Wonder Heading Back to Port Canaveral?

[SamFaniam]

I wonder if it would be cheaper to take the long way around Cape Horn instead of passing through the Panama Canal? I don't think Disney is in any hurry to get the Wonder back into the Atlantic.

I don’t know if it would be cheaper, but I can’t imagine the company taking a chance with the Wonder sailing around Cape Horn in the winter time.

 

[Drfate102]

The cheapest toll ever paid to travel the canal was 36 cents in 1928 by Richard Halliburton, who swam the length of the canal

https://panamaforbeginners.com/23-facts-know-panama-canal/

I was close.

Canal tolls have gotten more expensive in the past few years. $150K would be a substantial bargain for the Wonder to transit with the usual load of passengers. We’ve done both EBPC (2017) and WBPC (2019) cruises on the Wonder. Captain Puckett (a retired canal pilot) did a series of lectures on each of these cruises. He indicated that the tolls DCL pays (including premiums to get a reserved slot to start the transit early in the queue on a particular day) are in excess of $500K. The toll calculation formula is very complicated. Also, the Wonder has to use the new canal locks since it’s too big to use the original locks after the ship was modified for better fuel efficiency. The Wonder was the first cruise ship to transit the new locks on the WBPC sailing in spring of 2017.

I use to work in shipping, but it has been awhile since I had to deal with Canal tolls. It doesn't surprise me that they went. But, the Wonder doesn't have it's usual load of passengers, so the tolls are all a lose.

 

[MomOTwins]

That's totally NOT how it is at our Sam's Club.

Yes, there are some people who travel past in the aisles that are not 6 feet away, but at least they are wearing masks. Not a lot, but some.

They've installed plexiglass barriers at the check stands.

The cart unloaders are still there, but you can ask that they not "help".

At the door we have to hold up our receipt for the door checker to scan the bar code on it, and then they scan the bar code one of the items in the cart (there's usually one on top).

There's also senior hours, and valet pick up available during those hours. You drive up, give them your shopping list, and a employee gets your stuff, brings it back out to your car and unloads it into your trunk. Only contact there, you have to put your credit card into their reader to pay.

Yep--I should have been clearer. I think the madhouse of our local Sam's Club says a lot more about the attitude toward coronavirus where I live than it does about Sam's Club. We're also a state that was recently featured on the news for pools filled to the brim with partyers at a local vacation spot over Memorial Day weekend (despite us having pretty bad covid statistics). I have no doubt that if I were still on the east coast instead of in the midwest, things would be very different. But that said, given what things are like here, I can understand the concept that going on a vacation with a lot of safety precautions wouldn't really be much worse than what they are experiencing at home going about their shopping.

I use to work in shipping, but it has been awhile since I had to deal with Canal tolls. It doesn't surprise me that they went. But, the Wonder doesn't have it's usual load of passengers, so the tolls are all a lose.

I wonder if canal rates are lower now because cruise ships aren't traversing it regularly any more though. They probably have some last-minute vacancies on their schedule they wouldn't mind filling.

 

[_auroraborealis_]

I don’t know if it would be cheaper, but I can’t imagine the company taking a chance with the Wonder sailing around Cape Horn in the winter time.

Once you factored in the daily fuel cost, canal will be a LOT cheaper.

 

[TRTRguy]

Paying the canal toll would be cheaper than the 2 plus weeks worth of fuel to go around. Plus it's going on winter time in the southern hemisphere.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

I think the madhouse of our local Sam's Club says a lot more about the attitude toward coronavirus where I live than it does about Sam's Club.

I'm just back from Sam's Club. Arrived at 6:45 for the senior hours as usual and found - they don't have senior hours any longer. I'm not happy.

 

[BartmanLA]

I'm just back from Sam's Club. Arrived at 6:45 for the senior hours as usual and found - they don't have senior hours any longer. I'm not happy.

It was released a day or two ago due to the unrest around the country and potential for looting and violence they've suspended the Concierge and Senior Early Hours for now. There wasn't any indication that they'll be restoring them in the future however.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

It was released a day or two ago due to the unrest around the country and potential for looting and violence they've suspended the Concierge and Senior Early Hours for now. There wasn't any indication that they'll be restoring them in the future however.

There were some workers gathering up carts at the door, and we asked. He said "Oh, everyone got an email telling them about the change." Umm.... no, not everyone. He said they are opening at 8:00 (no mention if that was for everyone or Plus members). We came back at 8:00. Still no wipes, some sanitizer. Only generic (not Member's Mark) paper towels and toilet paper.

 

[Happy99]

My DH read earlier this morning that the Wonder is headed to a port in Panama but not yet confirmed if they are going through the canal. The port, sorry don't have the name in front of me, is one where drydocks are preformed. Maybe the Wonder will hang out there for a while to see if it can resume west coast cruises for September-November?

 

[fishingfool999]

Port name is:

BALBOA (Port)

Country: Panama (PA)

Here is a map showing Balboa Port at the mouth of the Panama Canal West Coast:

 

[bobbiwoz]

 

[insureman]

Yup. Definitely going back through the Canal.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

Yup. Definitely going back through the Canal.

View attachment 498808

Well the destination is Balboa on that schedule. No news as to whether she's continuing onward, returning, or staying put once there.

 

[DCL Repeaters]

Balboa was a fuel stop (barge pulled alongside the ship) the evening before heading through the canal back in either 2005 or 2008. Can’t remember which PC cruise it was.

 

[_auroraborealis_]

Given what it costs to motor down to Balboa in running fuel costs, then the cost to transit the Canal even without passengers (they aren't going to get a huge discount for running empty, that's not how Panama plays), they aren't going to do a return trip if they transit. They'll be in the Gulf until spring.

 

[grx]

Given what it costs to motor down to Balboa in running fuel costs, then the cost to transit the Canal even without passengers (they aren't going to get a huge discount for running empty, that's not how Panama plays), they aren't going to do a return trip if they transit. They'll be in the Gulf until spring.

Cannot say I agree with that.. Looking at the port of Balboa there are other cruise liners there that appear to have been at anchor, some for a while, others just recently. I think all the cards are still on the table, positioning for a return through the canal if the pandemic forecast continues to look grim, anchoring down there may be cheaper than staying in San Diego even with the fuel cost, who knows.

 

[_auroraborealis_]

Cannot say I agree with that.. Looking at the port of Balboa there are other cruise liners there that appear to have been at anchor, some for a while, others just recently. I think all the cards are still on the table, positioning for a return through the canal if the pandemic forecast continues to look grim, anchoring down there may be cheaper than staying in San Diego even with the fuel cost, who knows.

Note that I said "if they transit."

Balboa is on the west side. If they dock at Balboa and don't transit, it opens more possibility. If they transit, I think they'ree committing.

 

[grx]

Note that I said "if they transit."

Balboa is on the west side. If they dock at Balboa and don't transit, it opens more possibility. If they transit, I think they'ree committing.

I apologize, I completely missed the if.

 

[_auroraborealis_]

I apologize, I completely missed the if.

Once they pay to go one way, I don't see them paying the return until the WBPC next spring.

 

[TestingH2O]

Cannot say I agree with that.. Looking at the port of Balboa there are other cruise liners there that appear to have been at anchor, some for a while, others just recently. I think all the cards are still on the table, positioning for a return through the canal if the pandemic forecast continues to look grim, anchoring down there may be cheaper than staying in San Diego even with the fuel cost, who knows.

If they don’t have a reservation, then the expectation is that they will just wait until a a lot becomes available. For instance, if we’d missed our time slot for the WBPC this year, we would have had to wait at least 10 days to get one of those “first available” slots to get through. Those ships sitting there could very well just be in line.