2025 Panama Canal Westbound - out now

[Shiba_Lover]

The 2025 Panama Canal Westbound is released now for anyone waiting for this.

Not sure when it went up, but I've been watching.  

Just booked.  I was able to get a great balcony at an insane price 😂. 

 

[Purplsmurf]

I just looked. The prices are crazy high 🤷🏻‍♀️

[raudacruise]

Hope one of these will work for me.  Only interested in full-transit.  Emailed my TA but office is closed so waiting with bated breath.  I’ll decide tomorrow. 

 

Hope 4th time is the charm.  I’ve had 3 of my Panama Canal bookings cancelled.

[DaKahuna]

7 minutes ago, raudacruise said:

Hope 4th time is the charm.  I’ve had 3 of my Panama Canal bookings cancelled.

 

 Good luck.  We did the Westbound in April/May on Millennium and loved it.  

 

[raudacruise]

18 minutes ago, DaKahuna said:

 

 Good luck.  We did the Westbound in April/May on Millennium and loved it.  

 

Thanks.  Have sailed each direction on Mercury and Infinity.  Millie was one of my cancelled cruises.

 

DH had to talk me into the first one.  Didn’t see what the big deal was.  Now I get it, 😎

Edited November 28, 2023 by raudacruise

[Shiba_Lover]

31 minutes ago, DaKahuna said:

 

 Good luck.  We did the Westbound in April/May on Millennium and loved it.  

 

I just re-read your trip report.  Hoping this one goes.... After they cancelled my South America around the horn, I'm not holding my breath.  But the only thing that gives me hope is they are getting the Summit over there to sail Alaska.

[Shiba_Lover]

41 minutes ago, raudacruise said:

Hope one of these will work for me.  Only interested in full-transit.  Emailed my TA but office is closed so waiting with bated breath.  I’ll decide tomorrow. 

 

Hope 4th time is the charm.  I’ve had 3 of my Panama Canal bookings cancelled.

Hoping this one goes!  This is the Summit, and it looks like they are repositioning the ship to sail Alaska for the season, so fingers crossed - it goes!

[raudacruise]

Woo hoo!  I’m in! 🍾🥂🚢

 

And tacking on the 7 day Eastern Caribbean before this one.  Happy camper! 😎

[Shiba_Lover]

2 minutes ago, raudacruise said:

Woo hoo!  I’m in! 🍾🥂🚢

 

And tacking on the 7 day Eastern Caribbean before this one.  Happy camper! 😎

That should be fun and always good if you can book early so you get to stay in the same cabin!

Edited November 29, 2023 by Shiba_Lover

[raudacruise]

16 hours ago, DaKahuna said:

 

 Good luck.  We did the Westbound in April/May on Millennium and loved it.  

 

Just found your “Live from” report.  Yay!  

 

And thanks so much for writing it.  I know it’s a lot of work and I appreciate it.

[hasentreelake]

Will the 2025 Summit use the Old Locks? 
I can't seem to find this specific info.

On 11/28/2023 at 6:16 PM, DaKahuna said:

 

 Good luck.  We did the Westbound in April/May on Millennium and loved it.  

 

Did the Millie use the Old Locks?
THANKS
 

[Fly and Sail]

10 minutes ago, hasentreelake said:

Will the 2025 Summit use the Old Locks? 
I can't seem to find this specific info.

Did the Millie use the Old Locks?
THANKS
 

 

Yes, we did use the old locks this year. It was pretty interesting!

[hasentreelake]

10 minutes ago, Fly and Sail said:

 

Yes, we did use the old locks this year. It was pretty interesting!

Did you by chance have an aft (sunset) cabin?  

[Fly and Sail]

34 minutes ago, hasentreelake said:

Did you by chance have an aft (sunset) cabin?  

 

No, I had an Aqua Class Balcony and the same view as DaKahuna who had a suite if my memory serves me correctly.

[Fly and Sail]

On 11/29/2023 at 9:40 PM, raudacruise said:

Woo hoo!  I’m in! 🍾🥂🚢

 

And tacking on the 7 day Eastern Caribbean before this one.  Happy camper! 😎

 

Careful what you wish for. This was a VERY long cruise and felt quite boring at times, especially after the prime part of the cruise, the canal, was already over.

[gordylad]

that's why we are resisting...apart from the canal it looks average

[DaKahuna]

4 hours ago, Fly and Sail said:

 

No, I had an Aqua Class Balcony and the same view as DaKahuna who had a suite if my memory serves me correctly.

We were in a Sky Suite midships on deck 6 but I spent most of the morning on the Retreat Sundeck which gave me a forward facing view.  I left the Sundeck and went to our cabin.  The ship’s TV provided some great footage of the front of the ship and also the helo pad was open for guest. 
 

There are quite a few pictures in my live review (see my signature for the link) 

 

[raudacruise]

6 hours ago, Fly and Sail said:

 

Careful what you wish for. This was a VERY long cruise and felt quite boring at times, especially after the prime part of the cruise, the canal, was already over.

I actually love long cruises with lotsa sea days.  (TAs!)  And considered adding the next leg or two.  Decided that would give my financial guy a frowny face.

[Fly and Sail]

These Panama Canal sailings are not cheap. There was a recent documentary about the severe water shortage in Lake Gatun and Panama in general. Officials were talking about curbing the traffic and increasing fees. I'd imagine that at some point, the passage of cruise ships will become impossible so if this is a bucket list item... maybe do it sooner rather than later.

[mahdnc]

16 hours ago, Fly and Sail said:

 

Careful what you wish for. This was a VERY long cruise and felt quite boring at times...

 

I thought you were sufficiently busy taking down the casino with your favorite slot machine.

[mahdnc]

On 11/28/2023 at 10:39 AM, Shiba_Lover said:

The 2025 Panama Canal Westbound is released now for anyone waiting for this.

Not sure when it went up, but I've been watching.  

Just booked.  I was able to get a great balcony at an insane price 😂. 

 

 

A year ago, we booked this Summit cruise for this coming April.  We have our favorite aft balcony and am really looking forward to it.

[Fly and Sail]

14 minutes ago, mahdnc said:

 

I thought you were sufficiently busy taking down the casino with your favorite slot machine.

 

That was the result of my boredom. It was between the Martini Bar and the Casino, so I figured I could just as well make Celebrity pay me instead. 😛

[DaKahuna]

1 hour ago, Fly and Sail said:

 

That was the result of my boredom. It was between the Martini Bar and the Casino, so I figured I could just as well make Celebrity pay me instead. 😛

 

IIRC that machine only worked for you.  The few times I tried it, it took my money and did not even say thanks. 

 

 

[Fly and Sail]

14 minutes ago, DaKahuna said:

 

IIRC that machine only worked for you.  The few times I tried it, it took my money and did not even say thanks. 

 

 

 

That's the way I set the machine. It collects from everyone but me. I'm tempted to take the Millennium again on the Spice Route or Singapore-Bali in JAN/FEB for that reason alone. All the other ships don't have these two machine types.

[DaKahuna]

51 minutes ago, Fly and Sail said:

 

That's the way I set the machine. It collects from everyone but me. I'm tempted to take the Millennium again on the Spice Route or Singapore-Bali in JAN/FEB for that reason alone. All the other ships don't have these two machine types.

 

We'll be on Millie in Japan in May.  I'll go back and look for the pictures from our cruise to make sure I have the right now and maybe make some further donations to your travel fund.