pros & cons Panama Canal spring or fall??

[chloes nana]

I am currently booked on Spring 2018 Panama Canal full transit but may need to cancel this trip. I want to sail in 2018, so my question is this: Is there a huge difference between the fall and spring cruises?

Any all all comments will be greatly appreciated. We have never sailed the Canal so we really want an optimal trip.

[Krazy Kruizers]

We have done the full transits both ways quite a few times.

We try to select transits that have a lot of port stops.

The only difference between spring and summer --

spring you keep losing an hour's sleep as you going from the east coast to the west coast

fall -- you gain an hour's sleep which is always nice.

[chloes nana]

:) thanks for that reply. so the weather stays about the same, but the ports change a bit?

[summersigh]

Don't know about other times but we sailed in the canal this past December and the weather was spectacular :D ... shorts and short sleeves but not sweaty.

[chloes nana]

Don't know about other times but we sailed in the canal this past December and the weather was spectacular :D ... shorts and short sleeves but not sweaty.

:D thanks!!!

[57redbird]

I think fall might be hurricane season.

[CruiserBruce]

Lots of mis-information here. First, some reading on the Panama Canal board would be helpful.

 

Second, Panama is out of the hurricane zone. It does get brushed occasionally, as happened this last hurricane season. The Caribbean will be in hurricane season. But, as commonly discussed on the Canal board, October-December is the wet season, Jan-April is the dry season. It is always hot and humid in Panama.

 

If you go from Florida to the West Coast, you gain time (the clock falls back, gaining an hour), not lose it. Just like when you fly from Florida to California. If you go from the West Coast to Florida, you lose time (the clock jumps forward an hour, losing that hour).

 

We have sailed the Canal west bound 3 times (December, April, May) and have an east bound scheduled for this October on Eurodam.

[chloes nana]

Lots of mis-information here. First, some reading on the Panama Canal board would be helpful.

 

Second, Panama is out of the hurricane zone. It does get brushed occasionally, as happened this last hurricane season. The Caribbean will be in hurricane season. But, as commonly discussed on the Canal board, October-December is the wet season, Jan-April is the dry season. It is always hot and humid in Panama.

 

If you go from Florida to the West Coast, you gain time (the clock falls back, gaining an hour), not lose it. Just like when you fly from Florida to California. If you go from the West Coast to Florida, you lose time (the clock jumps forward an hour, losing that hour).

thank you Cruiser Bruce. I needed a little help today with a decision, I was planning on studying the Canal board, but sometimes, some folks are here to help with answers, and not necessarily posting on the Canal boards. ;)

[Scrapnana]

Friends just booked a Panama Canal cruise for next April. The TA told them that there were fewer bugs in the spring than in the fall. No idea if this is true since I have only been through the canal in January and April.

[esimon]

I am doing east to west next Feb. It will be warmer than home and a beautiful 15 day cruise. My main concerns are taken care of - :)

[BillB48]

There is not going to be a huge difference in either times, there are just some trade offs in selecting one. However most people probably look toward the "dry" choices first. To complicated your decision a tad more... when in the fall are you considering? While the Rainy season runs from May through a good part of December, the first Canal transits of the season start showing up sometime around September. Much better chance for rain in the September-early October time frame than say mid November-December.

 

There is a greater chance of mosquitoes in the wet season (May-Dec) than there is in the Dry Season (Dec-April), however the times you are outside as on land taking a tour the skeeters are not generally active. There is practically no chance they would be a bother while you are the transit of the Canal.

 

Rainy Season- Slightly lower hi temps, more humid, partly cloudy so the sun isn't baking down on you as much, less breeze and of course a better chance of "liquid sunshine."

 

Dry Season- Slightly higher temps, less humid, skies less cloudy, usually better chance of a breeze and less chance of rain. Of course it is fair to say that Dry Season doesn't mean no rain... just less rain. Here is the Island Princess at Gatun Locks this past March which of course is firmly in the middle of Dry Season:eek:!

 

[BillB48]

I meant to expand a bit on the humidity, particularly in the "less humid"... don't read too much into that since to anyone coming from a temperate climate even the less humid is going feel kinda sticky. I'm sure you will notice the humidity regardless of when you go:D!

[debsjc]

I meant to expand a bit on the humidity, particularly in the "less humid"... don't read too much into that since to anyone coming from a temperate climate even the less humid is going feel kinda sticky. I'm sure you will notice the humidity regardless of when you go:D!

 

I've never sailed the Panama canal, do you still get a good breeze whilst sailing, similar to in the Caribbean ..... or is quite humid even whilst sailing?

[BillB48]

I've never sailed the Panama canal, do you still get a good breeze whilst sailing, similar to in the Caribbean ..... or is quite humid even whilst sailing?

 

The weather in and around the Canal is very similar to what you would find in other parts of the Caribbean. Normally while the ship is moving there is a breeze across the decks. While transiting the Canal there are times when the ship is not moving or not moving fast enough to generate a breeze and during theses times it can be rather still. Dry Season there is a much better chance of a steady breeze as provided by the trade winds, but even then there can still be times it will be calm. Shade and a slight breeze are always your friend and fortunately air conditioning is usually not too far away!

[debsjc]

Thank you BillB48 :cool:

[chloes nana]

the weather in and around the canal is very similar to what you would find in other parts of the caribbean. Normally while the ship is moving there is a breeze across the decks. While transiting the canal there are times when the ship is not moving or not moving fast enough to generate a breeze and during theses times it can be rather still. Dry season there is a much better chance of a steady breeze as provided by the trade winds, but even then there can still be times it will be calm. Shade and a slight breeze are always your friend and fortunately air conditioning is usually not too far away!

thank so much bill! :d

[scopewest]

My comment is which port do you want to fly in/out of? I'd rather fly into Fort Lauderdale and fly home from San Diego (or Los Angeles).

[chloes nana]

My comment is which port do you want to fly in/out of? I'd rather fly into Fort Lauderdale and fly home from San Diego (or Los Angeles).

hi, I want to fly into FLL and home from San Diego. We will either be sailing in late March or sometime in Sept. sailings are not out quite yet. That is why I am reaching out to CC friends for help right now. :)

[OlsSalt]

Having done this route several times and now in both directions, if the cruise includes HMC the water is much warmer in the Fall than the Spring. And we liked going east to west (Caribbean to Pacific) better than the other way. Seems more are is interested in the entrance to the first set of locks, and the crowds really thin out on deck when one finally departs the locks on the other side.

 

So going through from the Caribbean side first we found to be the most interesting - more activity, two sets close together and you can see the entrance to the new canal from that angle too, as well as the remnants of the old French Canal that never made it. Only a few were out on deck when we left, but well-rewarded because the whole operations remains a stunning experience. That is when you get to wave at the cheering crowds in the tall observation tower.

[CruiserBruce]

hi, I want to fly into FLL and home from San Diego. We will either be sailing in late March or sometime in Sept. sailings are not out quite yet. That is why I am reaching out to CC friends for help right now. :)

 

In September (late- or into October) you would sailing from San Diego to FLL, as the ships from Alaska reposition. So, no FLL to San Diego Canal cruises then.

 

March would be better match for your flight desires. Late March into April.

[chloes nana]

In September (late- or into October) you would sailing from San Diego to FLL, as the ships from Alaska reposition. So, no FLL to San Diego Canal cruises then.

 

March would be better match for your flight desires. Late March into April.

:( thanks Bruce. I assume no HMC on that one either then. San Diego to FLL, that is.

[OlsSalt]

In September (late- or into October) you would sailing from San Diego to FLL, as the ships from Alaska reposition. So, no FLL to San Diego Canal cruises then.

 

March would be better match for your flight desires. Late March into April.

 

Good point, but there is at least one exception.

 

We were on the Veendam last Fall who was leaving the summer New England/Canada route and heading to San Diego via Panama in the Fall after her extensive Fall Colors tour, so might want to check which ship is doing that route if you want to do the east to west route Panama route in the Fall.

 

The water was so warm at HMC that Fall month we did not want to get out.

[OCruisers]

WINTER would be our choice!

If we had to pick between Spring and Fall, it would be as early as possible in the Spring. ;)

[CruiserBruce]

:( thanks Bruce. I assume no HMC on that one either then. San Diego to FLL, that is.

 

Don't know HAL's criteria for stopping at HMC coming from the West Coast. I do know we aren't stopping at HMC on our Eurodam cruise SF to FLL in October/November. Would love to stop there, even if it is our 11th stop. Love HMC.

[kira5]

Panama has it's dry season from December to about April and rainy season the rest of the year. It can rain quite heavily; that's why it's so green and lush there.