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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. Should Semana Santa (Holy Week, from Palm Sunday through Holy Saturday) fall in March, there will be more crowds nationwide in Panama with religious processions and reenactments, parades and other special events. Many venues and attractions may be closed on some days during the festivities. If you prefer to head back onto the beautiful ocean, sign up for one of Cabo’s deep-sea fishing adventures on the Sea of Cortez. While Cabo San Lucas is most popular as a college Spring Break destination, there are also plenty of enjoyable attractions for cruisers of all ages during your Panama Canal cruise. This is the best way to see the Old City area on your Panama Canal cruise as you can easily spend hours meandering the streets boasting loads of fascinating Colombian history.
best Panama Canal cruises for a bucket-list trip
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. Stops in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico; Puntarenas, Costa Rica; and Colón, Panama, means appreciating countless natural landscapes on top of traversing through the famous shortcut itself. Have a volcanic adventure during San Juan del Sur excursions from Princess Cruises. However, planning what to wear and using the cruise line’s laundry services can really help. Longer cruises tend to be a bit slower paced and attract a somewhat older passenger demographic.
Panama Canal Cruise Cancelled, Are Other Cruises at Risk? - Cruise Hive
Panama Canal Cruise Cancelled, Are Other Cruises at Risk?.
Posted: Thu, 21 Mar 2024 07:00:00 GMT [source]
Carnival Cruise Line's 8-day Panama Canal cruise from Tampa
Later, tour the Church of Saint Luke, one of Cabo San Lucas’ top historical landmarks. Finally, if you prefer to get back on the water, take a catamaran ride around the area. These tours will typically offer all you can drink and delicious snacks with your fare, stopping at beautiful private beaches for you to explore and enjoy.
What is the best time to cruise to the Panama Canal & Central America?
The Panama Canal is open to ships year-round, but the most pleasant time to cruise is in the winter season, from November to May. During these months, the climate is less humid and there is less rainfall. 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. 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.
Take the ultimate Panama Canal cruise selfie
The best time to cruise Panama Canal ports, if you want to save money and miss the crowds, is between May and November. You’ll likely experience some rain showers, but they will likely be short-lived. The rain makes Panama’s jungle explode with life, so the rainy season can be the best time to see South America’s lush green scenery. Cruise just after this for a high chance of good weather while avoiding the crowds of tourists and the high prices of the most popular time, which is January to March. We craft our Panama Canal itineraries to enrich our guests' experiences to provide the most exposure to this bucket-list destination.
The best time to cruise the Panama Canal - The Points Guy
The best time to cruise the Panama Canal.
Posted: Sun, 14 May 2023 07:00:00 GMT [source]
The best time to cruise the Panama Canal
When I went on my Panama Canal cruise, there were plenty of clouds in the sky, however, it did not rain. That being said, make sure to bring your rain jacket as it could have just as easily gone the other way. It was also fairly humid, leading to fog during the morning hours of the Panama Canal transit.
2025 Panama Canal Cruises
While you might encounter rain and occasional storms during these months, you’ll likely benefit from reduced prices and fewer crowds. If you decide to cruise during the wet season, pack rain gear and be prepared for occasional changes in your itinerary due to weather conditions. To avoid the crowds while cruising the Panama Canal, consider booking your trip during the shoulder seasons, which typically occur in April or late September to November. During these periods, the number of tourists tends to decrease as it falls between the popular dry season and the wet season. These months are a great time to visit major attractions and see famous sights with schools back in session and fewer tourists.
Passenger ships will usually invite a local guide on board to provide a running commentary of what's happening all day; usually, their narration is piped through the ship's intercom. While it's enthralling to stand on the deck, watch the locks fill with water and the ship imperceptibly rise, remember that sun reflects off the water. You might have a false sense of security that just because you're wearing street clothes instead of sitting by the pool in a bathing suit, your exposure is minimal. Keep in mind that die-hard canal lovers will stand on deck the entire time, blocking the view from inside, so be prepared to move around. 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.
Find Your Perfect Panama Canal Cruise
Just imagine waking up, stepping outside, and seeing all the fascinating locks and landscape surrounding the transit. First, you will want to get an idea of what your must-see attractions are. Most Panama Canal cruises will focus on either Caribbean islands, Central America, Mexican Rivera, or a combination of those destinations. Very few Panama Canal cruises are more than 14 days long, but if you are looking for a longer Panama Canal cruise, make sure to investigate repositioning cruises. Most cruises through the Panama Canal consistently run from October to April. This means you have a lot of flexibility for when you want to enjoy your Panama Canal cruise, whether looking for a Christmas escape, Spring Break adventure, or planning a Transpacific back-to-back cruise.
"The Path Between the Seas," by historian David McCullough, is highly recommended. The ultimate journey between two continents and two mighty oceans, a Panama Canal cruise encompasses Spanish colonial architecture, verdant rainforest and an engineering marvel. And be sure to explore the complex and fascinating history of the Panama Canal. If you choose a cruise that includes a partial transit of the canal, you can experience Panama’s beauty during a day in Colon. Excursions from here include eco-adventures on Gatun Lake, where you can see capuchin and howler monkeys, caimans, and three-toed sloths.
Accessible only by water taxi, El Arco at Land's End in Cabo San Lucas is a natural rock arch that frames a powdery beach. It's the perfect backdroparagraphCopy for a jaw-dropping photograph — just watch out for the sea lions that like to photobomb while sunbathing on the rocks. 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.
The cruise season in Panama Canal generally coincides with the dry season and lasts from October to April. October is still considered to be a rainy month, but you can also count on bargains during this time. January and February are considered to be the best months to travel through the Panama Canal, as the weather is not so hot and humid during this time in the tropical countries of Central America.
If you can’t decide what to do during your time in the Puntarenas cruise port, many shore excursions offer numerous stops at the city’s top attractions during their tours. By far the most popular and worthwhile attraction in the Gamboa cruise port is the Gamboa Rainforest. There is also a aerial tram that will bring you through the vast rainforest and the surrounding landscape. Another nice Gamboa shore excursion is a boat trip on the Chagres River to Gatun Lake.
Visitors in the viewing galleries at the locks will wave as you pass through. On Celebrity’s ships, you can enjoy a different restaurant at every meal, with menus designed by a Michelin-starred chef. Try anything from mouth-watering seafood to steak, flavor-packed Italian, and gourmet French cuisine. Experience The Magic Carpet, high above the ocean, with uninterrupted views.
Tagua was used a lot in button production but now is carved into dice, knife handles, chess pieces, billiard balls and, of course, beautiful jewelry. The couple took a shore excursion to Montecristi, where workers specialize in crafting items with agave fiber. These high-quality hats are hand-woven by expert artisans in Ecuador and not in Panama, as the name would imply. Leaving Panama City behind, the ship headed for Manta and Guayaquil in Ecuador. Since the earthquake of 1942, much of Guayaquil has been rebuilt and is now a major South American Pacific port. It’s also now attracting tourism with a lot of sightseeing places, monuments, parks, rivers, beaches and good hotels.
This artificial body of water facilitates the canal crossing, aiding ships in traversing the continental divide and transitioning between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. Gatun Lake’s inclusion enhances the scenic experience for passengers, showcasing the engineering brilliance of the Panama Canal. During the 48-mile transit, you’ll see everything from intricate lock systems to the serene landscapes of the rainforest and Gatun Lake. Your ship will be raised up 85 feet through a system of three locks to the level of the freshwater Gatun Lake. Once you’ve crossed the lake, you will descend 85 feet back to sea level through another set of locks. Experiencing the Panama Canal doesn't have to be time-consuming or budget-busting.
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