Questions about Panama Canal cruise

[nyer]

My DH and I have never sailed on Celebrity. We are looking at doing a Panama Canal cruise and have a few questions for anyone who has sailed that itinerary.

 

What is the best time of the year to do that cruise? Do you need a visa for any of the countries it goes to (Guatemala, Panama, Colombia and Costa Rica)? Do you need vaccines for any of these countries?

 

Thanks in advance for any help.

[wallie5446]

The sailings are not year round. Are you wanting a full transit?

 

We sailed the Equinox that stopped and did the ferry thru the locks in Nov 2014.

 

No shots or Visa needed.

Edited November 4, 2016 by wallie5446

[Luvcrusn]

We did it in early Dec, from Ft. L to Valparaiso Chile. Visited Columbia, Panama, Ecuador, Peru and Chile. Didn't need visas or shots for any. Weather was wonderful as was that cruise on Infinity, in fact that was our favorite cruise ever. Fun crossing the Equator and doing the "Kiss the Fish" ceremony!

[metrom]

We did it in early Dec, from Ft. L to Valparaiso Chile. Visited Columbia, Panama, Ecuador, Peru and Chile. Didn't need visas or shots for any. Weather was wonderful as was that cruise on Infinity, in fact that was our favorite cruise ever. Fun crossing the Equator and doing the "Kiss the Fish" ceremony!

 

We are on this cruise on Infinity 12/9 and so glad to hear your positive response. Looking forward to learning about the "Kiss the Fish" ceremony! So much we don't know....any highlights or things to avoid on Infinity or any of the ports of call? Thanks for your response!

Mary

[kathynorth]

We cruised the Panama Canal on the Infinity in Nov. it was a great cruise with terrific weather. No need for visas or immunizations.

[Luvcrusn]

We are on this cruise on Infinity 12/9 and so glad to hear your positive response. Looking forward to learning about the "Kiss the Fish" ceremony! So much we don't know....any highlights or things to avoid on Infinity or any of the ports of call? Thanks for your response!

Mary

 

We did this cruise Dec 7 2008, so the Infinity has had some updates since we were on it. SS United States is gone, that was our favorite specialty restaurant (and at that time the only specialty) on board. If Infinity has Murano, I think it would be comparable. As far as highlights, if your physical condition allows consider the trip in Arica, Chile up into the Andes Mountains. It was an amazing excursion and worth the cost. You go by bus into the Andes to about 15,000 ft. above sea level. We remember that above all! Lima Peru was a very interesting place, and we toured the city's Millefleur area. Beautiful. It was interesting to see how different the South American countries celebrate the Christmas season than here in the US. Loved the canal and don't miss that talk when you transit the first (and second) set of locks, really interesting. The new third and wider lock is now open (they were building). We did a tour from Valparaiso to Santiago post departure that was really interesting (through Chile's wine country) and included a lovely lunch at a very picturesque restaurant that ended at the airport. We booked a concierge cabin for the bigger size since the trip was long. It was nice having binoculars. All the ports were beautiful to enjoy sunrise balcony breakfast (or just coffee and croissants) and gorgeous on evening sail away. Google kiss the fish ceremony. It's for folks who are crossing the equator the first time, lots of silly fun. They do it on all kinds of ships (not just passenger cruise lines). All in all you're in for a great time! In Cartagena we did a tour of the fort which you'll recognize from the movie "Romancing the Stone". Lots of beautiful views from there. Actually, there was nothing we didn't like on that cruise. Wouldn't hesitate to do it again. Have a great cruise.

[Rob the Cruiser]

We are on this cruise on Infinity 12/9 and so glad to hear your positive response. Looking forward to learning about the "Kiss the Fish" ceremony! So much we don't know....any highlights or things to avoid on Infinity or any of the ports of call? Thanks for your response!

Mary

 

Crossing the equator ceremony was a lot of fun. Even members of the crew who were "slimy pollywogs" participated. Be prepared. The fish is (was) real!

 

Best cruise we have taken. So much so, we have booked for March 2018 in the opposite direction - Buenos Aires to Fort Lauderdale.

[metrom]

Great!!! Thanks for the feedback.

[jonsmum]

We did Miami to San Diego via the Panama Canal in April this year, on the Infinity. If you like hot weather, this is the time to go! We had up to 35C most days - it was truly amazing, our best cruise so far. A fantastic itinerary with (for us) the perfect mix of sea (relaxing/sunbathing) days to port days. Would highly recommend.

[cruise47]

Crossing the equator ceremony was a lot of fun. Even members of the crew who were "slimy pollywogs" participated. Be prepared. The fish is (was) real!

 

Best cruise we have taken. So much so, we have booked for March 2018 in the opposite direction - Buenos Aires to Fort Lauderdale.

 

I was under the impression that pollywogs ceremony/custom was a U S Navy thing. Does cruise passengers participate in the pollywogs ceremony ?

[Rob the Cruiser]

I was under the impression that pollywogs ceremony/custom was a U S Navy thing. Does cruise passengers participate in the pollywogs ceremony ?

 

Not just US Navy.

 

From Wikipedia:

 

The ceremony of Crossing the Line is an initiation rite in the British Merchant Navy, Dutch merchant navy, Royal Navy, U.S. Navy, U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Marine Corps, Royal Australian Navy, Russian Navy, and other navies that commemorate a sailor's first crossing of the Equator.[1] The tradition may have originated with ceremonies when passing headlands, and become a "folly" sanctioned as a boost to morale,[2] or have been created as a test for seasoned sailors to ensure their new shipmates were capable of handling long rough times at sea. Sailors who have already crossed the Equator are nicknamed (Trusty/Honorable) Shellbacks, often referred to as Sons of Neptune; those who have not are nicknamed (Slimy) Pollywogs (in 1832 the nickname griffins was noted [3])

 

Passengers' participation is voluntary. All passengers, whether they participated in the initiation or not, receive a document that states the person is now a Trusty Shellback.

[Luvcrusn]

I was under the impression that pollywogs ceremony/custom was a U S Navy thing. Does cruise passengers participate in the pollywogs ceremony ?

 

They sure do! Hubby had a very messy blast and I laughed so hard it was difficult to focus the camera:D

[JMG]

As a precaution, we took insect repellent and the mosquito repellent sheets. When we did the cruise, we got to the canal in the wee hours of the morning. Slowly went up the channel and approached the canal. You could see the canal lights in the distance and see the arrow pointing to the side of the canal that the ship was to enter. We got up at 5am, got a spot at the railing and stood there until around 8am after completing 2 locks. An absolutely amazing journey that we will remember our entire lives! A second passenger ship was in the lock alongside of us. Someone from that cruise posted pics of our ship in the canal..that was priceless!

 

Enjoy!!!

[TeeRick]

We did Miami to SD 15 night on Infinity end of April early May this year. Overall a wonderful experience on a great ship! It was very hot extremely and humid particularly in Cartagena and in Panama. It was the cusp of the rainy season but not much rain. The canal (lake) was way down due to an ongoing drought. In retrospect I would go during the dry season but I think the humidity will still be more than what you have experienced before. It is the equator so not much variation. We never saw a mosquito on any of our excursions but we did take wipes. As for vaccinations that truly depends on your personal health and you might discuss with your doctor in advance. The US CDC on their website does recommend (not require) certain travel vaccines for these countries.

[Rob the Cruiser]

It is a magical trip.

 

Island Princess following Infinity.

 

 

 

Neptune, Davey Jones and The Dreaded Fish! (Lower right.) Note the table to the left. Walk by and members of the crew throw pasta soaked in olive oil and sesame oil on your head. Then get your back and chest painted with a slimy mixture of mustard. Then, if you want, they will smash an egg on your head. Then rinse in the very cold pool. (It was drained after the ceremony.)

 

[WEGL81]

We did this trip from SAN Francisco to FLL and had a great time. Leaving from SAN Francisco was awesome. The whole trip was fabulous. Oh yeah, we went in Sep and it was hot, hot, hot.

 

 

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[merinski]

My DH and I have never sailed on Celebrity. We are looking at doing a Panama Canal cruise and have a few questions for anyone who has sailed that itinerary.

 

What is the best time of the year to do that cruise? Do you need a visa for any of the countries it goes to (Guatemala, Panama, Colombia and Costa Rica)? Do you need vaccines for any of these countries?

 

Thanks in advance for any help.

 

When we went , it was in Feb. It was great weather, wonderful trip!

We did get vaccinations, as they were required by some countries, but no

one ever checked. Yellow Fever...Hep A& B...No Visa

[MandyGirl]

. . . As for vaccinations that truly depends on your personal health and you might discuss with your doctor in advance. The US CDC on their website does recommend (not require) certain travel vaccines for these countries.

 

 

Thank you for sharing! We embark Wednesday on Infinity from FLL to SAN for PC. Some on our rollcall were told "required" but we saw on Costa Rica Embassy and another website if "in transit" and in port areas then not needed... so went with that. We are fine staying onboard if denied entry for not having the Yellow Fever vaccine but it sure has been diverse what different people were told from different sources (our kids are with us - ages 6 and 10 - and have already had so many more vaccines than we were raised with in the 80s). Last time we were on Infinity, I was pregnant with our 10 year old and on our babymoon :) Looking forward to being back onboard and the transit!!

[Turtles06]

We will be making our first transit of the Panama Canal in January (on NCL). We will have port calls in Colombia, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Guatemala, and Mexico. (No port call for us in Panama.) No visas are required for American citizens for the ports we are visiting.

 

In terms of vaccinations, we checked the CDC web site and then went to our travel clinic. There are no "required" immunizations for this itinerary, but Hep A and typhoid are recommended. We've already had the Hep A immunization, and so we got the typhoid injections. No big deal. (BTW, Hep A is so prevalent worldwide, including in the U.S, that it's not a bad idea to be immunized in any event.)

 

Our travel doctor said that we will not be in areas where there is a risk of Yellow Fever transmission, and we confirmed with NCL that no Yellow Fever vaccination is required for our cruise. (Also, the Yellow Fever vaccine can pose medical problems for people over 60, so it's not something that is casually given.)

 

Our doctor said that we will be in a couple of places (in Guatemala and Nicaragua) where she felt we should be taking anti-malaria pills (Malarone). The CDC says the risk to U.S. travelers for malaria is low, and given the fact that we won't be there at night, and the possiblity of side effects from the meds, we're not sure we are going to take the pills.

 

We will be bringing, and using, mosquito repellent for our days in port. It's important to use the right stuff -- either DEET or Picaridin. You can find more info here:

 

http://www.consumerreports.org/insect-repellents/mosquito-repellents-that-best-protect-against-zika/

 

http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/yellowbook/2016/the-pre-travel-consultation/protection-against-mosquitoes-ticks-other-arthropods

 

YMMV on all of this. Best thing is to consult your own travel doctor about what immunizations and precautions are best for you.

 

And if you go, be sure to read David McCullough's The Path Between the Seas.

[MandyGirl]

 

 

 

Our travel doctor said that we will not be in areas where there is a risk of Yellow Fever transmission, and we confirmed with NCL that no Yellow Fever vaccination is required for our cruise.

 

. . .

 

YMMV on all of this. Best thing is to consult your own travel doctor about what immunizations and precautions are best for you.

 

 

 

And if you go, be sure to read David McCullough's The Path Between the Seas.

 

 

 

^^ That's exactly what we had found in our research as well - not in affected areas, in transit, take DEET. The key thing some people on our rollcall said they were told was that we are coming from a country that has part of the country affected. Colombia, Panama, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Mexico in that order and what flagged some was the first two countries then entering CR and Guatemala. We still chose not to get it. Talked to our pediatrician and family clinic in October about where, how long, research we did... but did not consult a travel doctor. Know who in our group of 5 would be contraindicated anyway so it was just my 6 & 10 year olds and I who would even be candidates for YF vaccine.

 

Sidenote - Ironically I had counted up nights we have been in "Zika areas" since the mid January announcement and it is almost 60 nights so far between cruises and land vacations, including in the rainforest in an eco lodge. Each of our three trips to Costa Rica in 2016 has been direct from US via air, so not coming from an affected country like the cruise leaving Wednesday is, so no flags raised there. In late October I had a trip to Cabo, flew home to Texas on Thursday, then was on a plane to Costa Rica the next day on Friday. Nothing set off customs in Costa Rica when swiping my passport so I guess Cabo had been okay ;) But regardless, each trip we pack our Deet and also keep those individual wipes on us in case needed unexpectedly while out to dinner or anything. Our kids know about the mosquitos and we even sat in a CDC presentation in St John in March about Zika that was presented prior to a church service. Hopefully we didn't jinx ourselves choosing not to do those extra vaccines but are definitely taking precautions otherwise.

[Turtles06]

Our travel doctor said that we will not be in areas where there is a risk of Yellow Fever transmission, and we confirmed with NCL that no Yellow Fever vaccination is required for our cruise. (Also, the Yellow Fever vaccine can pose medical problems for people over 60, so it's not something that is casually given.)

 

 

^^ That's exactly what we had found in our research as well - not in affected areas, in transit, take DEET. The key thing some people on our rollcall said they were told was that we are coming from a country that has part of the country affected. Colombia, Panama, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Mexico in that order and what flagged some was the first two countries then entering CR and Guatemala. We still chose not to get it. Talked to our pediatrician and family clinic in October about where, how long, research we did... but did not consult a travel doctor. Know who in our group of 5 would be contraindicated anyway so it was just my 6 & 10 year olds and I who would even be candidates for YF vaccine.

 

 

Yes, you've just flagged the issue of confusion as my travel doc explained it. There's a difference between the medical advisability of the Yellow Fever vaccine, and the governmental requirement in some countries that you must have proof of that vaccine to enter if you have come from certain other countries where there's a risk of YF transmission (even if not in the parts of those countries that you visited).

 

My travel doc made it clear that we did not medically need the YF vaccine for our trip (and indeed that it could cause us problems if we got it), and I got an assurance in writing from NCL that we did not need proof of this vaccine for any ports on our itinerary.

[MandyGirl]

Yes, you've just flagged the issue of confusion as my travel doc explained it. There's a difference between the medical advisability of the Yellow Fever vaccine, and the governmental requirement in some countries that you must have proof of that vaccine to enter if you have come from certain other countries where there's a risk of YF transmission (even if not in the parts of those countries that you visited).

 

 

 

My travel doc made it clear that we did not medically need the YF vaccine for our trip (and indeed that it could cause us problems if we got it), and I got an assurance in writing from NCL that we did not need proof of this vaccine for any ports on our itinerary.

 

 

Very true! Yes, when calling Celebrity for our itinerary they said not needed and even transferred to a different department while keeping me on hold to verify.

[TeeRick]

For these countries the most critical thing is to avoid excursions in less traveled areas or jungle-type areas where you might run into mosquitoes. I would be much more concerned about Zika (with no vaccine) than Yellow Fever and Dengue from mosquitoes. Typhoid is food/water borne so you can control your exposure by only eating the food on the ship or in nice, clean restaurants on land and carrying bottled water.

[colombiangirl]

We did it in early Dec, from Ft. L to Valparaiso Chile. Visited Columbia, Panama, Ecuador, Peru and Chile. Didn't need visas or shots for any. Weather was wonderful as was that cruise on Infinity, in fact that was our favorite cruise ever. Fun crossing the Equator and doing the "Kiss the Fish" ceremony!

COLOMBIA not Columbia, please and thank you.

 

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[Luvcrusn]

COLOMBIA not Columbia, please and thank you.

 

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Sorry, autocorrect was at work! I know better, but didn't proofread