Which Cruise Line? Ship?

Our group that has been cruising for years is ready to do the Panama Canal in late fall, 2008 or early winter 2009. We range in age from the 40's to the 60's. Children rarely go with us. All our cruises have been in the Carribean except for the Hawaii one. We have traveled primarily on RCCL and Norwegian. Have tried open seating-mixed reviews by my group.

Love to hear from the cruise critic folks as to the best cruise line and ship to do this tour for our group. We consider cabin comfort, a good itinary and a good value for our money as part of our decision processing. Most of us will get balconies and a few will get insides.

What time of the year are the costs the lowest? Are there any specials to watch for? How far out should we book? This summer for instances or wait until next winter?

Thank you for taking the time to respond to this inquiry. Cruise Critic folks are the most informed cruisers out there even better than many travel agents.

oc pat

I don't know if you want to do a partial transit or full transit, but I can highly recommend the 10 or 11 night partial transits on RCCL's Brilliance of the Seas. Absolutely gorgeous ship, great ports of call, plus since you're a past RCCL passenger you get the repeat traveler perks. If you want a full transit I would look at the Radiance or Serenade of the Seas repo cruises.

The partial transits are usually done in the winter. You can usually only find the full transits as repositioning cruises in the Fall and Spring.

I am assuming partial means you start at one coast and end up at the other. Correct? Which is better? Did the Radiance years ago...1999? We really still consider her the classes ship we've been on so I pleased to hear your recommendation on her sister ship as well. You are right about the RCCL extra's. We will be cruising on the Adventure of the Seas next November.

Thanks for your comments.

OC Pat

Partial means you do a round trip cruise from one coast, usually the East Coast, enter the canal through the first set of locks, and then turn around and go back out the way you came without cruising the entire length of the canal. I did a partial canal transit but got off the ship while we were in Gatun Lake, and then continued the rest of the way through the canal on a ferry excursion. We then took a bus back to the ship.

Full means you cruise the entire length of the canal and usually occurs on the East to West Coast or West to East Coast repositioning cruises in the Spring.

Thank you for that very interesting lesson. See I told you all how smart cruise critic folks can be!

OC PAT

Look at Celebrity Summit. Sounds like it may be a nice fit for all of you. We really enjoy Celebrity.

dzcruisers thanks. Will do just that. Took Celebriety out of Baltimore and was very pleased.

OC PAT

Hi Pat,

I will second the Summit. Some years ago did the partial Panama cruise on her and this Feb we are going on the 14 day Panama Canal cruise.

As a group you probably will all be dining together so it may not matter. But I love late assigned seating. You really get to know your table mates and your servers. Also I feel, it a little more luxury.

We have 4 children but when we cruise, they do not travel with us. We do prefer a more adult patronage. Also love their Thallo pool/ spa area.

Ship is not at all glitzy, but it does make me feel pampered. We booked this time an aft bacony. If you book early-that would be a nice perk especially with your size group. Last year on the Connie, one of our group had an aft and we could easily sit 16 of us. Will be nice to see the canal that way.

Either decision will be a good one though. ENJOY !

Nadine

Just got back friday from the Brillance of the sea panama canal trip and can't say enough good things about it. I have also sailed on the summit and it is my favorite ship so I think either choice will be fine. To compare the two I would say that the summit is a little bit more formal and the brillance a little more relaxed. I am in my 50's and can enjoy either one. I would look at the rest of the itinerary and pick the one I liked best. also look into the weather. It was 90 last week and really humid. Sometimes it gets to be 110 or more. It also rains a lot during the rainy season. I am not sure when the rainy season or the less rainy season starts ( it is never dry) but I know that last week was in the less rainy season and the weather was great.

Take a repositioning cruise in either the Spring or Fall.

We did a Spring repositioning cruise and enjoyed it very much as it was a full transit of the Panama Canal.

The best view is on the Port side of the vessel going from the Caribbean to the Pacific transit. Starboard side on a Pacific to Caribbean transit. At least in our opinion so plan accordingly.

Now having said that the best view is certainly from a high deck at the front of the ship.

A word of caution: I got a very bad sunburn staying out all day during the full transit during a January transit. So later in the year it will be hotter. So likewise prepare accordingly not to get badly sunburned like I did.

We are going on the Feb18th Mercury West to East Panama Canal cruise so some Full transits are not in the fall or spring. In fact, Mercury has been doing full Panama canal cruises since Dec 8th.

We were originally going to go on the Summit out of LA but decided to change to the Mercury out of San Diego instead. This was due to San Diego being more desirable to explore for a few days before the cruise vice LA.

Take a repositioning cruise in either the Spring or Fall.

 

We did a Spring repositioning cruise and enjoyed it very much as it was a full transit of the Panama Canal.

 

The best view is on the Port side of the vessel going from the Caribbean to the Pacific transit. Starboard side on a Pacific to Caribbean transit.

I agree that a full transit repositioning cruise is the best way to go. I have done 2 full transits and one partial, and am on the Island Princess for a full transit this December. The Island is one of my favorite ships.

Curious as to the basis for saying the port side is better for a westbound trip. It seems to me that the port side would always be facing away from the land on a westbound cruise--facing east when heading south on the Caribbean side and facing west when heading north on the Pacific side. I'd prefer to be facing the land when it is within sight.

Hubby and I are looking for full transit as late in the spring of 2008 as possible (eg, late April). I did find one Holland American cruise departing April 27th--any other ideas?

Princess has a RT from LA - 19 days that I understand includes two full transits of the canal on the Island Princess in April '08. Love that ship!

Princess has a RT from LA - 19 days that I understand includes two full transits of the canal on the Island Princess in April '08. Love that ship!

I doubt that this cruise has 2 full transits (or even one). It appears to enter and leave the canal on the Pacific side. Yet it only spends as much time at the canal as a ship goes through both the Pacific and Caribbean locks. Don't see how it can enter the locks, sail all the way to the Carribean side, sail all the way back, and exit the locks in that time frame.

HI, we will be taking the same cruise 2/22/08, question about formal nights and other. Last cruise we were on in December we packed too many formal and semi-formal clothes. There was only 2 formal and the rest casual nights. What was the break down on your panama canal cruise? Thanks

Just got back friday from the Brillance of the sea panama canal trip and can't say enough good things about it. I have also sailed on the summit and it is my favorite ship so I think either choice will be fine. To compare the two I would say that the summit is a little bit more formal and the brillance a little more relaxed. I am in my 50's and can enjoy either one. I would look at the rest of the itinerary and pick the one I liked best. also look into the weather. It was 90 last week and really humid. Sometimes it gets to be 110 or more. It also rains a lot during the rainy season. I am not sure when the rainy season or the less rainy season starts ( it is never dry) but I know that last week was in the less rainy season and the weather was great.

Going full transit from Miami to Vancouver April 22nd. I've was on the NCL Jewel last year and I can tell you I loved it loved it loved it.. Pearl having her new maiden voyage last year is another beauty.

Read great reviews on the pearl on the NCL boards.. And from what I understand we have a great cabin. We are in 11654 seeing port and starboard we are in the back of ship watching the wake... I was a little leary about that but when inquiring about the back of the ship I was told there the first to get booked and consider myself lucky. I'm on deck 11 so sounds wonderful Leaving April 22, less then a month away but will come back and give you a review.

Question about ports on Panama Canal cruises: I've seen terrific reviews for My Friend Mario's trip to the Embera Indian Village. Which cruise lines stop in Colon for this tour? Is it possible to tour the Embera village from Amador? It appears some ships pass through without stopping for excursions. Can anyone clarify?

Question about ports on Panama Canal cruises: I've seen terrific reviews for My Friend Mario's trip to the Embera Indian Village. Which cruise lines stop in Colon for this tour? Is it possible to tour the Embera village from Amador? It appears some ships pass through without stopping for excursions. Can anyone clarify?

Which cruise lines stop in Colon for this tour? Carnival stops in Colon for the day. RCI and Princess stop there for a few hours in conjuction with a partial transit of the canal.

Is it possible to tour the Embera village from Amador?

Doubtful, from what I understand, the village is on the Atlantic side and would require at least a 3 hour roundtrip not including time at the village. I don't how long ships stop at Amador.

It appears some ships pass through without stopping for excursions. Can anyone clarify? Ships that do a full transit are usally on repositioning cruises and don't always include a port stop at the canal. The ship may offer some shore excursions while the ship is transiting the canal, but you would miss the main event of transiting the canal.

Hubby and I are looking for full transit as late in the spring of 2008 as possible (eg, late April). I did find one Holland American cruise departing April 27th--any other ideas?

Try Regent Seven Seas Mariner sailing late April 2007 from Fort Lauderdale through the Canal to San Francisco prior to the schedule of Alaskan cruises. Presumably the same will happen in 2008. On the face of it Regent are expensive, but it is a luxury cruise and you do get an all-suite, all-balcony ship with drinks and gratuities included. No other expense, unless you gamble or indulge in beauty treatments. The same level of comfort would be equally expensive on most good cruise ships.

Oh, shore excursions are extra as you would expect.

Going full transit from Miami to Vancouver April 22nd. I've was on the NCL Jewel last year and I can tell you I loved it loved it loved it.. Pearl having her new maiden voyage last year is another beauty.

 

Read great reviews on the pearl on the NCL boards.. And from what I understand we have a great cabin. We are in 11654 seeing port and starboard we are in the back of ship watching the wake... I was a little leary about that but when inquiring about the back of the ship I was told there the first to get booked and consider myself lucky. I'm on deck 11 so sounds wonderful Leaving April 22, less then a month away but will come back and give you a review.

You're going to LOVE the Pearl! Last month we did back-to-backs and were also in an aft mini-suite (11152) and we wouldn't have traded that location for a courtyard villa! Now, we're looking to book the NCL Sun 18-day Panama for Oct 08, so look forward to your review when you return. Might just convince us to go back to the Pearl instead!

Based on your recommendations and costs we are leaning towards the Brilliance. Saying that, we need advise in the following;

1. What side of the ship should we book our cabins?

2. Is their a hump or aft advantage on this ship for this trip?

3. Private or ship tour -must do?

4. Any insight on what would be a great group tour? Not interested in alot of walking or climbing-too many old bones!

5. What is the negitive side of doing a partial...what are we missing out on other than seeing the other coast?

Again Thank you so much for your help!

OC PAT

I'm in cabin 11654 next Feb. do you have information to share and or photos of this room.

Going full transit from Miami to Vancouver April 22nd. I've was on the NCL Jewel last year and I can tell you I loved it loved it loved it.. Pearl having her new maiden voyage last year is another beauty.

 

Read great reviews on the pearl on the NCL boards.. And from what I understand we have a great cabin. We are in 11654 seeing port and starboard we are in the back of ship watching the wake... I was a little leary about that but when inquiring about the back of the ship I was told there the first to get booked and consider myself lucky. I'm on deck 11 so sounds wonderful Leaving April 22, less then a month away but will come back and give you a review.