Table Of Content
A motorcoach ride delivers passengers back to their waiting ships at Colon. During your visit, be sure to look for monkeys, sloths, iguanas, blue-footed boobies, capybaras, crocodiles and even manatees on a jungle boat tour along the canal and into Gatun Lake. November can be rainy — and even the rainiest month of the wet season — with temperatures starting to warm closer to December. The month brings a mix of low-priced early-season fares but also several public holidays that bring crowds of both tourists and residents to attractions in places like Panama City and Boquete.
Top 10 Carnival Cruise Line Panama Canal Cruises
Built by the U.S. government between 1903 and 1914, this 50-mile waterway linking the Atlantic and Pacific oceans revolutionized shipping by creating an expedited route for the transit of cargo and, ultimately, cruise ship passengers. Those on "partial crossings" or simply docked at Colon might consider completing the crossing in a smaller boat. This popular shore excursion begins at Gamboa, one of the towns along the Canal. It takes passengers through the remaining two Canal locks, all the way to the Pacific Ocean.
Princess Cruises' 10-day Panama Canal with Costa Rica & Caribbean cruise
On your Carnival cruise to Colón, you’ll see it from all sides — enjoy a side of shop-‘till-you-drop as you spy the brilliant plumage of a toucan in rainforest greenery. Despite the early start, you'll want to be prepared for the Panama sun, as it can get surprisingly hot while you're out there waiting. Some ships will do their best to make passengers comfortable, offering chilled towels and water, juice and Panama rolls (Danish-like pastries with sweet fruit filling in the center) for a small breakfast alfresco. The Panama Canal cruise season runs from October to April. The best time to go is after the rainy season ends in November.
Carnival announces new slate of cruises out of Galveston - Chron
Carnival announces new slate of cruises out of Galveston.
Posted: Sun, 24 Sep 2023 07:00:00 GMT [source]
Night Carnival Journeys - Southern CaribbeanDetails
Your particular sailing might not get started so early, but you don’t want to sleep in and miss anything. There was no information on the Hub App about the timing of the day. The maitre’d made an announcement in the show at dinner and we heard other information around the ship as well. Again, you could very much feel the water level dropping and the walls getting closer and closer to us as we lowered more to their level.
You’ll get to explore the local beaches and culture while heading to or from one of the greatest man-made marvels in the world. Cruises through the Panama Canal promise one legendary trip. The array of options means that a Panama Canal cruise experience is possible even if you're short on time or have a limited budget — and chances are high that your favorite cruise line offers one or more itineraries. Most sailings attract couples, typically retirees, but if the timing is right a Panama Canal cruise can also be a great multi-generational experience.
You’ll go with the flow as you enter — and exit — the lake through these locks, getting two chances to take in up-close views of the land. But not so fast — traversing the Panama Canal actually takes at least 20 hours! Cruise it and enjoy a zoomed-in real-life look at perhaps last century’s greatest engineering achievement… along with its surrounding lush, verdant lands. For a one-way Panama Canal transit that visits six countries (Aruba, Curacao, Panama, Costa Rica, Guatemala and Mexico) and offers six relaxing and luxurious days at sea, consider Seabourn's 21-day Caribbean & Panama Canal Passage.
Hotels
Going through the Panama Canal is truly a once in a lifetime experience. It is one of the marvels of the modern world and is amazing how many lives were consumed in the building of it and how well it has held up and continued to work in the century since its completion. You don’t have to spend the entire day actively consumed by the canal like we did, but spend some quality time marveling at its mechanics. Different places on the ship would have afforded very different views.
Day 14: Fun Day at Sea
If having the best weather is your top priority, January, February and early March offer the best weather during the dry season with low humidity — but it's also the most expensive time to travel to the region. You can expect crowds, especially with the festivals during that time. If you have an extended stay in Panama City, consider a trip to the Archipelago de las Perlas (Pearl Islands) in southeastern Panama to view the humpback whales. It's a short flight to the islands, or you can travel by ferry to see the whales that are still in the waters around the archipelago after coming to breed in August and September.
The last lock closed and we again felt open waters around us. We sort of coasted into the lake and then found ourselves a spot to pause for a rest before we went back through. After lock #2 closed, I decided to run downstairs to see what it looked like from the 3rd deck, which mostly wraps around the entire ship on the Carnival Pride. I ran down the aft stairwell and there were a few people hanging out on the side of the ship.
On the entertainment side of things, Carnival Liberty features two of our best, live on stage. First there's Playlist Productions™, where pros sing and dance their hearts out, performing high-energy themed revues of tunes you know, backed by amazing visual effects. Then there's Punchliner™ Comedy Club where you'll find some real pros who know how to wedge a little laughter into anyone’s evening. Kids have three unique youth spaces where they can hang out with others their age and enjoy supervised activities, games and more. Here are a dozen of the best Panama Canal cruises to consider.
We were both relaxing in the cool air, when I looked out the window and realized the scenery outside had changed and realized we were starting to move. We slowly gathered ourselves and our camera equipment back up and stepped back out into the sweltering Panamanian heat. The stagnant, hot air really made one appreciate how challenging it would have been to work there.
We could immediately see ships behind us in the dim haze of the early morning. We sailed a partial transit of the Panama Canal on the Carnival Pride in April 2022. This is a review of our experience plus some tips for a Panama Canal Partial Transit on a Carnival Cruise.
Keep in mind that Panama has a rainy season between May and December so if you're looking to spend time exploring, plan around these months. Major cruise lines that sail to Panama include Carnival, Royal Caribbean Princess, Holland America Line (HAL), Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL), Celebrity, Oceania and Viking. Prices per person depend on several factors, including which line you book, the month you travel and the duration of the trip. For the ultimate cruise indulgence, Viking's 180-day World Voyage I includes a Panama Canal transit (on Christmas Day, no less) as 930-passenger Viking Sky cruises from Fort Lauderdale to New York City (Dec. 19, 2024–June 17, 2025).
