locks. There's not too much else to it. Course I was a merchant marine officer and have been through the Canal a couple of times before. But I'm advising my familiy to just stay onboard once through the locks, then just walk around Cristobal once we're at the pier. Cristobal is the Atlantic side of the Canal, Balboa the Pacific side. Does the boat excursion go all the way across the Canal?
The Ferry excursion transits the canal from Balboa to the mirafore locks.A bus transit to get to the Ferry in Balboa, then a bus back to Cristobal. Still on the fence on this excursion.
I am responding to my own message. I have returned from my RCL Panama Canal Cruise and had a great time. I took the Ferry boat excursion that traversed the canal to the Pacific side of the canal and would highly recommend this excursion to anyone on a Panama Canal cruise. I was well worth the price.
Welcome back, aviana Hope you had a great time! Did you have a favorite port? How did you like the ship? Did you book another cruise (it always helps ease the debarkation blues)? Thank you so much for letting us know about the excursion, it's something I will definitely look into when we finally get to go. I'm going to have to move mine a little further out, just don't have the money right now But,I will get there
Hope you had a great time! Did you have a favorite port? How did you like the ship? Did you book another cruise (it always helps ease the debarkation blues)? Thank you so much for letting us know about the excursion, it's something I will definitely look into when we finally get to go. I'm going to have to move mine a little further out, just don't have the money right now 
But,I will get there 
Linear Mode
