Best Cabin for Panama Canal Cruise

[cruisingbarb]

We are thinking of booking a Panama Canal cruise in 2017. Am looking at booking a cabin in Categories VD, VE or VF. There will be 3 couples (3 cabins) so we would like a bigger balcony so we can get together occasionally on one balcony. Any suggestions for deck, cabin (or cabin category)?

[Krazy Kruizers]

I am not familiar with those cabins.

But I can tell you that it is just a small door near the railing that opens up so that you can go from one balcony/verandah to another one.

It will be crowded with 6 people on one small balcony.

Are you looking at a full Panama Canal cruise or a partial one?

[cruisingbarb]

The 19 day cruise. Are some balconies bigger than others without going up to a suite?

[Krazy Kruizers]

The small door that opens up looks like this:

 

 

 

 

There is a latch at the top that your cabin steward can fix so that the doors stay open and don't bang all night:

[Krazy Kruizers]

The 19 day cruise. Are some balconies bigger than others without going up to a suite?

 

Yes -- there are balconies deeper than others -- but not wider.

Someone who keeps track of those cabins will come along and tell you which ones those are.

[iflyrc5]

We have gone through the canal twice and you really don't want to view the transit from your cabin - you want to move all around the ship seeing the views from various locations. We like the area in front of the gym. They also open the front deck. Make sure you have some of the Panama rolls that are made special when you go through the canal.

[1of4]

We were on Westerdam for a full transit of the canal in April this year. We were in a VC on Deck 4. Since deck 4 is above the promenade deck the balcony cabins are 4 boards wider than on the decks above. Also there is one cabin (or 2) on deck 4 on the port side that have double wide balcony. Try to snag one or two of those cabins in your group.

[1of4]

You can see here how wide 4 boards are. I think I was sitting in a chair when I noticed DD and DS and took the picture.

 

[cruisingbarb]

Do you remember your cabin no?

[jtl513]

The 19 day cruise. Are some balconies bigger than others without going up to a suite?

All VD, VE, and VF balconies are 9 ft wide by 6 ft deep except those on deck 4 in the range of 4005 to 4042, which are 7.5 ft deep. BUT - those deeper balconies have a steel-wall railing rather than plexiglas, so you have to be tall and sit up straight to see over the wood rail.

 

The VCs that are 7.5 ft deep are in the range from 4151 to 4177. These have plexiglas railings.

 

The outer 1.5 ft of all deck 4 balconies are uncovered, so anyone standing at the rail can be seen from above.

 

Edited December 16, 2015 by jtl513

[OceanTraveller4ever]

If you can get VB4164 and/or VB4166 go for it. Those two cabins have double wide verandahs.

Quite a score if you can get both, and open the middle partition :)

 

http://www.hollandamerica.com/main/DeckPlansFull.action?ship=we_2&deck=up&deep=0

Edited December 16, 2015 by jpelleti007

[jtl513]

If you can get VB4164 and/or VB4166 go for it. Those two cabins have double wide verandahs.

AND they are 7.5 ft deep. :) Note that if the OP is talking about going through the PC in April of 2017 on the Nieuw Amsterdam the double-wide balconies are 4166 and 4168. Edited December 16, 2015 by jtl513

[propwash]

...

Edited December 16, 2015 by propwash
remove message

[propwash]

We were on Westerdam for a full transit of the canal in April this year. We were in a VC on Deck 4. Since deck 4 is above the promenade deck the balcony cabins are 4 boards wider than on the decks above. Also there is one cabin (or 2) on deck 4 on the port side that have double wide balcony. Try to snag one or two of those cabins in your group.

 

We're thinking of doing the full canal in April 2017, so how was your weather on this trip? I know it's going to be HOT and HUMID, but how bad was it?

Thanks

Danny

[jtl513]

We're thinking of doing the full canal in April 2017, so how was your weather on this trip? I know it's going to be HOT and HUMID, but how bad was it?

Thanks

Danny

We did the full transit in April '08 and didn't think the humidity was too bad. Maybe 28 years in central FL made us more used to it, or maybe we got lucky that trip. :)

[kazu]

We're thinking of doing the full canal in April 2017, so how was your weather on this trip? I know it's going to be HOT and HUMID, but how bad was it?

Thanks

Danny

 

We were on with 1of 4 and the rest of the Sail a Way Gang.

 

It is hot and humid in some spots but I didn't find it that bad.

 

A number of people brought the cooling bandanas (wrap around your neck) that helped them quite a bit.

 

How much it bothers you really depends upon your tolerance to heat IMO.

[crystalspin]

Looks like the only 19-day transit is Westerdam in March. Which I'll be on! When you book, be sure to come join our Roll Call, here:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2285055

 

The double-wide balcony rooms are not showing as available. Boo hoo for you. HOWEVER -- the starboard (odd-numbered) side of the ship will get the most SHADE within the canal due to the twist in the Panama isthmus.

 

(We had starboard coming from the Atlantic to Pacific and the sun drove us in for a nap in the afternoon!) (And no we didn't roam the ship. Any time you're looking at one thing you're missing something else, and any time you're INSIDE getting from one place to another, you're missing *everything*. We figured we paid for a balcony for a reason. However, we (I) didn't look at a map when I chose the room!)

 

So odd-numbered VCs from 4161 to 4177 (7 cabins) are showing available right now. The back three of them have shower only and the forward four have shower-in-a-small-tub... so you can poll the couples if any have a preference for bathing, then pick your three-in-a-row numbers.

 

The balconies are not fully open to the next one, but it doesn't look as bad when standing back as it looks on the close up of the door. We certainly plan to socialize between the two adjoining verandahs I've booked.

Edited December 16, 2015 by crystalspin

[cruisingbarb]

The last time we cruised the Panama Canal from Atlantic to Pacific, we had a cabin on the starboard side and weren't bothered by the sun, but I think it must have been cooler than normal because the heat wasn't nearly as bad as I expected it to be. And we never moved from our balcony. Luckily we had access to the back deck so would go out there occasionally. Otherwise, we never left the deck from 7:00 to 5:00. Even ordered room service for lunch.

 

But thanks for the reminder because if we go in March, it may be hot and shade in the afternoon would be good. So we will pick the starboard side if we do the Pacific to Atlantic cruise.

 

Also, I love me a good bath but is the tub big enough to enjoy a bath?

[cruisingbarb]

I meant to say we never left our balcony except for trips to the back deck. And we had a great lecturer who talked nonstop from the time we entered the canal until we existed it. He definitely knew everything there was to know and we didn't want to miss a word.

 

Also, how do you find out which cabins are booked?

[crystalspin]

Well, I said "showing (or not showing) as available". That may be booked or not -- great blocks of mid-ship verandahs are NOT available! I can't believe they are all sold, but I'm thinking online or mail-order "agencies" like T0A have holds on them.

 

You do this by NOT logging on to HAL's website, but just going through the steps of making a booking -- Plan A Cruise, search the destination and month, click Details, don't check that you are a Mariner, click Continue, choose cabin type (Verandah) and "Choose own stateroom", then pick area and deck of the ship... You can back out and check other areas just by clicking the sub-tabs on the small-box inset. We on CC call this a "Dummy booking".

 

About the bathtubs. They aren't bubble-bath big! I think about long enough to get your legs underwater, sitting straight up (I have short legs!)... maybe 42-48"? That seems about right for the pull-out clothesline over the tub as well.

[cruisingbarb]

OK, I will try a dummy booking.

 

I have short legs also but unless it's a big bathtub, it's probably not worth bothering about. We've never had a bathtub on a cruise so I can live without one.

[rockdoctor]

We always travel fantail since you can see both sides of the ship. Front is next best but wind can be a factor.

[cruisingbarb]

It looks like the aft cabins are gone (no surprise) but if we were going to get a forward cabin, how many cabins back would you suggest to avoid the wind? We are looking at deck 6. I can't tell but from the diagram it looks like there is a deck across the front. Would we have access to it?

[cruz chic]

We're thinking of doing the full canal in April 2017, so how was your weather on this trip? I know it's going to be HOT and HUMID, but how bad was it?

Thanks

Danny

 

I think I've done 6 full transits and one partial. I have gone in April, October and November. The weather has always been much better in April then in the fall. Once in November they were in a state of emergency because they had so much rain. It is very hot and humid there. Calgary is rarely humid so I'm not used to it.

[cruz chic]

All VD, VE, and VF balconies are 9 ft wide by 6 ft deep except those on deck 4 in the range of 4005 to 4042, which are 7.5 ft deep. BUT - those deeper balconies have a steel-wall railing rather than plexiglas, so you have to be tall and sit up straight to see over the wood rail.

 

The VCs that are 7.5 ft deep are in the range from 4151 to 4177. These have plexiglas railings.

 

The outer 1.5 ft of all deck 4 balconies are uncovered, so anyone standing at the rail can be seen from above.

 

 

You are the balcony master:). Whoever someone asks about a balcony you are the poster that immediately pops into my head. Great info!