The best time to cruise the Panama Canal
Table Of Content
If traveling earlier in the month, you may also see nesting loggerheads and green turtles southeast of Panama City in Isla Canas (Cane Island) or Bocas del Toro. Apart from length of sailing, the biggest decision you'll need to make on a Panama Canal cruise is whether to opt for a traditional trans-canal experience or take a partial crossing. With an overwhelming world of choices, we understand you may need some personal assistance to plan your perfect vacation. From finding the right destination to choosing the best departure date, we're here to help.
Exotic Views
Transiting the Panama Canal from the Caribbean to the Pacific Ocean is a once-in-a-lifetime trip for many travelers, especially for history and engineering buffs. If you're considering this bucket-list sailing, you'll want to find the best time to cruise the Panama Canal, whether that be to find better weather, lower pricing or fewer crowds. With the warmer temperatures, March is an ideal month to head to the beaches on one of the San Blas Islands, an archipelago of about 365 islands and cays off the Caribbean coast of Eastern Panama. Some cruise lines that visit the archipelago are Windstar, Star Clippers, Hapag-Lloyd and Ponant.
Panama Canal & the Pacific Coast
THE BEST Royal Caribbean Cruises to the Panama Canal & Central America (with Prices) 2024 & 2025 on Cruise Critic - Cruise Critic
THE BEST Royal Caribbean Cruises to the Panama Canal & Central America (with Prices) 2024 & 2025 on Cruise Critic.
Posted: Tue, 24 Oct 2023 03:25:21 GMT [source]
However, with the opening of a new set of locks in 2016, larger New-Panamax-sized ships can transit, as well. That means you take a Panama Canal cruise on a small-masted Windstar ship or luxury Silversea cruise or can sail on a megaship as large as the 1,094-foot-long and 136-foot-wide Norwegian Bliss. Follow our social media and blog for the latest cruise and travel news, including our best vacation deals. The canal never stops working and you will traverse along with other ships and boats and witness the swift movement of these vessels.
My Trip
Many venues and attractions may be closed on some days during the festivities. Browse our photo gallery of Panama Canal cruising photos from Royal Caribbean. Keep in mind, this is just a sample of the sights waiting for you on a Royal Caribbean Panama Canal cruise vacation. With incredible weather, delicious fare and some stupendous attractions, you will find that Fort Lauderdale’s Port Everglades is one of the most attractive ports in the entire US. You'll get to see other ships as they cross, too, giving you a different vantage point and a new way of learning how the canal works.
Striped fish in Gatun Lake
December is one of the peak tourism months in Panama, with Panamanians traveling for the holidays and visitors from North America and Europe escaping the cold weather at home. 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. A motorcoach ride delivers passengers back to their waiting ships at Colon. Many Panama Canal and Central America ports are relatively industrial, and some -- particularly Colon and Puerto Limon -- have a reputation for petty crime within the main city.
We Make Vacation Planning Easy
Please view our advertising policy and product review methodology for more information. When to cruise the Panama Canal will depend on what's most important to you. Cross foggy suspended bridges or zip-line along the treetops at the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve near Puntarenas, Costa Rica, where local travel guides take you deep within the forest as you learn about its precious ecosystems. A stop in Colón, Panama, lets you lay on the sand at serene Maria Chiquita beach or hike your way through Portobelo National Park to reach the 17th-century San Lorenzo Fort. And if you're in the mood for the city life, head to Panama City, the Caribbean's most urban cluster that's only an hour away by car. Descend on some of the most exciting travel destinations in Central America during a Panama Canal cruise.
Head to the middle of the city to explore Parque Natural Metropolitano, a jungle oasis with hiking trails, expansive views, and roaming mammals and reptiles. Cruise to Panama City to trek the Titi Monkey Trail to catch a breathtaking view of the city and the canal from a 150-meter-high lookout. You may even be able to spot titi monkeys, sloths, deer, iguanas and tortoises along the way. Late March and April also offer lower fares as it's the beginning of the rainy season, but you can expect crowds during the Holy Week festivities in the country. Take advantage of the final weeks of the dry season to book active outdoor adventure excursions like hiking, kayaking and zip lining. Another option is the Rainforest and Aerial Tram tour to the Gamboa Rainforest Resort in the 55,000-acre Soberania National Park.
Stateroom photos are for sample purposes only -- actual design and layout may vary. 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. Carnival is a festival in mid-January in Panama City and other towns around the country. It's one of the biggest celebrations in Central America — even bigger than the Christmas holidays for most families, so you can expect crowds during that time.
Cruises
Many cruisers consider a cruise through the Panama Canal a must-do, and for a long time, the itineraries drew mostly seniors, due to the length of a full-transit trip (which usually runs 14 days). Partial Panama Canal cruises -- where ships only go halfway through the locks before turning around -- not only cut the number of days, but increase day-trip options in the Central American cities near the canal. While several ships bring lecturers onboard to talk about the canal's history, this is one trip where a little extra reading might add to your enjoyment. "The Path Between the Seas," by historian David McCullough, is highly recommended. With drier weather and high temperatures hovering around 88 degrees, it's less humid in the region in December. However, it's the holiday season, so cruise fares and other costs, like hotels for pre- and post-cruise stays, will be more expensive if you travel this month.
October is a rainy month, but it's also one of the coolest months of the year, with high temperatures in the low to mid-80s. The average year-round temperature in Panama is about 86 degrees, so it doesn't vary much during the year, but it's more humid in October with the wet weather. It's also possible to have hurricanes this time of year if you're cruising in the Caribbean. Here, we look at Panama's peak cruise season month by month, so you can consider the weather, pricing and crowds to determine the best time to cruise through the Panama Canal. There are so many fabulous encounters with nature available from this port, you'll have a hard time deciding on a shore excursion. A visit to the Tabacon Resort Hot Springs takes you to the slopes of the active Arenal volcano.
Try something that will thrill and excite you—zip line through the jungle canopy. Meet somebody who will surprise and educate you—visit an authentic Embera village. Most of all, behold one of mankind’s finest engineering feats in the Panama Canal. Feast your eyes on the locks as your ship passes through--something you’ll never forget on your Royal Caribbean Panama Canal cruise.
If you're in Panama City, visit the vibrant neighborhood of Casco Antiguo in the city's historic district. For a rainy-day excursion, ride the Panama Canal Railway, one of the world's great train rides. If you're in Panama City, plan an indoor excursion with a visit to the world's first museum dedicated to biodiversity, the Frank Gehry-designed Biomuseo. From the ship, you'll get great views of Soberania National Park, a 55,000-acre area of protected rainforest that's home countless species of birds, mammals and reptiles. See if you can catch a glimpse of an orange-chinned parakeet or a white-faced capuchin monkey. A cruise to the Panama Canal is a chance to land on amazing destinations during the same trip.
Once you're crossing the canal, head to the front of the ship for the best view. Cruise from Los Angeles or Miami and pick the trips that make your favorite stops. There's a cruise with stops in Manzanillo, Puerto Vallarta and Cabo San Lucas. Step into the past as you stroll down the Spanish Colonial lanes of Antigua in Guatemala, a picturesque town with pastel buildings and balconies filled with pink flowers. A short trip from the port at Puerto Quetzal, the city is home to museums like Casa de los Sueños, where the history of this town is depicted through art. Gain a deeper understanding of the impressive engineering behind the 48-mile-long Panama Canal connecting the Atlantic and Pacific.
Found by the waterfront promenade, the lavish and ornate Teatro Nacional features burgundy carpeting, a gold facade and brass fixtures, as well as a mural by local artist Roberto Lewis. Sit in one of the many gilded balconies under an exquisite crystal chandelier and enjoy a world-class performance during your vacation. Dating back to 1673, the UNESCO World Heritage Site features landmarks like the Panama National Theater and the Cathedral Basilica of St. Mary. You'll also find some of the city's best restaurants, beautiful squares and plazas and top-rated museums. If you've booked a pre- or post-cruise hotel in town, be sure to catch a sunset from one of the city's many rooftop bars. With the high temperatures and humidity — and the threat of rain — you might want to take tours where you can easily escape from the heat and the showers.
Passengers often choose an Atlantic to Pacific or Pacific to Atlantic route, depending on where they live, although you'll gain hours if you choose the latter. (Some people prefer to have their longer one-way flight at the beginning of a trip, instead of the end.) With this trans-canal option, you spend a day on the canal, crossing from ocean to ocean and going through the complete lock experience. If having the full "canal experience" is part of your bucket list -- or if you're an engineering geek and don't care too much about shore excursions within Panama itself -- this trip is for you. Most full Panama Canal cruises do call in the Western Caribbean, the Costa Rican ports of Limon (on the Atlantic side) and Puntarenas (on the Pacific), and Cartagena, Colombia.
Carnival Cruises has a range of Panama Canal cruises leaving from different ports in the US, including Tampa, New Orleans and Galveston. Most of the major lines and some smaller ones offer at least a few Panama Canal sailings each season. Walk between the worlds of the Mexican Riviera and Caribbean Islands with a Royal Caribbean Panama Canal cruise, and visit a truly iconic and breathtaking location.
Comments
Post a Comment