The following is an excerpt from my review from January 2002:
We took the Two Ocean Railroad Journey for $98 per person. This was one of my favorite tours we took on this cruise. It began with a short (approximately 10-minute) bus ride to the train depot. We then boarded the train. All of the train cars are fully refurbished and just like new on the inside. Each train car has a viewing platform that is perfect for taking photographs. The train zips across the isthmus in just over an hour. The ride is very smooth and enjoyable. My father, who is a train buff, couldn’t believe the smoothness and quality of the train ride. It was really nice. During the ride across the isthmus, the tour guide narrates history about the Panama Canal and they pass out complimentary maps of the Canal.
Once at the Pacific side of Panama, we boarded busses for a short trip to Miraflores Locks. Our bags were searched upon arrival at the locks. We stayed at the locks for about ½-hour to 45-minutes. A brief video is shown at the locks. If you’re lucky enough to be there when a ship is going through, you also get to see the locks operate. An observation area upstairs is available to view the locks, but it was very crowded up there, so I stayed down on ground level and watched from the fence. I had a pretty good view from there as well.
After we departed the locks, we took a bus ride around Panama City and through the Canal Zone. It was a very interesting bus ride. We stopped for a brief photo opportunity with Panama City in the background. Complimentary bottled water was served at the photo stop.
We then took the busses to the train for the return trip to Colon. On the train ride back, we were served a complimentary lunch that consisted of a turkey and cheese sandwich on white bread and a banana. Sodas, bottled water, and chips were available for purchase at $1 each. Beer was also available for sale. In addition, they also sold booklets on the history of Panama’s Transcontinental Railroad ($5) and a video of the Canal ($25).
The president of the Panama Canal Railway Company was on board the train and walked through each train car explaining about the railway and took time to speak with each passenger, answering any questions they might have. I don’t know if he does that on a regular basis or if it was a one time event, but it was a nice treat.
I would recommend bringing a light sweater or jacket on the train, because the air conditioning in the train car can be quite powerful.
You can read my entire review at: <http://www.cruise-addicts.com/reviews/readreview.php?id=0000000997>
