It sounds like you are there.
Yep. Over 5 years and married to a Panamanian. Navy League duties give me a unique perspective on things and I meet with people most never do — Military and otherwise.
If they were really falling down on the job, the delays would be intolerable and frequent. It would have happened within a few years of the takeover. They need regular attention.
Delays that do occur are caused by the amount of ships making transits and the scheduled maintenance the ACP does every year. Each lock is overhauled on time. Witness the following example of their notice to shipping:
http://www.pancanal.com/common/maritime/advisories/2009/a-12-2009.pdf
They have their act together. They should, Panama inherited their operations manual designed by Americans over 80 plus years. :-)
This is a good site to visit regarding their communications to the industry:
http://www.pancanal.com/common/maritime/advisories/index.html