Panama Canal Cruise on HAL

[Cruzin with BQ & CQ]

My DW and I are planning a retirement cruise on HAL in about two years. Can't wait! I know this may be something asked before, but is there any difference east to west vs. west to east. There are some great itineraries either way, but I thought some of the seasoned cruisers may shed some light on the differences.

 

We live about an hour and half from Port Everglades, so we can make it work either way, but I'm also curious if it's easier to leave/return from Seattle rather than Vancouver due to immigration issues, additional expense for international air travel and baggage restrictions.

 

Many thanks for your thoughts and help!:)

[richwmn]

My DW and I are planning a retirement cruise on HAL in about two years. Can't wait! I know this may be something asked before, but is there any difference east to west vs. west to east. There are some great itineraries either way, but I thought some of the seasoned cruisers may shed some light on the differences.

 

We live about an hour and half from Port Everglades, so we can make it work either way, but I'm also curious if it's easier to leave/return from Seattle rather than Vancouver due to immigration issues, additional expense for international air travel and baggage restrictions.

 

Many thanks for your thoughts and help!:)

 

I recently did the Vancouver to FLL Panama Canal trip. I flew to Seattle a couple of days early and did some tourist things there and in Vancouver before boarding the ship. It was a very relaxing way to start the vacation and gave some time for the problems that show up some times.

 

On the other end, it was nice to have just a (relatively) short trip to get home.

 

As to the ports - only you can determine which ports are important to you. For me, the east bound trip included a day in Panama which the west bounds did not which made the east bound a better fit for me.

[Roz]

When my cruises end in Vancouver, I shuttle down to Seattle and fly out from Seatac.

 

Roz

[Essiesmom]

Both of my canal cruises began in San Diego, so it's not necessary to fly to Vancouver... They also both ended in Europe. EM

[bonvoyagebites]

Regarding the air portion of the travel, I am flying out of Vancouver in a little over two weeks, and was able to get a nonstop flight from Vancouver to Phoenix for under $100 pp (one way), when I looked for flights out of Seattle, it was cheaper to fly out of Vancouver. YMMV. In regard to immigration issues, I spent six months flying into and out of Vancouver weekly, and immigration was not much of an issue... except for the fact that I was going in and out for work, and they are sometimes critical of your reasons. If you are on pleasure trip, it is much easier. Also, Vancouver is a great city to explore... especially if you like sushi!

 

Either way, enjoy your journey...

[richwmn]

My take on the customs/immigration question. Going thru US customs and immigration in Vancouver was worse than what I encountered entering Canada.

 

I have entered Canada 3 times - Ship (Montreal), Plane (Ottawa) and Train (Vancouver). Each entry was quick and uneventful save a small fau pas on my part.

 

US c/i was a long line but once you got to the officers it was quick.

[Vict0riann]

The time change is three hours. You could think about whether you prefer extra sleep, or less. Also the time of year. We've done the Canal twice, both times east to west, but November was much hotter than April, I think. We were on the starboard side this time, and had great views of the work going on at the Miraflores locks.

[CruiserBruce]

We also did a Canal cruise to celebrate our retirement in 2008. It was the best of our 3 Canal cruises. Ours was 19 days FLL-Seattle. Many did a 15 day portion ending in San Diego, so there are many options.

 

As mentioned going west gets you 3 additional hours.

 

You might want to look on the Panama Canal board, here:

 

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

 

for tons of info on cruising the Canal, including answers to many of the questions you have here.

[RMLincoln]

Cruising eastbound you will loose 3 hours between west coast to east coast, so that's 3 days of your itinerary that are shortened. Conversely, westbound itineraries have 3 25-hour days making it more relaxing.

 

We also enjoyed a partial transit from the west side and overnighted in Gatun Lake next to the Atlantic locks. You get the same number of locks as a full transit, and two transits of the Culerba Cut plus time to watch the ships in the lake. It was a much better experience than the word "partial" might indicate at first glance. I don't know if HAL still does this itinerary - it was 21 days and had a very relaxed rhythm, a day at sea, a day in port.... but this would require more flying for you; just a thought because you are in the data gathering stages. Enjoy! m--

[Cruzin with BQ & CQ]

Cruising eastbound you will loose 3 hours between west coast to east coast, so that's 3 days of your itinerary that are shortened. Conversely, westbound itineraries have 3 25-hour days making it more relaxing.

 

We also enjoyed a partial transit from the west side and overnighted in Gatun Lake next to the Atlantic locks. You get the same number of locks as a full transit, and two transits of the Culerba Cut plus time to watch the ships in the lake. It was a much better experience than the word "partial" might indicate at first glance. I don't know if HAL still does this itinerary - it was 21 days and had a very relaxed rhythm, a day at sea, a day in port.... but this would require more flying for you; just a thought because you are in the data gathering stages. Enjoy! m--

 

Hey Thanks for your thoughts! We are kind of leaning towards the full transit as we have not been to Seattle or Vancouver and would like to explore those areas as well. Additionally we've not been to the Pacific side of Mexico, so it will fun to check that out. Thanks for letting me know of the other options.

Edited May 14, 2015 by Cruzin with BQ & CQ

[take us away]

Would recommend landing in Ft Lauderdale in case you purchase souveniers. You will not have the hassle of airline issues for weight restrictions, fear of breakage or loss, timing, etc. It is so much more relaxing to drive your short distance home vs. hassling thru the airports. The Canal is one of our favorite things as find its engineering and simplicity amazing and it is still functioning well even after 100 years! Yes you lose time going west to east but I would choose that over a flight at the end of a wonderful cruise. Either way, you cannot go wrong!

[Cruzin with BQ & CQ]

Would recommend landing in Ft Lauderdale in case you purchase souveniers. You will not have the hassle of airline issues for weight restrictions, fear of breakage or loss, timing, etc. It is so much more relaxing to drive your short distance home vs. hassling thru the airports. The Canal is one of our favorite things as find its engineering and simplicity amazing and it is still functioning well even after 100 years! Yes you lose time going west to east but I would choose that over a flight at the end of a wonderful cruise. Either way, you cannot go wrong!

 

You make a good point. We thought about it in those terms as well. HAL has one itinerary that is an Alaskan cruise prior to departing off to FLL. I have been to Alaska fishing, but my DW has not been there, so that would be very cool! Again, in the thought process and wanting to maximize our time on many levels. Thanks again!:)

[Rusty Scupper]

When we sailed west to east, I thought entering from the Pacific at daylight, gliding past scores of waiting ships with Panama City glistening in the background was a spectacular sight, and I was glad we did it from that direction.

 

Since you are from the East Coast, losing the hours on time changes won't be a hardship. We did not have a call scheduled for Half Moon Cay, so that was disappointment.

[retired714]

I am from the Seattle area. I retired last summer and DH & I were planning to cruise the Panama Canal last fall from Seattle to Port Everglades. I was talking to my boss who has been on many cruises and she offered some advise that you might consider because it would apply in your situation. You ALWAYS buy stuff when you are on a trip like that. If you fly to Seattle & purchase along the way, you won't have to worry about dealing with overweight or extra baggage charges to get home. Getting from the airport to the port is easy, but you might prefer arriving a day early for sight seeing (and less stress). In our case we flew to Florida and just returned home a couple weeks ago, it was great!

[Cruzin with BQ & CQ]

I am from the Seattle area. I retired last summer and DH & I were planning to cruise the Panama Canal last fall from Seattle to Port Everglades. I was talking to my boss who has been on many cruises and she offered some advise that you might consider because it would apply in your situation. You ALWAYS buy stuff when you are on a trip like that. If you fly to Seattle & purchase along the way, you won't have to worry about dealing with overweight or extra baggage charges to get home. Getting from the airport to the port is easy, but you might prefer arriving a day early for sight seeing (and less stress). In our case we flew to Florida and just returned home a couple weeks ago, it was great!

 

Awesome! Sounds like you had a great time! Whatever we decide, we will certainly spend some time prior/post to the cruise doing some sights. Thanks for your thoughts.

[tommui987]

. There are some great itineraries either way, but I thought some of the seasoned cruisers may shed some light on the differences.

 

easier to leave/return from Seattle rather than Vancouver due to immigration issues, additional expense for international air travel and baggage restrictions.

 

 

We have gone through the Canal from Miami to Chile and the same cruise with Richwmn from Vancouver to Fort Lauderdale. (Great cruise with Rich!)

 

My son went to the Univ of Washington and so we know the Seattle area fairly well and we have been to Vancouver three or four times. Both cities are great place to visit but I would give the nod to Vancouver. We have never found any problems with Canadian immigration.

 

It was surprisingly less expensive for us to fly to Vancouver than to Seattle is a tad further than Seattle. The luggage weight restriction is the same whether going to Canada or Seattle

 

That said, I assume you are US citizens. Whether you travel east or west, you still will face US customs and immigration officers which is routine.

 

I would consider going from either Vancouver or Seattle to Florida as a practical matter as, at the end of your cruise, it would be better to travel the shortest distance to home!.

 

Ports of call - going eastward usually means Panama City is one of the ports of call - great place to visit. Going westward would generally mean a stop a Colon.

 

Happy travels!

 

 

(Howzit Rich!)

[Krazy Kruizers]

We have done quite a few full transits -- both directions and on different lines.

Our only problem -- we have to choose cruises that either begin in Seattle or end in Seattle. The cost for us and the connections to get from Pittsburgh to Vancouver or vise versa is high plane fares and terrible connections.

[Fisherwoman]

We just got off the Noordam from Fort Lauderdale to Vancouver on Saturday. We cleared customs in Victoria, BC, our last port. When we arrived in Vancouver we just walked off the ship.

 

Vancouver is a gorgeous city to sail in and out of. If you don't want to fly in or out of Vancouver Quick Shuttle offers many trips a day from Sea-Tac airport to Canada Place. You would not have to get an airport shuttle. The service is excellent with pick up at the pier and airport. Their buses are very nice. It's another alternative.

[dheianevans]

HAL has one itinerary that is an Alaskan cruise prior to departing off to FLL. I have been to Alaska fishing, but my DW has not been there, so that would be very cool!

 

I'd vote for that. In one trip you get to combine a natural wonder with a man-made wonder.

 

Plus the cold-hot packing is a great mental challenge. :)

[Cruzin with BQ & CQ]

We just got off the Noordam from Fort Lauderdale to Vancouver on Saturday. We cleared customs in Victoria, BC, our last port. When we arrived in Vancouver we just walked off the ship.

 

Vancouver is a gorgeous city to sail in and out of. If you don't want to fly in or out of Vancouver Quick Shuttle offers many trips a day from Sea-Tac airport to Canada Place. You would not have to get an airport shuttle. The service is excellent with pick up at the pier and airport. Their buses are very nice. It's another alternative.

 

Thank you so much! I see that you live in Vancouver and it fits the conventional wisdom to terminate your voyage close to home! I'm thinking that I would be best served finishing in FLL as we live so close. Some of the HAL itineraries begin in Seattle but have a first stop in Vancouver. We are very much interested in seeing both cities. Thanks again!

[Cruzin with BQ & CQ]

I'd vote for that. In one trip you get to combine a natural wonder with a man-made wonder.

 

Plus the cold-hot packing is a great mental challenge. :)

 

Yikes!! I hadn't thought of the hot-cold packing challenge!:) DW already kills me now for a one week cruise in the Caribbean. I'll need to hire a someone to lug all the bags!!

[dheianevans]

Would you believe the missus and I can pack for two weeks with just two carry-ons? Nothing beats not lining up at the airport or cruise port waiting for bags.

[kazu]

I am from the Seattle area. I retired last summer and DH & I were planning to cruise the Panama Canal last fall from Seattle to Port Everglades. I was talking to my boss who has been on many cruises and she offered some advise that you might consider because it would apply in your situation. You ALWAYS buy stuff when you are on a trip like that. If you fly to Seattle & purchase along the way, you won't have to worry about dealing with overweight or extra baggage charges to get home. Getting from the airport to the port is easy, but you might prefer arriving a day early for sight seeing (and less stress). In our case we flew to Florida and just returned home a couple weeks ago, it was great!

 

we did the same cruise and it was wonderful. It is actually a longer flight for us to fly home from Vancouver but it worked out so well. We did two days pre cruise in FLL and two days post cruise in Vancouver. Plus, we had customs done in Victoria so didn't have that hassle on our flight (another plus).

 

We enjoyed our cruise in that direction so I can only comment in that regard.

 

Panama with the sights in Mexico and Central America is a great itinerary and we enjoyed it far more than we had anticipated.

[ScriptOhio]

My DW and I are planning a retirement cruise on HAL in about two years. Can't wait! I know this may be something asked before, but is there any difference east to west vs. west to east. There are some great itineraries either way, but I thought some of the seasoned cruisers may shed some light on the differences.

 

We live about an hour and half from Port Everglades, so we can make it work either way, but I'm also curious if it's easier to leave/return from Seattle rather than Vancouver due to immigration issues, additional expense for international air travel and baggage restrictions.

 

Many thanks for your thoughts and help!:)

 

Just sayin': We did a San Diego to Fort Lauderdale full transit of the Panama Canal on the Amsterdam just last December and liked it a lot. Both FLL and SAN are very nice embarkation/debarkation ports due to their close proximity of the airport to the cruiseport. The Amsterdam is a great ship to do this cruise on as all the steamer chairs are available on the lower promenade deck (i.e. no dreaded lanai cabins). Also there is some real nice steamer chair open seating aft on the navigation and veranda decks. The food/service/entertainment on the ship was good too. The 'banana republic" Central American ports are different; however, I enjoyed them.

[Cruzin with BQ & CQ]

Just sayin': We did a San Diego to Fort Lauderdale full transit of the Panama Canal on the Amsterdam just last December and liked it a lot. Both FLL and SAN are very nice embarkation/debarkation ports due to their close proximity of the airport to the cruiseport. The Amsterdam is a great ship to do this cruise on as all the steamer chairs are available on the lower promenade deck (i.e. no dreaded lanai cabins). Also there is some real nice steamer chair open seating aft on the navigation and veranda decks. The food/service/entertainment on the ship was good too. The 'banana republic" Central American ports are different; however, I enjoyed them.

 

Hey thanks! I did not really think about a smaller ship. But on some levels it makes sense from the standpoint fewer passengers and perhaps better vistas. Thanks again!