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That being said, make sure to bring your rain jacket as it could have just as easily gone the other way. It was also fairly humid, leading to fog during the morning hours of the Panama Canal transit. There are some Panama cruises running year-round, which are typically shorter in length between 3-5 nights long.
Ocean to Ocean
For more history of Panama, check out Fort San Lorenzo; another must-do attraction in Colón. This fort is a registered UNESCO World Heritage Site and offers no official tours, but you can walk around the area with a handy map. The city of Colón is most frequently referred to as the gateway to the Caribbean for the country of Panama. Therefore, if you are cruising through the Panama Canal, there is a high chance this port will be on your cruise itinerary. No matter which cruise line and itinerary you ultimately decide on, you will likely visit a mix of these fantastic Panama, Caribbean, and Central American cruise ports. From 3-day weekend trips to 180-day world cruises, these Panama Canal cruises are worth every penny.
Night Panama Canal CruiseDetails
If you prefer to explore Puerto Vallarta’s vast natural beauty, check out Islas Marietas, one of the area’s protected state parks offering exotic marine wildlife and lush scenery. If you get the opportunity to stop part-way through the Panama Canal, you are more than likely going to stop at the Gamboa cruise port on your Panama Canal cruise. If you prefer to learn more about the locks you will see on your Panama Canal cruise, check out the Miraflores Locks Museum and Visitor Center. With that being said, all Panama Canal cruises can be categorized into three categories– Trans-Canal Crossing, Partial Crossing, and Faux Crossing. When I went on my Panama Canal cruise, there were plenty of clouds in the sky, however, it did not rain.
Set sail with Princess® – the best Panama Canal cruise line
On Edge-Series ships, the Magic Carpet, suspended over the side of the ship, gives you uninterrupted sea views and is the perfect place to sit with a coffee or cocktail, enjoying the sea air. Or spend part of your Panama Canal transit in the Sunset Bar, at the aft of the ship, for wonderful views of the ships following you. Enjoy exploring all the different dining options, from made-to-order burgers and salads by the pool to French classics and a delightful 3D cartoon animation in Le Petit Chef, and steaks and seafood in the elegant Tuscan Grille.
The Panama Canal cruise season peaks between October and April, outside of the rainy season that can start as early as mid-March and extend into the fall. With a tropical climate, this region is home to rainforests, incredible biodiversity, lush landscapes, abundant wildlife and beautiful beaches, but the weather can be wet at certain times of the year. On partial crossings, the cruise ships do not actually cross the entire Panama Canal. Instead, the ship will typically pass through one lock, and let passengers of in a town along the canal to explore.
From repositioning cruises to Mexican Riviera adventures, there are positives and negatives to every itinerary option in the cruising realm in regards to Panama Canal cruises. Because of Panama’s strategic location, it is safe to assume that you will be enjoying warm temperatures during your Panama Canal cruise. The Panama Canal area has a tropical climate, meaning temperatures will range between 75 and 85 degrees on your Panama cruising adventure. Since the Panama Canal is nestled between the Caribbean and the Pacific Ocean, weather can vary greatly during Panama Canal cruises. With the varying climates of Panama and the mixing weather of two different oceans, it would be best to prepare for some rainy weather during the transit.
BEST Celebrity Cruises to the Panama Canal & Central America (with Prices) 2024 & 2025 on Cruise Critic - Cruise Critic
BEST Celebrity Cruises to the Panama Canal & Central America (with Prices) 2024 & 2025 on Cruise Critic.
Posted: Mon, 23 Oct 2023 15:48:18 GMT [source]
Puntarenas
Rejuvenate your spirit in The Spa, unwind by the pool as you cruise along emerald shorelines, and toast the end of another perfect day at the Sunset Bar in the balmy warmth of a tropical evening. Transiting the Panama Canal from the Caribbean to the Pacific Ocean is a once-in-a-lifetime trip for many travelers, especially for history and engineering buffs. If you're considering this bucket-list sailing, you'll want to find the best time to cruise the Panama Canal, whether that be to find better weather, lower pricing or fewer crowds. This is also a great option for those who want to see a bit of the canal, but also want to get out and explore the country of Panama. Most partial crossing itineraries will stop in Colon and Gamboa, perfect towns to get a taste of Panamanian culture.
Our Panama cruise itineraries depart from both east and west coasts for loads of convenient options. A cruise to the Panama Canal is an incredible experience, worthy of any bucket list as you travel between oceans. The shipping channel—which took 33 years to complete and cost more than 25,000 workers their lives—is arguably the greatest engineering achievement of all time.
Ocean Bar
Passengers often choose an Atlantic to Pacific or Pacific to Atlantic route, depending on where they live, although you'll gain hours if you choose the latter. (Some people prefer to have their longer one-way flight at the beginning of a trip, instead of the end.) With this trans-canal option, you spend a day on the canal, crossing from ocean to ocean and going through the complete lock experience. If having the full "canal experience" is part of your bucket list -- or if you're an engineering geek and don't care too much about shore excursions within Panama itself -- this trip is for you. Most full Panama Canal cruises do call in the Western Caribbean, the Costa Rican ports of Limon (on the Atlantic side) and Puntarenas (on the Pacific), and Cartagena, Colombia. Many cruisers consider a cruise through the Panama Canal a must-do, and for a long time, the itineraries drew mostly seniors, due to the length of a full-transit trip (which usually runs 14 days).
This port on the western coast of Guatemala provides access to the colonial city of Antigua, which has earned status as a UNESCO World Heritage Site for its architecture and ruins. The port provides a jumping-off point for tours of working coffee plantations, the Pacaya Volcano (one of the country's many active mountains) and Lake Atitlan. On Celebrity Beyond, guests of The Retreat can take in the view from The Retreat Sundeck. Other vantage points include the Magic Carpet, cantilevered over the side of the ship, as well as the Rooftop Terrace and the Sunset Bar.
Entering Gatun Lake, it’s fun to be forward on deck as you can see the procession of ships coming towards you. You could also be aft, at the back of the ship, with a pair of binoculars to spot other ships. From the ship, you'll get great views of Soberania National Park, a 55,000-acre area of protected rainforest that's home countless species of birds, mammals and reptiles. See if you can catch a glimpse of an orange-chinned parakeet or a white-faced capuchin monkey. When to cruise the Panama Canal will depend on what's most important to you. With the high temperatures and humidity — and the threat of rain — you might want to take tours where you can easily escape from the heat and the showers.
Play the fastest-growing sport in the U.S. with Holland America Line, the exclusive cruise line partner of the Professional Pickleball Association. All our cruise ships feature pickleball courts with amazing top-deck views. The equipment and courts are available for a match anytime, so long as the weather allows. Join a pickleball tournament at sea and put your dink shot to the test. Learn the basics at complimentary beginner’s lessons, starting in spring 2023. Commemorative starter kits will soon be available in our retail shops — purchase as gifts for avid players or as souvenirs, so that you can always look back on your pickleball cruise memories.
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