The Panama Canal & Costa Rica - Eastbound 2018

11 days
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USTOA

Small Ship Cruise
Earth Journeys, created by Tauck and BBC Earth... This 11-day journey includes a 7-night voyage aboard Windstar's classic four-masted yacht, Wind Star, and features a complete transit of the Panama Canal and an opportunity for cultural exchange with locals as you explore ecological diversity and pristine islands in Panama and along Costa Rica's Pacific coast.

Overview

Trip type
Small Ship Cruise
Lodging level
Premium - 4 star
Physical level
Moderate
Trip pace
Flexible schedule

Highlights

    • Earth Journey featuring on-tour film vignettes custom-made for Tauck by BBC Earth natural history experts plus other select BBC Earth touches; full transit of the Panama Canal aboard Windstar's classic four-masted yacht
    • Wind Star; a Tauck naturalist onboard for full journey; opportunity for cultural exchange with locals in Panama and along Costa Rica's Pacific coast; 2 nights hotel accommodations with guided sightseeing in San José and 1 night in Panama City

What's this trip about?

    Earth Journeys, created by Tauck and BBC Earth... This 11-day journey includes a 7-night voyage aboard Windstar's classic four-masted yacht, Wind Star, and features a complete transit of the Panama Canal and an opportunity for cultural exchange with locals as you explore ecological diversity and pristine islands in Panama and along Costa Rica's Pacific coast.

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Details

Itinerary focusClassic Highlights
Group sizeStandard Group - 25 + people
Age rangeNo age restrictions
Flights and transportN/A
Start CitySan José, Costa Rica
End CityPanama City, Panama

Travel Themes

  • 50 Plus
  • Small Ship Cruise

Destinations

Activities

  • Culture

Trip includes

    • All gratuities to Tauck Directors, local guides, naturalists and ship staff Tauck's private shore excursions and distinctive inclusions valued at $2,300 On-tour film vignettes custom-made for Tauck by BBC Earth natural history experts Field equipment may include GoPro cameras and camera traps 7-night cruise aboard Windstar's classic four-masted yacht, Wind Star, in an exclusive group of approximately 40 Tauck guests Your cruise may be a shared ship experience with non-Tauck guests onboard as well; all Tauck guests will be accompanied by one Tauck Director for approximately every 40 Tauck guests, and your itinerary will always be highlighted by exclusive, private Tauck shore excursions Full small-ship transit of the Panama Canal with onboard commentary by a local expert 3 nights' hotel accommodations with guided sightseeing in San José, Costa Rica & Panama City Tauck's experienced naturalist, Tauck Director and local guides join the cruise aboard ship, leading excursions ashore to enrich your experience of the jungle, water and flora & fauna Visits to Isla Parida in Panama's Gulf of Chiriquí & Manuel Antonio National Park in Costa Rica Aboard ship - alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages are available throughout the day aboard ship including house wines and spirits; premium spirits and wines are available at extra cost. Airport transfers upon arrival and departure as noted 29 meals (10 breakfasts, 9 lunches, 10 dinners); applicable fuel surcharges, service charges, porterage and most taxes

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Itinerary

Day 1 Arrive San José
Tour begins: InterContinental Costa Rica. You will be met upon arrival at San José's Juan Santamaría International Airport and transferred to the InterContinental Costa Rica in the relaxed suburb of Escazú, where you'll enjoy a Club Tower room. Dinner is at your leisure tonight in the hotel. MEALS : D LODGING : InterContinental Costa Rica at Multiplaza Mall PORTOFCALL : San Jose, Costa Rica

Day 2 Coffee, Waterfalls & Wildlife
Near-perfect growing conditions have made coffee one of Costa Rica's most important exports. Begin the land portion of your Costa Rica cruise with a visit to a working coffee plantation located on the fertile slopes of Alajuela's Poas Volcano, where the soil and altitude...
Day 3 San José Sites & Your Windstar Cruise
San José city sightseeing today includes visits to the Baroque-style, 19th-century National Theatre, a grand symbol of civic pride dating back to 1897 - its interior glistens with Baroque gold overlays and Carrara marble - and the Gold Museum, which houses pre-Columbian ...
Day 4 Manuel Antonio National Park
Call on the city of Quepos this morning, a perfect jumping off point for your excursion to Manuel Antonio National Park, where you'll find coral reefs and white sand beaches, considered among the most beautiful in Costa Rica, lined with rainforest. Explore with your loca...
Day 5 Dolphins, chocolate & zip lining
Today, your Windstar yacht calls at Puerto Jimenez on the Golfo Dulce. Transfer to shore, then set out on a morning boating adventure in search of dolphins. After returning to your yacht for lunch onboard ship, you have a choice of fun this afternoon: go zip lining throu...
Day 6 A beach party on Isla Parida
Get set for a day of fun in the sun on Isla Parida, part of an archipelago within Panama's Gulf of Chiriquí, an area rich in sea life and exotic bird species including parrots and toucans. Isla Parida is blessed with a wealth of virgin rainforest, beautiful white-sand be...
Day 7 A day spent cruising the Pacific
Spend an entire relaxing day at sea aboard Wind Star as you make your way across the Pacific Ocean waters off Panama's southern coast, bound for Balboa. As you take advantage of your yacht's many amenities, your Tauck Director and Tauck Naturalist circulate about the shi...
Day 8 Balboa & Panama City
Call at Balboa and visit the Biomuseo, the biodiversity museum designed by renowned architect Frank Gehry. Next, in the former Canal Zone, drive through Ancon Hill, a lush residential enclave that was home to US military facilities until a 1977 treaty granted Panamanian ...
Day 9 Transiting the Panama Canal
This morning, Wind Star begins to position for her transit of the Panama Canal. Opened in 1914 and considered an engineering marvel of the 20th century, the Panama Canal opened trade to the Americas by creating a transit path between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. Than...
Day 10 Visit a rainforest & cross the Isthmus
After completing the Panama Canal crossing, Wind Star arrives this morning at the port of Colón, where you'll disembark and bid your ship and its crew a fond farewell. Once ashore, learn about plans for the Canal's future on a visit to the Panama Canal Expansion Observat...
Day 11 Journey Home
Fly home anytime. A transfer from the Hilton Panama to Tocumen International Airport is included. Please allow a minimum of 3 hours for flight check-in. MEALS : B PORTOFCALL : Panama City, Panama

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Dates & Availability

Price From $6,990
Price per day$635
Last Updated: 2/13/2023

Check Current Availability, prices, specials with Tauck.

The total tour cost includes the tour price (regular or promotional) and the compulsory local payment. The promotional price is subject to change. Check directly with the operator for the latest price offer. The tour operator requires you to pay only the tour price to purchase your travel. The compulsory local payment will be paid when you join the trip. All prices are based on double, twin or triple share occupancy. Solo passengers will be accommodated in a double, twin or triple room according to availability with a passenger(s) of the same gender. Single supplement only needs to be paid if the passenger does not want to share and requests their own room. Discounts can only be applied at the time of booking and cannot be added at a later date, regardless of any changes made to the original booking.

Prices may vary due to local taxes and trip seasonality. Click "Request Info" to inquire directly with the tour operator for the final trip price.

Tauck Reviews & Ratings

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Other Tauck Reviews

K

Kurlyk40

May 2024

Written on

Great Scenery but Accommodations Lacking for cost

My husband and I booked the Yellowstone tour with Tauck expecting so much more with the accommodations, food, and tour director based on the price point. We were sa...

S

Susan

Jun 2023

Written on

Nine Tours and Done

Sad to see a once good tour company stumble and fall into mediocrity. That’s Tauck post-Covid. My May 2023 tour of Normandy, Brittany and the Loire Valley was done o...

C

Cougess

Jan 2023

Written on

Skip this cruise - not worth it

My husband and I went on the Treasures of the Mediterranean Isles Trip jn October 2022. This was our third Tauck cruise with Ponnant but our first post covid and the...

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It's easy to see the world's sights. To stand in long lines, push through the crowds, and generally have the same standard-issue vacation as everyone else. But that's not good enough for us, and it's not good enough for you. We believe that travel should be easy. It should be fun. It should be worth your time and the price you paid. It should re-energize and transform. And above all else, it should be beyond the ordinary. Because how you see the world matters.

In 1882, Herman Tauck arrived in New York City from Germany in search of the American dream. His determination and values were passed on to his son, Arthur Tauck, who would realize that dream. With ingenuity and an innovative spirit, Arthur started Tauck Motor Tours, a travel company that would give birth to a new industry. The first tour, through the back roads of New England, was created by this 27-year-old in 1925. It embodied the same successful formula used by Tauck today: do the right thing. Craft a life-enriching travel experience; provide it at a single all-inclusive price; ensure there is great value for money; and rely on recommendations of satisfied customers to build a following and grow the business.

Two elements that did change over the next 90+ years – and three generations of Taucks – were the scope of destinations served and the variety of modes of travel used. Today Tauck delivers life-enriching travel experiences to every corner of the globe, incorporating small cruise ships, premium riverboats, trains, helicopters and more. What started as a New England motor coach tour company has truly evolved into an extraordinary global travel company. The fourth generation of Taucks is now involved in the company. While remarkable in any business, this seamless continuity across generations speaks to shared vision and values.

Throughout its history, the concept of “family” at Tauck has gone far beyond those sharing the surname to include hundreds of valued employees, and hundreds of thousands of loyal guests. The story of Tauck is the story of a unique American family company celebrating a passion for travel – a story that will continue to inspire generations to come.

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Logistics

Accommodation

Ship & cabin information
WIND STAR
WIND STAR Windstar Cruises’ slogan, “180° From Ordinary,” aptly describes the delights of a voyage aboard the intimate Wind Star and Wind Spirit. These totally modern, four-masted schooners are twin sisters designed to show guests the world from the perspective of a luxury motor-sail-yacht. All staterooms (188 square feet) feature ocean views, closed circuit color television, DVD and CD players, a mini-bar/refrigerator, international direct-dial telephones, a hairdryer and private baths with luxurious toiletries and plush robes. Public areas include a salt water swimming pool, a hot tub and the pool bar on deck 4, an intimate lounge and bar, a fitness center, and a library offering books, videos and CDs for use in staterooms. Of particular note is complimentary water-skiing, windsurfing, snorkeling and kayaking, weather permitting. “Casual elegance” defines life aboard these sleek vessels, with jackets and ties never being required. Dining in The Restaurant or in the more casual Veranda Restaurant is an epicurean delight. Over 90 crewmembers attend to the needs of just 148 guests, assuring attentive service.
Built: 1986 Renovated: 2007 Length: 440 ft. Draft: 14 ft. Beam: 52 ft. Tonnage: 5,350 gross registered tons Cruising Speed: 9 knots Air Conditioned: Yes Elevator: No Number of Guests: 148 Crew Members: 90 Registry: Bahamas Crew Nationality: International Internet: Send / Receive / Surf
WIND STAR
Travel Insurance
We strongly recommend purchasing travel insurance alongside your travel package to safeguard against unforeseen circumstances such as medical expenses, trip cancellations, and other contingencies. It offers you peace of mind and ensures you are prepared for unexpected events that may occur before or during your journey
Visa requirements
Visa requirements vary depending on your country of origin and your country of destination. It is your responsibility to familiarize yourself with the relevant requirements. For a handy tool that can help you quickly find the requirements, please visit this link .
Age Requirements
No age restrictions
Additional Information
Trip ID
tauck-PCE2018

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