Panama Canal Partial Transit - Lunch Included on the Pacific Queen cruise ship. Duration 5 hours Checkin time 7:00am tentative The tour will start at the Flamenco Marina in Panama City. You will board the cruise ship to start the water portion of the tour. You will enter the canal at the north end of the Gaillard Cut, where the Chagres River flows into the canal. The Gaillard Cut (also known as Culebra Cut because its curves resemble a snake) is one of the main points of interest for visitors because it was carved through the Continental Divide and this section of the Canal is full of history and geological value. Your boat will travel the Cut 13.7 kilometers on the way to Pedro Miguel Locks. As you transit the Cut you will be able to appreciate the continuous maintenance that this area requires, because it is very susceptible to landslides. In this area you will also be able to observe the work of the Panama Canal expansion project. Before reaching the Pedro Miguel Locks at the southern end of the Cut, you will be able to view the e Bridge of the Americas which crosses over the Canal. Next, your ship will enter Pedro Miguel Locks, which is one of the two sets of locks on the Pacific side, and here the vessel is lowered 9 meters in one step. You will then enter Miraflores Lake, which is a small artificial body of fresh water that separates Pedro Miguel from Miraflores Locks, the latter being the final set of locks before reaching Gamboa. At Miraflores Locks the vessel is lowered 16 meters in two distinct steps. Once in the Pacific Ocean the vessel will sail to Gamboa where passengers disembark. On the way to Gamboa, you will pass under the Centennial bridge, and later, you will be bus back to Flamenco Island. Transportation is optional to hotels in Panama.