Do feel comfortable booking a Panama Canal cruise for the first half of 2022?

[Smokeyham]

Hello, we are booked on a Panama Canal cruise  in February, 2022 and final payment is due in November.  Trying to get an idea for how people feel about travelling to the various countries that we still stop at (Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Columbia) on this trip, especially with the continued uncertainties of Covid.

Edited September 11, 2021 by Smokeyham

[CruiserBruce]

As with your previous posts, calls for speculation...and things change unpredictability during Covid. We are booked on a B2B Mexican Rivera in February and March...hoping they will go. But it's all speculation at this point.

[srpilo]

3 hours ago, Smokeyham said:

Hello, we are booked on a Panama Canal cruise  in February, 2022 and final payment is due in November.  Trying to get an idea for how people feel about travelling to the various countries that we still stop at (Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Columbia) on this trip, especially with the continued uncertainties of Covid.

 

I'm booked on a Princess full canal transit in the middle of October (next month) and it seems to be on schedule just like any other up coming Caribbean or Mexican Riviera cruises, there's nothing inherently different, special or unique about a canal cruise other than the 7 hours of actual transit, the rest of the itinerary is basically a modified mix of Mexican Riviera +  Southern Caribbean cruise.

 

To get a better look at your cruise's probabilities keep on eye on my cruise next month, should be a decent indicator of likely hood's of near term current and short term future full transits 

[BillB48]

Have a short Caribbean cruise scheduled for November.  I am more concerned on just how the  new requirements will impact the cruise and my enjoyment.  Thinking of timely testing right before the cruise and just how noticeable and how convenient (or inconvenient) the safety protocols will be once on board.

[txjim09]

I might be on the same sailing (Ruby, Feb 25) and booked it several months ago when things were looking up and people were lining up to get jabbed. Pretty disappointed in many of my fellow countrymen who, IMO, forced us into this current state.

 

Your poll does not include "Not worried about being on the ship,  quite worried about the conditions in port" which is what I'd check.  

 

Although I'm prepared to cancel, have already made air/hotel/excursion reservations and will probably be onboard, mask and vax record in hand.

Edited September 26, 2021 by txjim09

[Rob-Bob]

On 9/25/2021 at 9:07 PM, txjim09 said:

Pretty disappointed in many of my fellow countrymen who, IMO, forced us into this current state.

? - All passengers and crew are required to be fully vaccinated.  Who are these people who let you down?

 

I am fully vaccinated and booked on the March 20 cruise.  Ready to go and leaving the mask at home.

[txjim09]

Vax resistors who are occupying the majority of covid hospital beds at this time and who made us question 2022 cruises.  I will feel safer on the ship than many other public gatherings.

[Rob-Bob]

4 hours ago, txjim09 said:

Vax resistors who are occupying the majority of covid hospital beds at this time and who made us question 2022 cruises.  I will feel safer on the ship than many other public gatherings.

Sounds like you are good to go.  Not sure how vax resistors in hospitals are affecting you.

[Kamloops50]

We are booked on a Full Transit fro Los Angeles to Fort Lauderdale on Feb 12 ,2022. We feel comfortable going but we aren't planning on a going ashore or taking excursion. We have visited most of the ports at least three times some even more.

We plan to fly in the day of the cruise and fly home on the day we arrive in Florida.

[Kamloops50]

On 9/28/2021 at 8:06 AM, txjim09 said:

Vax resistors who are occupying the majority of covid hospital beds at this time and who made us question 2022 cruises.  I will feel safer on the ship than many other public gatherings.

Where we live (BC Canada ) 99% of the Covid cases are unvaccinated people . 20% of those are school kids under the age of 16.

[RGEDad]

We are booked on an early December HAL cruise from Fort Lauderdale with a partial transit of the Panama Canal. DW had never done the locks so she was very interested in seeing them. We currently plan to remain on the ship for the transit for both directions. Possibly take a short tour of some canal operations  after when the ship waits in Colon for the returning tour passengers.  We both love cruising and being on the ship.  If we feel uncomfortable we will just stay on the ship and be perfectly happy with the reduced ship congestion.

Our cruise also stops the next day in Costa Rica - and that is really not looking so good at all to get off the ship - and we have both been there before.

***

We enroll in the US Government STEP program which sends us the updates on status from the embassy from each country we plan to visit. Gives the updates on COVID changes, and any...disturbances...(Like in Paris these days) - and in Costa Rica.

Highly recommend it - Especially if you are feeling uncomfortable with current COVID status - at least the embassy will let you know the current status.

S mart T raveler E nrollment P rogram

https://step.state.gov/STEP/Index.aspx

You just put in the country and dates for any trip planned.

I currently have 4 different trips planned outside of the US. Here is what our Panama cruise looks like ...

Bahamas - 12/06/2021 to 12/06/2021

Aruba - 12/08/2021 to 12/08/2021

Curacao - 12/09/2021 to 12/09/2021

Panama - 12/11/2021 to 12/11/2021

Costa Rica - 12/12/2021 to 12/12/2021

If you do a bunch of cruising - easier to just set up an account - then you do not need to renter a bunch of contact data for each cruise.

 

[CruiserBruce]

3 hours ago, RGEDad said:

We are booked on an early December HAL cruise from Fort Lauderdale with a partial transit of the Panama Canal. DW had never done the locks so she was very interested in seeing them. We currently plan to remain on the ship for the transit for both directions. Possibly take a short tour of some canal operations  after when the ship waits in Colon for the returning tour passengers.  We both love cruising and being on the ship.  If we feel uncomfortable we will just stay on the ship and be perfectly happy with the reduced ship congestion.

 

 

There aren't usually any tours departing after the ship docks in Colon. Typically the only tours go ashore while the ship is in Gatun Lake. And you don't want to wonder off the port area in Colon.

[Essiesmom]

The only tour of canal operations would be a taxi to the observation center at the new locks.  And even that would be iffy.  If you stay onboard for the return through the Gatun locks you will have your choice of viewing areas, as most will have gone on tours.  The Promenade deck is a great place, moving around at leisure.  EM

[BillB48]

There is not time for a tour after the ship arrives in Colon, many times many of the shore excursion passengers are already waiting at the pier.  There is usually enough time to browse the shops at the shopping mall connected to the pier, but nothing else.

[RGEDad]

Our Dec 5 cruise schedule says docking at Colon at 3 PM & depart at 8 PM - - BUT - - I remember reading someplace that the return transit & docking time is HIGHLY variable and totally dependent on the canal traffic management.

Will probably just remain on the ship - after the partial transit lock return. Besides - I just checked and Panama is still listed as Level 4 "Do Not Travel" so doubtful we will get off in any case. 

 

[BillB48]

True, those times for Colon are guesstimates at best, the 3PM arrival is probably the most flexible since that would require for everything during your partial transit run with complete precision.  While the mall connected to the pier is safe to visit, there is not anything there that would be in the must see category.

[Ashland]

We'll be on a 7 night Mexican Riviera cruise in Jan 2022 and the Panama Canal itinerary San Pedro-Tampa Oct 2022...Looking forward to these especially since they sail from my home port...I have no worries at all.

[GMoney]

I’m on a 15 night full transit right now and it’s great!

[Smokeyham]

On 10/3/2021 at 7:38 AM, RGEDad said:

We enroll in the US Government STEP program which sends us the updates on status from the embassy from each country we plan to visit. Gives the updates on COVID changes, and any...disturbances...(Like in Paris these days) - and in Costa Rica.

Highly recommend it - Especially if you are feeling uncomfortable with current COVID status - at least the embassy will let you know the current status.

S mart T raveler E nrollment P rogram

https://step.state.gov/STEP/Index.aspx

You just put in the country and dates for any trip planned.

 

 

 

Thanks for providing this information and the link to the STEP program.  That looks very helpful and we have enrolled.

[Smokeyham]

On 11/3/2021 at 12:45 PM, GMoney said:

I’m on a 15 night full transit right now and it’s great!

How are they handling shore excursions/visits ashore?  Can you go on your own or are you required to do ship-provided excursions?

Also, are they providing Covid testing on board?

[GMoney]

1 hour ago, Smokeyham said:

How are they handling shore excursions/visits ashore?  Can you go on your own or are you required to do ship-provided excursions?

Also, are they providing Covid testing on board?

It’s subject to local rules. All of our ports have been what celebrity calls “free flow,” either the exception of Colon, where ship tours are required. 
 

We were required to provide Covid test results prior to boarding

[trtog7]

On 10/2/2021 at 11:38 AM, Kamloops50 said:

We are booked on a Full Transit fro Los Angeles to Fort Lauderdale on Feb 12 ,2022. We feel comfortable going but we aren't planning on a going ashore or taking excursion. We have visited most of the ports at least three times some even more.

We plan to fly in the day of the cruise and fly home on the day we arrive in Florida.

Exactly what we are looking at doing. Just want to get away and on a ship that is fully vaxed is safer than a lot of things going on now.