THE BEST Royal Caribbean Cruises to the Panama Canal & Central America with Prices 2024 & 2025 on Cruise Critic
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Along with crossing the impressive Panama Canal during your vacation, you can also get in touch with the local cultures of different countries, where indigenous peoples still live and where heritage and history are treasured and preserved. Stay current with special offers, news and destination-focused content. Panamanian food is best enjoyed in a typical fonda, the small and affordable diners found all over the city. Feast on a bowl of sancocho (meat and vegetable stew), patacones (plantain patties) or arroz con gandules (pigeon pea rice) to taste what makes Panama City so special. When you choose to apply (and are approved) for a new credit card through our site, we may receive compensation from our partners, and this may impact how or where these products appear.
Panama Canal & Central America
November can be rainy — and even the rainiest month of the wet season — with temperatures starting to warm closer to December. The month brings a mix of low-priced early-season fares but also several public holidays that bring crowds of both tourists and residents to attractions in places like Panama City and Boquete. The Panama Canal cruise season peaks between October and April, outside of the rainy season that can start as early as mid-March and extend into the fall. With a tropical climate, this region is home to rainforests, incredible biodiversity, lush landscapes, abundant wildlife and beautiful beaches, but the weather can be wet at certain times of the year.
Panama City (Fuerte Amador), Panama
The tram climbs 280 feet through the dense jungle vegetation to reach the tree canopy above. During the ride to the top, keep an eye out for local wildlife, including white-faced capuchin and howler monkeys, sloths, butterflies, iguanas, toucans and frogs. You can celebrate Panama's Separation Day on Nov. 3 or Flag Day on Nov. 4.
Start Your Next Cruise Adventure From Panama City (Fuerte Amador)
If you think the locks are the only attraction while Royal Caribbean cruising to the Panama Canal, you clearly haven’t spoken with one of our cruise consultants about the excursions available! You can go fishing at Gatun Lake, go on a Rainforest Nature Hike or take a canopy tour. Or, you can even take an Aquabus Amphibious City Tour—filled with wet and wild fun and great attractions. There’s more than you can imagine available, so start planning your perfect vacation today.
Stateroom prices for Apr. 13, 2025
On the day of the transit, prime viewing locations on the bow and near windows go quickly. Most cruise lines do their best to give everyone a decent seat -- sometimes opening up "crew only" areas -- but competition can still get fierce. So set your alarm; the sooner you can pull yourself out of bed, the better the spot you'll snag. Other great shore excursion options include taking the refurbished Panama Railway from the Pacific to the Atlantic. It rides parallel to the Canal and offers a great view in luxuriously paneled railway cars.
Entire Panama Canal Season Cancelled for Royal Caribbean Ship - Cruise Hive
Entire Panama Canal Season Cancelled for Royal Caribbean Ship.
Posted: Thu, 10 Aug 2023 07:00:00 GMT [source]
Highlights of Panama Canal Cruises
Stops in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico; Puntarenas, Costa Rica; and Colón, Panama, means appreciating countless natural landscapes on top of traversing through the famous shortcut itself.
Bottom line: The best time to cruise the Panama Canal
25 BEST Panama Canal & Central America Cruises 2024 (Prices + Itineraries): Cruises to the Panama Canal & Central ... - Cruise Critic
25 BEST Panama Canal & Central America Cruises 2024 (Prices + Itineraries): Cruises to the Panama Canal & Central ....
Posted: Mon, 23 Oct 2023 14:46:56 GMT [source]
The Panama Canal is one of the most astonishing human-made wonders, a sliver of ingenuity that allows ships to move from one ocean to another. Cruise from the Pacific to the Atlantic, or vice versa, and take in the scenery as you move through this engineering marvel built in 1914. Rates & offers are subject to select dates & categories, cruise only, per person, based on double occupancy, in US Dollars & include NCCF. All government taxes and fees may change without notice -- please confirm at time of booking. All rates & offers are capacity controlled, are subject to availability & confirmation, & may change without notice. Information deemed reliable but not guaranteed -- please confirm details at time of booking.
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Plus, our experienced travel consultants have access to exclusive vacation deals to make sure you get the best value for your time and money. If you want the best pricing and fewer crowds, October and November are the rainy season, so the pricing will be lower — and you'll avoid the holiday crowds and high fares in December. It used to be that only smaller Panamax ships could squeeze through the locks of the Panama Canal.
Head to the middle of the city to explore Parque Natural Metropolitano, a jungle oasis with hiking trails, expansive views, and roaming mammals and reptiles. Cruise to Panama City to trek the Titi Monkey Trail to catch a breathtaking view of the city and the canal from a 150-meter-high lookout. You may even be able to spot titi monkeys, sloths, deer, iguanas and tortoises along the way. Late March and April also offer lower fares as it's the beginning of the rainy season, but you can expect crowds during the Holy Week festivities in the country. Take advantage of the final weeks of the dry season to book active outdoor adventure excursions like hiking, kayaking and zip lining. Another option is the Rainforest and Aerial Tram tour to the Gamboa Rainforest Resort in the 55,000-acre Soberania National Park.
Another exciting alternative is to take a trek through the rain forest at Gamboa, or visit an authentic Embera Indian Village on the Chagres River (which often takes place by canoe). Cruise Critic is not a booking agent and does not charge any service fees to users of our site. When you book with one of our partners, please be sure to check their site for a full disclosure of all applicable fees as required by the U.S. March is also the last month for surfing enthusiasts to hit the big waves on the Caribbean and Pacific coasts. If you have an extended stay in Panama City, consider a trip to the Archipelago de las Perlas (Pearl Islands) in southeastern Panama to view the humpback whales. It's a short flight to the islands, or you can travel by ferry to see the whales that are still in the waters around the archipelago after coming to breed in August and September.
Despite the early start, you'll want to be prepared for the Panama sun, as it can get surprisingly hot while you're out there waiting. Some ships will do their best to make passengers comfortable, offering chilled towels and water, juice and Panama rolls (Danish-like pastries with sweet fruit filling in the center) for a small breakfast alfresco. Tortuguero National Park offers close encounters with the green tortoise, crocodiles, monkeys and exotic birds, all seen at water level on the canals. This port on the western coast of Guatemala provides access to the colonial city of Antigua, which has earned status as a UNESCO World Heritage Site for its architecture and ruins. The port provides a jumping-off point for tours of working coffee plantations, the Pacaya Volcano (one of the country's many active mountains) and Lake Atitlan.
Please view our advertising policy and product review methodology for more information. When to cruise the Panama Canal will depend on what's most important to you. Cross foggy suspended bridges or zip-line along the treetops at the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve near Puntarenas, Costa Rica, where local travel guides take you deep within the forest as you learn about its precious ecosystems. A stop in Colón, Panama, lets you lay on the sand at serene Maria Chiquita beach or hike your way through Portobelo National Park to reach the 17th-century San Lorenzo Fort. And if you're in the mood for the city life, head to Panama City, the Caribbean's most urban cluster that's only an hour away by car. Descend on some of the most exciting travel destinations in Central America during a Panama Canal cruise.
You will likely be safer on a shore excursion, booked through the ship or independently, than if you decide to head on your own into town. If you're not a fan of tours, know that in Colon, city officials have regulated taxis and provided good shopping and cafe facilities at the two main cruise ship docking areas, Colon 2000 and nearby Cristobal Pier. During your visit, be sure to look for monkeys, sloths, iguanas, blue-footed boobies, capybaras, crocodiles and even manatees on a jungle boat tour along the canal and into Gatun Lake. For outdoor adventure seekers, it's too wet for hiking in the rainforests, but other activities benefit from the rainy season, including whitewater rafting. In Quepos, Costa Rica, Windstar Cruises offers rafting trips to the town of Santo Domingo, where you can take a float trip on the Savegre River. Experienced surfers can also check out the big swells on both coasts of the country.
If traveling earlier in the month, you may also see nesting loggerheads and green turtles southeast of Panama City in Isla Canas (Cane Island) or Bocas del Toro. Apart from length of sailing, the biggest decision you'll need to make on a Panama Canal cruise is whether to opt for a traditional trans-canal experience or take a partial crossing. With an overwhelming world of choices, we understand you may need some personal assistance to plan your perfect vacation. From finding the right destination to choosing the best departure date, we're here to help.
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