My husband & I are thinking of a Panama Canal cruise so I've been reading about the various options. I would like to hear your opinions and pros/cons of the different types of Panama Canal cruises - full crossing or partial crossing. I think I would prefer a partial as the cruise would be round trip from the same port (more convenient), but don't want to miss anything important by only doing a partial crossing of the canal. Your advice will be greatly appreciated. Thanks for your help!!!

Wow....you have GOT to go the whole way!! Otherwise, you really aren't experiencing the best parts!! Sailing by Curacao was so picturesque. Going under a huge bridge right before we got to the Pacific Ocean was memorable. Also, the scenery of Mexico going towards Acapulco was lovely. I know it's easier to do it round trip, but you really won't have the right experience. Do it right--you won't be sorry.

Hi,

I absolutely agree that doing a full Panama Canal crossing is a MUST! There is a lot of stuff to see in the transit portion, whereas a partial crossing only really views a small portion of the canal.

Each side of Central America, Mexico and the Caribbean also have their own ambiance, different cultures and different landscapes. It is a very rich experience to do the full crossing!

Best Regards,
Julia

Best Regards

I agree fully with both previous posts. A partial transit really is not what you'd think.

You'll go through a set of locks (which is something to see) but then you do nothing more than sit in a small lake for a portion of a day until the ship goes back out the same set of locks.

Another thing about only doing the partial is that the locks you go through gave me the feeling of passing through and then sitting in an industrial port. Not what I was expecting to see.

In fairness to the partial transit cruises, you usually can get off the ship and go on trips to see more, so there is an opportunity to see more if you're willing to take the extra trips to the rain forests, etc.

So, yes, do the full transit if possible, but the partial is OK if you're not expecting to see a lot of the canal. Have fun either way.

Thanks so much to all of you - you have confirmed what I suspected and we will definitely do a full Panama Canal crossing when the time comes. It will be a "once only" cruise so we want to see everything. Thanks again - and happy cruising!!!