Is the time of year Critical for Panama Cruise?

[DentoAlaska]

I am looking at booking a full transit Panama Canal cruise with the following itinerary:

 

Depart from LA

Puerto Vallarta

Huatulco

San Juan del Sur

Puntarenas

Cartagena

Aruba

Ft. Lauderdale

 

Can weather be a real issue if we decide to go in the fall? I understand that weather can differ from year to year but would prefer to not take a huge risk if we can avoid it.

 

Thanks!

[CruiserBruce]

If you do some research on the Panama Canal board, you will see that it is hot and humid pretty much 24/7. The "wet" season runs September through December. The "drier" season is January through May. These are relative terms as the area is a tropic rain forest and gets a lot of rain. I mention only those months, as cruise ships don't go through the Canal in the other months.

[Pythian]

We've done it a few times, and are doing another partial transit on the 14th of Jan (in just a few days!). We did a full transit in Nov and two other partial transits in Dec & Feb. Weather has been good on all - but you can easily get a day or two of rain between mid Nov to mid Feb. And, it will be hot in Panama. It's a great cruise, and it seems our friends who haven't been keep asking us to cruise with them to the canal. It's never boring and this might be the last year on the old locks - as the new canal is just about finished. Have fun!

[keithm]

I am looking at booking a full transit Panama Canal cruise with the following itinerary:

 

Depart from LA

Puerto Vallarta

Huatulco

San Juan del Sur

Puntarenas

Cartagena

Aruba

Ft. Lauderdale

 

Can weather be a real issue if we decide to go in the fall? I understand that weather can differ from year to year but would prefer to not take a huge risk if we can avoid it.

 

Thanks!

It's pretty much hot & humid anytime. We went in Jan.2012 on the Queen Victoria. In all our Caribbean trips, I'd have to say it was the most uncomfortable considering the heat & humidity. I'm sure it's hotter further into spring.

[moki'smommy]

We did a full transit in September. It is hot and muggy....but I think it is hot and muggy all the time.

[TM]

We've done 4 full transits of the Canal, always in early October as the ship re-positions from Alaska to Florida. As already noted it is typically always hot and humid. We only had rain on 1 of the transits so consider ourselves a bit luck from that perspective.

[h20skibum]

January through April will be the drier months, but it will be hot and humid anytime.

 

It's never boring and this might be the last year on the old locks - as the new canal is just about finished. Have fun!

 

The old locks will likely be in use for quite some time. The intent of the new locks is to accommodate larger ships, so ships currently using the canal will probably continue to use the old locks. Depending on the makeup of ship traffic and positioning, the smaller ships may or may not use the new locks.

 

Cruise lines will need to evaluate if it is cost effective to sail larger ships through the canal that would require the new locks. Larger ships with more passenger capacity = larger fees to transit.

[Pamster]

We did a full transit, Miami to LA, in November. We had some storms at night, with lightening and thunder, before we entered the canal. On the way through there was no rain - but it was hot and humid. For example, when we'd step from inside onto the deck, our glasses would steam up!! (I hadn't experienced that since moving from the cold country, where the same would happen when moving from cold outside to warm inside.) Not being a fan of hot and humid, I just mostly stayed inside, other than going outside to view the canal and locks. I REALLY wanted to see the canal, and hot and humid is just part of the experience. I think that there are sometimes some severe storms in the Pacific in October (2015 saw a very active tropical storm season in October) so don't know how much of a risk that might be. Looks like other have reported Sept/Oct sailings with no problems.

 

It was one of the best cruises of all!!!

[Keith1010]

There is most definitely a wet season.

 

I would just do some research on this and that includes googling for average weather in this area.

 

Keith

[BillB48]

January through April will be the drier months, but it will be hot and humid anytime.

 

 

 

The old locks will likely be in use for quite some time. The intent of the new locks is to accommodate larger ships, so ships currently using the canal will probably continue to use the old locks. Depending on the makeup of ship traffic and positioning, the smaller ships may or may not use the new locks.

 

Cruise lines will need to evaluate if it is cost effective to sail larger ships through the canal that would require the new locks. Larger ships with more passenger capacity = larger fees to transit.

 

 

You are absolutely correct, the current locks are going to be an integral part of the Canal for the foreseeable future. Actually the new set of locks is intended to augment the capacity of the Canal and to allow larger ships passage through the Canal. For the most part ships that fit in the existing locks will continue to do. Tolls are also going to increase this year, they were originally expected to go into effect with the opening of the new locks. I don't know if that has changed with the probable opening looking like the middle of 2016. The increase of tolls isn't going to be that bad... passenger ships using the current locks will see the rate change from $134 per passenger berth to $138/ppb. While passenger ships using the new locks will pay $148/ppb. Since the taxes, fees and port expenses are rather hefty on for example a 10 day partial transit cruise out of Ft. Lauderdale are $310 as compared to a 10 day Caribbean cruise out of FLL is at $113. Plain to see where that $134/ppb toll is coming from:D!! No reduction in tolls for only doing a partial transit, by the way;).

[mrell345]

 

There is no reduction for a partial because you are going into the canal and then back out again just using the atlantic locks both times instead of in on one side and out on the other.

 

we did the partial on Coral on the Christmas/ New Years cruise a year ago, had great weather and a great time.

 

Nothing like them singing the old tune " the weather outside is frightful" when you are catching a tan by the upper deck pool and it is 32 deg C out :)

Edited January 6, 2016 by mrell345

[zahav1]

We've cruised Panama Canal twice in March and both times the weather was great and not muggy, sunny and warm. We were outside all day.

[SeaMystique]

We were there in February,2015, from FLL to LA. It was hot and humid -- as the tropics are supposed to be. There was usually, I would say always, a breeze, though, and it can be windy at night. A warm, moist wind - amazing if you live in SoCal where a) there is hardly ever any wind at all, and b) when we do get wind, it's hot and so dry you can feel your pores contracting ...

Personally I love hot weather and detest the cold. The Panama Canal weather was no worse than NYC in summer.. Only quieter and better-smelling[emoji6].

[eclue]

WE went mid October two years ago - weather was fantastic- of course heat and humidity but really minimal rain-

eclue:rolleyes:

[4x4bob]

Can weather be an issue? From year to year the answer is depends.

 

December 2010 we boarded the ship in San Pedro as the rain started to fall.

 

As we cruised South the storm really developed. While watching the News on the TV in our cabin the announcement was made that the Locks were closed due to the intense rain run off. That was the 3rd time in the History of the Canal. :eek:

 

When we arrived the area was crowded with anchored cargo ships. The Captain made an announcement that we should be able to go through at 6:00 AM the next day. (Passenger ships were allowed to go in front of the cargo ships) By the time we dropped anchor in the bay the rain had let up and was just a light drizzle.

 

At 5:00 AM the next day we started through the locks which caught the passengers by surprise. I made a run for the secret door on deck 9 so I could take photos of the ship entering the locks.

 

The weather was warm, light rain, no wind so being outside and going on tours was not a problem.

 

So, pack your rain gear and hope you will not need it.

 

Have fun

 

Bob

[COMBOY]

I am looking at booking a full transit Panama Canal cruise with the following itinerary:

 

Depart from LA

Puerto Vallarta

Huatulco

San Juan del Sur

Puntarenas

Cartagena

Aruba

Ft. Lauderdale

 

Can weather be a real issue if we decide to go in the fall? I understand that weather can differ from year to year but would prefer to not take a huge risk if we can avoid it.

 

Thanks!

 

Hurricane season runs from Jul thru Nov and can effect both the Caribbean sea and Pacific Ocean with the peak season in Sep/Oct. Although I've never heard of Panama getting a direct hit - Mexican coast and Caribbean can and you have to go through both to get to the Panama canal. Although it just a manner of probability and your chance are low you are better to go Dec thru April if you want to avoid the risk. Panama is pretty much hot and humid year round; it's more of wet vs dry season in the winter months.

Edited January 7, 2016 by COMBOY