Looking for input before booking Panama Complete Transit for Jan/Feb 2024

[KEG306]

Currently looking at cruise options for a Panama Canal Complete Transit in Jan or Feb 2024.  I've got quotes from both Princess and NCL on 15 Day itineraries.  We've previously sailed with both and have no real preference.  The Princess Itinerary would be on the Emerald Princess and NCL's were on either the Bliss or Joy.  I keep hearing that Princess is the best option for Panama Canal cruises.  Comparing these 2 itineraries.  NCL comes in quite a bit less expensive when they factor in airfare.

 

Looking for input from past sailers before making a final decision.  Thank you.

[CruiserBruce]

Start doing some reading. The Locks thread is right here:

 

 

[Essiesmom]

Both ships named will use the new locks.  If this is a bucket list trip, I would look for a ship that does the old, historic locks.  Then I would read some reviews, particularly of he NCL transits to see what kind of enrichment information was provided during the transit, particularly on NCL.  I know Princess does this well.  Then I would also look at the other ports on your itinerary.  The transit is the big day of the voyage, but it’s two weeks…

looking at schedules, I would look first at Island Princess in Jan, a segment of her world cruise.  She will use the old locks.

But I do like that the NCL ships visit Puerto Quetzal, Guatemala.

EM

[Turtles06]

I believe that all three ships named (Emerald Princess and both NCL ships) would use the new locks.  If this will be your first Canal transit, I agree with @Essiesmom that you should look for a ship that would use the original locks.  Just more interesting and historic imho.  

 

I've done two full transits on  NCL ships -- on the smaller, Jewel-class ships, which use the original locks, with two more booked for this winter.  At least on our two prior cruises (both pre-pandemic), NCL did not have much in the way of lectures about the Canal before  we got there, but there's an expert who comes on board EVERY cruise ship transiting the Canal to "narrate" the transit.  And reading David McCulloch's "The Path Between the Seas" is something I think everyone should do before a first transit, regardless of cruise line.  You'll appreciate the Canal that much more.

 

I also agree with @Essiesmom that it's important to consider the rest of the itinerary, since the Canal is just one day out of two weeks.  A very important single day to be sure...

 

I don't see any NCL Jewel-class ships being used for Canal transits in early 2024. You might want to take a look at the HAL Zaandam in January 2024. One of HAL's smaller and older ships (no bells and whistles), but a nice itinerary.  Pre-pandemic, HAL did a great job with enrichment lectures; you'd want to see how they are doing since the re-start.  (And read up on the ship and HAL to see if they would be for you.)

 

You may not find a good option for your dates using the historic locks.  If not, the Bliss, Joy, and Emerald Princess itineraries have trade-offs among the ports.  Puerto Quetzal (Bliss and Joy) lets you visit Antigua de Guatemala, but the Princess ship calls at Puntarenas, where there are some interesting shorex possibilities (crocs, birds, monkeys).  The Bliss also calls at Mazatlan, which we found to be very interesting.

 

Do spend some time looking at the various ports.

 

[BillB48]

While price is a great decision maker, the Canal experience could be a deciding point in your case.  As mentioned earlier the transit is the star attraction, but there is a lot of cruising before and after the transit. 

 

In the past NCL has provided for someone to narrate the transit as well as give a little history of the Canal and Panama during the transit.   The narrators that have been supplied by the Canal and have been decent in my experience.  I would recommend you check with some of Cruise Critic's Roll Calls of recent NCL transits and see what their experience was.

 

On the other hand I know Princess does provide enrichment speakers on various cruises.  These speakers will generally provide more information on the Canal at other times than just the day of the transit.  They will usually will also provide talks on other ports of call as well.  I have collaborated closely with one of Princess's speakers and I don't think you could get a better overview of the Canal even if David McCullough was giving the talk.  But, he is just one speaker and Princess uses others as well.  My only point here is, Princess gives more emphasis to their enrichment programs.

[Sunseeker11]

We were just on NCL Bliss.  There was a narrator throughout the day who gave lots of history.  The day we docked in Panama City we did a ferry tour of the old locks, that way we did new and old!

[neeuqdrazil]

Cunard's Queen Victoria is doing a full Panama Canal transit in Jan/Feb 2024 (FLL-SFO) with stops in Aruba, Puerto Quetzal, Cabo San Lucas, and an overnight in San Francisco at the end. QV *should* be going through the old locks.