Panama Canal Connoisseur Tour January 2021?

[disneyochem]

Hello, quick question.  We are booked on this Panama Canal cruise in January 2021 but unsure about the Connoisseur designation.  Nobody at Princess could tell us what it means.  What makes this trip ‘Connoisseur?”  Is it because it’s part of the World Iternary?

 

We are going on a connoisseur Alaskan tour next summer (TB1, June 2020) so understand what is covered on that tour.

 

Thanks!

Edited June 19, 2019 by disneyochem

[skynight]

2020? Probably just a marketing term since it's on the small ship, Pacific Princess, and also stops at two ports not normally visited, Puerto Quepos, C.R. and Puerto Chiapas, Mexico. A connoisseur land tour normally means that it is escorted. Maybe the intention is to place a special lecturer on board, kind of escorting the cruise with knowledge. In any case this should be a nice cruise on a small ship.

Edited June 19, 2019 by skynight

[voljeep]

4 minutes ago, skynight said:

2020? Probably just a marketing term since it's on the small ship, Pacific Princess, and also stops at two ports not normally visited, Puerto Quepos, C.R. and Puerto Chiapas, Mexico. A connoisseur land tour normally means that it is escorted. Maybe the intention is to place a special lecturer on board, kind of escorting the cruise with knowledge. In any case this should be a nice cruise on a small ship.

congrats on your 10,000th post - WOW !!

[fishywood]

It is a world cruise segment on Island Princess.

There will be enrichment activities not found on most other Princess cruises.

Also there are more sea days than the normal full transit canal cruises: only five ports rather than six or seven.

[skynight]

I see it now under World Cruise, not Panama Canal. Agree probably additional enrichment lectures. Ports look fairly normal not the ones I saw on the Pacific Princess.

[disneyochem]

Thank you all for your replies--much appreciated.  

 

I did noticed that there aren't as many ports as other full transits.  Because of this, and because it doesn't appear to be much value added by the connoisseur label, I'm seriously considering a 16-day full transits on HAL.

 

Thanks again.

[JF - retired RRT]

I can tell you what it means is 200 days. We're booked on the Pacific Princess for the canal with the "connoisseur" designation.

[caribill]

At sea Connoisseur designation usually just means it costs more.

 

On land, at least in Alaska, it means more meals are included and you have a guide who is with you for the land portion.

[sir-magoo]

I was trying to figure out the same thing earlier today myself as we are also booked on this one, and also after just recently being in Alaska seeing the fairly obvious difference between the "usual" and connoisseur tours.

 

I couldn't figure out any difference and there was nothing online that could identify what may be different about it either.

 

Anyhow, we like the itinerary and the timing is good, so we are still keen to go.

[disneyochem]

3 hours ago, sir-magoo said:

I was trying to figure out the same thing earlier today myself as we are also booked on this one, and also after just recently being in Alaska seeing the fairly obvious difference between the "usual" and connoisseur tours.

 

I couldn't figure out any difference and there was nothing online that could identify what may be different about it either.

 

Anyhow, we like the itinerary and the timing is good, so we are still keen to go.

I know, right?  We booked on board —woman who helped us had no idea what the label entailed.  Called Princess when we got home—still no information.

 

Looks like we are staying with this trip.  Hubby likes the sea days and the fact that we will be disembarking in LA—closer to home than San Diego.

[donaldsc]

On 6/19/2019 at 8:27 AM, fishywood said:

It is a world cruise segment on Island Princess.

There will be enrichment activities not found on most other Princess cruises.

Also there are more sea days than the normal full transit canal cruises: only five ports rather than six or seven.

 

More sea days is supposed to be a positive?  Not in my opinion but obviously some people must like them.

 

DON

[fishywood]

1 minute ago, donaldsc said:

 

More sea days is supposed to be a positive?  Not in my opinion but obviously some people must like them.

 

DON

 

This segment is tailored to the pace of those onboard for the Full World Cruise--between 87 to 111 days. Not just fewer ports but the ship maintains slower speeds as well; compare the miles traveled between ports on sea days to other 14 day voyages.

[donaldsc]

2 hours ago, fishywood said:

 

This segment is tailored to the pace of those onboard for the Full World Cruise--between 87 to 111 days. Not just fewer ports but the ship maintains slower speeds as well; compare the miles traveled between ports on sea days to other 14 day voyages.

 

So it is a trick by Princess to charge more and save them money as cruising more slowly consumes less fuel.  Do I have it right?

 

DON