21 day Panama Canal Cruise questions

[bonvoyagie]

Looking at the Pearl next April - NOLA to Seattle 21 days. Seems like an awful long time on ship esp with 10 sea days. However when I compare it to the typical Panama Canal cruise there are way more port stops (5 I think) before the canal and then another 5-6 on the Pacific Coast. Living in Portland OR the ending in Seattle would make it a very short trip home. DW has never been to NOLA - I have been there twice on business (with some touristy things mixed in).

 

This trip visits the new Harvest Cay - is it worth it - is there any way to see Belize?

 

Our main purpose is to see the Canal - is the rest of the ports worth it - or should we wait for a shorter more conventional cruise that starts in Miami and ends in LA?

 

Not too sure about getting off the ship in Colombia or some of the other CA and SA countries.

 

Any comments, suggestions, helpful hints etc would be welcome.

[DOT Dudet]

I have booked this cruise, so I think it will be a great one. It will be my second cruise so I am a little nervous about 21 days, but with only one plane trip since I live near Seattle I went for it. The Roll Call is already planning things to do on "Sea" days. As near as I can tell the stop at harvest Caye is NOT Belize and I have not seen any excursions to Belize. Like I said before I think it is a great cruise, counting the days.

[rapata]

We did a 15 day Canal cruise on the Pearl last Octover...,.LA to Miami and didn't want it to end. It was a nice mix of sea days and ports but if you don't like sea days look for a shorter cruise. You will be coming up the west coat in spring so the weather will probably get cooler and wetter as you progress. ....I prefer to end my cruise in the sun and fly home. If you browse thru my previous posts I did Q and A on the trip rather than a full blown review.

We did a small private tour in Cartagena and felt safe but the touts in the city are quite aggressive.

 

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[don't-use-real-name]

Hi roll call cruising buddy - NCL DAWN autumn of 2016 !

 

Interesting cruise you are looking at ---

 

Have taken the STAR 14 day canal trip departing Miami stopping at Cartagena - the full transit of the canal - Puntarenas -

Puerto Chiapas - Hautulco - Puerto Vallarta - Cabo - ending at San Pedro (Long Beach {not the Queen Mary port})

Perhaps just the right amount of stops like one every other day.

 

Cartagena don't miss it take a NCL SX best with a private firm * highlight the monastery on the hill overlooking the city.

 

Transit the canal either side is great the starboard viewing the new wider canal - port side the older section of the canal

and exiting the canal Panama City. Go up on the highest deck you can for a better overall view - cruise ships most

always transit the canal in daylight certainly not to be missed in ones lifetime.

 

The Jewel cruise you are reviewing has more Pacific coast stops differing from the NCL STAR Cabo being the only one in

common to both.

 

On the Atlantic side re: Belize - Harvest Cay is the substitution for Belize - I understand that there are private ferry firms that

will take you from Harvest Cay to the city - whether it is worth it - CC readers chime in here - neither appeals to me.

 

Seems strange leave NOLA first stop is as usual Cozumel then to Roatan and BACK to Harvest Cay then reverse travel to

depart to Cartagena but the distance between the Roatan and Harvest Cay is putt putt cruise distance like a waste of time.

These ports may have been added to sequence the transit thru the canal - must have expensive reservation time to transit

the canal * ask about the cost per person to transit the canal something around $1k for every soul on board (incl crew).

Very expensive voyage to reposition a ship in another market (Caribbean to Alaska) but cheaper than the NCL SUN trip

around the horn of Argentina Chile I am told.

 

So you arrive at Seattle at the end of the cruise and need to get to Portland - hint a short cab ride from the Seattle pier to

the King street Amtrak station and ride a comfortable Premiere parlor car to Portland about a $70s pp.

 

Hope a lot of other CC commentators add to this to enlighten your decision on this cruise.

DO NOT take the cruise that goes just to the canal going thru one set of locks and turns around and goes back !

THE WHOLE ENCHILADA is what you want out of this !

 

durn

[Oldgoat61]

We cruised the PC on the Pearl, and it was one our most memorable cruises to date. We did LA to Mia, and it was a 14 day cruise. We both think 21 days is a bit long, but we have done it (on the Pearl to the S Caribbean).

 

The good thing about the 21 day cruise is the sea days you will get between ports. You will also get to see the "old canal".

 

If the 21 days is still a concern, you might consider the Bliss (May 2018), which will sail the PC, is 15 days in length, and you get to go thru the new canal. This will give you an excuse to cruise the "old canal" at a later date!

 

Almost all the ports on a PC cruise will be enjoyable. Which ever cruise you choose, you will have a blast. :D

[bonvoyagie]

HI DURN - good to hear from you, we are still having good memories of our C&NE cruise. We actually have this cruise booked but only have 100.00 invested at the moment. April is a ways off and we still have some time to decide. Our travel agent suggested this cruise as it does hit some of the ports normally found on a Caribbean cruise - something he said most canal cruises miss. We have done AK several times and love using Amtrak between the two towns - we might also fly. However we will have to fly to Seattle to get to NOLA so my DW can say she has seen Sea Tac. The 14 day NE cruise was almost too long but there were so few sea days there was not much recover time. This cruise is about 50/50 sea days so we can lounge around the ship and recharge.

 

We don't have to do the cruise now - there will be other times - just not sure if the Pearl or any other NCL ship will do this route again.

[pspercy]

Just a note, we stopped in Cartagena (Colombia) last April on Dawn.

We did a tour with http://www.cartagenatour.com/cruiseshiptour.html aka "Dora the Explorer"

It was our favourite port-call of the trip.

[don't-use-real-name]

HI DURN - good to hear from you, we are still having good memories of our C&NE cruise. We actually have this cruise booked but only have 100.00 invested at the moment. April is a ways off and we still have some time to decide. Our travel agent suggested this cruise as it does hit some of the ports normally found on a Caribbean cruise - something he said most canal cruises miss. We have done AK several times and love using Amtrak between the two towns - we might also fly. However we will have to fly to Seattle to get to NOLA so my DW can say she has seen Sea Tac. The 14 day NE cruise was almost too long but there were so few sea days there was not much recover time. This cruise is about 50/50 sea days so we can lounge around the ship and recharge.

 

We don't have to do the cruise now - there will be other times - just not sure if the Pearl or any other NCL ship will do this route again.

 

Seriously thinking of a redo of the 2016 trip in 2018 although NCL is making it tough to do this as a B2B.

Everything was so perfect it just has to be done again with more of the family - 80 some days away from

another Alaska trip (ship positioning) NCL SUN Vancouver to San Francisco - SUN continuing thru the canal

to a Caribbean market. SUN is a small ship with far less floating amusement park activities and better suited

for the reserved relaxing cruising sans whistles bells fan fare of a water park. Off your rockers now and

wheelchair doe se doe - yes wheelchairs can do square dancing ah er circle dancing or something like that !

 

Autumn and Spring a lot of interesting ship positioning cruises thru the canal - one of the ones with the highest

demand will be the NCL Bliss being introduced into the Alaska market - going to be interesting seeing this

huge ship filling a bathtub go up the Tracy Arm Sawyer glacier fjord for a peak at the glaciers. A lot of ships

don't make it that far due to ice flows.

 

You are getting a few comments here about the canal passage - don't miss the canal trip - you will have

memories photos and talk for years to come oh and NCL will provide you with a silly piece of parchment

honoring your courageous transit through one of the biggest costliest ditches on the face of the globe -

truly an modern day 7th wonder of the world.

 

durn

[ozscotart]

We are booked on the Jade for a partial canal cruise, with a stop at Harvest Caye, there are excursions available to mainland Belize, I am thinking of the one to Nim Li Punit, there are others, as well as just doing the ferry to Placencia and spending some time there.

 

 

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[roger001]

[quote name=bonvoyagie;53472555

 

Our main purpose is to see the Canal - is the rest of the ports worth it - or should we wait for a shorter more conventional cruise that starts in Miami and ends in LA?

 

Not too sure about getting off the ship in Colombia or some of the other CA and SA countries.

 

Any comments' date=' suggestions, helpful hints etc would be welcome.[/quote]

 

 

The PC is a wonder of the World considering it is now over 100 years old. Do read A Path Between the Seas first, if your cruise focus is the PC. It is long, contains history of PC efforts that almost bankrupted France, and the many, many challenges involved in finally completing the canal. Long, but really well written. It will make you trip through soooo much more meaningful and interesting. And reference port stops, we have always explored them near the port or taken NCL tours. Always felt safe doing that. We've done two 14 day PC cruises. Would like to do another.

[garycarla]

We did Miami to Seattle. Awesome cruise. Would consider it again.

[BostonGal35]

21 days is only too long for me because i work. otherwise, i could live on a cruise ship!!!

[irvington]

Just a note, we stopped in Cartagena (Colombia) last April on Dawn.

We did a tour with http://www.cartagenatour.com/cruiseshiptour.html aka "Dora the Explorer"

It was our favourite port-call of the trip.

 

 

 

 

It was my favorite too. Would love to go back to stay in Cartagena some time. The hotels in the old city looked lovely.

 

 

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[Clay Clayton]

We were on Sun from Tampa to Vancouver a few years back for its 19 day canal cruise. We had a great time. A day or two at sea before Cartagena then the canal, then a sea day followed by a port day (the perfect mix IMHO). We were envious of those aboard who were doing a B2B2B by doing 14 more days aboard up and back to Alaska.

 

If you can swing the time away from work or home and enjoy leisurely days reading, watching the sea go by, conversing with interesting people then by all means go for it!

[www3traveler]

I booked yesterday 15 day Panama cruise on the back of a 10 day Alaskan cruise (Vancouver, B.C. to San Francisco and now on to Miami) on The Sun- 25 days on board ship. I can not wait.

 

I just did a b2b2b (22 days) in December on the Getaway.

 

Love long adventures.

[don't-use-real-name]

I booked yesterday 15 day Panama cruise on the back of a 10 day Alaskan cruise (Vancouver, B.C. to San Francisco and now on to Miami) on The Sun- 25 days on board ship. I can not wait.

 

I just did a b2b2b (22 days) in December on the Getaway.

 

Love long adventures.

 

www3traveler

 

Invitation - come join us on the CC roll call for that booking - LINK:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?p=53456132&posted=1#post53456132

[mugtech]

We loved the Sun 19 days Tampa, PC, to Vancouver and then 10 more days for rt to Alaska, never got bored. Loved Cartagena, Costa Rica, Acapulco, Cabo San Lucas and San Francisco. 21 days with 10 sea days is a great ratio for a relaxing, informative cruise. Gotta agree that The Path Between the Seas should be required reading for all PC cruisers.

[toyotaford]

We did a 19 day Panama Canal on the Jewel a couple of years ago and loved it. The roll call was very active and we felt like we knew each other before we got on board. We met most sea days for games. It was before Harvest Cay was open so we got so visit Belize. We have been back twice since Harvest Cay has been open and I don't believe you can visit Belize on any tours. We definitely preferred being able to visit Belize. 19 days was definitely not to long for us. I say go for it.

[pdmartyn65]

Another of the veterans of the 19 day Tampa to Vancouver in April. 2015. It was over before we knew it. Had a grand time. the sea days between the ports helps you recharge. We did 7days on the Epic last October, followed by the 14 day Jade repositioning from Barcelona to Tampa, and did 8 port days in a row (Including the day in Barcelona to change ships). Really made me appreciate the sea days! Our roll call for the transatlantic was very active, we had about 140 attend the Meet and Greet! Really helped with sea days, especially when Bermuda got cancelled due to weather and we ended up with 7 sea days between Funchal and Miami.

[debnjoe1438]

I booked yesterday 15 day Panama cruise on the back of a 10 day Alaskan cruise (Vancouver, B.C. to San Francisco and now on to Miami) on The Sun- 25 days on board ship. I can not wait.

 

I just did a b2b2b (22 days) in December on the Getaway.

 

Love long adventures.

 

Hi, here's an invitation to join the roll call for the second portion of your trip. Joe and I are also doing 25 days on the Sun, 10 day Glacier bay followed by 15 day Panama Canal. Link to roll call below.

 

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1iees4eqrX27iwVclD6eDI0-z7M1ODHy6d4sLJsGv6Nw/edit#gid=0