Anyone cruise through the Panama Canal?

[Vibrantvirgo81]

I'm considering our next cruise a nice long trip through Panama Canal. Our first cruise was years ago and 4 days long from Long Beach. I also got seasick so this time I would get the patch and stock up on ginger tablets. Lol. This one would be 14-17 days. I was considering Sept of 2022. I'm also thinking of leaving from (and returning to) Galveston since we're in the Phoenix area. It would be me and my son who will be 20/21 at the time. 

Do you think Sept is a good time to go?

When did you go and what was your experience?  

What places did you see and is a 'must see' again or a 'definite skip'?

Any tips or thoughts would be great! 

[xDisconnections]

Yes. It's a good time to go.

Sept 2011. It was fun.

Cozumel, Limon, Colon.

[cruizergal70]

For Panama,  decide if you want a full transit or partial transit. That will inform your choice of itinerary. 

[maryandmarge]

We did a full transit in April 2018 from Los Angeles to Miami on NCL Star.  It was a 14 day cruise.      Going thru the Panama Canal was an amazing thing to see.    You just don't realize how little room there is in the locks until you are in there.    It should be on everyones bucket list.   

[coscab]

Read " Path Between the Seas " before you go it truly enhances the experience.  We really enjoyed going through the old locks into Gatun Lake , I  guess the new ones are bigger, not sure if it looks as close as the old ones.

[coevan]

37 minutes ago, cruizergal70 said:

For Panama,  decide if you want a full transit or partial transit. That will inform your choice of itinerary. 

 

 

If it leaves and returns to Galveston, it’s a partial transit

[Vibrantvirgo81]

43 minutes ago, cruizergal70 said:

For Panama,  decide if you want a full transit or partial transit. That will inform your choice of itinerary. 

 

Ah...I see now. I think I want to do full; that's what I was initially imagining anyways. 

[lazydayz]

We did the full transit from Tampa to Long Beach, in late September/early October last year and the weather was great.  We were on the Miracle and used the old locks.  It truly is an amazing experience.  Love Cabo as well. 

[joeyancho]

It is something all cruisers should do at least once.  It is amazing when you consider you sail above sea level. 

[BillB48]

To the OP, I realize that Canal cruises are not that frequently offered so you may have go when that itinerary is available.  While I would not rule out going in September, it really isn't the most ideal time of year to the Canal.  Since the cruise is Galveston round trip, this is definitely a partial transit cruise using the Atlantic Locks.  September in Panama is smack in the middle of the Rainy season as well as in several other of the likely Caribbean stops such as Cartagena, Colombia and Limon, CR.  Another precautionary note is September is a real popular time and the Caribbean can be a real popular destination for those storms that often have names you can't pronounce and began with the letter "H"!!  It is true Panama is not a port of call for hurricanes as they are too far south, but a storm in the Caribbean Basin could change some plans.  Although I have not cruised there in September, I have cruised the Canal in October which is also well within the Rainy season and not had any significant issues.  Regarding weather, the absolute best time is late December through April, but you go when you can.

 

Since you are in the planning stages, here are a couple of things you may wish to think about in deciding on your Canal cruise.  If I had my choice, I would prefer a full transit cruise over a partial transit cruise.  A partial transit cruise is still a great cruise and there are ways to make almost as good as a full transit cruise.  Next is which locks will you go through?  For my first cruise I would prefer to choose a cruise where you would use the original locks, it would not be a deal breaker in my mind if your cruise used the new locks.

[cruizergal70]

14 hours ago, coevan said:

 

 

If it leaves and returns to Galveston, it’s a partial transit

Yeah, that's why I brought that up in case the OP wasn't aware of the difference. They might want a full transit and will have to look for a different cruise to take.

[Heidi13]

Having completed canal transits in most months of the year, my preference by cruise ship is a full transit on a ship repositioning from Florida to Alaska. These can start leaving early/mid April, which just catches the beginning of rainy season, but we have been luck on all cruises at this time.

 

While a full transit is best, a partial is better than no transit.