Vancouver to Florida via Panama Canal

Hello all. I'm planning some packages to fill in my spare time(!) and one I like is the final trip from Anchorage all the way down the west coast, through the Panama Canal and up to Florida. Has anyone done this and if so, how did you find it. Would basically mean covering all weather from ice to heat I guess. Awaiting comment.

Steve.

Some thoughts...

• do you want to be on the same boat all the way through?
  
• are you interested in spending a few hours or a few days in each major city?
  
• have you considered pre-Anchorage excursions?
  
• do you want to start your Alaska journey in August when the weather/excursions are better, but then spend a few days/weeks in Cascadia before continuing your journey south in September?
  

Hello all. I'm planning some packages to fill in my spare time(!) and one I like is the final trip from Anchorage all the way down the west coast, through the Panama Canal and up to Florida. Has anyone done this and if so, how did you find it. Would basically mean covering all weather from ice to heat I guess. Awaiting comment.

 

Steve.

That is a really nice itinerary.

I would comment that you might need long-sleeve, jacket clothes, but not ice at that time of the year....and once you sail south of San Francisco it could well be warm from there on.

The normal "full transit" itineraries for Princess start/end in Los Angeles. We have done this itinerary and would like to do it again....perhaps when the upgraded canal is open.

The Ports on that itinerary are, IMO, wonderful. Not overly developed like many places in the Caribbean. (Cabo San Lucas may be the exception)

Do your research, look for non-ship excursion operators...have a great trip!

That is a really nice itinerary.

 

I would comment that you might need long-sleeve, jacket clothes, but not ice at that time of the year....and once you sail south of San Francisco it could well be warm from there on.

 

The normal "full transit" itineraries for Princess start/end in Los Angeles. We have done this itinerary and would like to do it again....perhaps when the upgraded canal is open.

 

The Ports on that itinerary are, IMO, wonderful. Not overly developed like many places in the Caribbean. (Cabo San Lucas may be the exception)

 

Do your research, look for non-ship excursion operators...have a great trip!

We're doing that B2B2B but in reverse. Packing meant summer, spring and winter clothes. Layering appears to be the buzz word as the weather can be unpredictable.The Coral also does this route.

Hi

We did the Coral Princess in September 2011 from Vancouver all the way to Fort Lauderdale through the Canal.

It was a fantastic cruise and would recommend it to anyone, We did have some rough weather from Vancouver all the way to SF but didn't stop us enjoying ourselves and the weather in SF and for the rest of the Cruise was great.

We didn't pack any extra cold clothes and didn't need them.

We would recommend this and would love to do it ourselves with possibly the Alaska portion included at the start.

Enjoy!

We did something similar, although in May 2 years ago, for 6 weeks. Were also concerned re the amount of clothing to cover the diverse seasons. Alaska was just coming out of their winter, and sadly Denali was still closed (late that year). I feel the cold badly, but was surprised....similar to Blue Mtns in winter, possibly milder days. We overpacked for this area. I suggest to listen to others, and layer. I was more than comfortable with my parka and found I did not really need the longjohns etc. I do suggest you take light wet weather gear, and forget the umbrella. DH did not need his parka mostly. Only used it at Juneau whalewatching. We also took heavier hiking shoes, but never used them. Our leather sandshoes were just fine. I did need gloves, DH did not. For the Florida and hotter areas, easy packing, easy washing.

We too found the sea conditions from LA to Vancouver somewhat rough, many wet days, but more of the misty type of rain.

This is a trip I could easily repeat several times. Make the most of your shore tours....just fabulous.

See if you can squeeze in Denali before you sail. If you are disembarking in Vancouver, totally recommend a few days there, making sure you spend one day going up to Whistler. At the other end, FL, catch the train down to Miami for a couple of days. Love Miami area.

Thankyou all for your comments. All taken in and considered. I would probably include the trip with a land based tour of Alaska + inside passage cruise, some time in Vancouver and the Rockies as a minimum. Would love to travel around SanFran again, its been around 4 decades since I was there! North America is a bit like Australia, so much to see and so many options.

Steve.

Oceania do with INSIGNIA a placement each way annually Vancouver to Miami and Miami to Vancouver .

Great cruise the engineering marvel of the Panama Canal, plus interesting ports in Mexico and Cartagena (Columbia) .

Hello all. I'm planning some packages to fill in my spare time(!) and one I like is the final trip from Anchorage all the way down the west coast, through the Panama Canal and up to Florida. Has anyone done this and if so, how did you find it. Would basically mean covering all weather from ice to heat I guess. Awaiting comment.

 

Steve.

We did the Panama Canal from Vancouver a few years ago departing in late September. The weather along the west coast at that time of the year is not that cold but any rain will make it seem colder. I suggest a thin rain jacket and layers underneath. We did it on the Pearl and the staff made it one of the most enjoyable cruises that we have taken.