Panama to Cuba on Star Flyer Nov 23 2014

Just about to book this, looks different and exciting! Anyone else booked? Assume there will be mainly Europeans/Canadians.

Do they sail the canal in the daytime?

Also can anyone with experience of the Flier give advice on cat 2 cabins. We are looking at 309, which we are told is free. It has the stair well out of a corner, is it ok? We have been on the Royal, and the Clipper when we picked a cabin near the stern, but it was very noisy when the Med was rough with the propeller coming out of the water. We are sailors, but paying these prices prefer a good nights sleep without feeling we are on watch!

Just about to book this, looks different and exciting! Anyone else booked? Assume there will be mainly Europeans/Canadians.

 

Do they sail the canal in the daytime?

 

Also can anyone with experience of the Flier give advice on cat 2 cabins. We are looking at 309, which we are told is free. It has the stair well out of a corner, is it ok? We have been on the Royal, and the Clipper when we picked a cabin near the stern, but it was very noisy when the Med was rough with the propeller coming out of the water. We are sailors, but paying these prices prefer a good nights sleep without feeling we are on watch!

Most cruises pass do a daylight transit of the Canal. I don't see the point of doing the transit at night , you won't see anything.

As you have been on the Royal you may be aware that the Royal is, generally, somewhat quieter than the SC and the SF. This may be partly because, as I understand it, the Royal, when built, came in above spec for noise - i.e. quieter than expected. We have been in Cabin 325 on the SF and the noise, we felt, was just a little above the base level - perhaps included an element of noise from the engines. As 309 is further forward than 325 it should, perhaps, be quieter.

Thanks Jo and Kamloops.

Jo, we met you on the Royal in the Windwards and you gave me a copy of that poem!

Have read some posts by people doing this route in November, but to St Maarten. Seems its often very rough, into the NE trades and that stops are missed out as its slow. Think we will rethink. Maybe just do Cuba in January 2015. Makes flights much easier too.

We don't mind rough seas but prefer to sail downwind, as that's what Clippers do best!

Ships move through the canal 24/7 but don't worry, it's lit up like daytime so you can see everything going on. One of our canal trips was at 4:30 in the morning so everyone was half asleep on the rails.