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And once you’ve had a look — not to mention a taste — at the certifiable cocktail magic of Alchemy Bar®, you still may not believe your eyes. Dating back to 1673, the UNESCO World Heritage Site features landmarks like the Panama National Theater and the Cathedral Basilica of St. Mary. You'll also find some of the city's best restaurants, beautiful squares and plazas and top-rated museums. If you've booked a pre- or post-cruise hotel in town, be sure to catch a sunset from one of the city's many rooftop bars.
Seattle
For any cruises listed, Cruise Critic does not guarantee any specific rates or prices. 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. This ship, which pays tribute to some of the most enduring legends throughout the ages, still features classic Carnival Legend favorites. Take a dip in the Camelot and Avalon pools, wish for fortune at Club Merlin Casino, and taste something savory at Truffles Restaurant. There’s more than one way to dine at Lido Deck’s Unicorn Café, including handmade faves at Guy’s Burger Joint™ and fresh taco-burrito goodness at BlueIguana Cantina™.
Day 2 & 3: Fun Day at Sea
The array of options means that a Panama Canal cruise experience is possible even if you're short on time or have a limited budget — and chances are high that your favorite cruise line offers one or more itineraries. Most sailings attract couples, typically retirees, but if the timing is right a Panama Canal cruise can also be a great multi-generational experience. Panama Canal itineraries are offered by almost every cruise line. Thanks to a 2016 canal expansion project, a third set of locks can now accommodate larger vessels. It's possible to cruise the Panama Canal on ships of all sizes (from 148 guests to more than 3,000) on itineraries that range from a week in the sun to a six-month world cruise. The Panama Canal cruise season runs between the months of October and May.
The best time to cruise the Panama Canal
If we had it to do over again, one of us would have run upstairs for some omelets or burritos, but we were not exactly sure what time we would make it to the beginning of the canal. We decided to start our day with room service to get us up and moving. Once the food and coffee arrived, we turned on the front of the ship camera on the TV and opened our curtains. We could immediately see ships behind us in the dim haze of the early morning. Cruise Critic is not a booking agent and does not charge any service fees to users of our site.
Port Canaveral, Florida
THE 8 BEST Cruises from Tampa to the Panama Canal & Central America (with Prices) on Cruise Critic - Cruise Critic
THE 8 BEST Cruises from Tampa to the Panama Canal & Central America (with Prices) on Cruise Critic.
Posted: Tue, 24 Oct 2023 03:05:07 GMT [source]
This year’s awaited season was kicked off by the Carnival Spirit, which is on a 16-day voyage from Seattle, Washington to New Orleans, Louisiana. Built in 2001, the Panamax-size vessel has a length of 292 meters, a beam of 32 meters, and an approximate capacity of 2,680 passengers. We booked an aft-facing balcony and that is where 90% of the pictures in this post come from. There were many benefits of being able to experience the canal from our own room and our own balcony, but the Carnival Pride was a good ship for the Panama Canal.
Day 9 & 10: Fun Day at Sea
Should Semana Santa (Holy Week, from Palm Sunday through Holy Saturday) fall in March, there will be more crowds nationwide in Panama with religious processions and reenactments, parades and other special events. Many venues and attractions may be closed on some days during the festivities. Carnival is a festival in mid-January in Panama City and other towns around the country. It's one of the biggest celebrations in Central America — even bigger than the Christmas holidays for most families, so you can expect crowds during that time. For a rainy-day excursion, ride the Panama Canal Railway, one of the world's great train rides. If you're in Panama City, plan an indoor excursion with a visit to the world's first museum dedicated to biodiversity, the Frank Gehry-designed Biomuseo.
Land Vacations
Holland America offers a variety of Panama Canal cruises, but the most popular itineraries span 14 to 16 days. They offer a full transit between Fort Lauderdale and San Diego, or vice versa, and are offered on multiple ships, including Zaandam, Eurodam, Nieuw Amsterdam and Volendam. These sailings call on Cartagena, Colombia; Puntarenas, Costa Rica; Puerto Quetzal, Guatemala; Huatulco and Puerto Vallarta or Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. But not so fast — traversing the Panama Canal actually takes at least 20 hours! Cruise it and enjoy a zoomed-in real-life look at perhaps last century’s greatest engineering achievement… along with its surrounding lush, verdant lands.
Gotta see Colon (Panama Canal)?
"The Path Between the Seas," by historian David McCullough, is highly recommended. They will deploy Neopanamax vessels such as the Norwegian Joy, Celebrity Edge, Caribbean Princess, Emerald Princess, Carnival Freedom, Ruby Princess, Carnival Glory, and Carnival Freedom. They will be joined by smaller cruise ships such as the Viking Star, Seabourn Quest, Star Legend, Windstar, and National Geographic Quest, among others. With drier weather and high temperatures hovering around 88 degrees, it's less humid in the region in December.
THE BEST Cruises from New Orleans to the Panama Canal & Central America (with Prices) on Cruise Critic - Cruise Critic
THE BEST Cruises from New Orleans to the Panama Canal & Central America (with Prices) on Cruise Critic.
Posted: Tue, 24 Oct 2023 02:10:24 GMT [source]
35 Closing of lock #3
The walls of the canal were so close I could have easily reached out and touched them. On my way back in I walked to the other side of the promenade deck and accidentally found myself in a crew smoking area. I snapped a couple of quick pictures and walked briskly back up to the room. On the journey to Gatun lake, we were being raised to the level of the lake in the mountains. As soon as the first lock closed, we began to feel the ship rising. We were not sure if we would truly feel the ship being raised and lowered, but it was obvious that we were pretty quickly moving to the height of the door to the lock.
Another exciting alternative is to take a trek through the rain forest at Gamboa, or visit an authentic Embera Indian Village on the Chagres River (which often takes place by canoe). Apart from length of sailing, the biggest decision you'll need to make on a Panama Canal cruise is whether to opt for a traditional trans-canal experience or take a partial crossing. During your visit, be sure to look for monkeys, sloths, iguanas, blue-footed boobies, capybaras, crocodiles and even manatees on a jungle boat tour along the canal and into Gatun Lake. For outdoor adventure seekers, it's too wet for hiking in the rainforests, but other activities benefit from the rainy season, including whitewater rafting.
So set your alarm; the sooner you can pull yourself out of bed, the better the spot you'll snag. Here, we look at Panama's peak cruise season month by month, so you can consider the weather, pricing and crowds to determine the best time to cruise through the Panama Canal. 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. For the ultimate cruise indulgence, Viking's 180-day World Voyage I includes a Panama Canal transit (on Christmas Day, no less) as 930-passenger Viking Sky cruises from Fort Lauderdale to New York City (Dec. 19, 2024–June 17, 2025). This round-the-world cruise will visit 37 countries as guests enjoy Viking Sky's modern Scandinavian interior decor, soothing LivNordic Spa, two pools (including one with a retractable roof) and six onboard restaurants.
In Miami, you’ll enjoy a small taste of the tropical weather many of you will experience during your cruise, and you’ll see why Miami is one of the most popular places to live in America. Prior to this cruise we had read and watched several things about the history of the Panama Canal. This gave us insight into what we were viewing as we went, but I was also very fascinated by the mechanical mules that are attached to each ship as it goes through the canal.
All rates & offers are capacity controlled, are subject to availability & confirmation, & may change without notice. Information deemed reliable but not guaranteed -- please confirm details at time of booking. Stateroom photos are for sample purposes only -- actual design and layout may vary. The two ships we could see in the canal were high above us.
And up in SkyBox™ Sports Bar, we've combined luxury-box comfort with the up-close view from the 50-yard line. Despite the early start, you'll want to be prepared for the Panama sun, as it can get surprisingly hot while you're out there waiting. Some ships will do their best to make passengers comfortable, offering chilled towels and water, juice and Panama rolls (Danish-like pastries with sweet fruit filling in the center) for a small breakfast alfresco. Other great shore excursion options include taking the refurbished Panama Railway from the Pacific to the Atlantic. It rides parallel to the Canal and offers a great view in luxuriously paneled railway cars.
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