Panama Canal

[ssdot]

Interested in doing the Panama Canal this Winter,but concerned that some Cruise lines have cancelled cruises due to Panama Canal issues  Thanks

[Host Jazzbeau]

What I have read is that the Panama rivers and lakes aren't getting as much rain as normal, so they are slowing down Canal passage to conserve water – but this affects the cargo ships which just line up for 'first come first served' passage.  Cruise ships book timed reservations well in advance [and pay for the privilege], so they shouldn't be affected.  

 

However, that doesn't explain the evidence that some cruise lines have been cancelling Canal transits.  I suspect that the explanation is cost-cutting to pay off those huge debts that some cruise lines ran up during Covid [those same lines seem to be cutting everything that isn't nailed down, including the supply of nails!].  Windstar doesn't seem to be in that category, so I'm hoping they will go forward with all their announced Canal cruises.

[elklemi]

On 8/28/2023 at 10:48 PM, ssdot said:

Interested in doing the Panama Canal this Winter,but concerned that some Cruise lines have cancelled cruises due to Panama Canal issues  Thanks

I am also looking to do the Panama Canal this winter and looking at the Spanish Treasures with Aruba to Panama City and wondering which trip you are considering?

[new_cruiser]

I don't see one currently called Spanish Treasures. The Aruba to Panama City sailings I see are called Panama Canal, Cartagena, San Blas Islands and More - not very catchy.

 

We did almost the same itinerary as one segment of 31 days just before COVID. The only difference was that our cruise was on Wind Surf which is too tall to go through the Pacific end of the canal. We did a partial transit and the segment finished in Colon. It's a very nice itinerary. We've also done one of the Panama and Costa Rica cruises from Colon to Puerto Caldera - the stops in Costa Rica are more nature oriented rather than history. 

[elklemi]

This is from one of their brochures 2022-2024 so guess they use different names. I did Costa Rica this year on Star Clipper but want to do Panama Canal and some of the Panama Islands.