We were interested in going through the Panama Canal and were looking for a cruise that also included some stops on the way. We also wanted to avoid too many sea days. When cruising, we normally book with the Seabourn but they did not quite fit the bill, although we have always been happy with them. We finally settled on the Uncruise “Ultimate Costa Rica and Panama”. We accomplished the stops we wanted and really enjoyed the travel through the canal, but we were quite disappointed with many aspects of the trip and the quality and cleanliness of the ship. I will try to explain why without being too heavy handed.

Cost. The trip was not cheap. The cost per day is comparable to The Seaborn. We assumed the lower cabin quality etc., would be made up for by the land excursions. Not exactly!

The Ship. The ship is old, run down and not very clean inside or out. The decks were dirty and common areas were not regularly cleaned. The outside was also dirty and had not seen a coat of paint for some time. The engine continually pumped out small amounts of diesel into the otherwise pristine sea. The air conditioning system did not work properly (read on). Read more