Has anyone gone on a Panama Canal cruise that they would recommend? Thank you.

I went on Holland America a couple of years ago. If you are over age 60 then Holland might be a good choice. I am NOT over 60 (but am over 30) and was the youngest adult on the ship. The ship I took (Noordam) is showing it's age. Many burnt out light bulbs went unrepaired during a 2-week cruise as did one of the main elevators - it was broken the entire cruise. The older ships though are individuals - not the cookie-cutter chrome and glass of the new ships. <BR> <BR>I understand that NCL is now sailing the Panama canal and I always had good Caribbean experiences with that line.

I went on the Holland America Maasdam last fall. It was a very nicely finished ship and not worn out at all. True, most of the passengers were elderly but that didn't bother me. I believe Holland America has just added Costa Rica extensions onto some of their Panama cruises. If I were to take that cruise today I would do that. <BR> <BR>They have a person from Panama come on board to talk about the canal as you cruise through it. (Maybe all cruiselines do this.) <BR> <BR>You may want to base part of your decision on the stops the ship makes during the trip. We found the tours we took to be very good. <BR> <BR>One passenger who had taken a few Panama cruises said she preferred to start on the Pacific side - I don't know why. <BR> <BR>I enjoyed the Maasdam and would take it again. Princess might be another good choice. <BR>

Try RCCl's Vision of the Sea, we went last Nov. and had a wonderful time. The ship is beautiful, we had such a good time we booked our cruise to Alaska with RCCl. Good luck.

I've been through the Canal several times on the QE2, Crystal Harmony and Royal Princess. The trip through the canal was the same on all the ships - they all get a local lecturer to speak over the PA system throughout the passage to tell you what you're looking at and give some background. Crystal and Princess both had parties on the decks in the afternoon. The differences between the ships & the ports are what diferentiated each of them. Princess was most relaxed, lots & lots of sunbathers, younger (relatively speaking) passengers; Crystal has many large, beautiful lounges that offered air-conditioned views of the Canal that most passengers utilized, although many other folks lined the railings (remember that since the full passage takes a day, there's plenty of time for breaks from viewing). QE2 was fascinating primarily because the ship is so large that we literally squeaked through the locks with only inches to spare. Again, the older passenger clientele generally stayed inside. <BR> <BR>For me, the ports were nothing great - Acapulco, Caldeira (awful - every ship pushed a bus trip into the mountains, blah, blah - driving forever and basically just shopping stops for tourist junk), Cartagena (interesting fort and armed soldiers but dangerous if not on a tour - more shopping stops!). Some ships vary the ports, so that's how I would choose a Panama Canal cruise - Grand Cayman and Cozumel are worth going to and some of the ships stop there. <BR> <BR>That's my two cents!

Hi Emily - We went aboard the Sky Princess in winter '96 through the Panama Canal. Like Cassie, I was about the youngest aboard--at that time I was early 30's and there were only a handful under 40. During the lifeboat drill, all we could see in the theatre was a sea of gray heads. In addition, in the night shows, we'd sit in the back and watch gray head after gray head drooping over as they fell asleep. The comedians made plenty of jokes about the older folks during their routines. Most of the ship was asleep by 11 or 12. However, I don't think it's unusual for the PC trip to have older people on board--especially depending on the line and time of year you go. I have to say, however, that many of the folks we met and dined with were some of the most interesting people we've ever met, and many people on board were from England, which made it that much more fun. <BR> <BR>I agree with the last poster about some of the ports. Personally, I realize that there is much history with the PC, but it didn't overly thrill me as one of the most favorite things I'd ever done on a cruise. Our ship sailed from Ft. Lauderdale--our stops were Princess Cays (which was cancelled due to rough water), Jamaica--I'd stay on the ship, Cartagena, of course Panama Canal and Balboa, Puerto Caldera, and my favorites--Acapulco and Cabo San Lucas. We ended in Los Angeles. There were also a lot of days at sea--too many on this trip. <BR> <BR>If I were going again, I'd look around for an itinerary that included more than the PC on a ship/line that will offer something more for those many and long days at sea. <BR> <BR>

Vickie: <BR>Just curious - do you have a preference for which direction you go through the canal (assuming you've gone both ways)?

Don't remember the ship (it was several years ago and not one of the bigger cruise lines)and it left from Aruba, but going through the P.C. the highlight was the San Blas Island which is now being discovered by the bigger lines.. Cartegena was also a highlight as we had visited 20 years ago, but I would not recommend the average tourist to "do it yourself"--I only remembered it as brutually hot...seniors sitting on deck with sweaters... Crew brought iced tea outside to passengers watching the passage through the canal...

April: <BR> <BR>I have gone through the canal both ways, and to be honest, couldn't tell you what the difference was. Same scenery on both sides, and I just walked across the deck to the other side of the ship if I wanted to see something specific. The direction wouldn't even matter to those on their personal verandahs because the scenery is the same. Sometimes cruise lines vary the ports depending on the direction; also, some people may really look forward to finishing their trip in Acapulco (for example) and would want the West-bound passage. <BR> <BR>So, the east vs. west never entered into my decision for the Canal...

Thanks, Vickie. I'm glad to hear that actually because we were booked on a cruise from east to west and got switched to one going the other way. I always wondered if we did the right thing. <BR>

FYI...Crystal is offering TREMENDOUS discounts on Panama Canal sailings (departing Oct. 22 through Nov. 22). The reduced prices average out to $180 per person, per day - versus about $300 normally. I've been on Crystal's Panama Canal cruises and they're great - if I weren't already booked on a Nov. Venice/Rome cruise, I'd sign up!! <BR>

Emily, <BR>We went on the Vision of the Seas RCCL in Jan 99 and it was wonderful. The ship is like being in an art gallery. If you can swing it get a balcony room. Is is great when you sail the lake connecting the Canals. The age of the passengers was mixed and the crew on that ship is wonderful. I would go on the same ship again. We did start in the West but I think coming home would have been easier if we had started on the east coast. RCCL takes care of every thing when you book air thru them. <BR>They even had American Airlines on board to issue boarding passes before you got off the ship. <BR>Enjoy!