Panama Canal repositioning

Labbysmom · September 3, 2006

Hi

As a newbie I don't know alot about this topic. I've found a couple of cruises out of Vancouver BC where I live, for the Panama. Is there a cheaper way to do this criuse?

LM

JoeyandDavid · September 3, 2006

Hi LM glad your here .... repositioning cruises are by far the least expensive ways to see a particular Itinerary, one draw back there might not be as many ports of call as a "Regular Cruise"

For example ...a repositioning cruise say from LA or SD to Vancouver or Seattle for the start of Alaska cruise season .. Might "Dead Head" instead of stopping at ports along the way...

I might not have even touch upon your question...if not i am sorry.. did I read your question incorrectly?

Joey

zebra · September 3, 2006

Hi Labbysmom.... yes the cheapest way to do the Panama Canal is with a repositioning cruise - which means it is not a round trip. The cruiselines realize that openjaw airfares will be involved so they price their cruise accordingly. Typically you can get a cabin for under $100 per day. In fact the Panama Canal repositioning is a great deal because you have many ports of call (as opposed to Transatlantic where you would only have on average 4 ports of call). The one we're on Sept 24th has 7 ports of call - it also has a great amount of sea days due to the distance it has to travel So for passengers it's a win, win situation. The only downside of most repositioning cruises is that they a longer cruises, which limits people who are working or families with children to be able to take them, as the majority of people get 2 weeks vacation only. Also they are in shoulder season where they are pulling the ship out of the destination because it's going into winter, so schools are in session during these times, again limiting families to be able to travel - unless they homeschool. Having said all this, these longer cruises favor the retiree age group more.

There is a shorter length cruise to the Panama Canal from Florida (not as cheap per day cost) that goes to the Panama Canal but only goes through one lock - turns in Gatun Lake and then returns to your port of embarkation.

Panama Canal is a wonderful cruise whichever way - hope I've been able to help, if not, please ask more questions...........

jbond · September 3, 2006

I agree with zebra. The Canal repositioning cruises are great value. We have done three and are planning on booking our fourth when we sail on Vision of the Seas in October. I am not a big fan of sea days, but the Panama transit has a great balance of ports and sea days. It's almost a day at sea, a day in port. Transiting the Canal is also very interesting. We have done it twice with Princess and once with RCI. They both give a great narration going through the Canal and actually going through the locks is a great experience. All the ships we have been on were 106' wide. The locks are 110' wide. It's amazing how well they are controlled entering and exiting the locks. In the Canal itself, it is very beautiful. I was really surprised the first time we did the cruise. If you do this cruise, you'll be hooked on cruising forever.

Labbysmom · October 10, 2006

Sorry I haven't replied, its still camping weather and we've been out in the trailer alot......

Thank you both for your replies. I have done more reading and now have more questions:

What does the term Full Transit mean on a Panama Canal cruise? One I looked at had 2 days Full Transit.

I am looking at September because it is a milestone birthday. Is there any advantage to being onboard on that special day?

It seems HAL is more expensive than the others, is it really a better cruise? What makes HAL more attractive than the others?

Would you recommend a Balcony with this itinerary?

What would be the advantage of booking now instead of waiting, say 6 months?

Thanks all for helping the newbie!

Diane aka Labbysmom

JohnG · October 10, 2006

A full transit only occurs on the repositioning cruises mentioned above: you go through both sets of locks from the Pacific to Caribbean. The partial transit was already described above as a transit of one set of locks, some time in Gatun Lake, and back through the same lock (usually only on Caribbean cruises that include visiting the canal).

Personally, I'd say a balcony is desireable on this itinerary.

Princess, Holland America and Celebrity are premium cruise lines. They cost more than Carnival, Royal Caribbean, and NCL, which are mass market lines.

Most lines offer early booking discounts which are not available closer in to sailing. In addition booking early will give you better selection of available cabins. As a ship sells out, the prices go up, not down. Having said that, on occasion they will dip for a short period closer in if it isn't selling well enough in certain categories. Some lines will only offer the new price on new booking, not existing ones.