On this weblog about luxurious journey in Latin America, we speak rather a lot about accommodations, excursions, and actual property, however solely often contact on cruise ships. A part of that’s as a result of cruising will not be as prevalent within the Americas when you get south of Mexico and the Caribbean. There are Central America cruises on the market although, together with ones going by means of Central America by way of the Panama Canal. So we thought it will be helpful to put out all of the choices in a single place.
Cruise ships are typically a dividing line for a lot of luxurious vacationers, with some hating the concept of being on a large floating resort, whereas others cheer the comfort, the “unpack as soon as and finished” facet, and the flexibility to go to a number of locations on one trip.
When you reside driving distance to a U.S. cruise port, there’s additionally the benefit of avoiding the disagreeable airways we’re caught with. You possibly can cruise from Florida to Roatan, for instance, or from Texas to Panama. There are even choices from as far north as Vancouver.
Use the data we’re proving right here as a place to begin, however bear in mind there are many cruise specialists on the market who know these ships and routes inside-out. It’s greatest to seek the advice of with one among them to match your wishes, your price range, and your timeline with the proper firm and ship. An excellent journey agent can prevent time and doubtless get you some perks or reductions out of the reserving too.
The place Are the Cruise Ports in Central America?
The international locations of Central America are alongside the Caribbean Coast, the Pacific Coast, or most often, each. So all of them have not less than one place for cruise ships to dock. In lots of instances these docking charges convey numerous money into the native financial system, to not point out all of the passengers’ money spent on excursions, so the governments are eager to current a welcoming surroundings.
Right here’s the place you may doubtlessly cease on a Central America cruise:
Acajutla, El Salvador
Belize Metropolis, Belize
Puerto Limon, Costa Rica
Puerto Caldera, Costa Rica
Puerto Quepos, Costa Rica
Roatan, Honduras (2 ports)
Puerto Cortez, Honduras
Puerto Barrios, Guatemala
Santo Tomas de Castilla, Guatemala
Puerto Quetzal, Guatemala
Puerto Corinto, Nicaragua
Puerto Limon, Panama
Colon, Panama
Needless to say most of those ports are primarily devoted to imports and exports. They ship out bananas, sugar cane, rum, and pineapples and import electronics, gas merchandise, and shopper items. The Port of Roatan by Coxen Gap is near good seashores, seafood eating places, and bars. Carnival-affiliated manufacturers dock at a distinct port, nonetheless, at self-contained Mahogany Bay.
A seashore on Roatan Island
Those in Guatemala and Panama, nonetheless, require getting in a bus or taxi and heading inland to essentially expertise the nation.
The cruise ship port in Belize Metropolis has some purpose-built points of interest by the dock, however the metropolis itself is the least engaging a part of Belize. If there’s adequate time, take an tour to get into the countryside of this sparsely populated nation. In Costa Rica, you’re a brief hop from nature irrespective of which port your ship is touchdown in.
Which Corporations Function Cruises in Central America?
You’ve gotten a wide range of firms to select from that run cruises to Central America. Many of the huge ones depart from Florida, Texas, or California, although a number of begin in a foreign country for longer journeys and there are some much less frequent choices from different ports resembling Baltimore or Seattle. It’s not simple discovering the patch of land between Mexico and South America on the cruise web sites although: nearly none of them have “Central America” as a vacation spot choice, although some do have the Panama Canal listed.
Listed here are the cruise firms which have not less than one touchdown in a Central American port, in addition to their origination factors. Needless to say a few of these are targeted on the mass market, some on luxurious vacationers, and a few on expedition/journey vacationers. Select accordingly on your journey fashion, retaining in thoughts that even on probably the most low-end cruise, you’ll be able to improve your expertise by selecting a big suite with a balcony and snagging the all-inclusive choice. Some have particular VIP areas for suite friends.
Carnival Cruise Traces
Carnival has Central American cruise stops on their listing in Belize Metropolis, Honduras, Costa Rica, and Panama, although if you happen to search for “Central America” on their locations you gained’t see that. Simply the Panama Canal.
Carnival would possibly simply have probably the most Panama Canal selections of any cruise line although: they’ll take you thru that waterway from Baltimore, Tampa, Miami, New Orleans, Galveston, and Seattle.
When you dig round although on the listings from Galveston or New Orleans, yow will discover “Western Caribbean” cruises that head to that Carnival-only port on the island of Roatan, Honduras. Naturally the Panama Canal cruises cease at locations on the way in which, for Carnival that’s Limon, Costa Rica and Colon, Panama, with typically Cartagena in South America as nicely.
Carnival additionally provides cruises to the area below totally different model names together with Holland America (scroll down for extra) and Princess Cruises.
Royal Caribbean Central America Cruises
In as little as six days you’ll be able to go to Belize and Honduras from Tampa Bay, cruising south to Cozumel in Mexico earlier than hitting Central American ports. Their seven-day choice provides one other cease in Mexico between Tulum and Ambergris Caye. Put aside 10 nights so as to add Panama and Cartagena.
The best choice if you wish to see numerous Central America on a cruise is to go for the 14-night choice. That one heads all the way down to Panama, goes by means of the canal, stops in Costa Rica and Guatemala, then stops in Puerto Vallarta earlier than docking for good in Los Angeles. So in the long run you get to cross the USA with out getting in a automobile or a aircraft.
From Galveston, Texas a six- or seven-night cruise will make it to Roatan, Honduras after two stops in Caribbean Mexico. The nine-night one makes it to Belize as an alternative and the ten-night cruise from Galveston stops in Panama then Cartagena in South America. As with the lengthy Tampa one, their 15-night Panama Canal cruise results in Los Angeles however is the one one stopping in Nicaragua.
Norwegian Cruise Line to Most of Central America
Norwegian sails to the entire international locations in Central America besides El Salvador on their varied journeys from the USA. You won’t wish to surf their NCL website when you’re overseas although: they drive you to view it within the native language and there’s no choice to modify it again to English.
Norwegian provides cruises by means of the Panama Canal that go to different ports in Central America earlier than and/or after. The longest choice is a 15-day journey between Miami and Los Angeles (each instructions supplied). That one solely stops in Cartagena, Guatemala, and Mexico although whereas the 12-day choice from San Diego has 5 whole stops in Central America counting Panama. An 11-day one from Miami that stays on the Atlantic aspect contains stops in Belize and Costa Rica in addition to Cartagena in South America.
One choice that features Central America begins in Peru, stopping in Costa Rica, Nicaragua, and El Salvador earlier than heading to Mexico and ending up in Seattle. A one-way cruise from San Diego to Panama stops in three different Central American international locations on the way in which.
This firm additionally has its personal island playground in Belize that’s simply off the coast of Placencia. It’s known as Harvest Caye and there are 10 Caribbean cruises which have this a part of Belize of their itineraries. It’s doable to hop a ship from there to close by Placencia Village so that you’re not simply sitting on the seashore all day ingesting Tiburon rum from Belize (not that there’s something fallacious with that…)
Holland America Cruises inCentral American
In case you are dreaming of experiencing a passage by means of the Panama Canal, Holland America is one of the best cruise line for Central America. They will provide the most choices: they’ve 45 totally different itineraries that contain the waterway between the oceans. All of them depart from or finish in Ft. Lauderdale although, so test flight costs right here to see if that is sensible for you and do not forget that FLL is an enormous Southwest market as nicely, which gained’t present up on Kayak or Skyscanner.
Among the cruises keep within the Atlantic and return to Florida after visiting international locations resembling Belize, Costa Rica, Honduras, or Guatemala. Different cruises to Central America undergo the canal and up the Pacific Coast, typically stopping in different Central American spots and ending up in San Diego, Seattle, or Vancouver. Otherwise you begin in a type of and go the opposite course. The longest one, at 32 days, hits numerous Caribbean islands as nicely.
Holland America is a Carnival model so a few of its Caribbean cruises cease within the Carnival port in Honduras and people often additionally cease in Belize.
Movie star Cruises
Movie star has a good variety of Central America cruises that embody stops from an array of six ports within the area. In addition they provide two cruises that undergo the Panama Canal: one departing from Tampa and one from Ft. Lauderdale. Oddly, one among these doesn’t traverse the canal after which sail the Pacific although: it returns to the identical Florida port. One other from Ft. Lauderdale does undergo the canal although (after a cease in Cartagena) after which stops in Costa Rica, Guatemala, and Mexico earlier than ending in L.A.
A few of their Caribbean cruises departing from Florida embody Roatan Island, Honduras within the itinerary. The 11-day Final Caribbean & The Americas cruise from Tampa makes it to Cartagena and likewise Panama and Costa Rica.
Uncruise in Latin America
When you hate the concept of sharing your journey with 1000’s of different individuals which might be stuffing their faces and shuffling round ports more often than not, then Uncruise is the corporate for you. They run adventure-focused small ships that go to smaller bays the massive ships can’t enter. They will launch kayaks, zodiacs, and paddleboards proper off the again of the boat, so there’s no want to go to a port to have some enjoyable.
The Uncruise ships are vacation spot vessels, so you must get to the place you’re leaving from first. The upside of that’s you don’t have days of doing nothing however motoring between ports. Every single day is a day of journey. See our story right here on an Uncruise journey in Panama and Costa Rica. In addition they do journeys in Baja and Belize.
Hurtigruten
The Norwegian expedition cruise firm Hurtigruten has been increasing extra into the Americas and runs a wide range of cruises that cease someplace within the international locations of Central America. One which begins in San Diego heads to 3 locations in Mexico after which visits El Salvador, two ports in Nicaragua, and finishes in Costa Rica.
One other begins in Panama, makes a number of stops in Colombia, then heads to the Caribbean.
The one which makes probably the most stops there may be truly their longest cruise, which matches on for months. See extra data about that under.
The Final Latin American Cruise
Received $100,000 or so to spend on an epic trip for 2? Then spend 41 days with Hurtigruten on a pole-to-pole journey that features stops in Mexico, Central America, South America, and Antarctica.
The journey begins in Iceland, heads throughout the Northwest Passage, then makes stops in Alaska and Pacific Coast ports alongside the way in which all the way in which all the way down to the opposite aspect of the planet.
