Great Deals For Norwegian Pearl Panama Canal Cruise Are Going Fast!

This cruise is more than a month down the road. However, cabins are going incredibly fast because there are incredible deals on said cabins. Staterooms start at just $709 per person on the Norwegian Pearl as she cruises from Miami, Florida to Los Angeles, California via the Panama Canal, starting April 18, 2014. This cruise qualifies for Norwegian’s Kids Sail Free promotion, meaning the 3^rd and 4^th guest in a cabin pay only the taxes.

The Cruise

 

Norwegian Pearl embarks from Miami, Florida on her 15 night Panama Canal cruise at 4pm on Friday, April 18, 2014. She arrives at Los Angeles, California at 8am on Saturday, May 3, 2014. Along the way, Pearl transits the full Panama Canal with an additional six ports of call.

Cartegena, Colombia is the first stop and the only port of call in the Caribbean. Pearl stops on Monday, April 21 from 7am until 3pm. The following day, she makes her transit of the famous Panama Canal.

Once on the Pacific Ocean, Norwegian Pearl makes her next port call at Puntarenas, Costa Rica on Thursday, April 24 from 7am until 6pm. She follows that up with three stops along the Pacific coast of Mexico.

On Saturday, April 26, Pearl stops at Puerto Chiapas, Mexico from 8am until 4pm. The following day, it’s a little further up the coast to Huatulco, Mexico from 8am until 4pm. After a full day at sea, Norwegian Pearl makes her final Mexican stop at Puerto Vallarta on Tuesday, April 29 from 8am until 5pm.

Before she arrives at her final destination of Los Angeles, Pearl makes one last stop at San Diego, California on Friday, May 2 from 7am until 6pm.

The Price

I hesitated about even publishing this article because staterooms seem to be disappearing at a remarkable rate. As of Monday morning (March 10, 2014) there were still some interior cabins from $709 per person. Outside cabins were a little less scarce and start at $949 per person. The Haven Deluxe Owner’s Suite was still available, as well. This little piece of luxury starts at just $9,499 per person.

Because this is a full transit of the Panama Canal, government fees and taxes are higher than most cruises. Afterall, it’s not cheap to lift a 100,000 ton ship over land. Each passenger has an additional $318.14 in taxes tacked on to their fare.

If booked before March 31, 2014, this cruise qualifies for Norwegian’s Kids Sail Free promo. The ‘Kids’ is just suggested as the 3^rd and 4^th guest in a stateroom pay just the taxes, regardless of age. For a family (or group) of four to get an inside cabin on the ship, it can be had for as low as $2,690.56, including taxes.

Norwegian has some other perks in effect right now, as well. For $199 per person on cruises 10 to 15 nights in length, passengers can have unlimited meals at the onboard specialty restaurants. Also, each stateroom gets a coupon book worth up to $300 in onboard savings.

The Ship 

Norwegian Pearl was built by Meyer Werft in Papenburg, Germany and has been in service since November 30, 2006. She is a Jewel Class ship with a gross tonnage of 93,530. The ship is 294 metres or 965 feet in length and has 12 decks accessible to passengers. Capacity onboard is for 2,394 guests at double occupancy. There are typically 1,100 crew members onboard.

Currently, Pearl is running Western Caribbean itineraries out of Miami. After she reaches Los Angeles on this 15 night Panama Canal cruise, Pearl makes her way up the Pacific coast to spend the summer doing roundtrip Alaska cruises, mostly out of Seattle, Washington.

The Small Print

·Because of the nature of last minute deals, the pricing printed here is fleeting and could change at any time.

·Prices are in Canadian dollars.

·Most meals are included in a typical cruise price but DRINKS ARE NOT!

·Also not included are gratuities.

·Cruise pricing does not include air fare, ground transfers and hotel accommodations before and after the cruise.

ms Zuiderdam Southern Caribbean: Premium Cruise at a Contemporary Price

It might be called a Southern Caribbean cruise but you get the bonus of the Panama Canal. It might be from $45.25 per person per night but it’s nearly half price. You have to act fast to take advantage of this amazing cruise, but it’ll be more than worth it.

The Cruise

 

Holland America Line is under the same corporate umbrella as Carnival Cruises and Costa Cruises but it is certainly a step above when it comes to quality and luxury. That’s why an 11 night Southern Caribbean cruise onboard the ms Zuiderdam from just $497.77 per person is such an amazing deal. Eleven nights of luxury cruising, topped off by six exotic ports of call and a transit of half the Panama Canal – truly the cruise of a lifetime.

However, this ship leaves Ft. Lauderdale’s Port Everglades on Monday, December 9, 2013 at 4pm. So, hopefully you can ditch work on short notice and grab a Westjet flight down to FLL.

The first port call is on Tuesday, December 10 at Half Moon Cay in the Bahamas. Half Moon Cay is otherwise known as Little San Salvador Island and is owned by Carnival group, functioning as the company’s ‘private island’.

After a day at sea, Zuiderdam then moves way down south, stopping first at Oranjestad, Aruba. She then makes her way west, stopping at Willemstad, Curacao on Friday the thirteenth and Cartegena, Colombia on Sunday, December 15.

On Monday, December 16, it’s time for the piece de resistance. Zuiderdam travels up the Panama Canal until the halfway point at Gatun Lake. She then spins around and heads back down, stopping at Colon, Panama for a visit before getting back out on the Caribbean.

Finally, Zuiderdam makes one more stop but equally exciting as the previous. A full nine and half hours at Puerto Limon, Costa Rica should be enough to enjoy this tropical rainforest environment. After two full days at sea, the ship reaches Ft. Lauderdale at 7am on Friday, December 20, 2013.

The Pricing

Holland America currently has flash special pricing on this cruise. This is similar to Carnival’s Super Saver rates, in that the stateroom is non-refundable, must be paid in full at time of booking and rooms are not assigned until the time of check-in at the ship.

For $497.77 per person, an interior stateroom can be had, based on double occupancy. This equates to $45.25 per night per person. Of course, with the slightest mention of the Panama Canal, government taxes and fees triple in price. Added to the per person rate is another $329.49 for The Man. For a couple taking advantage of this sale, the interior stateroom can be had for $1,654.52 with all taxes included. This is still cheaper than two weeks at a three star All-Inclusive in Cuba.

The Ship

 

One of four Vista Class ships in the Holland America Line fleet, ms Zuiderdam made her maiden voyage on December 14, 2002. She is the oldest of the four nearly identical ships that were built between 2002 and 2006. All were built by Fincantieri on the northern Adriatic coast of Italy, the same company that builds most ships for Carnival, Princess and Costa, among others. The other three ships are the ms Oosterdam (2003), ms Westerdam (2004) and ms Noordam (2006). Each name represents the four main compass points (east, west, north and south) in Dutch.

Zuiderdam is a medium to large ship with a gross tonnage of 82,305. She is 936 feet or 285 metres in length and has 15 decks, eleven accessible to passengers. Guest capacity on the ms Zuiderdam is 1,916 with 817 crew members on board to make the cruise run smooth.

 The Small Print

·Because of the nature of last minute deals, the pricing printed here is fleeting and could change at any time.

·Prices are in Canadian dollars.

·Most meals are included in a typical cruise price but DRINKS ARE NOT!

·Also not included are gratuities.

·Cruise pricing does not include air fare, ground transfers and hotel accommodations before and after the cruise.

14 Night Panama Canal Cruise from $799

Once again, we’re looking at a cruise that’s above our $40 per night arbitrary threshold but, once again, this one is worth mentioning. Transiting the Panama Canal on a ship is not only a common bucket list item for cruisers but for travellers in general. Typically, a Panama Canal cruise starts at around $100 per night per person and goes nowhere but up, regardless of the cruise line. With Norwegian Cruise Lines at the start of January, 2014, this cruise can be had for as low as $57 per person per night.

The Cruise

Some Panama Canal cruises just go halfway, turning around at Gatun Lake and heading back home. This 14 night cruise on board the Norwegian Star does the whole deal from Panama City at the Pacific Ocean to Colon at the Caribbean/Atlantic side.

The ship embarks from Los Angeles, California at 4pm on Sunday, January 5, 2014 and reaches Miami, by way of the Canal, at 8am on Sunday, January 19, 2014. Along the way, she makes six port calls other than the Panama Canal, five on the Pacific coast and one in the Caribbean. Included are: Cabo San Lucas, Mexico; Puerto Vallarta, Mexico; Huatulco, Mexico; Puerto Chiapas, Mexico; Puntarenas, Costa Rica and Cartagena, Colombia. All are full days on shore, ranging from 7 to 9 hours.

The Pricing

An interior stateroom on board the Norwegian Star can be had for as low as $799 per person. This equals around $57 per person per night. Unfortunately, any Panama Canal cruise, no matter the length or cruise line, costs dearly in government taxes and fees, in this case to the tune of $362 per person. Right now, with a $25 on board credit included, a couple can do this cruise for an all-in $2,322.

For other categories, the pricing goes as low as $1,249 per person for an Ocean View stateroom, $2,399 per person for a balcony and $2,499 per person for a suite.

If money is not an issue, you might want to try out the Garden Villa Suite. 6,694 square feet of living space on the 14^th deck, at the back of the ship. Yes, I had to check that two or three times. 6,694 square feet of living space! This includes all inside and outside space. You have your own private garden, hot tub and room for eight people. There are three bedrooms with nothing less than a queen sized bed. Butler and concierge service comes included. The total price for two people? $27,722 or just under $14,000 per person!

 

 

The Ship

Norwegian Star is barely within Panamax sized limits when it comes to width. Meaning, it just squeaks into the locks of the Panama Canal. Back in 2000, this ship was intended to be dubbed SuperStar Libra in the Star Cruises fleet. Instead, she made her maiden voyage on November 19, 2001 as Norwegian Star.

She is a NCL Dawn Class ship with just one younger sister. Norwegian Dawn came into service in 2002. Star has a gross tonnage of 91,740 and is 294 metres or 965 feet in length. There are 15 decks on board, eleven accessible to passengers. Guest capacity is 2,348 with a staff of 1,083 crew members.

The Small Print

·Because of the nature of last minute deals, the pricing printed here is fleeting and could change at any time.

·Prices are in Canadian dollars.

·Most meals are included in a typical cruise price but DRINKS ARE NOT!

·Also not included are gratuities.

·Cruise pricing does not include air fare, ground transfers and hotel accommodations before and after the cruise.