Weather question for BillB4B

[dmwnc1959]

@BillB48 I was wondering on how different the weather - especially the temperature range - is going to be from doing a full transit of the canal on February 1st than that of April 8th? I have two cruises (one is a 16-night EB and the other a 25-night WB) on deposit and need to do a deep dive on the pros and cons of each trip. Thank you! 🥸

[BillB48]

Honestly there is very little (if any) temperature differences between the beginning of February and early April.  The biggest difference probably would be in how it feels, February is early Dry Season and it "seems" more pleasant, by that I mean the canopy and ground cover are still green.  There is usually a pleasant breeze and the air is clear.  In April it is towards the end of the Dry Season some of the canopy and ground cover have browned out to a degree.  Also the air is slightly more opaque, largely from brush fires throughout the region.  It is unlikely that you would see or actually smell any of the fires, but it does linger in the atmosphere and creates a haze.  Since April is at the end of the Dry Season so you are potentially entering into a transition period where you can be exposed to a few elements of the Rainy Season.  The biggest negatives there would be the breeze dropping off and feeling a little muggier.  Of course a slightly greater chance of rain.

 

Now that I have typed all that it really boils down to nuances and subtleties, I think the weather in either situation will not have a huge impact on your trip.  I would pick the trip that you want to do and really not give much weight to the weather.  The bottom line is you are from a temperate climate traveling in air conditioned ship.  The weather in Panama ( and many other places) will seem humid and you will notice the difference!

[dmwnc1959]

@BillB48 amazingly detailed reply, THANK YOU. It’s going to be a tough choice, and I have deposits on both cruises which gives me plenty of time to think on this. I only get to do this once, so I want to do it right. 😁

[njhorseman]

55 minutes ago, dmwnc1959 said:

@BillB48 amazingly detailed reply, THANK YOU. It’s going to be a tough choice, and I have deposits on both cruises which gives me plenty of time to think on this. I only get to do this once, so I want to do it right. 😁

There's no wrong way to do a Panama Canal transit.  

 

The strongest suggestion I have for a first-timer is to do the cruise on a ship that uses the original locks if you at all can...but if that won't work for you for one reason or another, then don't hesitate to take the voyage on a ship using the new locks. Beyond that just pick the ship and itinerary that appeals to you the most and don't worry about minor differences.

 

We've done six full transits, all using the original locks. Four on the Norwegian Gem...two in each direction, one north to south on the Oceania Insignia and one north to south on the Oceania Marina. We fully enjoyed each transit.

 

[dmwnc1959]

28 minutes ago, njhorseman said:

There's no wrong way to do a Panama Canal transit.  

 

The strongest suggestion I have for a first-timer is to do the cruise on a ship that uses the original locks if you at all can...but if that won't work for you for one reason or another, then don't hesitate to take the voyage on a ship using the new locks. Beyond that just pick the ship and itinerary that appeals to you the most and don't worry about minor differences.

 

We've done six full transits, all using the original locks. Four on the Norwegian Gem...two in each direction, one north to south on the Oceania Insignia and one north to south on the Oceania Marina. We fully enjoyed each transit.

 

Also for @BillB48

 

Just to give you an idea of the two ships I’ve narrowed it down to: Coral Princess 16-nights EB (San Francisco to Fort Lauderdale) and the Norwegian Jade 25-nights WB (Tampa to Whittier, AK). Both use the original locks. Both come out to be nearly the exact same price. Coral Princess is transiting the Panama Canal on February 1st: Norwegian Jade transiting April 8th. I guess the biggest thing I’m concerned about on the latter is that it’s happening during the same time as Spring Break AND Easter, so a ship filled with chaos doesn’t sound like much fun. Knowing what you know about these two ships, which one would you pick? 

Edited February 1 by dmwnc1959

[CruiserBruce]

@dmwnc1959, a 25 day cruise isn't going to have a lot of Spring breakers on it. I would definitely expect an older crowd.

[njhorseman]

1 hour ago, dmwnc1959 said:

Also for @BillB48

 

Just to give you an idea of the two ships I’ve narrowed it down to: Coral Princess 16-nights EB (San Francisco to Fort Lauderdale) and the Norwegian Jade 25-nights WB (Tampa to Whittier, AK). Both use the original locks. Both come out to be nearly the exact same price. Coral Princess is transiting the Panama Canal on February 1st: Norwegian Jade transiting April 8th. I guess the biggest thing I’m concerned about on the latter is that it’s happening during the same time as Spring Break AND Easter, so a ship filled with chaos doesn’t sound like much fun. Knowing what you know about these two ships, which one would you pick? 

I've never sailed on Princess so I don't have any first hand knowledge of the ship.

 

I've sailed on the Norwegian Jade's siblings the Gem and the Jewel many times and they are far and away my favorite class of NCL ship. 

 

All other things being reasonably similar I'd take a 25 night cruise over a 15 night cruise at the same price...and the fact that you get Alaska in addition to the Panama Canal on the Jade cruise is a giant plus in my eyes. It makes the Princess itinerary look very ordinary by comparison.

 

On a 25 night cruise the absolute last thing I'd be worried about are spring breakers and holidays. That cruise is far too long for spring breakers and for that matter most working adults . The cruise's  demographic is going to be heavily weighted to retirees

[dmwnc1959]

@CruiserBruce  @njhorseman  I normally go mall-walking 3x a week. Yesterday all I kept saying there - and all day as a matter of fact - was “TWENTY-FIVE NIGHTS”. Repeatedly. I know many others have cruised that and even longer. I’ve never cruised that long on a single unbroken trip and just can’t wrap my head around that. I have done 14-nights but that was two 7-nighters doing a B2B. But just how crazy in my head is it to do TWENTY-FIVE NIGHTS! 🤯 

[BillB48]

Ah you don't have to be crazy to do 25 nights!  I did my first cruise longer than 7 days about 20 years ago, on the first day I thought to myself that at the end of the cruise I would be ready to get off.  Guess what... I wasn't ready after the 11 day cruise returned to Baltimore.  It was a few years before I did anything longer and then that was a 16 day trans Atlantic.  I never even gave any thought that I would be ready to jump ship when it was over.  To date I have not found any cruise that was too long and that includes a couple of 32 day B2B cruises!  

 

As far as Princess vs NCL, I know that generally Princess puts some effort into providing destination lecturers on their longer cruises.  It has been so long since I have been on a NCL ship I can't provide any insight as to what they do or don't do.  Having a knowledgeable lecturer, particularly for the Canal is a real plus.  The unfortunate thing is you won't know if you will have a competent speaker until the deed is done and I don't think you can get any real information from shore side pre-cruise.  In the past many of the cruise lines have just taken on narrator de jour that the Canal can provide, for an additional cost as you might expect.  They can run the entire spectrum from good to why bother.

 

Just remember a Canal transit is like eating one peanut or one chip... you always want another😉!

[BillB48]

dmwnc'59, one thing I forgot to mention... I would look for any Canal cruise that had a stop in Panama either pre or post transit as a plus.  Many ships don't include a stop in Colon or Ft. Amador in conjunction with the transit.  For someone who is keenly interested in the Canal, seeing things from the land end of the Canal is great.

[dmwnc1959]

1 hour ago, BillB48 said:

dmwnc'59, one thing I forgot to mention... I would look for any Canal cruise that had a stop in Panama either pre or post transit as a plus.  Many ships don't include a stop in Colon or Ft. Amador in conjunction with the transit.  For someone who is keenly interested in the Canal, seeing things from the land end of the Canal is great.

THANK YOU for the posts. Norwegian Jade stops in Colon and Coral Princess stops in Fuerte Amador (both pre-transit). 
 

It is still mind-boggling that I’m considering a 25-night cruise. I haven’t been away from my apartment for that long in over 20 years. Heck, I wouldn’t even know how to pack. Guess that’s more research. The one thing I did like about Coral Princess is that there was a laundromat on every passenger cabin deck, and one was just feet from my cabin. 
 

Looking at the NCL excursions from Colon it appears they do offer a trip over to the Miraflores Locks to Gamboa (or visa versa), which I wanted, to be able to see the locks and Culebra Cut from water level. 
 

Edited February 1 by dmwnc1959

[SSAtlantic]

I am hijacking this thread slightly. We are booked on the Coral WB in January also. I have started looking at excursions and wonder what the best thing to do the day in Fuente Amador that would enhance the transit. Quite a few look interesting. 
Thanks. 

[SSAtlantic]

As a side note, we were originally booked on Emerald Princess for the Solar Eclipse in April, but we decided the old locks won out over the Eclipse as it was just an added bonus to us when we originally booked that cruise.  

[dmwnc1959]

1 hour ago, SSAtlantic said:

I am hijacking this thread slightly. We are booked on the Coral WB in January also. I have started looking at excursions and wonder what the best thing to do the day in Fuente Amador that would enhance the transit. Quite a few look interesting. 
Thanks. 

I did a TON of research and of all the Princess Cruises shore excursions from Fuerte Amador this is the one I wanted to do most. Even though you transit the canal on Coral Princess, I personally thought seeing the Miraflores Locks and Culebra Cut from a small boat at water level would significantly augment my canal experience. Maybe we can also get @BillB48 to chime in with his favorite.

 

 

Edited February 3 by dmwnc1959

[BillB48]

You are typing to someone who would recommend that Eskimos buy more ice!  Being the Canal wonk that I am, I whole heartily would agree that seeing the it from the smaller vessel is a good thing.  Truly, it is a different experience in the locks when you are on the smaller craft than when you are on your Panamax ship..  If you are interested in things Canal, then two trips through the locks and the Cut is all good.  When you go through the locks on your ship, you can almost seem removed from he process.  There is much greater feeling as to the size of the locks when you are on the smaller vessel.  I know this recommendation is not for everyone, but I would take that excursion in a heart beat, even though I have been there and done that.

 

If you do Princess then there is a chance you could have the "Professor" as your port lecturer, he is the best of the best for the Canal.  No real way of knowing that for you to plan you trip, unfortunately.

[shiner6]

On 2/2/2024 at 6:27 PM, dmwnc1959 said:

I did a TON of research and of all the Princess Cruises shore excursions from Fuerte Amador this is the one I wanted to do most. Even though you transit the canal on Coral Princess, I personally thought seeing the Miraflores Locks and Culebra Cut from a small boat at water level would significantly augment my canal experience. Maybe we can also get @BillB48 to chime in with his favorite.

 

 

Panama Canal & Locks Transit By Boat

7 hours | Panama Canal Partial Transit New Locks | NC2-615N C 2 - 6 1 5

Easy Activity, Includes meal

From

$204.95

 

 

This is now the price on the Ruby Princess, we have this booked.

[dmwnc1959]

14 minutes ago, shiner6 said:

Panama Canal & Locks Transit By Boat

7 hours | Panama Canal Partial Transit New Locks | NC2-615N C 2 - 6 1 5

Easy Activity, Includes meal

From

$204.95

 

 

This is now the price on the Ruby Princess, we have this booked.

The NCL version @ $200 from Colon is about that price now for an April 2025 transit. If I’m reading this correctly it is quite literally a full transit of all three lock systems as well as the Culebra Cut, then back to Gamboa and Colon.
 

“You’ll travel by ship's tender to the Gatun Yacht Club to board your transportation for the narrated drive through the isthmus to the small village of Gamboa.  Here, you’ll board your ferry for your canal transit through two sets of locks. 

 

You’ll cross the Gaillard Cut and enter the Pedro Miguel Locks, which will lower your vessel 28 feet on its way to the Pacific.

 

Your boat will settle on Miraflores Lake and then you’ll sail over to the Miraflores Locks. Enjoy a light lunch during your scenic cruise of the lake and locks.

 

Your canal experience ends at the port of Balboa where you'll board your transportation back to the ship.”

[BillB48]

dmwnc, when I came back an re-read your post, I am not sure if I understand correctly what you are saying here... "The NCL version @ $200 from Colon is about that price now for an April 2025 transit. If I’m reading this correctly it is quite literally a full transit of all three lock systems as well as the Culebra Cut, then back to Gamboa and Colon."

 

Not sure if you mean you will have gone through all three locks when you are on a partial transit cruise when you include the first set of locks on the Atlantic side on your ship and the two sets of locks on the Pacific side while you are on the excursion.  I agree you do go through a large portion of the Canal, however what is missing here is the section of Gatun Lake from Gatun to Gamboa, a distance of about 22 miles.  The excursion describe above covers from Gamboa, the Cut and the two Pacific Locks and essentially is a partial transit of the Pacific portion of the Canal

 

A good part of the time the cruise lines offer that very excursion to cruise ships that are making the full transit and calling at Colon or Ft. Amador.  Think what may happen in these cases the poor writer with the job of writing excursion descriptions just starts copying and pasting a subject they probably know nothing about🤪.

 

A FYI, often times the excursion is ran the in reverse order from the way it is described above.  In other words they will start the excursion in Ft. Amador (they use Balboa above), pass through Miraflores Locks, Miraflores Lake, Pedro Miguel Locks and through Gaillard (Culebra) Cut ending in Gamboa.  From Gamboa you will return by bus to wherever your ship is.

 

 

Either way is equally rewarding, although just personal preference I like up lockages better.

 

In any event I hope this doesn't muddy any Canal waters!

[dmwnc1959]

3 hours ago, BillB48 said:

Think what may happen in these cases the poor writer with the job of writing excursion descriptions just starts copying and pasting a subject they probably know nothing about🤪.

I definitely think that this is the case here with the description of this particular shore excursion (see screenshot in Post 11 above) from Colon.

 

It’s written that I’ll travel by tender (from Colon) and proceed to the Gatun Yacht Club. The only way that could happen is going through the Gatun Locks. It would then proceed to Gamboa (or possibly Fuerte Amador) for a transit by small boat through the Pedro Miguel Locks, Miraflores Locks, and Culebra Cut.
 

What has me second-guessing the tour description is the first part: do you really travel by tender to the yacht club from the Colon docks? Like you said, it’s probably a cut-and-paste from another short excursion. I think the description involving tenders is only for ships that travel through the Gatun Locks and then anchor in Gatun Lake.

 

😁

Edited February 7 by dmwnc1959

[BillB48]

9 minutes ago, dmwnc1959 said:

I think the description involving tenders is only for ships that travel through the Gatun Locks and then anchor in Gatun Lake.

Your quoted portion is exactly what happens.  Once the ship reaches Gatun Lake is when the tendering begins, normally from where the ships anchor it is only about a 5 minute tender ride to the Gatun Yachtless Club.  Absolutely the Gatun Locks are not involved with the tender. Just an aside, I say Yachtless because a yacht at that club would be hard to find.  Even in it's heyday yachts were not usually in evidence, it really was just a local watering hole.  Spent many of Sundays there swimming. .

 

Sometimes those tour descriptions read more like a novel or at least something from a creative writing class!  At first I did not pick up on it, but then I went back and read it again and thought I would jump in and just make sure we all had the same sheet of music!