Help on this Panama Canal trip?

[Joby]

If you had to choose between the following cruises for a first time trip THROUGH the Panama Canal in January, which might you choose and why?

 

My sister and I will be taking the trip with our Mom who is 77 and not in the best of health. She uses a wheelchair for longer distances and a cane everywhere else.

 

We have been on four cruises, all in handicapped OV cabins:

--the "old" Century (7 nite Eastern Caribbean),

--Horizon (10 nite ultimate Carib.-Cayman, Cozumel, Roatan, TO the Panama canal, Costa Rica...)

--Constellation (12 nite NY, Charleston, Bahamas, St. Martin...) and

--Galaxy (11 nite southern Carib)

 

We enjoyed all of the ships for different reasons. We do like to have the always subjective good food and service, will take some private excursions, I like to dive/snorkel, beaches, like to do some things in the evening--show, casino, strolling around people watching, listening to karaoke, ... Looking for lower key cruise this time.

 

Here's what we have looked at (all prices are rounded up totals):

 

1. Celebrity Summit--14 nite Los Angeles to San Juan (Cabo San Lucas, Acapulco, Huatluco, Punteranas CR, FULL canal, Aruba, Curacao),

-handicapped 2C balcony cabin on Penthouse deck,

-reg. OV $1800, HC balcony $2300

 

2. Celebrity Quest--14 nite Miami to Acapulco (Jamaica, Santa Maria Col, Cartegena Col, Limon CR, FULL canal, Caldera CR, Huatluco,

Acapulco),

-"regular" OV cabin $2300, regular balcony $2700

 

3. RCCL Brilliance--10 nites round trip Miami (Miami, Aruba, PARTIAL canal, Limon CR, Cayman, Miami,

-reg. OV $1400, reg. E1 Balcony $1700, reg. D1 balcony $1600

 

4. RCCL Brilliance--11 nites round trip Miami (Miami, private island, Aruba, Curacao, PARTIAL canal, Cartenga Col, Miami

- reg. D1 balcony $$1650

 

5. Coral Princess--10 nites round trip FLL (Ft. Lauderdale, Aruba, Cartenga Col, PARTIAL canal, Limon CR, Montego Bay Lamaica, Ft. Lausderdale

-reg. balcony $1600/ $100 SBC

 

6. Coral Princess--10 nites round trip FLL (same itinerary as above except stops at Ocho Rios Jamaica),

-reg. OV cabin $1300/ $100 SBC

 

Opinions? Pros/cons?

[Joby]

I forgot to add that the Summit balcony cabin would be #6103, if that matters at all :)

[Happy Cruiser 6143]

Depends on whether you want a full transit of the Panama Canal or not. Round trips do not do a full transit.

[Joby]

We are flexible on either the partial or full canal part. We just want to get a nice happy mix of good food, good service, nice itinerary, and good price :)

[hugsthecat]

My wife and I are booked on the Summit .Ther Summit is a beautiful ship..the food is great etc.

We have not been through the canal..but those who have done it say it is great.

Also on this cruise there is only one port which you must use a tender..all the remaining ports ..the ship docks at.

The cruise goes from LA to San Juan..so you will have fly home from S.J.

 

Michael

[Joby]

I have been reading back on some posts about cabin location.

 

On the Summit we could have cabin 6103 (a 2C cabin). It's on the port side and 2 cabins to the front of the mid elevators.

 

Would that be a good choice cabin?

[leoandhugh]

One ship I would not consider is the Quest (or Journey); they were built for Rennaisance and are not wheelchair friendly - narrow hallways and only two fairly decent HC cabins. Brilliance(Radiance class) are the most accessible ships we have been on and we have done in excess of 30 cruises, most with a wheelchair, and recently also with a scooter. Food is very subjective and the X ships used to be better than RCCL in that dept, but have been getting poor reviews lately (check the Michael Roux thread on this board). You dont say where you live, but the full transit would involve an open jaw flight to LA and home from San Juan and they are always more expensive than a round trip Miami such as would be the case with a partial transit.

[Joby]

leoandhugh, thanks for the heads up on the Quest :)