Panama Canal Cruise- sept/aug weather?

[vacationlover_mn]

Yesterday I was SO happy to learn that my uncle will be taking my mom on a Panama canal cruise.   She has never cruised before, and I know she will love it 🙂. Her DH is in end stage Alzheimer’s right now, and this is giving her something to look forward to.

 

My question is- how is the weather for that cruise?  He said it will be in Sept/Aug- is that hurricane season yet?

Edited December 26, 2019 by vacationlover_mn

[Clarea]

Hot and humid.

 

Peak Atlantic/Caribbean hurricane season is typically mid-August through the beginning of October.

[vacationlover_mn]

Thx Bob!  I so hope she has an awesome trip 🙂

[pcur]

I can empathize with your Mom:  I had a rough 5 years before my Dad passed in 2015 from Parkinson's and late stage Alzheimer's.  I had a sense of humor about his auditory and visual hallucinations, but it's still hard to see them decline.  It's a wonderful gift from your Uncle: kudos to him.

 

Weather will be very hot and humid, beautiful, and even if there's an early hurricane, the ship sails away from it.  RCCL are experts at doing this.

 

Fun travels to her and your Uncle.

Edited December 26, 2019 by pcur

[vacationlover_mn]

Just found out he’s looking at more of an October date 🙂. Hopefully less risk of a hurricane 🙂

[TLex]

If you get to the 8th parallel (Panama), there won't be any risk of hurricanes (you didn't note from where you launch so the voyage down to the Isthmus may be a different question).  Panama doesn't get hurricanes mostly due to the Coriolis effect at that latitude.  

 

Now, as for the weather, the Rainy Season starts in late April/early May, runs through the summer and peaks with occasional torrential downpours (much depends on whether it's an El Nino or La Nina year) through October/November.  The Dry Season, which corresponds to "summer" in the Panama school system, is late December through April (Christmas to Easter).  

 

But Bob is 100% correct: whether Dry Season or Rainy Season, it's always very hot and very humid.  

 

I oughta' know: lived there from 1982 to 1999!  😄   

 

Regardless, going through the Canal is an amazing experience.  I haven't been back since 2009 and Panama completed the third set of locks which can now take ships up to 1400 feet long and 180 feet wide (60 feet deep).  Much larger than the original locks.  

 

VR, 

 

T Lex

[lazydayz]

We traversed the Canal in early October this year.  It was hot and humid.  Sunny in the morning with rain in the late afternoon.  Reminded me of Tampa in the summertime.