Panama Canal Cruises: Everything You Need to Know
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First of all, this is the side that is in the middle so you can see the other ships going the opposite direction. Secondly, the sun was on the left (port) in both directions. Because we went one direction in the morning and back in the afternoon, the left side of the ship was hot and in the sun both times. Many Panama Canal and Central America ports are relatively industrial, and some -- particularly Colon and Puerto Limon -- have a reputation for petty crime within the main city. You will likely be safer on a shore excursion, booked through the ship or independently, than if you decide to head on your own into town.
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This is one situation where a balcony cabin offers a unique perspective, but it isn't really a necessity (unlike on an Alaska or Hawaii itinerary, where you're guaranteed gorgeous scenery on either side of your ship). Bigger ships can only squeak through the canal, with two feet (or less) on either side. While the railing of the balcony can give you a better appreciation for just how tight that squeeze is, being up on the bow is the best way to appreciate the full scope of the process. On the day of the transit, prime viewing locations on the bow and near windows go quickly.
Find Holland America Zaandam Cruises to the Panama Canal & Central America (with Prices) - Cruise Critic
Find Holland America Zaandam Cruises to the Panama Canal & Central America (with Prices).
Posted: Tue, 24 Oct 2023 06:28:23 GMT [source]
Best Time for Panama Canal Cruises
Some ships sail a full transit of the canal, from the Atlantic to the Pacific, or vice versa. These one-way journeys between Miami or Fort Lauderdale and Los Angeles or San Diego, visits ports in Central America, South America, Mexico and California. Some see Colón as the gateway city to the Panama Canal, the engineering wonder linking the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. Others know it as the second-largest duty-free port in all of the Caribbean, and a great base for exploring the canal and Panama’s nearby ecological treasures.
Carnival Panama Canal & Central America Cruise Reviews
With a tropical climate, this region is home to rainforests, incredible biodiversity, lush landscapes, abundant wildlife and beautiful beaches, but the weather can be wet at certain times of the year. Some take vacations… and some take their vacation further. Carnival Journeys is a limited series of special sailings that’s made to amaze, starting with great destinations and less-traveled routes to get you there. Board a Carnival Journeys cruise and you’re on course for enriching experiences aboard, amazing destinations ashore, classic cruising flair and more.
Most cruise lines do their best to give everyone a decent seat -- sometimes opening up "crew only" areas -- but competition can still get fierce. So set your alarm; the sooner you can pull yourself out of bed, the better the spot you'll snag. Other great shore excursion options include taking the refurbished Panama Railway from the Pacific to the Atlantic. It rides parallel to the Canal and offers a great view in luxuriously paneled railway cars. Another exciting alternative is to take a trek through the rain forest at Gamboa, or visit an authentic Embera Indian Village on the Chagres River (which often takes place by canoe).
Panama Canal Cruise Lines
It is so dramatic how far each lock raises and lowers the ships. We watched as the ship behind us continued its progress through the locks and being lowered as we sailed back out into the gradually more opening of the space around us. What struck us the most about Gatun Lake was how normal it looked.
Carnival Legend joins Galveston lineup in late 2025 - Seatrade Cruise News
Carnival Legend joins Galveston lineup in late 2025.
Posted: Fri, 22 Sep 2023 07:00:00 GMT [source]
Cruise Critic is not a booking agent and does not charge any service fees to users of our site. Rates are in USD and valid for US and Canadian residents only. When you book with one of our partners, please be sure to check their site for a full disclosure of all applicable fees as required by the U.S. Passengers often choose an Atlantic to Pacific or Pacific to Atlantic route, depending on where they live, although you'll gain hours if you choose the latter. If having the full "canal experience" is part of your bucket list -- or if you're an engineering geek and don't care too much about shore excursions within Panama itself -- this trip is for you. Most full Panama Canal cruises do call in the Western Caribbean, the Costa Rican ports of Limon (on the Atlantic side) and Puntarenas (on the Pacific), and Cartagena, Colombia.
Day 9 & 10: Fun Day at Sea
A local guide came on over the announcements (in the halls, not the rooms) telling a little about the history of the canal and what we were looking at. He was not always the most engaging guide, but his nuggets of information were interesting when we could hear them. We couldn’t hear them on our balcony so we missed most of them. Many people on board were not as actively engaged in the experience as we were, but my hope is that you can use our experience of the Panama Canal Cruise on Carnival to help you plan your day. That meant we planned to spend however much of the day was taken up by the Panama Canal, actively engaged in the experience.
Panama Canal Transit
You'll find great food all over the place, from the casual fare of Horatio's to the artful eats of the Bacchus and Ariadne dining rooms... Not to mention the world-class cuts at Nick & Nora's Steakhouse. Should Semana Santa (Holy Week, from Palm Sunday through Holy Saturday) fall in March, there will be more crowds nationwide in Panama with religious processions and reenactments, parades and other special events. Many venues and attractions may be closed on some days during the festivities. March is also the last month for surfing enthusiasts to hit the big waves on the Caribbean and Pacific coasts.
Late March and April also offer lower fares as it's the beginning of the rainy season, but you can expect crowds during the Holy Week festivities in the country. Best known for connecting east to west, the Panama Canal is the right thing in the right place for speeding up transit by sea. With its mouth located on the Atlantic near the city of Colón, this decades-in-the-making canal flows past the lush green scenery surrounding the canal's impressive Gatún Locks, on its way towards the expanse of Lake Gatún itself.
Apart from length of sailing, the biggest decision you'll need to make on a Panama Canal cruise is whether to opt for a traditional trans-canal experience or take a partial crossing. If you want the best pricing and fewer crowds, October and November are the rainy season, so the pricing will be lower — and you'll avoid the holiday crowds and high fares in December. With the warmer temperatures, March is an ideal month to head to the beaches on one of the San Blas Islands, an archipelago of about 365 islands and cays off the Caribbean coast of Eastern Panama. Some cruise lines that visit the archipelago are Windstar, Star Clippers, Hapag-Lloyd and Ponant. Here, we look at Panama's peak cruise season month by month, so you can consider the weather, pricing and crowds to determine the best time to cruise through the Panama Canal. The Panama Canal cruise season peaks between October and April, outside of the rainy season that can start as early as mid-March and extend into the fall.
If traveling earlier in the month, you may also see nesting loggerheads and green turtles southeast of Panama City in Isla Canas (Cane Island) or Bocas del Toro. October is a rainy month, but it's also one of the coolest months of the year, with high temperatures in the low to mid-80s. The average year-round temperature in Panama is about 86 degrees, so it doesn't vary much during the year, but it's more humid in October with the wet weather. It's also possible to have hurricanes this time of year if you're cruising in the Caribbean. It used to be that only smaller Panamax ships could squeeze through the locks of the Panama Canal. However, with the opening of a new set of locks in 2016, larger New-Panamax-sized ships can transit, as well.
Cruise the Panama Canal and enjoy a zoomed-in real-life look at perhaps last century’s greatest engineering achievement… along with its surrounding lush, verdant lands. This testament to human audacity joins the Pacific and Caribbean in the most direct way possible, and is worth making a leisurely part of your vacation. Even better, Panama Canal cruises call at Central American ports along the canal like Limón and Cartagena… plus at Caribbean island hotspots along the way.
Not only does this ship visit stunning destinations, but features incredible onboard spaces inspired by elements of fantasy. Escape from reality as you take in a show at the Phantom Lounge or a dance at Dr. Frankenstein's Lab. To lose yourself in a song, find your way to Sam's Piano Bar.
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