Best Cruise for the Canal & Learning?

[kirchubel]

Hi all...I am thinking of booking a Canal cruise. I have sailed twice on RCI (3 day cruises out of Long Beach on Monarch of the Seas and...in the old days...Viking Seranade) and I am trying Carnival for the first time next week (7 days on the Legend..Western Caribbean.)

 

My husband is still "iffy" on cruising but loves to travel. The things he doesn't like about it: He's not big into the casino stuff or organized activities. We've only gone during Dec./Jan (to take advantage of low prices) so he's been on rough seas and has gotten seasick. This time I'm surprising him with a cruise and I got him one of those Relief Aid bands in hopes that he's going to be OK with it. I chose Carnival for the cost - and the itinerary, because it goes to the Mayan ruins which I am sure he will really enjoy.

 

Things he DOES like about cruising: A different port every day (he wants to see new places and doesn't want to just hang around on deck.) He likes just unpacking once. He enjoys the relaxation of not having to be somewhere at any specific time, esp. dinner ... he wants to eat when he's hungry and sleep when he's tired. He's a big fan of snorkling/boating/etc.

 

Both of us are lifelong learners and so any place we go we like to learn about the culture and the history of the place. I know he would be fascinated with the canal. Of course I'd love to be able to afford the cruises that have the scholarly lectures that go with...Any suggestions from a relative newbie to this way of traveling?

 

Thanks, All.

[mii]

Here is what I can tell you. I cruise princess and next month will be taking our 2nd full transit(14 days) from FLL to L.A. While in the canal there is narration all about the canal, statistics, etc. Very interesting. On a full transit you are in the canal all day. On a 14 day cruise we have a multitutde of stops, Aruba, Cartegena, the Canal, Hualtco,MX. Nicaguara, Costa rica and Guatamala. Now Princess also does partial transit of 10 days out of FLL and their stops usually are Jamaica, the first set of locks in the canal, Grand Cayman, Costa Rica and cozumel. Take a look over on the princess site for cruises.

 

Marilyn

[kirchubel]

Here is what I can tell you. I cruise princess and next month will be taking our 2nd full transit(14 days) from FLL to L.A. While in the canal there is narration all about the canal, statistics, etc. Very interesting. On a full transit you are in the canal all day. On a 14 day cruise we have a multitutde of stops, Aruba, Cartegena, the Canal, Hualtco,MX. Nicaguara, Costa rica and Guatamala. Now Princess also does partial transit of 10 days out of FLL and their stops usually are Jamaica, the first set of locks in the canal, Grand Cayman, Costa Rica and cozumel. Take a look over on the princess site for cruises.

 

Marilyn

 

Thanks very much! I will definitely check it out. Never been on princess before...only RCI and (soon) Carnival!

[cruiseapril]

The HAL Zuiderdam offers 10 day cruises also with stops at Half Moon Cay, Aruba, Curacao, Panama, and Costa Rica.

[Cruzer Two]

Hi all...I am thinking of booking a Canal cruise. I have sailed twice on RCI (3 day cruises out of Long Beach on Monarch of the Seas and...in the old days...Viking Seranade) and I am trying Carnival for the first time next week (7 days on the Legend..Western Caribbean.)

 

My husband is still "iffy" on cruising but loves to travel. The things he doesn't like about it: He's not big into the casino stuff or organized activities. We've only gone during Dec./Jan (to take advantage of low prices) so he's been on rough seas and has gotten seasick. This time I'm surprising him with a cruise and I got him one of those Relief Aid bands in hopes that he's going to be OK with it. I chose Carnival for the cost - and the itinerary, because it goes to the Mayan ruins which I am sure he will really enjoy.

 

Things he DOES like about cruising: A different port every day (he wants to see new places and doesn't want to just hang around on deck.) He likes just unpacking once. He enjoys the relaxation of not having to be somewhere at any specific time, esp. dinner ... he wants to eat when he's hungry and sleep when he's tired. He's a big fan of snorkling/boating/etc.

 

Both of us are lifelong learners and so any place we go we like to learn about the culture and the history of the place. I know he would be fascinated with the canal. Of course I'd love to be able to afford the cruises that have the scholarly lectures that go with...Any suggestions from a relative newbie to this way of traveling?

 

Thanks, All.

 

We did a San Juan to Acapulco cruise last year with a full canal transit on the Island Princess. The transit through the canal is very interesting. Princess has canal employees on-board for the entire day doing commentaries on points of interest as you transit the canal and providing information about the canal itself. Building this canal was a truly remarkable project. It was a great cruise. Princess has other cruises through the canal from Fort Lauderdale.

 

Click on the link below for information on viewing a Youtube video of the canal and some of the other ports of call in Central America.

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=926243

 

I don't think you will be disappointed with a canal cruise.

 

Enjoy,

 

Cruzer Two aka Cruzer Too

[gprentice]

Our family did the HAL Zuiderdam over Christmas and thought it was a great cruise. It was our 16th cruise and first with HAL. We have been on Princess, Celebrity, RCCL, and many others. Richard the commentator from Panama was a fantastic source of information and his talks were well received by most of the passengers.

 

Also the HAL cabins won 'best designed staterooms' in a recent poll. I agree, they were of the best we've been in (well designed, bath tubs, etc.)

 

Do a lot of reading before you go, and it will help you make a decision of what's right for you. (are you single? family? What type of activities do you like?)

 

Good luck,

 

Graham

[kirchubel]

Graham, We are a couple who is transitioning from having our kids around all the time to being partial empty nesters. We have a 19 year old who will leave for college in the fall [as a junior -- he's been going to Jr college for two years..] and a 16 year old. We aren't used to vacationing by ourselves...it's still kind of new to us. I go from wanting to take the kids along and wanting to go our own. My husband is a military historian and I'm a writer, so we love to learn stuff...and he's not the kind to want to "repeat" a trip so whatever we do we want it to be great. I really would love for us all to go but its a matter of $$ for us right now. I will check out HAL!

[gprentice]

Kirchubel,

 

We went to Panama over Christmas with our 19 yr old and 16 yr old daughters. Their grandma came along in a second cabin and bunked with the 19 yr old leaving us with the 16 yr old. I understand the $$$ issue as it seems to be world-wide these days. Hopefully the recession will be over sooner than later. On that note. there are a lot of good travel deals around right now. We booked a cruise for this summer sailing out of London that was really cheap (2 for 1 prices). We are NOT taking our 19 yr old this time because we'd like her to get a summer job :)

On our Panama cruise with HAL, some of the best things? We booked a private tour with

Charlie Soto @ okeydokeytours dot com in Costa Rica. That was a fun day - good value too. (we did tour A-1 from their web site - the girls also held a baby sloth) We also took the ferry from Gatun Lake through the other locks into the Pacific. That was a nice day too (very hot I recall - I was glad there was a cooler full of cold beer at the back - $2/beer OK) This cruise was only a partial transit of the canal, so we wanted to see the other side too.

It was also a fun time at 5:30am as we did a mimosa toast entering the canal.

 

Good luck with your choices, and have a good cruise.

 

Graham

[Addictedtwo]

Cant answer all your questions however I do have a comment/suggestion with regards to the wrist band.

If your husband is a big man with big hands and wrists he may find the band to be irritating

I suggest you take along ginger tablets you can but them at Walmart or pretty well any pharmacy or health store. They are highly recommended verses the dramaine and other stuff thats out there. Get the non chewable ones.

[kirchubel]

Thank you very much for the great advice. We had a wonderful time on Legend and did not get sick at all. The Panama canal continues to be something we are considering so I will take all of your comments into consideration. Thank you again and happy sailing!