What is the best cruiseline for $ for Panama?

[cruisin'2007]

We're planning a Panama cruise in 2007. This is your time to brag...what cruise line line should I look into for the best in everything? Price,cabins, food, stops, excursions and over all experience. Do you have photos or film clips? I would love it if you did! The more you brag the better for me!Thanks! New to cruisin!

[Dave Hansen]

People will usually prefer one line over another but they are really all

good. I would make the following suggestions (1) get cruise books on

Canal cruises from a Travel Agent. (2) check the deck plans and get

the square foot size of the cabin and (3) do lots of research online.

Have Fun

Dave Hansen

Any Questions, you can find me on the following boards (1) Golden

Princess 2-18-06 (2) Golden Princess 2-25-06 or (3) Island Princess

2-25-07

[MrsBoo]

We just got back from a 14-day San Diego to Miami on the Radiance of the Seas. We had an aft balcony, which was really nice to get away from the crowds while transiting the canal. With all the glass in the public areas, it is a great ship for the canal. Our favorite excursion was ziplining with Mauricio in Puntarenas, Costa Rica.

 

The original itinerary was Cabo San Lucas, Ixtapa, Acapulco, Hualtulco, Puntarenas & Aruba. Ixtapa and Aca were dropped and Puerto Vallarta was substituted.

 

This was a fantastic cruise & we would love to do it again.

[VikkiGarcia]

Did PC 10/03 on Legend of the seas. We had almost the exact same itinerary as HAL Rotterdam. But the passengers on the two ships were as different as could be. Although PC is a much older crowd our ship had much more "active" seniors. HAL had more wheelchairs and walkers than I could count. We met a couple from the HAL ship who said the ship was "dead" by 8pm. Not the case on ours. The casino was busy, music and dancing. Plenty of grandmas and grandpas trying the the rock wall and other activities. I would pick a ship that caters to the youngest group, knowing that PC is always an older crowd.

[vegasbrew]

We just booked our Feb. 2, 2007 cruise on the Brillance of the Seas. Check out the pictures and info under the Board for the RCCL. You'll love it!

[Mike2131]

We had a great time on the 10 night partial transit cruise on the Coral Princess. The pricing was great, the itinerary was unbeatable, and the ship was beautiful. Check out the reviews and you will see that most passengers felt this was a great cruise.

Highly recommended!

[mii]

I got to agree with Mike in that the Coral Princess does a partial transit through the Gatun Locks which is r/.t from Ft. Lauderdale. Aftaer going through the first lock passengers are tendered to shore where if you have excursions you go from there. We did the Ocean to Ocean Experience where we got on a smaller boat and went to the Pacific side of the Canal and entered two more locks, then were transferred back to the ship by bus. What a wonderful excursion, it is a little long but worth every dime and time.

 

Marilyn

[chasetf]

If you can I would recommend a full transit on a repositioning cruise. We tend to stay with Princess, but all other lines have them as well. We have done both the partial and full. With the partial you get the Gatun locks and miss the Culebra cut, the bridges, and the Centinthe Pefro Miguel and Miraflores locks.

 

The disadvantage is there are a limited number and they are usually at the start and end of the Alaska season as ships reposition. :mad:

 

The advantage is as a reposition, they are off season and you can get great prices. Our 14 day full for the same cabin level was less than our 10 day partial. :)

[jane02]

We are planning a cruise for 2007 to the Panama Canal and also interested in any info that anyone would like share.

We travelled to the Med on the Brilliance in Oct 05 and thought it was the most beautiful ship :) so I would be tempted back.

What is the best time of the year to cruise that region??

Thanks

Jane

[stebul]

Don't forget about Celebrity. They have 14 day full transit cruises from Fort Lauderdale to Los Angeles (or back the other way) from Nov through April. We are on Summit 25 Nov 2006. They also have full transit cruises on other ships (Inifinity, Mercury) as well as partial transit cruises on Galaxy round trip from Galveston.

[hateswaterloves2cruise]

For Chasetf - you said the 14 day full transit was less costly than the 10 day rt - did you take into consideration the airfare? I want to do Panama Canal but don't really like to fly, so was thinking of rt out of Florida. But...I really don't want to miss anything either. Is the excursion coast to coast just about the same as the full transit? Thanks for any input.

[KamloopsCruisers]

We are planning a cruise for 2007 to the Panama Canal and also interested in any info that anyone would like share.

We travelled to the Med on the Brilliance in Oct 05 and thought it was the most beautiful ship :) so I would be tempted back.

What is the best time of the year to cruise that region??

Thanks

Jane

 

Jane, Brilliance only does partial transits. Sister ship, Radiance does full transit - west to east in October and east to west in April. We'll be on the Radiance this coming April and can hardly wait.

 

Sue

[jane02]

Thanks Sue for that info.

Jane

[hjrell]

Don't forget about Celebrity. They have 14 day full transit cruises from Fort Lauderdale to Los Angeles (or back the other way) from Nov through April. We are on Summit 25 Nov 2006. They also have full transit cruises on other ships (Inifinity, Mercury) as well as partial transit cruises on Galaxy round trip from Galveston.

 

4 of us have a trip planned for Feb. 2007 onboard Summit from LA through the Panama Canal to Ft. Lauderdale planned. Would appreciate any hints you can give us about this cruise. The one couple has been on 6 - 7 cruises - on Carnival Cruise Lines - we have been on 1 Carnival and this will be our 2nd cruise. We want to make the best of this trip..Have shore excursions planned also so any tips on the best ones would be appreciated as well.

[flashdog_1]

Yes, the experience would be different for someone going thru the canal, partial or full transit, on a cruise ship and on the ferry that you can take Ocean to Ocean for ships that either dock at Colon or do a partial transit into Gatun lack.

 

Being in a small craft you are much closer to all the action of the locks.

 

If you don't need a balcony, an economical ship to use is Celebrity's Zenith out of Tampa, if that helps with the flying expense. Then take the ferry ride at about $149 for the canal experience.

 

It stops in Puerto Limon, Costa Rica; Roatan, Honduras; Georgetown, Grand Cayman; and Cozumel, Mexico for a 10 night cruise starting at about $860?

[Corby44]

Just returned from an 11 day partial transit on the Brilliance. You go through the 3 Gatun locks, then stop in the lake to let the passengers on tours off. Late in the afternoon you go back out the locks and stop at the pier for a few hours. We took the train to the Pacific and the bus back to the pier. The train ride was great, but the bus ride was not. All along the highway the roadsides were littered with trash. I know Panama is not a rich country, but it doesn't have to look that bad. It was a real turn-off.

Other than that, the cruise was terrific. The ship also stopped at Aruba and Curacao, which are two of our favorite islands.

[MTemple212]

I just wanted to chip in with my 2cents worth. There will be 6 of us doing the West to East coast panama canal cruise on Celebrity Mercury out of San Diego on February 18th. Celebrity is a wonderful cruise line based on my experience and I have also experienced about 4 or 5 other cruiselines to compare them to.

[12B@C]

"Do you have photos or film clips? I would love it if you did! The more you brag the better for me!Thanks! New to cruisin!

"

 

Well, you ask for some bragging and pictures!

Lots of folks have expressed their opinion about the large ships going to or through the canal. Our preference (albeit more expensive) is to travel on smaller ships such as the Wind Star. We did the complete crossing from Costa Rica to Barbados and had a marvelous trip.

For some pictures and description of the canal operation you might have a look at:

http://www.*****.com/panama.htm

[LHT28]

We will be doing the full transit on Oceania cruiselines in Jan 07.

It is a smaller ship 684 pax, great food, great staff, no formal nights

Worth the extra cost