21-DAY ON NORWEGIAN ENCORE Panama Canal: Mexico, Colombia & Guatemala from Miami, Florida 2025

[taylortime05]

Hi,

 

We’re thinking about taking the 21-DAY  NORWEGIAN ENCORE Panama Canal: Mexico, Colombia & Guatemala from Miami, Florida from March 30 - April 20 2025.  I’ve been looking for trip reports for the 21 Day Panama Canal sailings.  I know I saw a few on cruise critic but now I cannot find them.  

 

Has anyone been on  the 21 day Panama Canal sailing?  Did you have a trip report?  I’m just starting my research so I don’t have any specific questions right now.  

 

Thank you for your feedback.

 

Sue

Edited June 11, 2023 by taylortime05

[amygutman]

Sorry to not be helpful other than to say that itinerary looks amazing!!!! We did the Panama Canal on the Pearl and were in awe of the process. 21 days would be incredible and I know you will have an incredible adventure. 

Warmest. Amy

[All-ready2cruise]

I'm afraid I'm the same. This cruise looks wonderful but I've not seen it offered since I started cruising in 2012.  I love longer cruises and I've done the Panama Canal on the Sun from San Fran in 2017, 15 days. 

Edited June 12, 2023 by All-ready2cruise
Correct error

[www3traveler]

I did the this cruise from Miami to Vancouver, British Columbia in April of  2009 on the Pearl.  We went through the "Original" set of locks.  The Encore would have to use the newer locks- would still be a great adventure.

I would suggest that read David McCullough's book: "The Path Between The Seas" (The Creation of the Panama Canal 1870-1914).  How they ever got the Canal built, is I have no idea.

Enjoy the book and your adventure.

 

[www3traveler]

2 minutes ago, All-ready2cruise said:

I'm afraid I'm the same. This cruise looks wonderful but I've not seen it offered since I started cruising in 2012.  I love longer cruises and I've done the Panama Canal on the Sun from San Fran in 2017, 15 days. 

Cruises like this are offered every Spring and Fall as ships go from the Caribbean Winter Season to the Spring and Summer Alaskan Season sailing out of Seattle, Washington.  I friend of mine sailed last October from Seattle, Washington to Miami on the Encore.  He had a great time.  He was joined by a lady from Toronto.

[RB9643]

We'll be on the 2024 sailing April 7. Looking at it with great anticipation -- reduced occupancy, few kids. lots of room -- but no set expectations. It could be full, or if not, venues may be reduced, closed, or "transitioning".

 

What I do know is that some number of passengers will be disembarking in Los Angeles, and again in San Franciso, so occupancy could be reduced dramatically for the last 4-6 days of the trip.

 

 

 

Edited June 12, 2023 by RB9643

[taylortime05]

1 hour ago, RB9643 said:

We'll be on the 2024 sailing April 7. Looking at it with great anticipation -- reduced occupancy, few kids. lots of room -- but no set expectations. It could be full, or if not, venues may be reduced, closed, or "transitioning".

 

What I do know is that some number of passengers will be disembarking in Los Angeles, and again in San Franciso, so occupancy could be reduced dramatically for the last 4-6 days of the trip.

 

We had a 7 night Caribbean cruise on the Escape booked in the Haven.  But we have cruised so many times in the Caribbean that we’re trying to pick some of our cruises that are on our bucket list.  The 21 night Panama Canal looked like a great cruise but it would be too expensive for us to try to book a Haven.   An ocean balcony cabin on the 21 night Panama Canal cruise is not that much more than the Haven cabin on the 7 night Escape cruise.   What cabin type do you have?  Did you find any past trip reports on this itinerary?  

Edited June 12, 2023 by taylortime05

[YVRteacher]

I did the 21 day from San Francisco to New York in January/February 2020.  It was wonderful.  I loved every port and I loved being on the ship (Gem) for such a long time.  We gathered each night at the Sugarcane bar and debriefed/chatted/drank with the same wonderful group of people.

 

The day we went through the canal was extremely hot.  We chose to spend the day on deck 13 (I think) and I kept a towel soaked in ice water over my head to stay cool. On our cruise NCL brought a speaker on board and she did guest lectures about her dad being a bullfighter in Spain, the chocolate industry in Central America and Spanish language classes. We also had a guest lecturer teach us about the Panama Canal and there was a movie that showcased the construction of the canal.

 

Pack lots of sunscreen and comfy walking shoes. 

 

We did a shore excursion through NCL in every port except Santa Barbara:

 

Long Beach (Queen Mary, and aquarium)

Santa Barbara (walked far on the beach, walked through town, went to the farmer’s market)
Cabo (luxury day sail was fabulous)

Puerto Vallarta (full day tour that included the Malecon, church, requisite jewelry store, wonderful lunch high up on a cliff overlooking the ocean with margaritas, river walk and riverside market)

Ixtapa (okay, I didn’t love this port!)

Leon Nicaragua (excursion to the school, forest walk, church, town market.  Oh how I loved that market!)

Guatemala (we went to Antigua and it was one of my favourite shore excursions. Long bus ride but the volcanoes were erupting so it was interesting) There is a lovely market at the port. 

Santa Maria Colombia (beach day!)

Cartagena Colombia (boat transfer to old town) This is the port that has all the animals and coffee shops and souvenir shops. Some people just stay at the port.

Costa Rica (sloth sanctuary) and market at the port and walk through town.

Aruba (island tour that was fabulous)

Bonaire (We went to Klein Bonaire on the Samar which is a traditional Siamese junk.  The experience on the junk was awful but we loved Klein Bonaire.  If you like snorkelling take a water taxi here.)

Curacao (beach and aquarium then walked into town and explored.)

 

When people ask me which cruises are my favourite I always include this one.

 

I hope you have fun planning and researching and I hope you have a wonderful cruise!

[taylortime05]

7 hours ago, YVRteacher said:

I did the 21 day from San Francisco to New York in January/February 2020.  It was wonderful.  I loved every port and I loved being on the ship (Gem) for such a long time.  We gathered each night at the Sugarcane bar and debriefed/chatted/drank with the same wonderful group of people.

 

The day we went through the canal was extremely hot.  We chose to spend the day on deck 13 (I think) and I kept a towel soaked in ice water over my head to stay cool. On our cruise NCL brought a speaker on board and she did guest lectures about her dad being a bullfighter in Spain, the chocolate industry in Central America and Spanish language classes. We also had a guest lecturer teach us about the Panama Canal and there was a movie that showcased the construction of the canal.

 

Pack lots of sunscreen and comfy walking shoes. 

 

We did a shore excursion through NCL in every port except Santa Barbara:

 

Long Beach (Queen Mary, and aquarium)

Santa Barbara (walked far on the beach, walked through town, went to the farmer’s market)
Cabo (luxury day sail was fabulous)

Puerto Vallarta (full day tour that included the Malecon, church, requisite jewelry store, wonderful lunch high up on a cliff overlooking the ocean with margaritas, river walk and riverside market)

Ixtapa (okay, I didn’t love this port!)

Leon Nicaragua (excursion to the school, forest walk, church, town market.  Oh how I loved that market!)

Guatemala (we went to Antigua and it was one of my favourite shore excursions. Long bus ride but the volcanoes were erupting so it was interesting) There is a lovely market at the port. 

Santa Maria Colombia (beach day!)

Cartagena Colombia (boat transfer to old town) This is the port that has all the animals and coffee shops and souvenir shops. Some people just stay at the port.

Costa Rica (sloth sanctuary) and market at the port and walk through town.

Aruba (island tour that was fabulous)

Bonaire (We went to Klein Bonaire on the Samar which is a traditional Siamese junk.  The experience on the junk was awful but we loved Klein Bonaire.  If you like snorkelling take a water taxi here.)

Curacao (beach and aquarium then walked into town and explored.)

 

When people ask me which cruises are my favourite I always include this one.

 

I hope you have fun planning and researching and I hope you have a wonderful cruise!

Thank you so much for sharing!  That sounds like a lovely cruise.   Also, I bet in 2020 the ship was at 50-60% capacity.   I’m hoping that on our sailing the ship is not at 100% capacity.   I thought about getting a Haven cabin but it is too pricey for this journey.  I think a balcony cabin will be fine.  It’s always fun when you have a group to hang around with and share stories.   I haven’t really started my planning since it’s so far away.   Thanks again.  

Edited June 12, 2023 by taylortime05

[www3traveler]

18 minutes ago, taylortime05 said:

Thank you so much for sharing!  That sounds like a lovely cruise.   Also, I bet in 2020 the ship was at 50-60% capacity.   I’m hoping that on our sailing the ship is not at 100% capacity.   I thought about getting a Haven cabin but it is too pricey for this journey.  I think a balcony cabin will be fine.  It’s always fun when you have a group to hang around with and share stories.   I haven’t really started my planning since it’s so far away.   Thanks again.  

I also get an Inside Cabin and save my money for dinners, excursions and shopping.  I usually try to do some Christmas shopping as well.  Lots of spaces on a ship to be outside and to be able to see the Canal journey without going broke.

Sign up for the Roll Call for your cruise.  Somebody is always offering to organize activities above what the cruise ship offers.  People are also organizing private tours that you might be able to join.

Enjoy

 

 

 

Edited June 12, 2023 by www3traveler
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[KP@Sea]

We just booked this cruise. Definitely a bucket list trip. Only 657 days to go! 😳

[taylortime05]

13 hours ago, amygutman said:

Sorry to not be helpful other than to say that itinerary looks amazing!!!! We did the Panama Canal on the Pearl and were in awe of the process. 21 days would be incredible and I know you will have an incredible adventure. 

Warmest. Amy

Hi Amy,  

 

We’ve taken so many Caribbean cruises and loved them all.  But we’re trying to start focusing on some bucket list cruises and this one sounded wonderful.    This would be the longest cruise we’ve been on.  

 

Thank you

 

Sue

[taylortime05]

4 minutes ago, Winky7650 said:

We just booked this cruise. Definitely a bucket list trip. Only 657 days to go! 😳

Hi,

It gives us plenty of time to plan and dream about it.   This will be the longest cruise we’ve taken.   We’re  trying to decide what type of cabin to book.  We had a Haven booked for a 7 night Caribbean on the Escape but we wanted to do something on our bucket list instead.  We can’t afford a Haven cabin on this ship.  I’m hoping since it’s a 21 night cruise that it will not be at 100% capacity and we will be able to spend some time at the pool.    I think I’m going to book a balcony cabin.  Which type of cabin did you book?   I didn’t see a roll call yet but I hope we get an active one.  It’s so much fun to get to know everyone.  

 

Thanks

 

Sue

[KP@Sea]

23 minutes ago, taylortime05 said:

Hi,

It gives us plenty of time to plan and dream about it.   This will be the longest cruise we’ve taken.   We’re  trying to decide what type of cabin to book.  We had a Haven booked for a 7 night Caribbean on the Escape but we wanted to do something on our bucket list instead.  We can’t afford a Haven cabin on this ship.  I’m hoping since it’s a 21 night cruise that it will not be at 100% capacity and we will be able to spend some time at the pool.    I think I’m going to book a balcony cabin.  Which type of cabin did you book?   I didn’t see a roll call yet but I hope we get an active one.  It’s so much fun to get to know everyone.  

 

Thanks

 

Sue

We booked a balcony cabin. We looked into the Haven also, but couldn’t justify the cost difference. We wanted to be able to spend on the excursions instead. 
I plan on buying Vibe passes when they become available, that way we can avoid some of the crowds. Although, also hoping it’s not at 100% occupancy. Do you know if these long cruises are usually full? 
 

[taylortime05]

19 minutes ago, Winky7650 said:

We booked a balcony cabin. We looked into the Haven also, but couldn’t justify the cost difference. We wanted to be able to spend on the excursions instead. 
I plan on buying Vibe passes when they become available, that way we can avoid some of the crowds. Although, also hoping it’s not at 100% occupancy. Do you know if these long cruises are usually full? 
 

Since the cruise is 21 days I wouldn’t think you’d have too many families with small children but I’m not positive.  Also, I wouldn’t expect it to be at 100% capacity but again I don’t really know for sure.  I’d love to read some trip reports on this itinerary but I haven’t found any.   

[KP@Sea]

1 hour ago, taylortime05 said:

Since the cruise is 21 days I wouldn’t think you’d have too many families with small children but I’m not positive.  Also, I wouldn’t expect it to be at 100% capacity but again I don’t really know for sure.  I’d love to read some trip reports on this itinerary but I haven’t found any.   

I haven’t found any trip reports either, other than what @YVRteacher posted above. I know we have some different ports, but it’s nice to get an idea. 
I found a roll call for the 2024 cruise which is quite active. Hopefully one of them will write a review/trip report. 

[Turtles06]

19 hours ago, taylortime05 said:

Has anyone been on  the 21 day Panama Canal sailing?

 

We had a fabulous 20-day Panama Canal cruise on the Gem from NY to San Francisco in January 2020.  This turned out to be our last cruise before the pandemic; as we sailed up the West Coast, we began reading news reports of a deadly virus in China... 

 

I did not do a full blown report for the 2020 cruise, but I did a full review with photos of our 16-night Panama Canal cruise on the Jewel in 2017 from Miami to LA, with many of the same "traditional" ports you are likely to encounter on a full transit.  The link is here if you are interested:

 

 

I wish NCL were doing more Canal cruises like those two we did, rather than the one-ways from NY to Panama City and back, which are mostly Caribbean cruises.

 

If you have the time for a 3-week cruise, I say go for it.  And I strongly second the recommendation to read "The Path Between the Seas"  -- you will appreciate the Canal even more.

 

4 hours ago, taylortime05 said:

Also, I bet in 2020 the ship was at 50-60% capacity.

 

You were responding to @YVRteacher, who I believe was on the 2020 cruise that left San Fran when we got off.  This was right before the pandemics; ships were not sailing half-empty. 

[YVRteacher]

Correct.  Our ship was full. There was one child on board (a 10 year old boy) and he was wonderful!!

 

We were in a 2 bedroom penthouse for this cruise and didn’t use the balcony at all.  We were very busy and out and about on that cruise.

[RB9643]

13 hours ago, taylortime05 said:

 

  An ocean balcony cabin on the 21 night Panama Canal cruise is not that much more than the Haven cabin on the 7 night Escape cruise.   What cabin type do you have?  

 

 

Can't speak about the Haven because we haven't tried it yet. We like the oversized Club Balcony cabins. Great bathroom, and slightly larger than a balcony with more storage space.

 

For 2024, we've got a deck 10 Club Balcony for $8000 fare plus the port charges, taxes, fees, gratuities, etc. for a total of $11,000.

 

 

[Turtles06]

24 minutes ago, YVRteacher said:

Correct.  Our ship was full. There was one child on board (a 10 year old boy) and he was wonderful!!

 

I didn't realize until this thread that you followed after me on that great itinerary.  Sounds like you enjoyed it as much as we did! 

 

(We've now visited Antigua de Guatemala twice, and really loved both visits.)

 

I wish NCL would bring back that itinerary!

[swmichigan cruiser]

21 hours ago, taylortime05 said:

Hi,

 

We’re thinking about taking the 21-DAY  NORWEGIAN ENCORE Panama Canal: Mexico, Colombia & Guatemala from Miami, Florida from March 30 - April 20 2025.  I’ve been looking for trip reports for the 21 Day Panama Canal sailings.  I know I saw a few on cruise critic but now I cannot find them.  

 

Has anyone been on  the 21 day Panama Canal sailing?  Did you have a trip report?  I’m just starting my research so I don’t have any specific questions right now.  

 

Thank you for your feedback.

 

Sue

We did the 21night cruise on the Encore this past fall and had a great time. The Encore is now our favorite ship but can't tell you much about the ports we fortunately have cruised a lot and now we cruise more for the ship not the itinerary. We like the Encore so much we have it booked for the 21 night Panama Canal cruise April 7,2024. Should not be to crowded not many can get that much time unless you are retired. If you do book this cruise keep checking for price drops before final payment. 

[RB9643]

29 minutes ago, swmichigan cruiser said:

 We like the Encore so much we have it booked for the 21 night Panama Canal cruise April 7,2024.

 

Agree that Encore is our favorite ship (so far). We'll be with you on that cruise with sister and BIL. 

 

Seriously considering Vibe for the wives, but do you think it's worth $300 pp if the cruise isn't full? I've heard the Vibe loungers on Encore are not the upgraded padded loungers. Any experience with Encore's Vibe?

 

 

[taylortime05]

2 hours ago, Turtles06 said:

 

 

I did not do a full blown report for the 2020 cruise, but I did a full review with photos of our 16-night Panama Canal cruise on the Jewel in 2017 from Miami to LA, with many of the same "traditional" ports you are likely to encounter on a full transit.  The link is here if you are interested:

 

Thank you so much!  I will definitely read your trip report.  I learn so much by reading the trip reports.

Edited June 12, 2023 by taylortime05

[taylortime05]

1 hour ago, Turtles06 said:

 

I wish NCL would bring back that itinerary!

Hi Turtles06,

 

Below is the Itinerary for the 21 day sailing in March 2025.  How was your itinerary different?

 

11 PORTS OF CALL

• MiamiFlorida
• CartagenaColombia
• Panama City (Fuerte Amador)Panama
• Puerto QuetzalGuatemala
• AcapulcoMexico
• Puerto VallartaMexico
• Cabo San LucasMexico
• Los AngelesCalifornia
• San FranciscoCalifornia
• VictoriaBritish Columbia
• SeattleWashington

 

Thank you!

 

 

Edited June 12, 2023 by taylortime05

[taylortime05]

1 hour ago, swmichigan cruiser said:

We did the 21night cruise on the Encore this past fall and had a great time. The Encore is now our favorite ship but can't tell you much about the ports we fortunately have cruised a lot and now we cruise more for the ship not the itinerary. We like the Encore so much we have it booked for the 21 night Panama Canal cruise April 7,2024. Should not be to crowded not many can get that much time unless you are retired. If you do book this cruise keep checking for price drops before final payment. 

Thank you!  What type of cabin do you recommend for this cruise?