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Too HOT?


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Opinions please...

My DH would like to see the Panama Canal...his wife, (me) does not tolerate heat well. We are "considering" going on a 11 day cruise with Princess in Feb.. I would like to "suck it up", so my HD can have this experience, but know that it's easier said than done. All the ports have high humidity...for those who have take a Panama cruise, are there many or any excursions that include "air conditioning", or would any time off the ship be miserable? I ask because I want him to see the Panama Canal, but I wouldn't want to ruin this for him.

Any thoughts?

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First of all I don't know what sort of weather you have in the Foot Hills of the Sierras, but I can guess it not all that humid. Sounds like you are looking at a partial transit cruise out of Ft. Lauderdale, the good thing is the weather in February will be one of the more pleasant times at any of your Caribbean stops, of course it no doubt will be more humid than you are used to. When you select a shore excursion just look for ones that are heavy in bus transportation and avoid the ones that involve a lot of walking. In the higher humidity areas just look for stops and transportation that would likely have A/C, beyond that shade and a breeze can take the sting out of the heat.

 

At the Canal, again assuming a partial transit, you have the option of taking a tour or not. If you choose "not" then staying on the ship for the return passage through Gatun Locks and the short sail to the dock in Colon, you will never be more than a few feet from A/C when you feel the need. If you decide on taking a tour at the Canal, there are several that are A/C heavy... for instance The Shaping of Panama, some cruise lines have different names, but essentially it is a trip to Panama City on the Pacific side... lots of bus time. The Panama Railroad would be another with a lot of A/C. Even if you selected to go to one of the Embera Villages, the bus ride over and back would be A/C and the cayuco (dugout canoe) ride to the village would open air with a lot of breeze, so no sweat there;). While at the village there is lots of shade available.

 

Really it's not all that bad... loose, breathable clothes, hat, water and just avoid strenuous activity you'll do fine. Go enjoy!

Edited by BillB48
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Of course all interior spaces of the ship will be air conditioned. And, I think every cruise excursion I've ever done has had air conditioned buses for the transportation. They are usually so cold that I've learned to pack a jacket just for the bus ride. Depending on the itinerary and excursions you choose you may even find it cool when outside in a highland area. Coastal areas are a bit like you would expect though.

 

If you like to wear a lot of makeup it is really inappropriate for the tropical climate and can add to the discomfort. It's best to avoid heavy hair products and makeup and to dress appropriately for the climate. Sweating and the humidity take care of many fancy hairdos so everyone will have a similar "not made up" look. It's a good time to put vanity aside for a while.

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Thank you BillB and Pilotdane for your information and encouragement...both of your posts were very helpful. Pilotdane, your tip about hair and makeup was something I hadn't thought about. I am so glad you mentioned it, as I do wear makeup everyday.

Again, thank you both so very much for taking the time to help me out.

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I'll add one suggestion: If your husband is REALLY interested in the canal, do the full transit. If you do only the partial transit, he'll either be disappointed or want to get you to go back again. (I loved the canal trio, and we're doing it again in Dec with a different itinerary, but we're okay with heat.)

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As noted if he really wants to see the canal the full transit is the only way to go. The round trip out of Florida only goes through the first set of locks into Gatun Lake and then back out. You miss the whole cut through the continental divide which is really the spectacular part of the whole engineering project. We're doing our 4 transit in 2 weeks and I wouldn't even consider the partial transit. As noted you live in the Sierra foothills so are pretty used to the heat in the summer. However you don't get any humidity. The Canal transit will not be as hot as the foothills in the summer but the humidity will be very high. But also as noted February is an excellent time to go. Either do the Los Angeles to Fort Lauderdale or vice versa.

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  • 1 month later...

We did the full-transit last year, early December. The humidity was debilitating! We'd like to take my sister and her husband, but she has a medical condition that makes humid heat VERY difficult and even dangerous. Are there any full transits that do not do a ton of "Mexican Riviera" ports?

 

She also cannot fly more than about 5 hours in a day. We'd so like to take them SOMEWHERE! They haven't cruised and are reticent about committing to a Hawaii round-trip; that IS a lot of ocean for a newbie! I've thought of repeating the Alaska cruise, perhaps with a different cruiseline for a few different ports on the way up, although we really liked the things we did in Seward where HAL lands.

 

1995 Marco Polo, Cape Town to Buenos Aires

2000? Statendam, Ensenada to Hawaii and back

June 2009 Statendam, Vancouver to Seward, Alaska

June 2011 MS Russ, St.Peterburg to Moscow

Sept/Oct 2012 MS Russ, Astrakhan to Moscow

Dec 2013 Norwegian Star, Panama Canal & Mexican Riviera

coming up! Nov/Dec 2014 HAL Zaandam, Santiago to Buenos Aires

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I love Antigua and I think you'll like the temperature. Bring a jacket or light rain coat. It can be rainy and the temps will be much cooler than on the coast but what a beautiful little town. It's one of my favorites.

 

If you go to Antigua it's a wonderful opportunity to enjoy some local food. You'll notice that some shops have a doorway in back that leads to a beautiful courtyard for a cafe or restaurant. My favorite is a Xochitl soup with smoked turkey and jalapeno. New York, Paris, Shanghai... and still that simple soup in Guatemala is one of my most memorable foods.

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Now I'm looking at that same cruise/itinerary which for some reason runs two weeks earlier next year! This works with a number of commitments of various individuals potentially going.

 

I need to get a mini-suite and adjacent balcony, of which there are three (out of four on decks I would accept) left.

 

Need to find out what the cancellation-before-end-payment penalties are with Princess. I'll be over there seeking this information!

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  • 2 weeks later...

Panama is only 8 degrees or so off the equator...it's HOT all year round. And, humid! The ship is air-conditioned, so you can get out of the heat.

You do NOT need to leave the ship to get the gist of the canal..the transit IS an "excursion" in itself! If heat is an issue, I'd recommend staying on the ship, and viewing the transit of the canal as it passes through the locks....go out when you want...go in when you need to cool off.

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@ cb!

 

Yes I know it's in the tropics, but the statistical/historical graphs on WeatherSpark do show a trend from in January through February of lower humidity/dewpoint. We've booked a mini-suite and adjoining balcony on one of the bumps, in February 2016! We intend to give the mini-suite to my Sis and BIL (they intend to resist, but there are REASONS beyond just wanting them to have a great first cruise).

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  • 1 month later...
@ cb!

 

Yes I know it's in the tropics, but the statistical/historical graphs on WeatherSpark do show a trend from in January through February of lower humidity/dewpoint. We've booked a mini-suite and adjoining balcony on one of the bumps, in February 2016! We intend to give the mini-suite to my Sis and BIL (they intend to resist, but there are REASONS beyond just wanting them to have a great first cruise).

 

December through March = dry season. Much less rain, humidity lower plus delightful breezes. Bonus: the many flowering trees will be in bloom.

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Thanks OctoberKat! I'm feeling as good as possible about the cruise (it being so far out and all). Skipping the humid Mexican Riviera ports, excursions in Antigua Guatemala (Puerto Quetzal) and Aruba, and possibly skipping the shore time entirely in Cartagena Columbia... We'll do our best for my Dear Sis's aversion to heat and humidity, while giving BIL as much as possible of the Canal!

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