CRUISING IS A BREEZE
From Costa Rica to Panama
When most cruise ships sail the Panama Canal, they do so in a single day, zipping from one end to the other. In most cases, these itineraries bypass Panama and Costa Rica entirely, with ships favouring the Mexican Riviera on the Pacific Coast, or the Caribbean on the Atlantic side.
Seattle-based Windstar Cruises (windstarcruises.com) takes a different approach. It deploys its 212-guest Star Breeze and her sister, Star Pride, on a series of weeklong Costa Rica & Panama Canal voyages during the winter months. Beginning in San Jose, Costa Rica (Puerto Caldera) and ending in Colon, Panama (or reverse), these cruises focus on national parks and hidden gems of Costa Rica and Panama.
I sailed aboard Star Breeze on one of her voyages from Puerto Caldera to Colon and found a lot to like about this itinerary.
I went primarily to experience the Panama Canal transit, but I ended up highly enjoying the places we visited along the way. Plus, this voyage had more of an active expedition feel to it, with excursions that included dolphin watching in Golfo Dulce, horseback riding in Bahia Drake and even surfing lessons in Quepos.
Of course, that doesn’t mean you have to participate in these extra-cost tours, but it’s not a bad idea to budget for that. Still, I enjoyed a pleasant — if extraordinarily hot — morning hiking the trails of the lush, tropical forests in Bahia Drake, which conveniently lead to one of the island’s better beaches.
The other added advantage of this itinerary? It actually provides guests with time to explore Panama City; a port of call that most other lines sail right by. I took a walking tour through the historic Old Town of this bustling metropolis before travelling by land to the Panama Canal’s Miraflores Locks to learn about the history of the Canal and to watch as dozens of massive cargo ships entered the locks from the Pacific side on their journey east. It proved to be a very educational lesson prior to our own transit.
One highlight is Windstar’s Private Event on the remote (and largely deserted) Isla de Coiba. Here, the crew of the Star Breeze prepared a barbecue lunch on the beach, complete with drinks and such activities as snorkelling, swimming and beach volleyball. Of course, if you want to stay closer to the ship, the Star Breeze’s retractable marina platform (with its complimentary water toys) makes it easy to go for a quick kayak in the sheltered waters.
For me, half the draw of this itinerary is the chance to sail aboard the pretty Star Breeze. You might remember her better when she was sailing as Seabourn’s Seabourn Spirit. Windstar bought her and her two identical sisters in 2014, and put them into service in 2015 after a substantial makeover.
The results are impressive, with new public spaces that sport all-new decor, colour schemes and amenities. All cabins onboard are oceanview suites that measure at least 277 square feet and include marble bathrooms, spacious sitting areas, and very comfortable shipboard beds.
Windstar also had the top decks of Star Breeze and her sisters enlarged, to allow for more space for guests to suntan, and to indulge in the line’s legendary ondeck barbecue.
Star Breeze and her sisters complement Windstar’s existing fleet, which includes three intimate hybrid cruise-sailing ships. Star Breeze may not have sails that can be raised, but Windstar’s traditional sail-raising ceremony makes its way to the three new ships with a very memorable flagraising ceremony that happens on-deck upon departure.
Star Breeze returns to Costa Rica and Panama this December, along with newly renovated sister ship Star Pride. Both vessels will operate Windstar’s weeklong Costa Rica & Panama Canal itineraries through March 2017.