[BobnBev]

Anybody taken the Panama Canal cruise from Ft Lauderdale? Is it worth the money? Any tips or suggestions? TIA

[billethkid]

We have done the Princess 10 day Panama Canal cruise round trip Ft. Lauderdale.
Ship goes through the eastern locks and does the turn in Gatun Lake.

Did it twice..2009...2016.

If you have never been there then the entire trip will be worth the day or two there. I always tell people if you have read about it or seen videos/movies about it....no comparison to the majesty and awe of the workings of the canal.

Do it.!

[outahere]

We did a 14 night re-positioning cruise from LA to Port Canaveral a few years ago and it was one of the best cruises we've ever done (out of 17). Going all the way through the canal was amazing! I'm not sure I would want to do a cruise that just goes through one set of locks into Gatun Lake and then turns around, but that's just my opinion.

[BobnBev]

Originally Posted by billethkid

We have done the Princess 10 day Panama Canal cruise round trip Ft. Lauderdale.
Ship goes through the eastern locks and does the turn in Gatun Lake.

Did it twice..2009...2016.

If you have never been there then the entire trip will be worth the day or two there. I always tell people if you have read about it or seen videos/movies about it....no comparison to the majesty and awe of the workings of the canal.

Do it.!

This will be our 50th Anniversary present to each other. I think we will overnight on both ends in Ft. Lauderdale. Know of a nice hotel where we can leave the car for the duration?

[manaboutown]

I took a 10 day quite memorable cruise on Cunard's Caronia back in 2002 from Acapulco to Ft. Lauderdale. Had a great time as I fortuitously had purchased an antibiotic for possible prophylactic use at the airport in Mexico City. During the canal traverse the mules pulled the ship into the side of the canal, disabling one of the docking doors which we were thereafter unable to use. It turned out to be a memorable cruise for many reasons..CDC on board, helicopter evacuation after taking down rigging for a very bad bug causing severe illness among passengers and crew. The MD on board was exhausted! Whoever was in the cabin next to mine was bed ridden the entire cruise. A few folks who had been in Acapulco precruise brought the bug onboard.

[Sable99]

Originally Posted by manaboutown

I took a 10 day quite memorable cruise on Cunard's Caronia back in 2002 from Acapulco to Ft. Lauderdale. Had a great time as I fortuitously had purchased an antibiotic for possible prophylactic use at the airport in Mexico City. During the canal traverse the mules pulled the ship into the side of the canal, disabling one of the docking doors which we were thereafter unable to use. It turned out to be a memorable cruise for many reasons..CDC on board, helicopter evacuation after taking down rigging for a very bad bug causing severe illness among passengers and crew. The MD on board was exhausted! Whoever was in the cabin next to mine was bed ridden the entire cruise. A few folks who had been in Acapulco precruise brought the bug onboard.

We took a cruise out of Ft. Lauderdale and signed up for the Panama Canal as a side trip. I felt horrible that day. I would put my head up every time we went through a lock and then back down again! I went to the see the doctor when we got back on the ship and they put me in quarantine! I missed out on a day at sea and Costa Rica. Bummer! Being quarantined is interesting! Luckily, after I felt a little better, we had a balcony so I could see the outside world! My food tray was delivered to the room covered in plastic and I had to return it that way too! I ordered a case of water and a movie and it was free because I was in quarantine! I had purchased insurance for the trip. I didn't know until later that if I would have turned it in that my entire cruise would have been refunded. Live and learn.

I've been on several cruises and it is the first one that I got a "bug" on. I did notice a room down the hall that actually had yellow tape all over the door because they were in quarantine!

[JoMar]

I think doing the canal from the Atlantic side is a waste of money. To fully appreciate what was necessary to build that sucker entering on the Pacific side gives you the full effect, cutting through the Continental Divide, the turns and switch backs plus a narrated crossing (on some). The Atlantic trip, to me, is more about hype then experience.

[leftyf]

We did the re-positioning cruise several years ago and loved it. We went from Miami to Los Angeles, took 14 days. We still worked then so we couldn't stay on the ship longer, but the next stops were San Francisco, Seattle and on to Alaska. We would have cruised all the way to Alaska if we had the time. Now is the time of year to look into the re-positioning cruises.

[BobnBev]

Hopefully, we will avoid all the bugs. Plan to stay on the ship, no reason to get off. That's my idea of a cruise, especially in the Southern hemisphere. We did get off in Alaska, though. That was a nice cruise.

[Sandtrap328]

Mrs. Trap and I will be taking the Celebrity Infinity from San Diego to Miami via the Panama Canal in November.

Passenger ships have started using the recently completed new canal.

Looking forward to it!