Back from Panama Canal on Star

[Gazza316]

Got back from PC cruise earlier this week had a great time. I asked a lot of questions before we went so if anyone has any shout up and i'll answer what i can.

 

Gazza

[HokiePoq]

Got back from PC cruise earlier this week had a great time. I asked a lot of questions before we went so if anyone has any shout up and i'll answer what i can.

 

Gazza

 

Would love to hear your observations as we go in January. We'll be in an inside, so would love to know best places to observe the canal. Would also like to know what excursions you enjoyed most and any entertainment that is not to be missed. Thanks for coming to answer questions!

[crystalspin]

What did you do at/in Cabo San Lucas? My real Q is, if you take the cheapest "narrated" boat ride, do you tender into shore first then get on the tour boat, and at the end do they drop you at shore or onto the ship?

 

What about Huatulco? That is the only port I don't have a clue about. I Google-earthed the area today while the Star was docked there, and it didn't look there was that much "walkable"...

 

I may have a few questions about the ship (you were on the Star Miami to LA, right? as we'll be in just over 8 days!) -- they've slipped my mind just now.

[Keith1010]

Let us know what you thought about the cruise and highlights of your visits to the ports.

 

Keith

[Gazza316]

Would love to hear your observations as we go in January. We'll be in an inside, so would love to know best places to observe the canal. Would also like to know what excursions you enjoyed most and any entertainment that is not to be missed. Thanks for coming to answer questions!

 

We had a balcony cabin so spent the vast majority of the transit in there. we did venture up top and to the opened area on the bow but it was very crowded especially early on. i think, like us, everyone was thinking we need to see it all but the truth is you are traveling through for the best part of a day and there is plenty to see. The afternoon was a nice time to be at the bow as a lot less crowded and still plenty of interesting things to see.

 

We did excursions in all ports aside from Huatulco.

 

• Cartegena - did the walking tour was ok but very hot even areas with a/c were struggling. We were in the gold museum a bit too long for the amount of items to see.
  
• Costa Rica - did the canopy walk and shopping. was good, a walk through the rain forest isn't something we do everyday. i was disappointed though with the lack of wildlife, i know it cant be guaranteed but i think we only saw 1 macaw.
  
• Puerto Chiapas - did Chiapas through the ages. another good informative tour, again not every day we climb on mayan structures.
  
• Puerto Vallarta - ATV adventure and village tour, really enjoyed this. a few in our group had issues with their quads breaking down and we did get a puncture but all in all we had a really good time.
  
• Cabo - Baja Jeep safari again another really enjoyable excursion, very bumpy though but loads of fun and some great sights.
  
• LA - Santa Monica Pier tour. Malibu was disapointing but had a lot of fun on the pier and rodeo drive was good to visit with all the xmas decorations.
  

we only got back on monday but it amazing all the things i can already not remember.

[Gazza316]

What did you do at/in Cabo San Lucas? My real Q is, if you take the cheapest "narrated" boat ride, do you tender into shore first then get on the tour boat, and at the end do they drop you at shore or onto the ship?

 

What about Huatulco? That is the only port I don't have a clue about. I Google-earthed the area today while the Star was docked there, and it didn't look there was that much "walkable"...

 

I may have a few questions about the ship (you were on the Star Miami to LA, right? as we'll be in just over 8 days!) -- they've slipped my mind just now.

 

not sure about the tender at Cabo we were off pretty quickly and got back pretty close to last tender so didn't witness a lot of what other people were doing.

 

Huatulco was a pretty little port. there isn't much to it but what is there is all very close to the boat. the swimming was lovely in the sea and a nice few shops to walk around but you will get hassled a lot by restaurant owners trying to get you to eat lunch, we got sick of the hassle so ate on the ship.

 

yeah we were on miami to LA. if you think of any more let me know.

[Gazza316]

i see i haven't answered about the entertainment, i don't have time know but will what i can later.

[NMLady]

Would love to hear your observations as we go in January. We'll be in an inside, so would love to know best places to observe the canal. Would also like to know what excursions you enjoyed most and any entertainment that is not to be missed. Thanks for coming to answer questions!

 

Which direction are you going? We went last month on Star Atlantic to Pacific.

Some people call that east to west but actually the canal runs north & south.

 

We also had an inside cabin. My husband stayed in the cabin for the first lock and had the tv on the bow camera so saw the opening of the lock that way. He had a much better view than I did since even at 6:00 am the bow area was very crowded. I gave up trying to see from deck 13 bow and went down to deck 7 promenade opposite the Atrium since that way it was easy to walk through it from Starboard to Port. We had the other lock on our port side so could see ship in that lock. From Promenade deck it was easy to see the locomotives helping our Panamax ship through the lock.

A narrator had come aboard about 6am and started his narration at 6:30am.

It was broadcast in all the public areas as well as on tv channel for staterooms.

His name was Ed and he was excellent. While we were crossing Gatun Lake he did a slide show and Q&A in Stardust at request of Candi our Cruise Director.

It is a good idea to walk around ship watching from different areas. You can also watch from Moderno on deck 8 starboard. Although that is a restaurant by night it is a games room by day and there are excellent viewing windows there.

 

I had purchased from Amazon.com the book Cruising the Panama Canal 1914-2014 by Richard Detrich and found it extremely helpful since besides the history it has a chapter for Atlantic to Pacific transit as well as a chapter on the other direction so you know exactly what you are seeing for each direction.

 

Since we were going Atlantic to Pacific the last things we saw were on port side: Bridge of Americas and then skyscrapers of Panama City in distance. I'd gone to Blue Lagoon on deck 8 port side for a hamburger and had a wonderful window view since very few people were eating there then (4 pm).

 

Although most transits from Atlantic enter the first of the Gatun locks by 6:30am we were delayed by the local bridge traffic so it was 7:30am before we started into the first lock. It was 5pm when we finally entered the Pacific Ocean so it is definitely an entire day transit.

 

Regarding the ports: we did not take any excursions because of my husband's mobility problems. Seemed as if every tour, even the bus ones, involved a certain amount of walking. And although he is fine at his own pace, he can't keep up with a group. In Cartagena we took the shuttle to the nearby terminal where there is a nicely shaded garden area with tables. After photographing the flamingoes in the nearby enclosure we purchased a fruit drink, then paid $3 for an hour of wifi, sat at one of the tables, connected our iPad to the wifi and spent an hour catching up on emails and posting some photos on hubby's Facebook page for his spread out family, including those in Australia. When our Internet time was up we continued sitting there, enjoying the shade and greenery, chatting with each other and with some of the crew members at nearby tables who were also on their iPads or laptops. Then we took the shuttle back to the ship.

 

In Puerto Chiapas the thatched roof terminal is close to where the ship docks. If you walk all the way through it, on the other side are tour shuttles to town and other nearby areas. We didn't take any. Instead we stayed in the terminal to sit and watch the costumed dancers for about an hour, then their small band played. The band and the dancers are in a sunken area with chairs all around the top walking area, so easy to see. There are small shops on two sides and I bought some souvenirs there while hubby stayed sitting to watch the band. Then we returned to the ship. At ship's departure the dancers danced near the gangway so I watched from the promenade deck.

 

In Huatulco the pier is a very long walk but then there are shops and a bar not far from the end of the pier. Puerto Vallarta also has a nearby shopping area if you aren't doing an excursion.

 

For entertainment aboard ship if they have the Elements program at the end of the cruise, don't miss it. It is in Stardust. IMO the best seats for it are middle of the theater, preferably those from deck 6 entrance.

 

There were several live music groups who were really good and I spent time listening to them in various venues at various times.

 

I'm not a chaise lounger so for shipboard activities, besides spending hours reading, I went to the cooking demos, the Q&A sessions, and the lectures. I enjoyed all of them. Hubby took part in the casino tournaments and had a great time at those, winning champagne for being in Blackjack final and Slot final and winning some cash at one of the Texas Hold Em tournaments.

 

I recommend having at least one dinner at Le a Bistro ($20 per person). The food is excellent. I loved their mushroom soup, the steak, the pork medallions, and for dessert the Napoleon and the profiteroles (I asked for and promptly got a second serving.) As Platinum members my husband and I each had a voucher for dinner for two. But after using those vouchers for two dinners we ate there a third time, paying for it ourselves. That is how much we liked it. We also enjoyed our dinner in La Cucina. Delicious food and good service.

We didn't do Moderno simply because we've eaten at an upscale churascaria in Rio de Janeiro and after that wonderful experience nothing else could compare. But you might want to try it since it gets good reviews.

 

No matter what you do you will have a wonderful time. I wish you the smooth seas and sunny days that we had, especially for your transit day.

[Arzeena]

NMLady,

 

Thanks for the great post! We are doing the LA to Miami transit in April.

[crystalspin]

Thanks to Mary Kay and again to Gazza! These are great "snapshots" of the cruise that is bearing down on me.

 

MK: happy to read about Moderno (and Blue Lagoon) having windows and Moderno being the gameroom during the day -- we have a deck 9 starboard mid-ship balcony (first time not an inside, in honor of the Canal) so those areas will be close.

 

Gazza: interesting notes, it's getting very REAL (i.e. CLOSE) now, for us!

[HokiePoq]

Which direction are you going? We went last month on Star Atlantic to Pacific.

Some people call that east to west but actually the canal runs north & south.

 

We also had an inside cabin. My husband stayed in the cabin for the first lock and had the tv on the bow camera so saw the opening of the lock that way. He had a much better view than I did since even at 6:00 am the bow area was very crowded. I gave up trying to see from deck 13 bow and went down to deck 7 promenade opposite the Atrium since that way it was easy to walk through it from Starboard to Port. We had the other lock on our port side so could see ship in that lock. From Promenade deck it was easy to see the locomotives helping our Panamax ship through the lock.

A narrator had come aboard about 6am and started his narration at 6:30am.

It was broadcast in all the public areas as well as on tv channel for staterooms.

His name was Ed and he was excellent. While we were crossing Gatun Lake he did a slide show and Q&A in Stardust at request of Candi our Cruise Director.

It is a good idea to walk around ship watching from different areas. You can also watch from Moderno on deck 8 starboard. Although that is a restaurant by night it is a games room by day and there are excellent viewing windows there.

 

I had purchased from Amazon.com the book Cruising the Panama Canal 1914-2014 by Richard Detrich and found it extremely helpful since besides the history it has a chapter for Atlantic to Pacific transit as well as a chapter on the other direction so you know exactly what you are seeing for each direction.

 

Since we were going Atlantic to Pacific the last things we saw were on port side: Bridge of Americas and then skyscrapers of Panama City in distance. I'd gone to Blue Lagoon on deck 8 port side for a hamburger and had a wonderful window view since very few people were eating there then (4 pm).

 

Although most transits from Atlantic enter the first of the Gatun locks by 6:30am we were delayed by the local bridge traffic so it was 7:30am before we started into the first lock. It was 5pm when we finally entered the Pacific Ocean so it is definitely an entire day transit.

 

Regarding the ports: we did not take any excursions because of my husband's mobility problems. Seemed as if every tour, even the bus ones, involved a certain amount of walking. And although he is fine at his own pace, he can't keep up with a group. In Cartagena we took the shuttle to the nearby terminal where there is a nicely shaded garden area with tables. After photographing the flamingoes in the nearby enclosure we purchased a fruit drink, then paid $3 for an hour of wifi, sat at one of the tables, connected our iPad to the wifi and spent an hour catching up on emails and posting some photos on hubby's Facebook page for his spread out family, including those in Australia. When our Internet time was up we continued sitting there, enjoying the shade and greenery, chatting with each other and with some of the crew members at nearby tables who were also on their iPads or laptops. Then we took the shuttle back to the ship.

 

In Puerto Chiapas the thatched roof terminal is close to where the ship docks. If you walk all the way through it, on the other side are tour shuttles to town and other nearby areas. We didn't take any. Instead we stayed in the terminal to sit and watch the costumed dancers for about an hour, then their small band played. The band and the dancers are in a sunken area with chairs all around the top walking area, so easy to see. There are small shops on two sides and I bought some souvenirs there while hubby stayed sitting to watch the band. Then we returned to the ship. At ship's departure the dancers danced near the gangway so I watched from the promenade deck.

 

In Huatulco the pier is a very long walk but then there are shops and a bar not far from the end of the pier. Puerto Vallarta also has a nearby shopping area if you aren't doing an excursion.

 

For entertainment aboard ship if they have the Elements program at the end of the cruise, don't miss it. It is in Stardust. IMO the best seats for it are middle of the theater, preferably those from deck 6 entrance.

 

There were several live music groups who were really good and I spent time listening to them in various venues at various times.

 

I'm not a chaise lounger so for shipboard activities, besides spending hours reading, I went to the cooking demos, the Q&A sessions, and the lectures. I enjoyed all of them. Hubby took part in the casino tournaments and had a great time at those, winning champagne for being in Blackjack final and Slot final and winning some cash at one of the Texas Hold Em tournaments.

 

I recommend having at least one dinner at Le a Bistro ($20 per person). The food is excellent. I loved their mushroom soup, the steak, the pork medallions, and for dessert the Napoleon and the profiteroles (I asked for and promptly got a second serving.) As Platinum members my husband and I each had a voucher for dinner for two. But after using those vouchers for two dinners we ate there a third time, paying for it ourselves. That is how much we liked it. We also enjoyed our dinner in La Cucina. Delicious food and good service.

We didn't do Moderno simply because we've eaten at an upscale churascaria in Rio de Janeiro and after that wonderful experience nothing else could compare. But you might want to try it since it gets good reviews.

 

No matter what you do you will have a wonderful time. I wish you the smooth seas and sunny days that we had, especially for your transit day.

 

Thanks so much for all the good info! We are doing the back to back. Glad to hear about the narrator and the length of the transit. We did the Suez in April and I watched the whole thing from entering to exit. Most of the time I sat up at the bow under the rail....had to be an early bird to get that spot. Love to see the entrance and exit. We had a balcony for that and spent a little time there in the middle. Not so much to see with no locks but the security was interesting to observe. Really glad about the bow camera...can watch from cabin if no good spot available. Big cost differential balcony vs. inside so missing out on balcony when having one might be the way to go.

[crystalspin]

@ Gazza or Mary Kay

 

Thought of a question -- regarding the shops on board -- read that one is a boutique (?) and one is a "department store". I will be looking for a travel aka insulated coffee mug or cup right off. Or at least a larger mug! Did you see anything like that for sale on board?

 

What other sorts of things my be for sale?

[crystalspin]

Oh another one -- was the fun party "Glow" or "Neon" instead of White-Night as some have experienced? What night was it?

[Demonyte]

Thought of a question -- regarding the shops on board -- read that one is a boutique (?) and one is a "department store". I will be looking for a travel aka insulated coffee mug or cup right off. Or at least a larger mug! Did you see anything like that for sale on board?

 

What other sorts of things my be for sale?

 

Yes, all NCL ships carry a selection of insulated mugs, (large) caffee mugs etc NCL branded swag and apparel. Other items found are basic clothing items (socks, tights, tops, shorts, hoodies, etc), souvenirs like keychains, magnets etc, candy, basic toiletries like cough syrup, painkillers, tooth paste and brushes etc. Not a very large selection so I wouldn't call it a department store but more of a small convience store with basic souvenirs plus every-day items one might need while onboard.

[Freeway1]

Which direction are you going? We went last month on Star Atlantic to Pacific.

Some people call that east to west but actually the canal runs north & south.

 

We also had an inside cabin. My husband stayed in the cabin for the first lock and had the tv on the bow camera so saw the opening of the lock that way. He had a much better view than I did since even at 6:00 am the bow area was very crowded. I gave up trying to see from deck 13 bow and went down to deck 7 promenade opposite the Atrium since that way it was easy to walk through it from Starboard to Port. We had the other lock on our port side so could see ship in that lock. From Promenade deck it was easy to see the locomotives helping our Panamax ship through the lock.

A narrator had come aboard about 6am and started his narration at 6:30am.

It was broadcast in all the public areas as well as on tv channel for staterooms.

His name was Ed and he was excellent. While we were crossing Gatun Lake he did a slide show and Q&A in Stardust at request of Candi our Cruise Director.

It is a good idea to walk around ship watching from different areas. You can also watch from Moderno on deck 8 starboard. Although that is a restaurant by night it is a games room by day and there are excellent viewing windows there.

 

I had purchased from Amazon.com the book Cruising the Panama Canal 1914-2014 by Richard Detrich and found it extremely helpful since besides the history it has a chapter for Atlantic to Pacific transit as well as a chapter on the other direction so you know exactly what you are seeing for each direction.

 

Since we were going Atlantic to Pacific the last things we saw were on port side: Bridge of Americas and then skyscrapers of Panama City in distance. I'd gone to Blue Lagoon on deck 8 port side for a hamburger and had a wonderful window view since very few people were eating there then (4 pm).

 

Although most transits from Atlantic enter the first of the Gatun locks by 6:30am we were delayed by the local bridge traffic so it was 7:30am before we started into the first lock. It was 5pm when we finally entered the Pacific Ocean so it is definitely an entire day transit.

 

Regarding the ports: we did not take any excursions because of my husband's mobility problems. Seemed as if every tour, even the bus ones, involved a certain amount of walking. And although he is fine at his own pace, he can't keep up with a group. In Cartagena we took the shuttle to the nearby terminal where there is a nicely shaded garden area with tables. After photographing the flamingoes in the nearby enclosure we purchased a fruit drink, then paid $3 for an hour of wifi, sat at one of the tables, connected our iPad to the wifi and spent an hour catching up on emails and posting some photos on hubby's Facebook page for his spread out family, including those in Australia. When our Internet time was up we continued sitting there, enjoying the shade and greenery, chatting with each other and with some of the crew members at nearby tables who were also on their iPads or laptops. Then we took the shuttle back to the ship.

 

In Puerto Chiapas the thatched roof terminal is close to where the ship docks. If you walk all the way through it, on the other side are tour shuttles to town and other nearby areas. We didn't take any. Instead we stayed in the terminal to sit and watch the costumed dancers for about an hour, then their small band played. The band and the dancers are in a sunken area with chairs all around the top walking area, so easy to see. There are small shops on two sides and I bought some souvenirs there while hubby stayed sitting to watch the band. Then we returned to the ship. At ship's departure the dancers danced near the gangway so I watched from the promenade deck.

 

In Huatulco the pier is a very long walk but then there are shops and a bar not far from the end of the pier. Puerto Vallarta also has a nearby shopping area if you aren't doing an excursion.

 

For entertainment aboard ship if they have the Elements program at the end of the cruise, don't miss it. It is in Stardust. IMO the best seats for it are middle of the theater, preferably those from deck 6 entrance.

 

There were several live music groups who were really good and I spent time listening to them in various venues at various times.

 

I'm not a chaise lounger so for shipboard activities, besides spending hours reading, I went to the cooking demos, the Q&A sessions, and the lectures. I enjoyed all of them. Hubby took part in the casino tournaments and had a great time at those, winning champagne for being in Blackjack final and Slot final and winning some cash at one of the Texas Hold Em tournaments.

 

I recommend having at least one dinner at Le a Bistro ($20 per person). The food is excellent. I loved their mushroom soup, the steak, the pork medallions, and for dessert the Napoleon and the profiteroles (I asked for and promptly got a second serving.) As Platinum members my husband and I each had a voucher for dinner for two. But after using those vouchers for two dinners we ate there a third time, paying for it ourselves. That is how much we liked it. We also enjoyed our dinner in La Cucina. Delicious food and good service.

We didn't do Moderno simply because we've eaten at an upscale churascaria in Rio de Janeiro and after that wonderful experience nothing else could compare. But you might want to try it since it gets good reviews.

 

No matter what you do you will have a wonderful time. I wish you the smooth seas and sunny days that we had, especially for your transit day.

 

You mentioned taking a shuttle in Cartegena is it possible to walk to the area you described, wife uses a wheel chair. Thanks

[NMLady]

You mentioned taking a shuttle in Cartegena is it possible to walk to the area you described, wife uses a wheel chair. Thanks

 

Definitely possible and the walk is probably just a few blocks, all paved.

Edited December 1, 2013 by NMLady

[NMLady]

Oh another one -- was the fun party "Glow" or "Neon" instead of White-Night as some have experienced? What night was it?

 

I don't remember anything like that but there might have been.

[Freeway1]

Definitely possible and the walk is probably just a few blocks, all paved.

 

Thanks for your reply, we are looking forward to being there in February

[Splottboy]

Hi me and my wife are booked to cruise though the Panama Canal in February the question I would like to ask is about storage of luggage, our room is midships on deck 5 and looks quite small, what I would like to ask is it best to have a holdall style luggage or a hard sided case and is there much room for storage under the bed? We're flying in from the United Kindom

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[NMLady]

Hi me and my wife are booked to cruise though the Panama Canal in February the question I would like to ask is about storage of luggage, our room is midships on deck 5 and looks quite small, what I would like to ask is it best to have a holdall style luggage or a hard sided case and is there much room for storage under the bed? We're flying in from the United Kindom

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

Our midship cabin on deck 5 was an inside, only 142 square feet and we put one large suitcase and one carryon size under the bed, stood one suitcase on end in our closet below shirts.

[CruisinMaterial]

Thanks to NMLady and Gazza for the helpful information and tips! It's been a true pleasure to read this handy information! :) Seasons Greetings!

[NMLady]

Thanks to NMLady and Gazza for the helpful information and tips! It's been a true pleasure to read this handy information! :) Seasons Greetings!

 

You're welcome. We loved our b2b on the Star and wouldn't hesitate to cruise on her again.