East Bound or West bound through the Panama Canal?

[joybaby]

From Ca to Fl or Fl to Ca? (full transit) - Any input on this topic?

 

Thanks in advance, Joyce

[CruiserBruce]

If you go to the Panama Canal board, here:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=89

 

This is discussed regularly, and there is a current and active thread. By the way, Canal cruises don't just go CA to FL, or reverse. I have sailed from Puerto Rico, thru the Canal, ending in Acapulco.

[joybaby]

If you go to the Panama Canal board, here:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=89

 

This is discussed regularly, and there is a current and active thread. By the way, Canal cruises don't just go CA to FL, or reverse. I have sailed from Puerto Rico, thru the Canal, ending in Acapulco.

 

Thanks, I want to go from Fort Laud. I live 3 hours away. Easy for us.

 

Joyce and Bruce

[BillB48]

The Canal will equally enjoyable in either direction. Since you live near FLL, then I would choose based on your preferences of flights, in other words whether you prefer flying before the cruise or after. The other consideration would be the stops that are included in the itinerary. No wrong decision, just the one that is to your liking.

[adstz]

We live just north of San Francisco and based our decision on the weather. We are going in March. Last year there was so much snow on the eastern seaboard that there were a lot of horror stories on CC about people missing the ship in Florida because of planes being delayed. I didn't want to take that chance.:eek:

We will fly down to Los Angeles early on the morning of departure. When we finish in Florida, we will get on a plane to return to California. If there are weather delays at that time, Oh Well! I guess I will just have tell my work that I will be delayed returning.:D I just might be forced to take extra vacation. Oh, punish me.:rolleyes:

[Keith1010]

We prefer East to West to take advantage of setting the clock back three hours instead of forward by three hours during the course of the cruise.

 

Keith

[Gail & Marty sailing away]

Both are great..

[vancouvergirl2010]

We prefer East to West to take advantage of setting the clock back three hours instead of forward by three hours during the course of the cruise.

 

Keith

 

I agree…it doesn't seem like much until you are there and lose an hour of sleep a few nights due to the time change.

[caneable]

Sunrise on Panama City was a real surprise! Definitely one of the highlights of our trip. You won't get that travelling westward. That apart, I suspect it's just horses for courses.

[marelind]

We prefer East to West to take advantage of setting the clock back three hours instead of forward by three hours during the course of the cruise. =

 

Ditto for my DH.

[as19111]

We are on the east coast. We are choosing to fly to LA for the embarkation. Given unknown weather conditions, this gives us a couple of days to get to the ship, which leaves on a Tuesday. We can bank some sleep from the jet lag, and gradually readjust to EST as we sail toward FLL. If there is bad weather upon reaching FLL, we have less distance to fly home in our own time zone, eliminating potential bad weather in the central part of the US.

 

So, our choice has nothing to do with the ports or the ship transit, but everything to do with getting there and back home.

[SanDiegoSue]

Sunrise on Panama City was a real surprise! Definitely one of the highlights of our trip. You won't get that travelling westward. That apart, I suspect it's just horses for courses.

 

We're going west to east and really want to see that sunrise over the Pacific Ocean. We have a balcony on the starboard side, emerald deck on the Coral Princess. Do you think we can see it from there, or should we drag our tired morning bodies up to top decks?

Thanks

Sue

[BillB48]

If past experience can be a guide sunrise will be 6ish and the starboard side will be the side to be on, so it looks you should be able to enjoy the view from your balcony. In order for you to see the sunrise over the Pacific, the ship can't be past the Bridge of Americas, once you cross under the bridge it will sunrise over land. So put a sea anchor to slow the progress;)! Enjoy!!

 

PS Actual sunrise will be about 6:20 at that time of year, so you will want to up and about with coffee in hand a little before 6 to ensure you can catch sunrise over the Pacific.

[Richard in Panama]

This is a frequent concern and the ONLY possible advantages I've been ablOfe to come up with are these:

 

On the Southbound voyage generally the clock goes back one hour so getting up at 5 am so that you can experience everything doesn't seem quite so early. No you don't have to get up at 5AM. It's your cruise and presumably you are consenting adults so you can stay in bed all day, but if you came to see the Canal, why not enjoy the entire experience. It is magical to be out on deck, see the first rays of sunlight, watch for the ACP boats to come out, etc. Northbound you generally won't get that extra hour.

 

When you come Northbound the Miraflores Visitor Center isn't open while you are in the locks - too early. It's a lot of fun going Southbound when there are lots of folks on the Miraflores Visitor Center observation decks and you can wave and shout back and forth. Of the 14,600 some transits a year, only about 220 are cruise ships, so for the folks at the Visitor Center it is special when they get to see a cruise ship in the locks.

 

Other than those two things I haven't been able to find any advantage of one direction over the other. In terms of sunrise and sides of the ship, the way to get the most out of the Canal transit is to be out and about and moving around the ship so you can see the process from all sides.

 

Regards, Richard