Choosing a Panama Cruise

First, you'll need to do a couple of things - talk to a travel agent to discuss ports you want to visit, or research yourself online. Then, you need to set a budget which will determine the cruise line and duration of the cruise. Cruises to Panama usually include South America and are 10 days or longer. The peak season is costlier and the value season is the least expensive. The "shoulder" season - a couple of weeks before and after the peak season will offer savings.

Steps for Choosing a Panama Cruise

1. Contact your travel agent, or, if you don't have one, one stop by and pick up some brochures about Panama and South American Cruises at a travel agency near your work or home. Or,

2. Do some research by either going through the brochures you've picked up, or by going online. Google some keywords - "South America Cruises," South America ports," Panama Cruises, Panama ports, and similar phrases. Then visit these sites and cruise line sites and browse for information about the ports that interest you. See if any of your friends and neighbors have taken any cruises to Panama and ask for their opinions.

3. Read through the brochures and the online websites thinking about what you'd like to do on your cruise - enjoy late night clubs and dancing, shop 'til you drop, gamble in the ship's casino and/or snorkel and dive at some of the ports, etc. Are you single and wanting to meet other singles? Do you want a gay/lesbian cruise? Want the experience of a small ship that can get really close to shore and attractions? Are kids traveling with you & if so, is there a good children's program on board? This will all help determine the cruise line(s) you should book with for the best cruise.

4. Determine the budget for your Panama cruise and decide whether you'll select a cruise that transits the entire Panama Canal or one which just enters and exits one set of locks Going all the way through the Canal will mean a longer cruise and more money. To get the best prices try to book your cruise at least six months in advance of your planned departure. Once you've decided what ports you want to visit, it's time to set an approximate budget.

5. Consider which cruise line(s) to choose from based on your budget, an itinerary you like and your available travel dates. NCL, Norwegian Cruise Line, is almost always the least expensive but Carnival, Royal Caribbean and other might have specials almost as good. HAL and Celebrity might be a bit more but they claim "no additional tipping" is necessary so that saves some money. Silversea and Radisson are more expensive but include wine and some other adult beverages. Crystal is the most expensive cruise line but it includes extras which get added on to your tab with the other lines. They usually have the oldest passengers of all the cruise ships due to the higher cost.

6. Take your budget and your list of islands/ports to your travel agency or go online to some online agencies and look for Panama and South America ship itineraries. As you match up your desired ports with the ships and dates you want to travel, your list of possible cruises will get shorter. See how your budget fits and eliminate lines that are too costly. Don't forget, the listed costs usually do not include taxes and port charges. On most lines you'll also pay for sodas, adult beverages, ice cream and other items.

7. Determine which port is best for you to depart from. Most of these cruises will leave either from Miami, Florida or a city in South America or the Caribbean. It's possible you'll board your cruise in one city and disembark at another. You might try to select a city you've not visited before and go a couple of days early to explore the area.

8. Consider the activities you're interested in. The crowds on Carnival are usually younger with more partying. HAL and Celebrity often have a slightly older crowd onboard. Longer cruises seem to attract older passengers. NCL offers "freestyle" cruising where you dine whenever you like but you won't meet fellow passengers and make friends with them because you won't eat with the same people every night. (Eating with the same group many evenings is something I thoroughly enjoy.)

9. Book your cruise now that you've made your choice. You're ready to book your cruise either through a travel agent or with an online agency (site). You'll put a deposit down, give them billing information plus full names, addresses, etc. for each passenger. You'll get a date when payment in full is required and they'll send cruise documents out to you a few weeks before your departure.

Advice for Choosing a Panama Cruise

By using a travel agent, they'll check group space and may get you a lower rate if they can "place" your cruise with a large group. You may also get extra amenities this way - shipboard credit, a cocktail party, free photos, etc.

Always ask for something extra, a travel agent might be able to get you some shipboard credit, or another amenity at no additional cost.

Book a "guarantee" instead of a specific stateroom. If the ship isn't full, you'll be upgraded one to several categories above the stateroom guarantee but you will never go "below" the category guaranteed.

Read through and book some of your shore excursions as soon as you receive your cruise docs. These fill up quickly and might be gone if you wait until after you've begun your cruise. Keep in mind, in many foreign countries it's a wise move to stick to your cruise line's shore excursions in case of any problems.