Cruise West Panama Canal

[40cub]

Has anyone been on any Cruise West trips, specifically the Costa Rica cruise that traverses the Panama Canal? Would we be disappointed with this line (food and amenities wise) as opposed to RSSC which is our other consideration?

[KatWag]

I think you would really be comparing apples and oranges here.

 

Cruise West will be much more informal and will not have the type of food and amenities of a Regent ship. On the other hand, the Regent ship will be much bigger and will not offer the same type of informal and intimate experience you'll get on Cruise West. I think Cruise West caters more to folks who want to really "experience" the trip. Captains are usually given more flexibility to stay longer in a particular area if the wildlife sightings are exceptional, for example. Ships are smaller and can often sail closer to shore so you see more. The line is highly destination oriented. It's much more about the destination than the ship itself.

 

If you are mostly interested in luxury, though, you'll do better with Regent. I know a lot of folks who really consider the ship itself the destination. Sometimes they don't even get off.

 

I have a friend who describes the difference in the two lines by saying it's like the difference between a traveller or a tourist. For DH and I, we are really both depending upon what's going on in our lives at that time. Sometimes we really want to see and do and experience things. And sometimes we're really stressed at work and want to be pampered.

 

Whatever you decide, have a wonderful trip!

[40cub]

Thank you for that feedback. I guess we are the only ones who can decide what mood we are in and it is a tough choice as both sound good! I think we are looking for something between a Seabourn experience (which we found to be stuffy and somewhat over the top) versus Windstar (which we enjoyed very much but found the food and amenities somewhat lacking). I see that you have recently cruised on the Navigator. Where did you go and how was your experience with that line? We are thinking that RSSC might be the perfect "in between" choice.:)

[pms]

We are about to book our first Cruise West trip the Costa Rica to Panama cruise -- any advice? Peter

[surfklutz]

We are about to book our first Cruise West trip the Costa Rica to Panama cruise -- any advice? Peter

 

I have done Cruise West to AK, Pacific Northwest, the Wine County and Mexico - and then did the Panama Canal - and really didn't enjoy it. The ship is not stabilized - and we tended to bob everywhere we went - even if the seas were not rough. The ship is noisy, vibrates and the dining room is awful. The cruise is friendly - but not too attentive. The food was weird. It is not Cruise West's best offering - that is for sure.

 

And it isn't even close to Windstar, let alone Seabourne!