Anyone take the Zuiderdam Panama cruise in Jan 2018?

We are on the Jan. 27, 2019 Panama cruise and was wondering about the weather that time of year from Florida to Panama to Costa Rica. I am also wondering if they offered any discounts by email a few weeks before the cruise such as beverage packages or photo packages. We would also love to hear about tours any of you took while on this particular cruise. Thanks in advance. :wine-glass::cocktail::tropical-drink::beer-toast: :cool:

Since you are from Texas also, you may find Half Moon Cay chilly in the morning. It was significantly warmer when we reached the other ports. If it rains, it will be warm rain but dry season in Panama usually starts in January.

HAL has not offered discounts in the days leading up to the cruise for onboard stuff...at least not in our 11 cruises on HAL, and no one has mentioned them here.

We were on the Zuiderdam for the Panama Canal cruise in January, 2018. I cannot remember what the weather was like --- I guess that means it was "just right"!

Our son and daughter in law took an excursion in Costa Rica to an animal rehab center and it was the highlight of their trip! We did the river cruise to look for monkeys when we were in Panama -- it was a dud. We saw half a dozen monkeys and did a lot of bus riding and boat riding to get there. Definitely not something to recommend.

Oh! In Aruba, my husband and I had dinner at a restaurant called the Screaming Eagle. The food is upscale -- the name is a disservice. We would go back in a heartbeat!!!

We were on a different cruise line for a full transit of the Canal in Jan/Feb 2017. The weather year-round is tropical... hot and humid. Make sure you stay hydrated, have a hat, sunglasses, and plenty of sunscreen.

Have a great cruise!

And...just in case, take along an umbrella.

Jim

And...just in case, take along an umbrella.

 

 

Jim

This. So. Much. This.

We took a partial Canal Transit cruise over New Year's this year and it rained while we were going through the Canal and while we were in Gatun Lake. It rained in Costa Rica and several other ports. I wish I could say the rain was refreshing, but alas, it was tropical rain that only served to make things hotter and stickier when it passed over. (I grew up in New Orleans, I know how tropical rain is not really refreshing and nice.)

We are on the Jan. 27, 2019 Panama cruise and was wondering about the weather that time of year from Florida to Panama to Costa Rica. I am also wondering if they offered any discounts by email a few weeks before the cruise such as beverage packages or photo packages. We would also love to hear about tours any of you took while on this particular cruise. Thanks in advance. :wine-glass::cocktail::tropical-drink::beer-toast: :cool:

We were on that Jan 28, 2018 cruise, too. It was great! Perfect weather.

Recommend Dora the Explorer for a tour in Cartagena...she has her itineraries or you can tell her what you want to see and where you want to go and she will make it so.

Aruba and Curacao have beaches, shopping and dining...you will stay until way after dark in Curacao.

The ship uses the old locks in the Canal...sails a little way into the Lake, then any/all excursion folks leave by tender and join their tour onshore. The ferry thru the canal is very popular as is the bus/train trip across the isthmus to Panama City where you will have a tour of the significant ruins from Spanish colonial days.

In Limon there is a local souvenir market at the port...standard trinkets. Pre-arranged tours will take you zip lining, boat trips up the Tortuguero canal (local wildlife). Seems like there is a sloth rescue place, too, tho we have never been.

Ship wise, HAL has stepped up the onboard entertainment big time. We were blown away at the difference from our last HAL cruise.

Your gonna have a great time!

We were on the Zuiderdam cruise that left on January 7, 2018.

The Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean Sea had several low pressure systems moving around.

We had some movement of the ship on various days. My husband and I didn't think it was bad; others were seasick and swearing it was the worse ever (they need to cruise more).

It poured rain during the canal partial transit.

We missed Limon, Costa Rica, because the winds were to strong to dock (and it was raining).

Having cruised before in January and living on the Florida Gulf coast, I can say January can always be hit or miss for weather.

We were on the Zuiderdam cruise that left on January 7, 2018.

 

The Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean Sea had several low pressure systems moving around.

 

We had some movement of the ship on various days. My husband and I didn't think it was bad; others were seasick and swearing it was the worse ever (they need to cruise more).

 

It poured rain during the canal partial transit.

 

We missed Limon, Costa Rica, because the winds were to strong to dock (and it was raining).

 

Having cruised before in January and living on the Florida Gulf coast, I can say January can always be hit or miss for weather.

This was the cruise after mine (Dec. 27-Jan. 7). Sounds like we had similar weather and seas, except we made the call in Costa Rica. We had what I thought of as medium seas a couple of days, but it was mostly smooth the rest of the cruise. Many people complained about the "rough seas." It's all experience.

It was raining for our call in Half Moon Cay, sunny for Aruba and Curacao, raining in the Canal/Gatun Lake, and Coast Rica. It was hot, sunny and humid for Cartagena, miserable weather. We walked as far as the cruise terminal and were sweating and exhausted.