Cruise Deals to Mexico and the Panama Canal

Instead of cramming the car with luggage or navigating through crowded airport security lines and gates this year, consider vacationing in style without all the hassles with a cruise deal to Mexico and the Panama Canal.

A Chance to Relax

No matter how many games you stuff into the car, podcasts you upload onto our mp3 players or detailed preparations you make, traveling always ends up being the most stressful part of a vacation.  It tends not to be until you swipe your hotel key for the first time or sink your feet into hot sand that you can exhale fully and think, "Ahh--vacation has officially begun."

When you take a cruise, however, the relaxation and fun begins as soon as you set foot on your ship. Offering you the luxury to sit back and relax or party like there’s no tomorrow while drifting to such beautiful and exotic places as Panama or the Mexican Riviera, cruises are like several vacations in one, both on the ship itself and at several vacation hotspots along the way.

Accommodations

Though the least expensive cabins on any cruise ship will be located near the center and most likely be windowless, cruises of the Panama Canal and Mexico, which tend to be longer, are a perfect time to splurge on more spacious quarters with a window or even a balcony so that you can relax and enjoy the view in the privacy of your own room after a long day of activities or excursions.

On Board Amenities

Cruise ships are something akin to giant floating hotel resorts, and feature all of the amenities and activities you’d expect to find at one and then some. For fun seekers, ships host a constant stream of deck and cocktail parties every day in addition to Broadway style musicals and theater, first-rate live bands and other performances. Some ships even offer unique venues like ice skating rinks and large studios where you can catch cooking demonstrations or even game shows.

For times of relaxation, passengers enjoy spending some time at one of the ship’s full service spas for a massage or a facial before chilling out in a sauna or hot tub, or simply lazing in the sun next to a pool.

Of course, when speaking of cruises, one can never forget the food — usually covered in cabin fare. On a typical large cruise ship, famished revelers can expect to find all sorts of delicious morsels to satisfy their palettes, from bottomless buffets to both casual and fine dining restaurants.

Cruises to Mexico

Mexico-bound cruises usually set off from California ports — oftentimes San Diego but also Los Angeles and San Francisco. The most common destinations ports you’ll visit include the Cabo area, located at the southern tip of Baja California and offering the perfect place to relax with some sea fishing, world class golf and beautiful beaches. Most cruises also visit Acapulco, with its vibrant night life, warm bay waters and amazing SCUBA adventures. From Acapulco, many visitors may choose to head a bit east to Cancun, located on the Yucatan Peninsula and featuring a plethora of activities like swimming with the dolphins, guided jungle expeditions and touring the ancient ruins of the extinct Mayan civilization.

Panama Canal

Cruises that visit the Panama Canal offer travelers a few options. You may choose to do a seven to fourteen-day one-way sailing with both Mexican and Central American stops that begins in Florida and ends in California, an even longer round-trip or a seven-day jaunt that includes a partial crossing of the Canal and returns to its port of departure. Whichever journey you choose, you’ll be sure to have the time of your life.

Most cruises to the Panama Canal set off from Miami, Fort Lauderdale or another large Florida port. Regardless of which trip you take, the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean portion of any cruise to the Panama Canal will generally take up seven days and features stops at ports including Ocho Rios, Jamaica, Cartegena, Colombia and the Panama Canal.

An unforgettable highlight of a Panama Canal cruise, of course, is the passage through the canal itself. The canal first opened in 1914 and is to this day one of the largest and most difficult engineering projects ever undertaken. Passengers will be thrilled at getting such a close-up view of one of the most important and revolutionary man-made bodies of water in history.

Make sure that your next vacation is exactly what it should be — a fun, relaxing experience that lets you visit different places, experience different cultures, eat new food, get some sun, and not have to stress about any of it. Slip into a pair of sandals, put on your shades and book a cruise to remember to Mexico and the Panama Canal now.