14 Night Panama Canal Cruise On The Norwegian Star

Taking a Panama Canal Cruise is the best way to see the canal, in my opinion. I knew I wanted to see the Panama Canal, more Latin American countries and visit South America all in one go, making a 14 night Panama Canal cruise with Norwegian the perfect fit. This is my 10th cruise with Norwegian and my third long-haul cruise with the brand. Most cruises are a week, so this style of cruising is basically two weeks.

I am a huge fan of Norwegian Cruise Lines and I am a Platinum Latitudes member (which means I am a loyal cruiser with NCL). I have been on most of their ships, old, new and discontinued over time. Additionally, I have done most of their routes around the world. What I love about the Norwegian Star is that it is one of their smaller ships (I know the big ships are the newest in cruise travel, but I still appreciate the smaller vessels), they did a major renovation and the common spaces look more elevated and I loved the food. Food is such a big part of cruise travel that it needs to be done right. Norwegian does not disappoint in the food department.

Since this was such a robust cruise, I broke down sections to give you a better idea of what to expect. I recognize two weeks on a cruise can be long, but honestly, it gives you a lot of time in between ports to relax and do things on the ship. It is a nice combination or exploration, dining, activities, and relaxation.

14 Night Panama Canal Cruise: Know Before You Go

• These cruises do not run year round and are seasonal when the weather is good.
• Look for deals with Norwegian. They often have specials where you can get a variety of things like drink, dining or WiFi packages, etc – if you book a certain cruise and room category. The drink and dining package sure are nice when you are on board for 2 weeks.
  • If you don’t book when they are running deals, you can purchase a drink package on board and dine at any of the restaurants with a reservation and charge your room.
• Decide on excursions and specialty dining before you go or the day you get on board and book them. They can and do fill up. A number of times this has happened to me and I am a seasoned cruiser.
  • What I would do when you get on board (if you haven’t already explored online and decided) is to go to the main Atrium where they have a reservations desk for meals and another for excursions. At the restaurant desk you can see all the menus for specialty dining and make a reservation. For excursions, they have a sheet for each port where you can get a detailed description of what each one offers, price and duration.
    • I like to plan ahead, so I login to my NCL account and see what is offered in each port. You can book online or when you get on the ship.
• When you board the ship they will take your suitcases and you will get them back later that day at some point. If you have medications or need something from your luggage, put in your hand bag or carry on a small bag/suitcase.
• If you don’t want to pack clothes for two weeks on a Panama Canal Cruise, no problem. Laundry services are offered on board and I like to take advantage of the “fill a bag for $20 deal.” I can fit several outfits in this bag and have enough clothes to take me the entire trip.
  • This deal does not run every day. It is randomly done throughout the cruise and you will get a notice in your Freestyle Daily (daily agenda). However, you can pay for laundry by the piece to get done should you need something sooner.
  • If you are already a Latitudes Member, check with your benefits level to see if you get a discount. For example: I am now a Platinum Latitudes member, so I get 1 free bag of laundry done on board when I cruise. I will definitely be taking advantage of this on every sailing moving forward and packing less.
• Definitely get a room with a balcony! The sunrise, sunset, sea life, and port views are the best. You will especially appreciate a balcony on a Panama Canal Cruise when you are cruising through the Canal.
• If you are an American, you do not need a visa, but you do need a passport OR state I.D. plus birth certificate.
• When you get in line to board the ship, you will give a credit card for on board purchases. There is no cash exchange for purchases.
  • You can opt to do cash but will need to front the money.
  • You can do separate cards for the people in your room and it will link to the respective room keys for charging.
• A ‘Freestyle Daily’ will be in your room each day that tells you everything that is happening the next day. You will find opening and closing times for everything on board, activities, any specials the cruise line is running, a lot of information about the port (if it is a port day), expected weather, nightly entertainment, etc. This is your go-to for everything each day of your cruise.
• Commonly used terms on board your Panama Canal Cruise:
  • Port – left side of the ship facing forward
  • Starboard – right side of the ship facing forward
  • Forward – towards the front of the ship
  • Aft – towards the back of the ship
• If you are ever lost in the carpeted areas of the ship, the fish on the carpets are always swimming to the forward of the ship
• Germs can spread like crazy on ships. Here are a few best practices:
  • Wash hands often
  • Try not to use the stair railings or touch the buffet railings – a lot of people constantly touch these
  • Use the hand sanitizer very often – you will see it everywhere
• If you get seasick or motion sickness, you can get medication on board if you did not pack any.
• The casino is not open when the ship is in ports of call. It needs to be at sea and in international waters.

Panama Canal Cruise: What’s On Deck

Below is an outline of things on board the Norwegian Sky. You can see a lot of stuff is located on Deck 6, 7, 12, and 13. Restaurants, services and shops tend to be grouped together, giving you easier access. While the ship is over 900 feet in length, it truly just feels like a floating hotel. You don’t really walk that far, or at least it never feels that way.

Norwegian Star by the numbers:

• 956 feet long
• 2,348 passenger capacity
• 1,031 crew members on board
• Refurbished in 2018 – shes a beauty!

Deck 4

• Medical Center

Deck 6

• Versailles Main Dining Room
• Aqua Main Dining Room
• La Cucina Italian Restaurant
• Le Bistro French Restaurant
• Stardust Theater
• Gatsby’s Martini Bar
• Casio
• Art Gallery
• ATM

Deck 7

• Ginza Asian Restaurant
• Teppanyaki
• Sushi Bar
• Stardust Theater
• 5 O’clock Somewhere Bar
• Atrium Cafe
• Bliss Lounge
• Shuffleboard
• Photo Gallery
• Tradewinds Gift Shops
• Guest Services
• Onboard Credit Desk
• Restaurant Reservations
• Shore Excursions
• CruiseNext Desk

Deck 8

• O’Sheehan’s Bar and Grill

Deck 9

• Internet Cafe

Deck 11

• Spa and Salon

Deck 12

• Garden Cafe
• Topsiders Grill
• Ice Cream Bar
• The Oasis Pool
• Spice H20
• Fitness Center
• Video Zone
• Hot Tubs
• Meeting Rooms
• Library
• Entourage Teen Club

Deck 13

• Cagney’s Steak House
• Moderno Churrascaria
• Sugarcane Mojito Bar
• Sports Deck
• Jogging/Walking Track
• Golf Driving Nets
• Splash Academy Youth Center
• Hot Tubs
• Shuffleboard
• Sun Deck

Deck 14

• Sky High Bar
• Basketball Court

Panama Canal Cruise Itinerary:

• Day 1: Embarkation – 4pm –  this is a pretty easy day once you get through the chaos of everyone trying to get on board. You will have your boat drill before the ship leaves port and learn about safety regulations. Your luggage will get delivered at some point during the day and you can unpack and settle in. This is a great day to book your excursions for the ports of call, any dining reservations and familiarize yourself with the ship.
• Day 2: Sea Day
• Day 3: Cabo San Lucas, Mexico 10:00am-6:00pm
• Day 4: Sea Day
• Day 5: Acapulco, Mexico 8:00am-6:00pm
• Day 6: Sea Day
• Day 7: Guatemala 8:00am-4:00pm
• Day 8: Nicaragua 10:00am-5:00pm
• Day 9: Costa Rica 8:00am-6:00pm
• Day 10: Sea Day
• Day 11: Cruising the Panama Canal – you will not be getting off the ship for this portion of the cruise. However, you re free to go on the decks to see the Panama Canal or watch from your balcony (if your room comes with one).
• Day 12: Cartagena, Colombia 10:00am-6:00pm
• Day 13: Sea Day
• Day 14: Sea Day
• Day 15: Disembark early morning – the only thing you can do on board this day is grab breakfast before you leave. You aren’t spending the day here – the crew is turning the boat over for the next set of guests.

Selecting A Room on Your Panama Canal Cruise:

For a two week cruise, you should pick a room you are comfortable staying in for the duration of time. Truth be told, not many rooms are that big – so you should pick your traveling companion as someone you don’t mind close quarters with. I can’t stress enough how much having a balcony is worth the value. Balconies come on various style rooms, including suites – so there is a variety of price points to choose from based on what you are after.

During this cruise I stayed in a mini suite AND it came with a balcony that graced me with gorgeous sunrises and sunsets nearly everyday. The passengers who stayed on both sides of me were outside each day to see the dazzling sky.

This room category comes equipped with a king size bed or two twins, the bathroom has a shower/tub combo, luxury bath amenities by Bvlgari, ample closet space and drawers for storage, safe box, a couch that converts to a sleeping area, TV, mini bar, coffee and tea maker, vanity, balcony with 2 chairs, and a thermostat for the room.

What I loved most about this room was the balcony and space. Suitcases fit under the bed, the closet was plenty big and had shelving units inside of it and 3 big ones over the top.

Norwegian Star does not offer Haven rooms but they do offer a nice selection of suites.

Since the Norwegian Star does not offer the Haven (which has its own restaurant), they have converted Moderno into a private breakfast area and Cagney’s into a private lunch area. I can tell you that it is just like the Haven restaurant on the ships that do offer it.

The housekeeping staff knows how to make towel animals and will surprise you with them some nights at turndown. As a seasoned cruiser, I know they can make a large variety of them so I asked my guy if he could please make a new one each day so that I could get a picture of them all at the end. HE DELIVERED, AND WHAT A MASTERPIECE!

Panama Canal Cruise Dining:

The Norwegian Star has many dining options on board (some are only open for dinner). So finding food on board is never going to be a problem. In fact, the food on this Panama Canal Cruise was top notch! Every single meal was amazing.

Norwegian has “freestyle dining” in their complimentary restaurants. This means that you do not book a time to eat each night and show up then. You come when you want to eat. The only exception to this is for restaurants that cost extra and require a reservation.

Room service is also available.

• For continental breakfast, you fill out the form and put it on your door at night before bed.
  • I found this very convenient on port days when I just wanted something light to eat like cereal or pastries and fruit.
• For dining after breakfast, there is a $7.95 fee – but you can order as much as you want from the menu.
  • If you are in a suite you do not have to pay for in-room dining, it is included.
  • I got severely burnt on the trip (my own fault) and had to spend one day in the room away from the sun. I ordered room service lunch and watched movies all day. It was perfect!

Included Dining:

Garden Cafe – this is the buffet on the ship. It is open for three meals a day and has afternoon snacks, late night snacks, etc. They will do some themed nights in there so that the food is not always the same. For example: a seafood night or an Italian food night.

Versailles – this is one of 2 main dining rooms. Open breakfast, lunch and dinner.  A sit down restaurant with multiple courses to choose from. The portions aren’t huge, so you can order an appetizer, meal and dessert and be ok. They have items that stay on the menu each night and then a rotating menu with new items.

O’Sheehan’s Bar & Grill – this Irish Pub is where you come for things like wings, hot dogs, fish and chips, etc.

Topsider’s Bar & Grill – located out by the pool with continental breakfast and afternoon food.

Aqua Main Dining Room – open for dinner and is just like Versailles. It was a bit more intimate in this dining room and the lights were dimmer.

Ginza Asian Dining Room – I love that they have a complimentary Asian eatery on board. I ate here twice and the food was amazing!! The Sushi Bar and Sake Bar share the space, so you can order from all three.

Specialty Dining:

While you could eat at just the complimentary restaurants and be completed satisfied, the ship does over more elevated dining experiences in a variety of flavors, and the food is spectacular. This is the first time I have been on a cruise and ate at all (but one) of the restaurants on board. I had French, Italian, Brazilian, Japanese, and so on. Each experience unique in itself. As a long time cruiser of Norwegian, I am actually embarrassed to say that I had never eaten at their signature steak house, French restaurant OR Italian restaurant. Honestly – I am glad I did. Now I KNOW what I was missing.

Le Bistro – French dining at sea. Le Bistro is one of Norwegians signature restaurants that you can find on their ships. This was the first time I dined there and I loved it. It will be a staple when I cruise from now on.

Cagney’s Steakhouse – a signature Norwegian restaurant. You come here to get a great steak, delicious sides and a nice bottle of wine. My absolute favorite dish in this restaurant is the pork nelly appetizer. It is a MUST!

La Cucina – a signature Norwegian restaurant serving up Italian cuisine. This was one of my favorite dining experiences on board. ALL the food was just incredible.

La Cucina is one of the spaces recently renovated and it is beautiful!

Moderno – you have to prepare yourself for this Brazilian feast. First you eat from the buffet selections of salads, soups, sushi, and other appetizers. Then the fun starts. You are given a card that is green on one side (for go) and red on the other (for stop). When you flip it to green, people carrying meats on skewers stop by your table to see if you want what they have. You will find various cuts of beef, grilled pineapple, chicken, sausage, etc.

Teppanyaki – this is the most fun of all the restaurants because your cook is right in front of you singing and dancing while making food. I don’t think I have ever laughed so much during a dining experience.

Sushi Bar – this is the one place I did not eat, but it is right next door to Ginza and technically you can order sushi rolls at Ginza (to buy) and they make them at the sushi bar.

Bars:

There is technically 12 bars on board plus the minibar in your room. They are not all open, all day. Each day in your Freestyle Daily you can find the hours for each place on the back page, upper right hand corner.

• Gatsby’s Martini Bar
• 5 O’clock Somewhere Bar
• Atrium Cafe
• Bliss Lounge
• O’ Sheehan’s
• Sake bar
• Topsiders Bar
• Sugacane Mojito Bar
• Sky High Bar
• Casino
• Spice H20
• Stardust Theater
• Mini Bar

Things to do on Board Your Panama Canal Cruise on the Norwegian Sky:

There is a lot to do on the Norwegian Star and this is crucial when you are on a two week Panama Canal Cruise. You need a variety of things to keep you entertained when you aren’t exploring the ports.

Some of the activities on board include:

• Mandara Spa
  • Look in the Freestyle Daily as they often run excellent deals for the spa. I got an incredible facial that I LOVED for a fraction of the cost at sea.
• Pool
• Hot tubs
• Gym
• Various Bars
• Paint classes
  • This is like the paint and wine classes except you just order a drink and bring it. I did a palm tree painting on a cruise to Cuba and loved it.
• Library
• Arcade
• Shuffleboard court
• Art Auctions
• Casino
• Nightly shows – Broadway, singing, magic, etc.
• and more!

We had a thermal spa pass for the duration of the cruise and could access the spa amenities during business hours. This included: thermal spa, hot tub, heated chairs with views of the ocean, showers, steam and sauna, lap pool, and light snacks and beverages. I can’t recommend this enough. It is one of the best feelings to wind down after a day of exploring or to just relax during a sea day. It was never crowded and I felt like I was always pampered for two weeks.

Ports Along The Panama Canal Cruise:

This 14 night Panama Canal Cruise technically goes to 6 countries, but you can only get off in 5 of them. In Panama you are just cruising through the Panama Canal – which is an event of its own. There are five ports that you can get out and take excursions on, and they are all so different. Offering a variety of activities to suit all travelers, I am certain you will find something you love.

Cabo San Lucas, Mexico 

What a gorgeous first stop on this cruise. The weather was perfect! I booked the tour called “El Arco, Scenic Stop and Glass Blowing.” The cost was $65 USD and the tour lasted 2.5 hours.

For this tour I took a boat out to the famous El Arco, Lover’s Beach and Divorce Beach. We also cruises the coastline AND saw whales!!

After the boat tour, we all got on a bus for a quick drive down to the glass blowing location where we could see items made and shop. Followed by a scenic stop overlooking Cabo and for a beverage.

There is a plethora of things to do in Cabo San Lucas, so you’ll be sure to find something you love. 

After the tour was over, my friend and I stopped at Senor Frogs for nachos and mojitos. Senor Frogs is so different all over the Caribbean and U.S but it is widely known as a party bar. They like to have fun and get a bit rowdy while people make balloon hats and serve shots.

Senor Frogs was located in the port and about a 2 minute walk back to were our tender boat was to return us to the ship.

Things to know about Cabo:

• warm weather – so wear sunscreen
• currency is pesos – but credit card was widely accepted
• you have to get onto a tender boat to get into port because the ship does not dock

Other Excursions:

There are a plethora of excursions to choose from, here is a sampling:

• Cabo canyon canopy
• Moountain biking
• 3 in one paddle, kayak and norkel
• 2 tank certified scuba diving
• Picture perfect Los Cabos

Acapulco, Mexico 

This was an interesting port to visit. Acapulco had been gracing my list of places to visit for a long (since I love Mexico so much) and it was a cool experience. I took a tour called “Highlights, Shopping & Cliff Divers.” The cost was $79 per person and last 4.5 hours. Along this tour we went and saw the famous cliff divers, which I HIGHLY recommend. Skilled divers of various ages climb up the cliffs and jump down into the water at varying heights. This was so cool to see!

We went shopping with local artisans and lastly, we stopped at Los Flamingos Hotel, where we visited the home of Tarzan!! The hotel and grounds itself are really pretty. They are vibrant hot pink and white and it is aesthetically pleasing.

Things to know about Acapulco:

• there are state warnings that say it is unsafe, so take best practices when visiting
• it was very hot, bring water and sunscreen

Other Available Excursions:

• Coyuca Speedboat Adventure
• Acapulco Beach Day
• Aztec Lunch and Cliff Divers

Guatemala 

One thing to note about this port, nothing was close. We took a bus for over an hour for most tours, but time flies when you are having fun. I went to a beach day in Monterrico for this tour and it was fantastic. I had a day pass at a resort that was just gorgeous! It was beach front on a black sand beach and I ordered these delicious passion fruit cocktails all day. Cost for this tour was $89 and last about 5.5 hours.

 

A lot of the excursions offered went to Antigua. One thing to note is the elevation there, which is just over 5,000 feet. I get elevation sickness very easily, so I opted to stay at a lower altitude.

Things to know about Monterrico:

• this is the day I got so sunburned. For this tour this is not much coverage from the sun. Pack plenty of sunscreen
• stay hydrated, it is hot
• they stamp passports in the port here if you want – its optional
• there wasn’t anything in the port to do

Other Available Excursions:

There was several excursions to choose from in Guatemala, here is a small sampling of what was available:

• Pacaya Volcano Hike
• Colonial Antigua
• Coffee Plantation
• Ancient Textiles from the highlands of Guatemala

Nicaragua 

For this port I booked the Colonial Granada excursion. It took about 6 hours because the time it took to get to Granada and back was just over 2 hours in each direction and we stopped at Lake Nicaragua to take pictures briefly. We only had about an hour in Granada after we went to the museum and walked through town with our guide. Cost for this tour $109.

Things to know about Granada:

• this was the hottest day of the trip. I could not stay cool enough outside, even under shade
• stay hydrated and bring your own water
• there was not a restroom on the bus, and no stops between the port and Granada

Other Available Excursions:

There was only 4 total excursions for this port.

• Masaya Volcano and caterina
• Amayo Hacienda experience and Lake Nicaragua
• Riva, Lake Nicaragua and scenic drive

Costa Rica 

I did not get off in Costa Rica because I had got a sunburn that was really bad between Guatemala and Nicaragua. Please wear sunscreen and apply often. These countries can be very hot.

Some of the Available Excursions:

• Highlights of San Jose
• Aerial tram and zipline adventure
• Artisiinal craft bbeer, tasting and lunch
• La Paz waterfall gardens
• Tortuga Island and beach break

Panama Canal 

You do not get off the boat in Panama. On this day you are moving through the Panama Canal and marveling at this man made waterway. The crossing starts early in the morning (maybe around 7:00am) and you will go through 48 miles of locks, lakes and turns.

Pro tip: if you don’t want to miss anything in the morning, and have a balcony on your room in which you can view the Canal, place your breakfast order form on your door the night before and have it delivered to your room so you don’t have to leave.

If you do not have a balcony room, you can go out to the top decks and lower decks that offer full viewing.

Things to know:

• even though you do not get off the ship while cruising through the Panama Canal, you will hear fantastic information all day while going through the locks
• in the morning, there is an area on board where you can purchase items that from Panama (shirts, etc)
• the ship prints everyone off a “I took the scenic route” certificate highlighting the Panama Canal as a souvenir to take home

Cartagena, Colombia

Cartagena was my favorite stop on this cruise itinerary, and I had anticipated that. I ended up booking a tour called “Chiva Party Bus” and it is the absolute best tour I have ever taken on a cruise. I can’t recommend this enough. In summary: the Chiva party bus is an open air, colorful bus that serves up drinks while learning about Cartagena and making stops at different places. In addition – there are dance offs on the bus and you will never smile more than you do on this tour. Cost $69 per person and lasts about 3 hours. There is plenty of time after the tour to go back to Cartagena.

Things to know:

• again, it was very warm, pack sunscreen
• bring water
• have cash for souvenirs
• you will be bombarded from people selling items at every major tourist stop. Don’t worry, you will be fine, Just kindly say no and move along

Some of the Available Excursions:

There is so much fun stuff to do in Cartagena! I feel like you can’t go wrong with any of the provided excursions. Everyone is so friendly and lively in the city.

• Colonial Cartagena
• Hop on Hop off Bus
• Mangroves Eco Canoe Journey
• Cartagena Through the Photo Lens

How to Spend Sea Days on Your Panama Canal Cruise:

You will technically get 6.5 sea days on this Panama Canal cruise. Fortunately the days are spread out so you have down time between visiting ports and at the front and back end of the trip. Norwegian does a FANTASTIC job of creating itineraries every single day with stuff to do on board. Below is a sampling of items that were offered on my cruise.

• Texas Hold’em, Slot Machine and Blackjack tournaments in the casino (for a fee)
• Trivia’s
• Workout Classes (some come with a fee)
• Game Shows
• A variety of musical talents
• Karaoke
• Jewelry Events
• 5 Minute Makeovers
• Various art auctions – with champagne
• Nintendo Wii Open Play
• Movies
• Board Games
• Get a book from the library
• Progressive Wine Tasting (for a fee)
• TAG Heuer Watch Seminar
• Battle of the Sexes
• Canvas by U! Painting Events

Of course you can opt to just relax poolside, go to the spa, sit in your room on your balcony and look for sea animals (there was a lot on this cruise), watch movies they have playing in your stateroom, get a pass for the thermal spa, or just read a book and have some tea! It is your vacation, do what you want to do.

If You Loved Your Cruise, Why Not Book Your Next One!

Norwegian does a great job of bringing returning customers back time and time again. One of the best programs they offer is called “CruiseNext.” Essentially what this program allows you to do is you can book up to 8 future cruises. Here is how the program works:

• You pay a $250 deposit per 1 stateroom booking on your next cruise and in turn you get $250 of on board credit to use on your Panama Canal Cruise now! If you make 1 deposit of $250, you get $250 now to spend. If you make 8 deposits of $250 now for 8 future sailings, you get $2000 now to spend.
• Rules:
  • cruise must be 6 days or longer
  • you have up to 4 years to book and pay for the rest of the cruise that you made the deposit on
  • deposits are transferable
  • combine with any promotion Norwegian is offering (example: free at sea, etc)

Departing From The Panama Canal Cruise:

When the Norwegian Cruise is just about over, you will be given really good instructions about how to leave the ship on your last day. It is extremely organized and I promise, it will go smooth as long as you follow instructions.

There are two ways to get off the ship:

1. If you want to walk off the ship with all of your luggage on you, there is designated time slots. Usually it is the first people to walk off. I HIGHLY recommend doing this if you have an early flight. Cabs and ride share services will start to get busy the more people who leave.
2. You can pick a color coated tag that references a time to walk off the ship. These tags will go on your luggage and you will leave your luggage outside your stateroom door the night before you get off the ship. Your luggage will then be waiting for you in the luggage area after you clear customs.

Leaving the ship:

This will be your final farewell to your Panama Canal Cruise. Here are a few tips to make things go smooth:

1. Check and re-check your room for anything you may have left behind. Once you leave, you are off.
2. If you are giving your luggage for the crew to take the night before, make sure you have everything you need for the next morning as you will not get your luggage back until you get off the ship.
3. Have your passport or identification ready. You will need to clear customs before you can get your luggage and be on your way.

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Disclaimer: I did partner with Norwegian Cruise Line, but as always, opinions are entirely my own.