Full PC transit during winter?

[Len3]

I can't seem to find a ship that does a full Panama Canal transit during the winter months. Can anyone help with suggestions?

[cherylandtk]

The full transits are usually for repositioning voyages only on the mass-market major lines and thus are limited to spring and fall. That said, look at Crystal, Seabourn, Cruise West and Windstar for Jan and Feb full transits.

[parody]

I'm not sure that one would classify Celebrity as a "mass-market" cruise line, but their Summit does a full transit in the Winter months. The higher-end cruise lines (Seabourn and Silversea) also do full transits of the Panama Canal in the Winter.

[cathi]

Depends on what you mean by winter - even Princess has full transit in Dec. and most ot the others (HAL, Celeb, RCCL) have at least one or two all "winter" long.

[parody]

most ot the others (HAL, Celeb, RCCL) have at least one or two all "winter" long.

 

A couple of years ago I took a full transit Panama Canal cruise on RCCL westbound and one of the highlights was when it passed one of its sisterships going eastbound through the Canal. Unfortunately, I don't believe that they offer these types of cruises anymore in the dead of winter.

[kitty9]

I don't know where you've been looking, not to find a ship doing full Panama Canal cruises this winter, but in a quick check I found: Coral Princess, Dawn Princess, Golden Princess, Celebrity Mercury, NCL Sun, Ryndam Celebrity Summit all doing PC cruises in the winter of 2006. Those full PC cruises run anywhere from 14 to 17 days depending on ports of call.

[Char]

A couple of years ago I took a full transit Panama Canal cruise on RCCL westbound and one of the highlights was when it passed one of its sisterships going eastbound through the Canal. Unfortunately, I don't believe that they offer these types of cruises anymore in the dead of winter.

I'm not understanding your "dead of winter" reference to the full Panama Canal transit. It's ALWAYS very hot in the canal zone, and the ports that these cruises embark and disembark from have moderate temps during the winter months. So the weather would not be a factor for this itinerary--except for the extremely hot months that don't have full transits scheduled. :p

[parody]

I'm not understanding your "dead of winter" reference

 

Well, it's all about definitions. In this case, "dead of winter" to me refers to peak winter months such as January, February, or March. Thus, I can rule out the shoulder periods when many of the repositioning cruises occur as cherylandtk mentions. Also, I take "full Panama" cruise to mean one goes between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. Thus, unlike what kitty9 says, of the ships that are mentioned, only the Celebrity Summit does a full Panama Canal cruise during this time period. But, since NO mainline cruises operate in the Panama Canal during summer months, I'd like to think that weather (in the Canal or where people come from) is a factor. Being near the equator, temperatures are fairly constant year-round. Rainfall, however, does vary.

[Glaciers]

Coming up fast is the QE2 which does a NY to LA through the Panama Canal on January 9. It's part of the World Cruise. We can't wait for a "winter" down there.

[Krazy Kruizers]

We have done full transit cruises a couple of times during the winter months. You just have to hunt around for them - they're there.

[Krazy Kruizers]

Just checked the Ryndam's schedule - she only goes through the canal once this winter - San Diego to Tampa - 16 days - Jan 6. You are a little late for that one.

[Papa Dick]

Another option might be Oceana Cruise's Pacific to Atlantic transit of the Panama Canal leaving the Port of Los Angeles in San Pedro, California on the 29th of January 2006. It is a sixteen day voyage with port stops in Mexico, Guatemala, Costa Rica, and San Andreas Island. The end of the voyage is in Miami, Florida. The ship is the Regatta.

 

Papa Dick