Panama Canal - Best time of year?

[chiccruiser]

What's the best time of year to do the Panama Canal cruise? We're heading to Alaska next week and wanted to take advantage of booking while we are on board... I know we don't have to specify a date, but now that we're thinking about it, we were curious.

[jtl513]

What's the best time of year to do the Panama Canal cruise? We're heading to Alaska next week and wanted to take advantage of booking while we are on board... I know we don't have to specify a date, but now that we're thinking about it, we were curious.

If you're thinking of a complete transit it has to be Oct or Apr when the ships are repositioning. I don't think the weather varies greatly for the partial (r/t Ft Lauderdale) transits Nov through Mar. Of course HAL stays out of the Caribbean during hurricane season.

 

We're planning on a FLL to San Diego or L.A. next April.

[Nancyquilts]

I hope the end of November, beginning of December is a prime time, because that's when we're booked on the Summit from San Diego to Florida. Nancy

[jtl513]

Did you know that there's a Ports of Call forum on Panama Canal with 12 pages of threads? I'll bet there's some talk there of weather or best times to go. :D

[Miss Jolly]

We did the full transit with Princess (and loved it) in late September, 2005. The weather was quite pleasant and other pax who had taken this exact cruise at other times of the year said that this was by far a more comfortable climate. Hope this helps with your planning.

Jennie

[Krazy Kruizers]

We have done several full transits. It is always hot and humid in the Panama Canal.

 

Most of HAL's full transit cruises are the end of Sept/ beginning of Oct and April/May.

 

However in 2008, the Maasdam will be going from Ft Lauderdale to San Diego in January and from San Diego back to Ft lauderdale in February.

 

[RedmondCruiser]

We have done 6 PC cruises. The weather in Panama always remains the same --- hot and humid. I would select April as the best month to do a re-postioning cruise. In April you are out of Hurricane season. We have never been that close to a hurricane but have dodged several in October.

 

On a 2002 PC cruise we missed a cat. 5 hurricane that went into Puerto Vallarta the day before we arrived. We also did a B to B on Princess where we arrived at Ft Lauderdale the day after a hurricance hit. We also did a PC cruise in October where we dodged two hurricanes.

 

This does not stop us from cruising in hurricane season. (ie we are doing a B to B on the Maasdam in the Caribbean this October). BUT if you have to choose - go for April. Just go for it - you'll have a great time.

[chiccruiser]

Did you know that there's a Ports of Call forum on Panama Canal with 12 pages of threads? I'll bet there's some talk there of weather or best times to go. :D

 

Thanks the link. I always forget about going to the Ports of Call forum.