Panama Canal Cruise

[Major]

We are considering a Panama Canal cruise next year and wondering when is the best time. What experiences have other AFF members had? We are looking at San Diego to Fort Lauderdale on Holland America.

Any other recommendations ?

 

[Anna]

We are considering a Panama Canal cruise next year and wondering when is the best time. What experiences have other AFF members had?

I did Valparaiso to Fort Lauderdale on Celebrity in April. Weather was chilly in Chile p) but warmer further north. The cruise was 15 days and that was plenty long enough for me, and I pretty much never want to go back to South America (dirty, poor, full of touts and pickpockets who prevent you from enjoying the sights). There was norovirus on board - that was no fun at all. There was one rough day in the Caribbean between Cartagena and Jamaica where they closed the pool deck due to the rough seas - the crew said it is often rough in that patch of sea. (There wasn't much water left in the pool anyway, most of it had sloshed out due to the rolling). Disembarkation at Fort L was a nightmare. The US citizen line moved reasonably quickly but the line for other passports was glacially slow (2.5 hours standing in line) and many people missed their post-cruise shore excursion departures because of it. If you are allowed to get off the ship carrying your own bags immediately after docking then my advice would be to do that as then the immigration line is likely to be more manageable.

The canal itself is an amazing experience, highly recommended even for non engineer types . I would do that part again, and probably would do San Diego as start or finish rather than Sth America, exactly as you are thinking of doing.

 

[mrs.dr.ron]

We are considering a Panama Canal cruise next year and wondering when is the best time. What experiences have other AFF members had? We are looking at San Diego to Fort Lauderdale on Holland America.

Any other recommendations ?

We are booked on the Silverseas boat the Silver Explorer - we love this boat- only takes 120 people max.
but as our cruise is not till October '15 - I cant help you with your decision ! We are also doing the cruise before as well Nassau to Colon.


Voyage 7522 | Silversea Expeditions

 

[Major]

We ended up booking a HAL cruise leaving Ft Lauderdale Oct 2014

Panama Canal Cruises - Cruise to Panama, Costa Rica, Guatemala & Ecuador

 

[Bolthead]

You should love the cruise especially the canal. We went in May 2010 on the Sea Princess and had the time of our life. Have fun...

 

[bobe]

We went on Celebrity Century May last year and couldn't fault the experience, started in Miami finished in San Diago, 15 days and loved every minute , stopped Cartagina! Colone,,etc, went on a trip ( private) to Panama City, very interesting ,and like a previous poster said the transit through the canal itself is amazing , NOT to missed, even the wife was gob smacked at the experience, took about 12hrs to transit and a full commantery all through , we have sailed 8 cruises with Celebrity along with Princess and a few others and IMO you can't fault them, done 2 with Holland America and won't cruise with them again but that's just our opinion , you go for it you won't be dissapointed, it's a life time experience.

 

[Geegeela]

I did Valparaiso to Fort Lauderdale on Celebrity in April. Weather was chilly in Chile p) but warmer further north. The cruise was 15 days and that was plenty long enough for me, and I pretty much never want to go back to South America (dirty, poor, full of touts and pickpockets who prevent you from enjoying the sights). There was norovirus on board - that was no fun at all. There was one rough day in the Caribbean between Cartagena and Jamaica where they closed the pool deck due to the rough seas - the crew said it is often rough in that patch of sea. (There wasn't much water left in the pool anyway, most of it had sloshed out due to the rolling). Disembarkation at Fort L was a nightmare. The US citizen line moved reasonably quickly but the line for other passports was glacially slow (2.5 hours standing in line) and many people missed their post-cruise shore excursion departures because of it. If you are allowed to get off the ship carrying your own bags immediately after docking then my advice would be to do that as then the immigration line is likely to be more manageable.

Wow, it seems the only thing missing was the captain seeing how close he could get to the coast to wave to his girl friend.