Just back from Panama Cruise

I just returned yesterday from a 16 day cruise on the Celebrity Infinity from Seattle, thru the Panama Canal to Fort Lauderdale. If anyone has any questions, I would be happy to try to answer for you.

Thanks for the offer. Although we will be on a Princess cruise, I'd still be interested in what you did for excursions.

Hi Anita

We are on the Infinity on April 10. Also interested in your port experiences, and the condition of the ship.

Hilary :)

We will be on the Island Princess March 15-30 and we too want to know what you did in the ports....

Here is a quick summary of what we choose to do. There were 4 of us and the privite tours were just us. The prices would be lower with more people.

And just a couple of comments about the ship and some observations.

I also posted this on the Celebrity board as well.

Ship… she is getting a bit worn. Stains, our railing on the veranda was chipped..needed painted. Stuff like that. However, she was as clean as could be and the staff on board were perfect!

We were under the impression that we could take 2 bottles of wine on board per cabin. Since there were 4 of us traveling together, we brought 4 bottles of wine, in a ‘wine bag’ from the store to the ship when we checked in. My DH carried all 4 of them on board…no one said one word to him. So after we checked in around noon, we went back off the ship to spend some time in Seattle, and bought 4 more bottles. He carried 4 more on board and was never questioned. We asked our room attendant to bring us red and white wine glasses to the room…which he did and made sure he brought clean ones as needed.

We also brought on board a case of diet coke and a six pack of water. The water was only so we had bottles to refill throughout the cruise. The drinking water on board is fine.

Seattle (Thursday)

Wander around Seattle for a bit .. Bought water, wine, etc

San Diego (Sunday 9-5)

Did Hop on Hop off bus with tickets already bought on line

Cabo San Lucas (Wednesday 9-6)

Our DH’s did the deep sea fishing with ship excursion 0930 – 1430 $189.

Includes licenses, all bait, lunch etc. catch and release.

We girls shopped around Cabo, had lunch at the Harbor.

Acapulco (Friday 8-5)

Tours by Van (Rudy) $50 pp we paid for our own lunch info@tourbyvan.com

includes: tour, water and soda in a/c van.

We had Rudy as our guide…he was great.

We did: Cliff Divers, Chapel of Peace and the Cross of Trouyet, The Los Flamingos Hotel, Hotel Casa Blanca, Diego Rivera’s Mosaic Mural, El Mercado Municipal, Puerto ***** Bay, Lunch at Cabana Restaurant on the beach $15-$25 ), El Zocalo and Cathedral…we could have had some time downtown, but we were tired by then!.

We paid him at end of tour.

Huatulco (Saturday 8-3)

Cruise excursion Catamaran Cruise 10-12:30 It was ok, we cruised up and down the coast, then stopped for some swimming off on of the beaches

There is shopping right off the ship

Main town is 2 miles inland, $ 3 for ride each way

Great swimming beach right off the pier. $5 for lounger

Puntarenas (Monday 7-7)

Okeydokey tours 7 hours for $99. Air conditioned van okeydokeytours@hotmail.com

Again we paid at the end of tour.

Was to Include: full tour, water, soda, beer and fruits in cooler in a/c van, and lunch Charlie was a bit disorganized…. Van was not ready, no cooler in the van. But we did have a nice day, our driver stopped for water from time to time.

We did the following:

La Roca Forest (capuchin monkeys, coati mundi), Mango Plantations (country side) with tasting of mangos, pineapple, watermelon and papaya, Villa Lapas Canopy and Rainforest (options there were: hanging bridges, Zip line, or Crocodile River tour). We choose the Crocodile Tour and it was great. We went to Ganado Town (will see Toucans, Amacaws), Jaco Beach for a Costa Rican lunch, Ocean Rivers and Waterfalls (view), City of Puntarenas for coffee, vanilla, and souvenirs.

Panama Canal (Wednesday)

The locks were incredible. I had done some reading, watched some documentary on the canal, but nothing was as great as the real thing. We stayed on the ship thru the first 2 locks, and then did a ship excursion while the ship waited in the Gatan Lake and then went thru the Gatan Locks. We rejoined the ship in Colon. We did the Panama and the Miraflores Locks excursion 1:30 to 8pm

Cartagena (Thursday 12-8)

Tour by Claudia 4-41/2 hours $90. pp around 1:30 to 5:30 claudia@toursclaudiavidal.com

She pre paid all entrance fees so we did not have to wait in line for any tickets.

Our tour Included; air conditioned van, tickets to all 3 monuments

Full tours of San Felipe Fort, La Popa, Palace of the Inquisition.

A stop for a beer/drink at a local bar/restaurant.

Some time walking and visiting “Old Town”.

Short stops at both Las Bovedas and Pierino Gallo for some quick shopping.

It was a nice tour…we feel we saw quite a bit of Cartagena, some very poor areas.

If you have any specific questions, let me know.

Thank you for all the info. We're doing the Panama Canal cruise on NCL but we're stopping in all the ports you listed except the American ones and Panama itself so I appreciate your opinions.

Is there good shopping at all of the piers? I'm wondering if it's all over-priced "tourist trap" shops and would it be best to actually go in the towns, or if we can just get off the ship, buy some good quality local crafts (and coffee where it's appropriate). I can't walk much so we don't plan to do a lot of excursions. Are there any warnings about the taxis in the ports? Are they all safe for tourists or are there certain ones that should be avoided?

Thank you for all the info. We're doing the Panama Canal cruise on NCL but we're stopping in all the ports you listed except the American ones and Panama itself so I appreciate your opinions.

 

Is there good shopping at all of the piers? I'm wondering if it's all over-priced "tourist trap" shops and would it be best to actually go in the towns, or if we can just get off the ship, buy some good quality local crafts (and coffee where it's appropriate). I can't walk much so we don't plan to do a lot of excursions. Are there any warnings about the taxis in the ports? Are they all safe for tourists or are there certain ones that should be avoided?

There is some shopping around the area of the piers...but pretty much tourist stuff. Cabo has lots of shops and places to eat within walking distance of the ship. In the Mexican ports there was a lot of people coming up to us to sell stuff. But once we said no thank you they did move on. The ship will give you advise on each port about what taxi's to use, and how much you should have to spend going to certain places. We noticed a lot of armed police in the Mexican ports...we were told that was to keep us safe but it was a bit uncomfortable for me.

I just returned yesterday from a 16 day cruise on the Celebrity Infinity from Seattle, thru the Panama Canal to Fort Lauderdale. If anyone has any questions, I would be happy to try to answer for you.

I was wondering about the weather. We are going next year, Sept.30. Also did you not go into Guatemala? Julie

Thank you for that info itsanita. :)

Did you get a yellow fever shot before the cruise and/or take malaria pills?

How were the mosquitoes in the ports? I'm going to the travel doctor tomorrow to see what he has to say.

I'm leaving the Norwegian Star on November 4th.

In case it's of any interest here are some vids from a similar itinerary :

Cabo San Lucas - Kaying to El Arco (photo slideshow as kayaks are not very camcorder-friendly, or rather the Sea of Cortez isn't)

Acapulco Cliff Divers

Antigua, Guatemala

Puntarenas, Costa Rica - Crocodile River Tour (without crocodiles)

Panama Canal Transit - the full 50 miles

Did you get a yellow fever shot before the cruise and/or take malaria pills?

 

How were the mosquitoes in the ports? I'm going to the travel doctor tomorrow to see what he has to say.

 

I'm leaving the Norwegian Star on November 4th.

We have been through the canal twice & never saw a Mozzie once

we did a tour in Costa Rica to the Tortugero canal no mozzies there either

Take some Muskol you will be fine

We had no mosquitoes at all, anywhere. We always had repellent with us, but never used it.

The weather was hot and muggy. We had some rain, we took rain coats and poncho's but the few times it rained it felt good!! There was no way I was putting on a coat or poncho...too hot. We carried an umbrella once.

No shots needed per our family doctor.

Our Dr insisted that we be up to date on our Tetanus shots; and he highly recommended getting the TwinRix shots (lifetime protection), the typhoid pills (5 year protection) and some liquid for the prevention of Montezuma's Revenge (6 months protection). Since we're not sleeping anywhere but the ship, he said malaria was not likely something to worry about.

We decided to go ahead and get all that he suggested - even if they aren't required for this cruise we're set for any last minute getaways that may come up. We'd hate to get an amazing price for a tropical all-inclusive leaving tomorrow and not be able to go because we couldn't get the shots in time. The TwinRix is pretty expensive ($275 each in Manitoba) and not covered by Manitoba Health, but it is a lifetime protection.

We will also become ineligible to donate blood for one year due to this cruise. Apparently we're going to some countries that Canadian Blood Services deems "risky".

Here is a quick summary of what we choose to do. There were 4 of us and the privite tours were just us. The prices would be lower with more people.

And just a couple of comments about the ship and some observations.

 

I also posted this on the Celebrity board as well.

 

 

Ship… she is getting a bit worn. Stains, our railing on the veranda was chipped..needed painted. Stuff like that. However, she was as clean as could be and the staff on board were perfect!

 

We were under the impression that we could take 2 bottles of wine on board per cabin. Since there were 4 of us traveling together, we brought 4 bottles of wine, in a ‘wine bag’ from the store to the ship when we checked in. My DH carried all 4 of them on board…no one said one word to him. So after we checked in around noon, we went back off the ship to spend some time in Seattle, and bought 4 more bottles. He carried 4 more on board and was never questioned. We asked our room attendant to bring us red and white wine glasses to the room…which he did and made sure he brought clean ones as needed.

 

We also brought on board a case of diet coke and a six pack of water. The water was only so we had bottles to refill throughout the cruise. The drinking water on board is fine.

 

Seattle (Thursday)

Wander around Seattle for a bit .. Bought water, wine, etc

 

San Diego (Sunday 9-5)

Did Hop on Hop off bus with tickets already bought on line

 

Cabo San Lucas (Wednesday 9-6)

Our DH’s did the deep sea fishing with ship excursion 0930 – 1430 $189.

Includes licenses, all bait, lunch etc. catch and release.

We girls shopped around Cabo, had lunch at the Harbor.

 

Acapulco (Friday 8-5)

Tours by Van (Rudy) $50 pp we paid for our own lunch info@tourbyvan.com

includes: tour, water and soda in a/c van.

 

We had Rudy as our guide…he was great.

We did: Cliff Divers, Chapel of Peace and the Cross of Trouyet, The Los Flamingos Hotel, Hotel Casa Blanca, Diego Rivera’s Mosaic Mural, El Mercado Municipal, Puerto ***** Bay, Lunch at Cabana Restaurant on the beach $15-$25 ), El Zocalo and Cathedral…we could have had some time downtown, but we were tired by then!.

We paid him at end of tour.

 

Huatulco (Saturday 8-3)

Cruise excursion Catamaran Cruise 10-12:30 It was ok, we cruised up and down the coast, then stopped for some swimming off on of the beaches

There is shopping right off the ship

Main town is 2 miles inland, $ 3 for ride each way

Great swimming beach right off the pier. $5 for lounger

 

Puntarenas (Monday 7-7)

Okeydokey tours 7 hours for $99. Air conditioned van okeydokeytours@hotmail.com

Again we paid at the end of tour.

Was to Include: full tour, water, soda, beer and fruits in cooler in a/c van, and lunch Charlie was a bit disorganized…. Van was not ready, no cooler in the van. But we did have a nice day, our driver stopped for water from time to time.

We did the following:

La Roca Forest (capuchin monkeys, coati mundi), Mango Plantations (country side) with tasting of mangos, pineapple, watermelon and papaya, Villa Lapas Canopy and Rainforest (options there were: hanging bridges, Zip line, or Crocodile River tour). We choose the Crocodile Tour and it was great. We went to Ganado Town (will see Toucans, Amacaws), Jaco Beach for a Costa Rican lunch, Ocean Rivers and Waterfalls (view), City of Puntarenas for coffee, vanilla, and souvenirs.

 

Panama Canal (Wednesday)

The locks were incredible. I had done some reading, watched some documentary on the canal, but nothing was as great as the real thing. We stayed on the ship thru the first 2 locks, and then did a ship excursion while the ship waited in the Gatan Lake and then went thru the Gatan Locks. We rejoined the ship in Colon. We did the Panama and the Miraflores Locks excursion 1:30 to 8pm

 

Cartagena (Thursday 12-8)

Tour by Claudia 4-41/2 hours $90. pp around 1:30 to 5:30 claudia@toursclaudiavidal.com

She pre paid all entrance fees so we did not have to wait in line for any tickets.

Our tour Included; air conditioned van, tickets to all 3 monuments

Full tours of San Felipe Fort, La Popa, Palace of the Inquisition.

A stop for a beer/drink at a local bar/restaurant.

Some time walking and visiting “Old Town”.

Short stops at both Las Bovedas and Pierino Gallo for some quick shopping.

It was a nice tour…we feel we saw quite a bit of Cartagena, some very poor areas.

 

If you have any specific questions, let me know.

Was there am extra charge for the crocodile tour or zip line,ect.? julie

Thanks for your replies. I went to the travel clinic yesterday and opted for the Hepatitis A and seasonal influenza shot.

I passed on Hepatitis B; typhoid and yellow fever (the doctor had no problem giving me the yellow fever waiver). I have multiple sclerosis and there has been some problem with the Hep B vaccine and MS so I decided not to take a chance so close to departure.

We do not eat or drink off of the ship.

Looking forward to my trip :)

Thanks for your replies. I went to the travel clinic yesterday and opted for the Hepatitis A and seasonal influenza shot.

 

I passed on Hepatitis B; typhoid and yellow fever (the doctor had no problem giving me the yellow fever waiver). I have multiple sclerosis and there has been some problem with the Hep B vaccine and MS so I decided not to take a chance so close to departure.

 

We do not eat or drink off of the ship.

 

Looking forward to my trip :)

I also got a tetanus shot from my family doctor last week; which I forgot to mention above.

One more thing: the travel clinic wasn't too concerned about malaria except on Roatan until about 9 am in the morning.

We both already had the Hep vacines (we are in the health care field) and our tetnus is always up to date.... so no shots were recommended for us.

Julie,

we could choose the zip line, corc tour, or hnaging bridge and it was included in the price.

Did Celebrity have any special activities, related to the Panama Canal, before or during the Canal transit such as a port lecturer or narration during the transit?

Did Celebrity have any special activities, related to the Panama Canal, before or during the Canal transit such as a port lecturer or narration during the transit?

Yes, they have a guest lecturer that gets on the ship at the beginning of the transit. You can hear him in certain areas of the ship, and also on your TV in the cabin.

They also opened the heli port at the front of the ship to the passengers during the transit.

Hi. I don't understand the bit about the ship going through the locks, then it "hangs out" in a lake for awhile? And you get off the ship while it is in the lake, and the ship continues through the locks without you? ??

We went from the Pacific Ocean to the Caribbean Sea. We got there about 5:30-6am. We went thru the Mires Flores Locks, then immediately went thru the Pedro Miguel Locks. It then took over an hour to go thru the Gaillard Cut, where the Chagres River flows into the canals. The Gaillard Cut (also known as Culebra Cut because its curves resemble a snake) is very interesting because it was carved through the Continental Divide. It then dumps us into the Gatun Lake, which was formed by erecting the Gatun Dam. There are many ships hanging out here, waiting for their turn to go the rest of the way….either toward the Caribbean thru the Gatun Locks, or to go thru the Gaillard Cut to go to the Pacific Locks.

We were told that in the am…the larger ships go from the Pacific, thru the 1st to sets of Locks, then thru the cut, to the Gatun Lake. And the large ships go from the Caribbean Sea thru the Gatun Locks into the Gatun Lake. They all wait there until all are thru (as its one way thru the Gaillard Cut for the larger ships. Then the ships waiting in the Gatun Lake can go the rest of the way…the ones that came thru the Gatun Locks head thru the Gaillard Cut toward the Pacific, and the ones that came from the Pacific go out the Gatun Locks into the Caribbean Sea. That’s why we all have to hang out in the Gatun Lake until they can reverse the ‘one way’ traffic. While we are sitting in the Lake, those that took a ship excursion are tendered off for their excursions. If it’s a land excursion, you will rejoin the ship once it goes thru the Gatun Lock and docks at either Cristobal Pier or Colon Pier (they are both in Colon Panama and are very close together). In the late afternoon and evening, they send the smaller ships…and that can sometimes be two way traffic thru the Cut. I hope this makes sense?

We both already had the Hep vacines (we are in the health care field) and our tetnus is always up to date.... so no shots were recommended for us.

 

Julie,

we could choose the zip line, corc tour, or hnaging bridge and it was included in the price.

Thanks for the info Anita. I am going to set up a tour there. Its good to have some knowledge of the tour before you go. Will also use your guide for Cartegena.You did go actually into the fort didn't you? Most of the tours I have looked at , don't. julie

Thanks for the info Anita. I am going to set up a tour there. Its good to have some knowledge of the tour before you go. Will also use your guide for Cartegena.You did go actually into the fort didn't you? Most of the tours I have looked at , don't. julie

Our Cartegena included full tours of San Felipe Fort, La Popa, and Palace of the Inquisition. And our guide was very knowledable. You can tour all 3, or just one or two... She will make the tour whatever you want it to be. We were really pleased.