Cruising Panama Canal in November?

We have booked a PC full transit for this November. Hubby and I started listening to The Path Between the Seas. After hearing about their trials during the "rainy season" I started some research. I already knew November was during the rainy season, but some of the travel sites suggested you could visit any month "except November "! They said the other months have brief downpours but in November there is more constant heavy rain. Can anyone share their experience through the canal in November? I'm before final payment so I could reschedule.

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Sue & I did a 15 Night Eastbound Panamal Canal Cruise on Celebrity Infinity the last two weeks of November, 2013. From San Diego to Fort Lauderdale. Visited, Cabo San Lucas, Puerto Vallarta, Puerto Quetzal (Guatemala), Puntarenas (Costa Rica), The Panama Canal, Colon (Panama) and Cartagena (Columbia).

It was a super cruise. Terrific Ports. We had incredible weather (NO RAIN in any port or the Canal).

They brought a commentator onboard who narated the Canal Zone the entire day on the Ships PA System.

The Canal is in the middle of the Northern Tropical/Torid Zone. Two Seasons, Winter and Summer, Both Hot with a bit more rain in winter.

Panama City entrance to Canal Zone at 8.9 degrees north...

Colon entrance to Canal Zone at 9.3 Degrees north...

January Hi 81 Lo 73, 8Hrs Sun, 68mm Rain during 6 days, January is the start of the dry season

February Hi 90 Lo 73, 9Hrs Sun, 32mm Rain during 4 days, February is when Panama Canal truly comes into the hot and dry season,

March Hi 91 Lo 73, 8Hrs Sun, 31mm Rain during 4 days. When it comes to March, Panama Canal is almost at the hottest it will ever be.

April Hi 91 Lo 75, 7Hrs Sun, 99mm Rain during 7 days. Prepare for a hot and dry holiday, as this month marks the last hurrah of the dry season.

May Hi 90 Lo 75, 6Hrs Sun, 279mm Rain during 15 days, May is when the rainy season starts to come back to Panama Canal.

June Hi 88 Lo 75, 6Hrs Sun, 272mm Rain during 15 days, we are now fully into the wet season, and that means a lot of rain is going to be coming down.

July Hi 88 Lo 73, 7Hrs Sun, 282mm Rain during 17 days, As the wet season continues, the temperatures in July now start to drop a little from their peak.

August Hi 88 Lo 73, 6Hrs Sun, 276mm Rain during 18 days, August you will find yourself deep into the wet season.

September Hi 86 Lo 73, 5Hrs Sun, 280mm Rain during 15 days, In September you will find your last chance to visit Panama Canal before the peak rainy season sets in. That is not to say that it will be totally dry this time of year – far from it! This is still a wet month, with around 280mm of rain falling across 15 days.

October Hi 86 Lo 72, 6Hrs Sun, 310mm Rain during 17 days, The weather in Panama Canal is always very hot, but when you get into October, you will find something else entering the mix as well: rain, and a lot of it.

November Hi 86 Lo 72, 5Hrs Sun, 400mm Rain during 18 days, The rainy season reaches its peak in November, so if you are looking to visit Panama Canal and want to stay dry, this is not the time to visit. An incredible 401mm of rain will fall during this month, covering 18 days and giving big downpours every time.

December Hi 86 Lo 72, 6Hrs Sun, 235mm Rain during 12 days, If you are looking to find a place for a special Christmas getaway, then Panama Canal might be just the right choice for you. This is a fantastic location where the weather remains warm year-round: even in December, the average daily temperature is 28°C. This comes with highs and lows that go from 30°C to 22°C, a very warm range indeed that should leave you with nothing to worry about in terms of weather.

Dennis & Sue

It maybe the rainiest month . Doesn't mean that it rains all the time. Rain in the tropics usually comes in the afternoon when every thing warms up and storm clouds form in the hills .

I did the same cruise the end of November 2015 and the weather was gorgeous. The only rain I recall was a short rain shower after we had finished going through the Gatun locks.

November is definitely in the Rainy Season as you know, but it is hard to judge what kind of weather you will experience from the almanac data... particularly in Panama. There is a great deal of differences between the various areas where rainfall data is collected. For example the Atlantic side receives almost twice the rain than the Pacific side. Also the early part of November will have a better chance of rain than the latter part of the month. In general the November time frame there is always a chance of a shower, but it is just that, a shower and not an all day rain event. Just for good measure it also rains in the Dry Season, which runs from late December thru April!

I would only reschedule if it were beneficial to you as in a lower fare, better flights etc. If it makes you feel any better my last several cruises through the Canal have been in November, the only significant rain was after clearing the final lock, which was Gatun on my last transit.

Thanks for all the excellent replies. You've encouraged me to stay the course and hope for the best.

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Thanks for all the excellent replies. You've encouraged me to stay the course and hope for the best.

 

 

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I'm on the same cruise and I can tell you that bad weather has never ruined a cruise for me. It's all in one's attitude.

I did a west bound trip November of 2013. It was a lovely trip. the only rain I can remember was that it sprinkled a little, about 15min, during the transit of the canal and poured down like crazy in the cloud rain forest in Costa Rica. Mostly as far as weather, what I remember the most was how hot it was. I'm not sure I was prepared for the heat and humidly that late in the season. I would not change the trip because of the rain. Enjoy the Path between the Seas, it is a great book and super informative and a great way to get ready for the trip. Here are some of my pictures from the trip if you would like to see the weather.

https://flic.kr/s/aHsjLS3cwf

We were on Princess for an early November transit...it was gorgeous and hot, boy was it hot, did I mention hot? Anyway, a few clouds and a shower would have broken the day up nicely.

Alas, it was just hot.

There was a nice, very early shower the next day on the way to Puntarenas, Costa Rica

We did a 16 day Panama transit last fall...left on October 31...not a drop of rain...lots of humidity

and most days the temps were in low 90s.

We had a wonderful time.

Enjoy!

It's HOT and HUMID all year round in Panama....you're only a few degrees (latitude wise) off the equator! Hot ALL THE TIME!

Thanks again everyone, for the replies. Sounds like hot is the prevalent theme. Cannongate, your photos are gorgeous! Thanks for sharing.