Pride of Panama Cruise

Hi , am booking this for Jan 2015 and was wondering if it's a new Itinerary or has it been done for a bit , really like the look of it and was wondering if anyone had done this one and could comment on it ?

Thanks :)

Yes, it is a new itinerary.

So you'll have to let us all know how you enjoyed it, when you get back.;):D

Yes, it is a new itinerary.

 

So you'll have to let us all know how you enjoyed it, when you get back.;):D

We did just one stop Colon where you can visit the locks on a cruise a few years ago. Only a 20min Taxi drive. I can spend hours there watching ship sail through,an highlight to any holiday in that region.: We did Barbados to Acapulco

so you have puerto limon costa rica, what a fabulous port of call this is, i can highly recommend the tortuguero canal (if you like wildlife) the canals wind thru the jungle we saw huge iguanas, spider monkeys, sloths, snakes (green harmless snakes) and myriad of birds it was fabulous

near the dock the locals will rustle you up a hat/fruit bowl/ornament out of leaves plucked from a nearby hedge, limon experiences almost daily earth tremors (usually mild) so you may even experience one

the countryside is green lush and beautiful...very eco conscious in costa rica

cartagena, not advisable to go independent here (much poverty) but worth taking a guided shorex around town

cant help with san blas? sorry

colon for the panama canal/locks or a trip to the embera (indigenous peoples) village, you will be paddled down the river in a dugout canoe into a jungle clearing (where they still live in stilt houses) you will be shown around the village, meet their animals and the children, join in with some traditional dancing, eat banana cake and have a go at traditional beadwork/basket making...we had a fabulous day

montego bay....didn’t get much further than the beach here, doctors cave beach a short taxi ride from port, a large stretch of golden sand with beach chairs, bars, water trampolines, showers etc (small charge to get in....safe and clean)

hope this helps

so you have puerto limon costa rica, what a fabulous port of call this is, i can highly recommend the tortuguero canal (if you like wildlife) the canals wind thru the jungle we saw huge iguanas, spider monkeys, sloths, snakes (green harmless snakes) and myriad of birds it was fabulous

 

near the dock the locals will rustle you up a hat/fruit bowl/ornament out of leaves plucked from a nearby hedge, limon experiences almost daily earth tremors (usually mild) so you may even experience one

 

the countryside is green lush and beautiful...very eco conscious in costa rica

 

cartagena, not advisable to go independent here (much poverty) but worth taking a guided shorex around town

 

cant help with san blas? sorry

 

colon for the panama canal/locks or a trip to the embera (indigenous peoples) village, you will be paddled down the river in a dugout canoe into a jungle clearing (where they still live in stilt houses) you will be shown around the village, meet their animals and the children, join in with some traditional dancing, eat banana cake and have a go at traditional beadwork/basket making...we had a fabulous day

 

montego bay....didn’t get much further than the beach here, doctors cave beach a short taxi ride from port, a large stretch of golden sand with beach chairs, bars, water trampolines, showers etc (small charge to get in....safe and clean)

 

hope this helps

That's a great help , thanks very much , really looking forward to it , do you know if it's possible to sail thru the Panama Canal as an excursion ?

afaik I dont think you can...i believe it takes all day to transit the panama

you can visit the locks and there is a visitors centre detailing the history of the canal, I cant help with that tho (others may be able to)....we didnt go....but others commented to us that unless you are interested in the history and construction of canals there isnt much to see....its just a canal

we did notice all the container ships/tankers queueing up to enter the canal from where the ship was docked (quite interesting to watch the pilots etc...if you like that sort of thing)....also colon is not a particularly pretty town (commercial docks)

Hi Ian we have booked for the same sailing but in March it would be nice to here your reviews when you are back to see what are the best things to see regards Steve

No problem unless someone else beats me to it :)

I did the Panama leg with Ocean Village a few years ago which also included Cartegena and Limon -an absolutely fabulous cruise - but be prepared for rain One or two cruisers complained about the rain when they'd been on a trip to a rainforest - unbelievable,!!!

There are 2 trips I remember - one is on a glass topped train which follows the canal -enjoyed by everyone I spoke to who had done it The other was a coach drive to Gatun Lake and onto a small pleasure boat which proceeded through the canal, San Pedro locks and Mirafiora locks and out into the Pacific to Panama City where the coach picked us up for a one and a half hour drive back to Colon - fantastic. If these trips aren't available when we go Jan 2015 our party will be extremely upset cos it was this itinerary together with an overnight in Havana that persuaded us to book with Thomsons again. We are not cruising this year as we felt that since 2005 the standard of food and service has seriously declined and it was only this itinerary which lured us back

I did the Panama leg with Ocean Village a few years ago which also included Cartegena and Limon -an absolutely fabulous cruise - but be prepared for rain One or two cruisers complained about the rain when they'd been on a trip to a rainforest - unbelievable,!!!

There are 2 trips I remember - one is on a glass topped train which follows the canal -enjoyed by everyone I spoke to who had done it The other was a coach drive to Gatun Lake and onto a small pleasure boat which proceeded through the canal, San Pedro locks and Mirafiora locks and out into the Pacific to Panama City where the coach picked us up for a one and a half hour drive back to Colon - fantastic. If these trips aren't available when we go Jan 2015 our party will be extremely upset cos it was this itinerary together with an overnight in Havana that persuaded us to book with Thomsons again. We are not cruising this year as we felt that since 2005 the standard of food and service has seriously declined and it was only this itinerary which lured us back

Thanks very much for the info , the boat trip through the canal into the pacific and Panama City is an excursion I hoped would be available and checking the Thomson website it appears they have a trip like that.

Do you have any experience of Cartagena in Columbia ?? Am curious as to whether you do it on your own or if as part of a trip is perhaps better

Hi Iain Sorry for the delay don't come on the site every day.

Thanks for info from Thomson site I'll have a look.

We actually walked into Cartegena - there were 6 of us but we wouldn't do it again. Didn't feel threatened by the locals but had to walk through an area where there had been an early open market and there was rubbish everywhere and the smell was terrible.

The city is lovely - nice buildings and squares and plenty of bars. You will get accosted by cigar salesmen/women everywhere but in a pleasant way. We got a taxi back - not expensive for six.

Also Geomagot is right about the canal in Limon -its lovely. We did it ourselves via a taxi driver and had a small rowing boat with outboard - only 2 of us. But if you take the trip from the ship you are in a larger boat and you get drinks I believe and a guide pointing things out. You are a lot closer to the alligators (small ones) from a rowing boat but further away from the sloths which hang high in the trees. If you like wildlife a good trip.

Are you doing Havana - I do hope so its fabulous and a great overnight. The people are lovely and there are loads of bars with music. We also did the indoor theatre trip which was good. There is an outdoor theatre/club trip - Tropicana I think which everyone enjoyed but because it had rained for 5 days before we got there we didn't want to get wet!! In the event the weather was lovely both days we were there.

Thomson Spirit Repo Palma to Sharm el Sheikh Oct 2005

Thomson Celebration Red Sea Magic Jan 2007

Ocean Village Western Caribbean & Central America Feb 2008

Ocean Village Eastern Med August 2008

Ocean Village 2 Eastern Caribbean Feb 2009

Ocean Village Eastern Caribbean Mar 2010

Thomson Dream Cuba & Eastern Caribbean Feb 2011

Thomson Celebration Eastern Med August 2011

Thomson Celebration Red Sea Magic April 2012

Thomson Celebration Repo Sharm el Sheikh to Marmaris April/May 2012

Thomson Dream Western Caribbean Feb 2013

Thomson Dream Eastern Caribbean, Cuba & Central America Jan 2015

Thomson Dream Transatlantic Montego Bay to Palma April 2015

Thanks again , no we don't do Havana , the stops are

Cartagena

San Blast

Colon

Puerto Limon and then back to Montego Bay for a weeks stay on the Island.

We like to do some stuff on our own and a couple of excursions while away , so we may try Cartagena on our own (a friend wants me to track down a Hard Rock Cafe for him- don't ask !! lol)

Thanks for the advice though , very much appreciated :)

Hi Iain I do not know when in Jan you are on the Dream We are joining her on 30/12/14 for 2 wks so will be on the Panama leg 6/1/15 I am really looking forward to it as have not cruised there before . I really want to do the trip in Colon and sail the length of the canal .l

Dave we join her on 6th January , so we'll be aboard at the same time as yourselves , like you am looking forward to sailing the canal out into the Pacific :)

Dave we join her on 6th January , so we'll be aboard at the same time as yourselves , like you am looking forward to sailing the canal out into the Pacific :)

thanks for getting back to me. I know it's a long way off yet but if you want we will have to have a drink together

thanks for getting back to me. I know it's a long way off yet but if you want we will have to have a drink together

Sounds like a plan to me :)

We will be on this ship starting January 6, 2015. If you are organizing for excursion of any ports and looking for people to join, we are interested. Please let us know. Thank you.

I did the Panama leg with Ocean Village a few years ago

Did a Panama Canal Cruise on the RCCL ship, the Legend of the Seas.

It was a very nice cruise. Very interesting.

As the ship was relocating, we continued to Hawaii. which was also enjoyable.

Would recommend the cruise, but cannot comment on the ship, only to read the comments on here.

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Only 4weeks to go now, ,not be long

See youz aboard

Muffinman

We will be on this ship starting January 6, 2015. If you are organizing for excursion of any ports and looking for people to join, we are interested. Please let us know. Thank you.

Are you doing two weeks or just one?

Me and my wife doing 2 weeks starting 6th jan, see you aboard

Muffinman:)

Hello, We are looking to book shore excursions, if you are interested to join us to tour Cartagena (Colombia), Colon (Panama), and Puerto Limon (Costa Rica), we would be happy to have you. :)

Hi , am booking this for Jan 2015 and was wondering if it's a new Itinerary or has it been done for a bit , really like the look of it and was wondering if anyone had done this one and could comment on it ?

 

Thanks :)

Just one week Jan 6 to Jan 13. How about you, are you organizing shore excursions?

Hi! I have already booked an excursion in Cartagena it is a top-rated tour to the main sites/markets with a local (Marelvy Pena-Hall). I also booked the "6 in 1 highlights" tour with Your Lucky Tour for Puerto Limon. However, the more the merrier if you are interested in joining! I was looking to find others to join my boyfriend and I on a tour of the Embera Village in Colon. It is a visit to a Panamanian native village situated in the rainforest, and after much research it seems to be the thing to do! Contact me if you are interested :)

Hello Melly180,

Cartagena: We also have the same tour lady.

Puerto Limon: We have booked with William at tortuguero-wildlife.com. The cost is $40/person. Please come with us on this one.

Colon: We have Mario of Almiza Tour for the CL1 - RAINFOREST + MONKEYS + COLONIAL FORT + GATUN LOCKS. We read about the Embera Village and decided for the Gatun Lock Kayak and the Eco Tour. We could negotiate with Mario to take us to the Embera Village if time permits. This is $65/person.

San Blas: still undecided.

Waiting to hear back from you soon.

Hi! I have already booked an excursion in Cartagena it is a top-rated tour to the main sites/markets with a local (Marelvy Pena-Hall). I also booked the "6 in 1 highlights" tour with Your Lucky Tour for Puerto Limon. However, the more the merrier if you are interested in joining! I was looking to find others to join my boyfriend and I on a tour of the Embera Village in Colon. It is a visit to a Panamanian native village situated in the rainforest, and after much research it seems to be the thing to do! Contact me if you are interested :)