Contemplating Panama Canal 2017 questions....

[missyp]

Any thoughts on Eastern vs Western ( pluses minuses?) We were told by the OBB person last week that the prices do not go up much on Panama Canal cruises from opening day. Has anyone found that to be the case? Do a lot of adults travel without kids?

 

[PrincessShmoo]

Any thoughts on Eastern vs Western ( pluses minuses?) We were told by the OBB person last week that the prices do not go up much on Panama Canal cruises from opening day. Has anyone found that to be the case? Do a lot of adults travel without kids?

Prices can go up from opening day. It depends on how quickly the ship is selling.

Our preference is westbound. Mostly due to the time change issues. Gaining that extra hour 3 or 4 times is better than losing it.

Don't know what makes "a lot", but there are cruisers that cruise without children. Particularly on the longer cruises during times when school is in.

 

[missyp]

Prices can go up from opening day. It depends on how quickly the ship is selling.

Our preference is westbound. Mostly due to the time change issues. Gaining that extra hour 3 or 4 times is better than losing it.

Don't know what makes "a lot", but there are cruisers that cruise without children. Particularly on the longer cruises during times when school is in.

Interesting point about the time changes.

 

[MunFam]

We did WBPC because we live in San Diego and walked home from the port. We felt it would be easier to fly there and then return home. Also, taking our 4 year old out of PreK was easier at the end of the school year (May) than at the start (Sept).

The 2015 WBPC had just under 200 people under the age of 18 on it. Most people sailing were doing so without kids.

 

[DHSbutcher]

We did our EBPC in 2013 and got a great fare on the cruise booking in May for a September trip. We booked an inside guarantee and were upgraded to an oceanview on Deck 2. It was great. It left from Los Angeles and returned to Galveston, TX. We took a trip to Disneyland for the first time before the cruise, and saw family in Houston after the cruise so it worked out great for us. We live in Florida so a cruise leaving or returning to Florida is usually our preference, but from what I heard with this certain cruise returning to Texas and not Florida it wasn't as sold as usual because of that. We had a great time on the cruise and would do it again if the timing worked out.

 

[AmandaRG]

We booked opening day for this year's WBPC. It was right around $7500 with OBB credit. Yes, we sail the first of next month, but it is now priced at over $10,100 for the four of us in a veranda. I'm good with booking back then!

 

[GatorMomInNC]

We booked opening day for this year's WBPC. It was right around $7500 with OBB credit. Yes, we sail the first of next month, but it is now priced at over $10,100 for the four of us in a veranda. I'm good with booking back then!

That is CRAZY expensive. We were on the 2013 EBPC, and while we loved it and it was a FANTASTIC cruise, I probably would have enjoyed going westbound a tad bit more just for gaining the extra hours. plus, no CC stop on the EBPC that year.

We booked a VGT a rate in May--- 4mos before the cruise, for just under 5k for 4 of us, no OBB. So prices definitely have jumped! Keep in mind, the port taxes on the PC cruises are substantially higher than your average cruise...for us, 20% added onto base price.

Not a lot of kids compared to a regular Disney cruise, but a couple hundred at least. My kids were 6 and 9 at the time, but lots of preschoolers on the cruise as I recall. While my kids were on break and didn't miss any school, we were seated with a couple with children the same age as ours who had pulled their kids out of school for 2 weeks. They would spend a big chunk of the day on sea days holed up in the room with the parents, working on homework assignments they had brought with them. I thought it was such a bummer for them!

 

[MunFam]

We booked opening day for this year's WBPC. It was right around $7500 with OBB credit. Yes, we sail the first of next month, but it is now priced at over $10,100 for the four of us in a veranda. I'm good with booking back then!

This is very true! The verandah rooms increase quickly and are always sold out. The oceanview and inside staterooms do not sell as quickly and that is where you will find the last minute GTY & MTO sales. We sailed on an MTO and paid almost the same as opening day pricing...BUT there were only 50 rooms available and they sold out very quickly. The GTY was approximately 25% more than what we paid for the same room.

I watched prices on our cruise almost daily (I am a corporate travel agent so I have access to the daily rates very easily) and they increased quite a bit. We knew we wanted to sail on the May 2015 cruise because of our family and school schedules. It was then or never. I started getting nervous because the 90 day paid in full date came and went...nothing. No GTY was available. We planned on sailing on the GTY inside room sale that they did every year. Finally, in February, they offered the MTO deal and we bought it immediately (within hours of it releasing). We received our room number right away on a deck two midship room. They then offered deluxe ocean view rooms on GTY a few weeks later. Those people did not get their room assignments until right before the cruise.

This cruise was a production staff/crew turnover so they had most of the outgoing cast down in the deck 2 inside rooms.

 

[Flossbolna]

We booked a VGT a rate in May--- 4mos before the cruise, for just under 5k for 4 of us, no OBB. So prices definitely have jumped! Keep in mind, the port taxes on the PC cruises are substantially higher than your average cruise...for us, 20% added onto base price.

I think 2013 was the last year with really good deals for the Panama Canal cruises. I was on the 2014 WB one and there it was a similar experience as @MunFam had that discounts happened very late and were not really that good. Yes, there was an IGT rate at some point, but it came late. We had hoped for one and ended up using an OBB that we had to get a 11C stateroom. With the 10% off and the 200$ OBC our rate was only slightly more than the IGT rate that came several weeks after we had booked.

To the OP: I would always recommend booking as soon as possible, especially if you have an OBB discount that you can use for it. First of all, you never know when suddenly one cruise is very popular. 2017 could be a year that a number of people are going to book hoping to go through the new locks, so that could attract more bookings. Also, one never knows what crazy games Disney might be playing with the prices. Since you can cancel without penalty until 120 days before the cruise, there is no harm im booking early. It might also make sense to just get the WBPC booked now, when it is going to be released and then if the EBPC comes out and you like the itinerary better for example, you can just move your booking.

I loved the WBPC that we did. Besides the time change difference, I also liked it that the four consecutive sea days were more in the second half of the cruise, when I was already very relaxed. If the ports were the same and time of year did not matter for me, I would prefer the WBPC.

 

[missyp]

We booked opening day for this year's WBPC. It was right around $7500 with OBB credit. Yes, we sail the first of next month, but it is now priced at over $10,100 for the four of us in a veranda. I'm good with booking back then!

How many people are you sailing with? What category room?

 

[AmandaRG]

How many people are you sailing with? What category room?

Four of us in a 5B.

 

[Amunet]

I'm booked for the EBPC for this year, it was booked via obb dummy in late May of last year. 2 adultss, I forget the cat. but we have a sideways inside! Was about $3200 total. Now, I think the cheapest is gty inside at +$1k? Perhaps more.

With Disney; it's either book very early or rather last minute. Always book a dummy date if you even think about going on another Disney cruise within 18 months.

 

[simpleohio]

I plan to book for 2017...been thinking about this for several years and finally am going to go and do it. Just waiting on them to release the dates so I can book early

 

[wilma-bride]

I plan to book for 2017...been thinking about this for several years and finally am going to go and do it. Just waiting on them to release the dates so I can book early

Are you planning for the Westbound or Eastbound? There is a group of us who are waiting to book the Westbound.

 

[TrySomethingNew]

With this later than usual release of dates, I wonder if they'll release both WB, EB at same time? Or do they usually release both directions at the same time?

 

[wilma-bride]

With this later than usual release of dates, I wonder if they'll release both WB, EB at same time? Or do they usually release both directions at the same time?

Usually EB is released with fall cruises and the rest of the year, however some people are stating that they might release the rest of the year all at once, because of how late they are. Normally fall onwards is released in May.

 

[simpleohio]

Heading West since I live in Florida and I its easier for me to get time off in May than September

 

[TrySomethingNew]

Usually EB is released with fall cruises and the rest of the year, however some people are stating that they might release the rest of the year all at once, because of how late they are. Normally fall onwards is released in May.

Thanks! Due to the lateness, I could possibly see them releasing some early fall, but I doubt through Christmas/New years -two busy cruising periods (summer, thanksgiving /Christmas/NewYears). Can you imagine the posts: "I've been on hold for 12hours..", "finally got through after 14 hours, was so tired almost forgot what I wanted to book".
Anyway, if they did release through the end of 2016 the dust would finally settle after a few intense days and us crazy planners could finally settle into our specific cruise planning.

 

[Disney4Us&D]

Good Morning! Is this the best thread for those of us waiting for the 2017 EBPC cruise release? I'd love to go WB, for the easier time changes, but the event we're celebrating won't happen until late summer of next year.

 

[Dakota Red]

We are doing East bound this Aug. When We were watching prices after we booked I had seen them go up $1000 per person at one time. Now I think it is still up $700 from when we booked.