Cruise to Colon?

Question

Arriving 7:00am. Have to be back on ship by 4:00PM. Want to see Panama City and Canal. What is the safest and most reliable transportation to use? I speak Spanish, so that will not be a barrier. Biggest fear is traffic jam on return trip and missing the boat.

Answer 1

this site has great cruise advice

http://allcruiselines.info

Answer 2

My suggestion is that you take a ship's tour; that way you will positively not be left behind.  Here's what we did when we went to the canal.

We took a coast to coast train trip.  I do not remember what the tour was called but we boarded the train after our ship (Princess Cruise ship) went through the locks into Guten Lake.  The train takes about an hour to get to the Pacific side and the route pretty much follows the canal for most of the way.  At the otehr side we boarded a bus for a ride to the Locks to watch a short film on the building of the canal and then watched a couple ships come through.  Then it was back on the bus for more sightseeing and we did see Panama City but from across the bay, the tour did not go into the city as they said it is/was very congested.  Then we went back to the train for the ride back; they served a box lunch.  Then it was back on  a bus for a tour of the former US district of the Canal on the Atlantic side.  Then back to the pier to meet the ship which had gone back through the locks.

It was a long trip and kinda expensive (maybe $125 a person)  but now I never have to see any of the canal again; have pretty much seen it all.  

Now you may be able to find some tours of Panama to do on your own if you do a Google search.  But the problem will likely be the ability of those tour companies to meet your ship and to get you back.  So my suggestion and recommendation is to do a ship's tour.