Panama Canal--Celebrity or Princess

I am trying to decide between two Panama Canal Cruises next year--one with Princess is 11 days--roundtrip from Fort Lauderdale, and the other with Celebrity is 15 days from FLL to San Diego. Does anyone have any idea why the Princess cruise is more expensive than the longer Celebrity cruise. They are both in October. I have cruised with both lines before and do not understand the price difference.

Just a guess, but perhaps the 11 day r/t partial transit cruises are an easier sell..... they may have a larger target market, so therefore more demand. I would imagine the 15 day full transit appeals to a more narrow market, so they may start off with lower prices to attract customers with the hope they may be able to raise prices before the departure date. I think only the nuclear launch codes are more closely guarded than the price structuring mechanisms the cruise lines go use:).

Even though I love the partial transit cruise, given the choice at those prices I would be incline to go full transit.

I would take a careful look at the itinerary and see which cruise actually allows you to get off the ship in Panama and experience something of Panama and doesn't just sail "through" via the Panama Canal. Just doing the Canal alone, without getting off to experience some of Panama, would be like cruising into NY Harbor past the Statue of Liberty then getting off the ship and flying home without ever seeing the Big Apple!

Without carefully comparing the itineraries I can't tell. If the Celebrity cruise is a repositioning cruise, those are usually more aggressively priced. In this market it is a matter of demand and what a cruise line has to do to fill the ship.

Regards, Richard

The hubby and I have done three full transits of the canal. I just can't imagine doing a partial transit -- a partial transit just isn't the total experience.

Celebrity for sure. Full transit. Priceless.

Thanks so much for your responses. They make a lot of sense.

I just want to add I would go with Celebrity as well.

I have done several full transits of the Canal and one partial and I only would recommend a full transit.

Keith

A couple thoughts. What is the itinerary for each line? Depending on where you live what is the transportation cost leaving/arriving different ports? Personally I find the partial thru the locks is very satisfying and in fact are doing it on Princess again in Dec.

You'll find that the cost on cruises is mostly in the number of ports visited, not the number of days traveled - sea days cost the lines almost nothing. That's one of the reasons TransAtlantic cruises are often very cheap, because you get five or six sea days in a row. Have you noticed that the cheapest cruises often stop at ports you never heard of? Cheaper port fees - or the port may even pay the cruise line to stop there to build up tourist traffic. Falmouth Jamaca and Costa Maya Mexico are famous for this.

That said, given a choice I would always do a full transit and I definitely prefer Celebrity. I've never seen a full transit that didn't stop somewhere along the canal for sightseeing, The "partial transits" usually go in through Gatun locks, turn around and go back again through the same lock - hardly the full "Panama Canal experience" if you ask me -