Panama Canal excursion clothing

[golfb4cruzing]

Watching the weather and heat index, which looks rough. What is the suggested dress for rainforest and Canal excursions. Long pants and 100 degrees does not sound like fun.

Thanks for your help

[Hlitner]

Watching the weather and heat index, which looks rough. What is the suggested dress for rainforest and Canal excursions. Long pants and 100 degrees does not sound like fun.

Thanks for your help

 

It isn't, which is why many experienced travelers avoid that area during the hottest months. But think jungle clothing which covers lots of skin but hangs loose and is preferably made of a fabric (like cotton) that is meant for warm climates. That being said, we have spent time in this kind of climate and worn shorts and our decent sandals...and survived (with only a few insect bits).

 

Hank

[cb at sea]

It's HOT all year round there.....shorts, tees...and bug spray, with sunscreen on top!

[joeyancho]

It's HOT all year round there.....shorts, tees...and bug spray, with sunscreen on top!

 

And humid. Wife almost passed out at 7am in December.

[I_r_a]

Hi G,

 

Hot and humid.

 

Wear a hat. Bring an umbrella to keep the sun off.

Shirts, sandals, tee shirt lots of mosquito repellent

 

It feels so good to get back on the ship and shower.

 

Ira

Edited October 20, 2016 by I_r_a
spelling

[Thrak]

Hot and very humid. We did a 17 day full transit last September. I wore shorts and a tee shirt for excursions and port trips. (I quickly found that silk Tommy Bahama aloha shirts aren't the best thing to wear on shore when it's hot and humid.) I wore Teva sandals or tennis shoes (sneakers) on shore and on excursions. We never saw a single mosquito anywhere. We didn't hear anybody else talking about mosquitoes either. Sunscreen is must and a hat is highly recommended.

Edited October 20, 2016 by Thrak

[Keith1010]

If you are visiting a rain forest I would wear long pants and a long shirt but you can get ones that are very light.

 

For excursions that don't involve a forest I would go with shorts and short sleeve shirts. In fact, I wear an under armour type of shirt.

 

Keith

[golfb4cruzing]

Thanks everyone. Sounds like the struggle will be real with the heat and humidity. We always bring large brimmed hats and plenty of spray. The wife is in Oncology field and we have some 95 protection. We will have backpacks for many waters as well. Only 9 days before leaving!

[NSWP]

We are on Island Princess next month, doing Panama Canal from LA. Done this cruise before on Coral, one needs to keep ones fluids up, plenty of water during the day and make sure you rehydrate at the Wheel House bar with a few ice cold Budweisers pre dinner.

 

Enjoy your cruise and 'Come Back New.' lol.

Edited October 20, 2016 by NSWP

[indexcards]

Just back from Coral 10 day partial transit. Did not see one mosquito. Did panama ferry to pacific, rain forest... even husband who is a mosquito magnet at home was ok.

 

And loose breathable fabric clothes are the best, some you can move off your skin to produce a little breeze of your own.

[MJC]

On our recent PC cruise, it seemed like Under Armour, Columbia, and other athleisure/performance wear was the order of the day. They have the advantage of drying quickly, and are easy to hand wash in the sink. Linen is also a good choice. I would avoid cotton, it gets wet and heavy pretty fast and then your skin can't breath.

 

DH likes his convertible hiking pants. I like my Kohl's long workout pants that can roll up to capri length. We prefer long pants for jungle hikes. On boat trips etc. shorts are fine, but you want them long enough that you don't burn your backside on hot seats.

 

Agree with a brimmed hat and lots of water. Our excursions began early in the morning and were well-designed to keep us out of the heat of the day for the most part. But, you will be hot. Very hot.

[msmoger]

Will April be more prone to mosquitos?

 

Thanks,

[OCruisers]

As others have mentioned, LOOSE fitting clothes are strongly suggested. ;)

[jasbo49]

Thanks everyone. Sounds like the struggle will be real with the heat and humidity. We always bring large brimmed hats and plenty of spray. The wife is in Oncology field and we have some 95 protection. We will have backpacks for many waters as well. Only 9 days before leaving!

 

Hats are obviously a must, but for me it has to be a "breathable" hat, one that invites the air through. There are some good ones on Amazon by a company called Henschel.

 

We were there in December and even then the heat was so oppressive that it will probably be a long time before we do another canal trip.

 

Everybody talks about being up on the decks to enjoy canal day, but we found ourselves watching most of it from our balcony, simply because that way we could duck inside every few minutes to cool down and/or change our sweaty clothes.

 

Jim

[partybarbie]

Will April be more prone to mosquitos?

 

Thanks,

 

April is the near end of the dry season, so there should be fewer mosquitos.

[msmoger]

April is the near end of the dry season, so there should be fewer mosquitos.

 

Well that's good to know.....Thanks for the info. :D

[BopRN]

Just off the Coral Princess on the Partial Transit. Dress COOL for excursions! Most everyone was in shorts/capris and T-shirts. It is HOT on all of the excursions we did. Very few in long pants. Never saw the first mosquito or any insect but an occasional dragonfly. We didn't even use insect repellant although we had it with us.

 

We did all Princess excursions....Highlights tour in Cartagena (I recommend a hat as you are walking in the sun a lot), Panama Canal & Locks Transit by Boat (the "air-conditioned room" on the ferry boat was a joke...so it was hot inside and out), and the Train, Boat & bus tour in Costa Rica.(coolest tour...always undercover and nice breeze through the rainforest.)

 

Feel free to ask questions.

[Loonbeam]

For conditions like that, here's my setup:

 

Cariloha bamboo underwear and socks (moisture wicking)

Sweat wicking T shirt under LL Bean safari shirt

LL Bean safari Pants

Permethrin impregnated floppy wide brim hat

[Pam in CA]

If you plan to walk in the jungle, wear closed shoes, not sandals. A few years ago, a woman on a Princess tour was bitten by a poisonous snake whole wearing open sandals. Anti-venom had to be flown to the ship. Not sure but I believe there's a warning to wear closed shoes. You should have heard the staff talking about the woman's choice of footwear.

 

LL Bean and other outfitter-type stores sell super lightweight convertible pants that have zip-off pant legs so they convert to shorts.

[Thrak]

We did a rain forest canopy excursion in Costa Rica. Almost everybody was in shorts and short sleeves. It was really hot and humid. Not a sign of a mosquito anywhere.

[golfb4cruzing]

I've got enough Duluth Trading clothing with wicking features and safari hat with venting which should help with heat. Hiking boots will be warm but bearable. Here on the shores of Lake Erie, we now are down to 40s at night and struggle for 60 in the daytime. Which means blood is heading towards molasses weight. A concern I have is fluid loss, being diabetic and staying stable. But we will have plenty of G2, glucose tabs and small battery operated hand held fans. Sounds like overkill but beats a coma.

[socaljo]

Best tip we got before our PC cruise this past spring was this: Pack a one gallon freezer-style (thicker) zip lock bag from home. Before heading out to excursion, grab your bag, empty your ice bucket into it, throw in a washcloth & roll up tight. Throw in your pack & remember it when you are melting! It does wonders to wipe your face & neck to cool yourself quickly!

Happy Sailing!

[golfb4cruzing]

Great idea. I'll add to packing list.