Panama Canal
Ultimate Cruise & Tour Package 19 day cruise/tour - October 4, 2024Information
There are only a few times each year when the cruise leaves from one side of the U.S. and transits through the Panama Canal, and ends up on the other side of the U.S. We love this cruise itinerary. We plan to add a night hotel in the beautiful deluxe Marina Del Rey Marriott Hotel before we board the ship. It will include a night stay and breakfast. We will head to our Royal Caribbean Cruise ship waiting for us in Los Angeles. There are 7 ports of call on this cruise – we have included the shore excursion in every port. We will also be doing a tour in Tampa Area with an additional night before flying home.
Ports of Call: Eastbound
- Los Angeles, California
- Cabo San Lucas, Mexico
- Mazatlan, Mexico
- Puerto Quetzal, Guatemala
- Puntarenas, Costa Rica
- Colon, Panama
- Cartegena, Colombia
- George Town, Grand Cayman
- Tampa, Florida
Pricing
Package Price Includes:
- 16-night Royal Caribbean Radiance of the Seas inside cabin.
- $400 in Port Charges and fees.
- $495.32 in cruise taxes.
- 1-night Deluxe Hotel Marina Del Rey Marriott.
- 1-night deluxe hotel in Tampa Florida.
- Shore excursions at ALL 7 ports of call.
- Transfers are included if you booked our group airfare or your flight arrives on or before and departs on or after our group flights.
- Special Guest Educator: Glenn Rawson.
- Experienced Fun For Less Tours staff.
Package Price: $3,595*
*Per person cash discount price, based on double occupancy. Does not include international airfare and tips.
Itinerary
Day by Day Itinerary: Always subect to change.
Day 1: October 4 – Fly to Los Angeles
Today we will be flying to Los Angeles where we will transfer to the Deluxe Marina Del Rey Marriott Hotel. (Transfers are included if you booked our group airfare or your flight arrives on or before and departs on or after our group flights.)
Day 2: October 5 – Los Angeles – Embarkation
Today we will have a late morning departure and transfer to our Royal Caribbean ship and embark.
Day 3: October 6 – Fun Day at Sea
Today you have a day to enjoy all of the activities and fun the ship has to offer. We will have a “Welcome Aboard” meeting today. This is a great opportunity to get to know your tour leaders, learn about the ship, and get additional information on your shore excursions.
Day 4: October 7 – Cabo San Lucas
Enjoy your day! This may be a tendered port (small boats will transfer us from the ship to shore). Cabo San Lucas which rounds out the southernmost tip of Baja, California is affectionately known as Land’s End. It is said if you head due south from the Arch you won’t reach land until reaching the Antarctic. Our tour will take place in two parts; the first is exploring the famous rock formations of Land’s End. We will take a coastal boat ride to these fascinating rock formations, which have been slowly created over time by wind and water. We will have an opportunity to view one of the most famous landmarks on the Baja peninsula, the Arch of Poseidon. The tour will conclude back at the cruise ship.
Day 5: October 8 – Mazatlan
A delightful excursion will take you to see Mazatlan’s most historic sights. Leaving the port your tour begins with a visit to the 19th century Inmaculada Concepcion Cathedral with its graceful façade of intricately carved volcanic rock. From a distance you’ll also see the second-highest natural lighthouse in the world, El Faro, which is surrounded by scenic offshore islands and a spectacular oceanfront. Continuing along the coast, your drive will take you by one of Mexico’s grandest resorts, El Cid, before making your way to Mazatlan’s “Golden Zone” and the opportunity to shop for Mexican and Indian handicrafts. At the conclusion of your tour you may stay in the Golden Zone and return to the ship independently, or return directly to the ship.
Day 6: October 9 – Fun Day at Sea
Enjoy your relaxing day on this beautiful ship.
Day 7: October 10 – Fun Day at Sea
Relax by the pool, eat, take a class…whatever you do today, HAVE FUN.
Day 8: October 11 – Puerto Quetzal, Guatemala
Today we will explore the area around Puerto Quetzal. Puerto Quetzal is home to the largest port in Guatemala. It serves as a gateway to some of the most beautiful landscapes and sightseeing in the country.
Day 9: October 12 – Fun Day at Sea
Enjoy your relaxing day on this beautiful ship.
Day 10: October 13 – Puntarenas, Costa Rica
Today you will have the option to either soar through the jungle on our Zip-Line Canopy Tour or take a relaxing stroll through the treetops (elevated suspension bridges) on our Rainforest Sky-Walk Tour. Either is an unforgettable experience. The Zip-Line provides an exhilarating rush and is more demanding. The Sky-Walk is a casual walk along 1.5 miles of suspended walkways (mostly downhill). Next both groups continue to the Tarcoles River which is home to one of the world’s largest crocodile populations in the wild. Here we board custom-built flat bottom boats for a tranquil ride through this beautiful mangrove estuary. Your naturalist guide will explain the birds, animals, and habitat in great detail along the way. The day concludes back at the ship.
Day 11: October 14 – Fun Day at Sea
Fun day at sea. The cruise ship offers many activities ranging from cooking demonstrations to dance classes and lectures. Or maybe you prefer to relax in the spa or take a turn on the rock climbing wall.
Day 12: October 15 – Panama Canal Transit
Pull up a deck chair, sit back and relax and enjoy all the magnificent scenery. As you cruise through the canal you will be able to experience both natural and man-made wonders. You will begin by cruising through the locks, these locks act like elevators to raise the ship to the level of Gatun Lake and then lower it to the level of the Caribbean Sea. The canal took over 10 years and 75,000 workers to complete.
Day 13: October 16 – Colon, Panama
Today we will explore the area around Colon, Panama. It serves as a gateway to some of the most beautiful landscapes and sightseeing in the country.
Day 14: October 17 – Cartegena, Colombia
Today we experience the uniquely magnificent city of Cartagena. We will visit a chapel dedicated to the Virgin de La Candelaria, patron saint of Cartagena, and a Colonial Museum. The tour continues to San Felipe de Barajas, which is situated outside the walled city. This monumental fort is considered to be the most outstanding feat of Spanish military engineering in the New World with its construction beginning in 1536 and lasting for 121 years. After our visit to the fort, the tour continues to the magical walled city, a construction that took 194 years to be completed and enabled Cartagena to defend herself from the attacks of marauding English pirates. You then continue to the Dungeons within the walled city ramparts. Originally built to store provisions for the troops, they are now home to a high-quality handicrafts market selling brightly decorated cloth, woodwork & woven bags made by some of the indigenous peoples of Colombia.
Day 15: October 18 – Fun Day at Sea
Relax by the pool, eat, take a class…whatever you do today, HAVE FUN!
Day 16: October 19 – George Town, Grand Cayman
Cruising across North Sound, you will anchor at Stingray City, a sand bar only 4’ deep where you will swim with the stingrays. These tame creatures can be hand fed and if you choose; you can experience the “stingray massage”. You then head to Coral Gardens where you can glide among the armies of brilliant fish that dart in and out of the area’s spectacular coral reefs. The stingrays’ tour is considered the #2 reason people cruise the Western Caribbean.
Day 17: October 20 – Fun Day at Sea
Enjoy your last relaxing day on this beautiful ship.
Day 18: October 21 – Tampa – Embarkation
This morning we will say goodbye to our beautiful cruise ship. After disembarking we will have a visit to an alligator site. Here we will see the animals they have and enjoy an alligator show. We then transfer to your hotel where you will overnight.
Day 19: October 22 – Tampa
Transfer to the Tampa airport for our return flight home. (Our hotel is attached to the Tampa airport so everyone is responsible to walk to the terminal on there own.