Get all your information on Olivia's upcoming Costa Rica & Panama Canal Luxury Cruise.
About Our Destination
Being Gay in Costa Rica and Panama
In Costa Rica and Panama, the situation facing gay and lesbian travelers is better than in most Central American countries, and some areas of the country–particularly Quepos and Parque Nacional Manuel Antonio – have been gay vacation destinations for two decades. Being Gay has been legal since 1971 in Costa Rica, and since 2008 in Panama. In 2015 Costa Rica became the first country in Central America to recognize gay relationships.
Climate
The climate in both Costa Rica and Panama will range between 85-95°F (29-35°C) during the day and 70-75°F (21-24°C) at night.
Currency
The official currency of Costa Rica is the colón (“colónes” is the plural); its symbol is ₡.
The official currency of Panama is the balboa (“B/.”). However, there are no balboa paper notes, and instead US federal reserve notes ($US dollars) are used in Panama.
US dollars are accepted in both Costa Rica and Panama, and so for your convenience, we recommend that you travel with small US bills. To know whether a price quoted is in colónes (in Costa Rica), balboas (in Panama), or dollars, look for ₡, B/., or $.
Languages
In both Costa Rica and Panama, Spanish and English are widely spoken.
Health & Safety
Health & Safety
COVID-19 vaccination, plus booster and a negative COVID-19 test are required for this trip. We will keep you updated with the vendor’s Health and Safety COVID protocols as we get closer to the trip date.
Windstar Protocols
Club To learn more about Windstar's Health & Safety protocols, please click here.
Travel & Entry Requirements
With international travel resuming, we’ve provided an easy tool to allow you to check the latest requirements and provisions for your travel plans, please click here. For specific entry requirements to your chosen destination, simply click on your arrival country under "Where to?" and enter your travel dates.
Before Your Trip
Airfare Discounts
Save up to 15% on your airfare through our partner airlines. Please visit our airfare discount page for the most up-to-date information.
Cancellation Policy
Unexpected events can cause you to cancel your vacation. Because we are committed to this charter, we must strictly adhere to our cancellation policy as outlined in our Olivia Terms & Conditions.
Transfer funds are nonrefundable and nontransferable from the point of sale forward.
Celebrations – Birthdays, Anniversaries, Honeymoons and more
If you have any celebrations and birthdays during the trip that you have not already advised your travel consultant about, please let us know of this information as soon as possible, but no less than 90 days prior to the trip.
Register at Olivia Honeymoon Wishes for your honeymoon, anniversary or other special celebration; browse through the selections and let your friends know just how easy it is for them to purchase a gift for you.
Community: Joining the Facebook Trip Group
If you'd like to chat with people who are going on the trip, sign up for Olivia’s Costa Rica to Panama on Facebook.
Passport and Visa
If you are a US citizen, you will need a passport that is valid for six months past the date of the trip. You will not need to get a visa for travel in Costa Rica or Panama.
If you are not a US citizen, you will need a passport that is valid for six months past the date of the trip, and you should check with both your country’s consulate and the consulates of the countries we will be visiting to determine whether you need an entry visa or other additional documentation.
Specific Needs: Medical, Dietary and Mobility
If you have medical, mobility, or dietary requirements that you have not already told your Olivia Travel Consultant about, please let us know as soon as possible, but no less than 120 days prior to the trip. Resources in this very remote location are limited, so advance planning is necessary.
Travel Gear Store
To help you get ready for your next vacation, we’ve partnered with New Headings to create Olivia Travel Gear, our own online gear and apparel store, featuring items from leading brands, including Craghoppers, Patagonia, Teva, Outdoor Research, and Eagle Creek. Visit olivia.newheadings.com for more information!Travel Insurance
Olivia recommends that you purchase a travel protection plan to help protect you and your trip investment against the unexpected. Visit our Insurance page olivia.com/travel-insurance for more information.
For a travel insurance quote, more information or to purchase a protection plan, please call Olivia at 800-631-6277 and select option 1 for a travel consultant.
Vaccinations
Please check with your local Public Health Department or personal physician regarding immunization requirements for all countries on your itinerary. You may also check the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and Prevention’s website at: www.cdc.gov. Click on the Travelers’ Health section, then click on the Destinations link and choose your destination in the “For Travelers” pull-down menu.
2023 Costa Rica & Panama Canal Luxury Cruise |
START DATE | END DATE | CANCEL PENALTY |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cancellation 365 days or more prior to trip date | 1/14/2022 | 50% of trip cost | |
| Cancellation 0-364 days prior to trip date | 1/15/2022 | 1/14/2023 | 100% of trip cost (no refund) |
To help you get ready for your next vacation, we’ve partnered with New Headings to create Olivia Travel Gear, our own online gear and apparel store, featuring items from leading brands, including Craghoppers, Patagonia, Teva, Outdoor Research, and Eagle Creek. Visit olivia.newheadings.com for more information!
Travel and Arrival
Airports
You will need to fly into the Juan SantamarĂa International Airport in San JosĂ©, Costa Rica (SJO). We encourage all passengers to arrive at least one day early to avoid the stress of unexpected delays.
You will need to fly out of the Tocumen International Airport in Panama City, Panama (PTY).
Flight Arrival and Departure Times
If arriving on the first day of the trip, January 14, please arrive no later than 11:45 am. Your departing flight on January 21 should leave after 12 pm. Please DO NOT book arrivals after 11:45 am on January 14 or departures prior to 12 pm on January 21!
If your flights arrive or depart outside of these timelines, you may risk missing the ship or flight departure. Optional group transfers are only available to purchase if your flights fall within these guidelines and will be available to purchase from Windstar closer to the trip start date.
Luggage Allowances
While there is no luggage limit on the cruise itself, airlines often restrict (or charge) for excess baggage. Because each airline is different, and the regulations change over time, please check with your airline for baggage allowances.
Check-in
Embarkation and check-in will be available after 1 pm.
Port Location
Our ship will depart from Puerto Caldera, Costa Rica.
Transfers
Optional group transfers will be offered to purchase from Windstar.
The transit time from the airport in San José (SJO) to the ship in Puerto Caldera is 1.5 hours. Group transfers cost $85 per person (price subject to change) and can be purchased from Windstar directly. More information will be available as we get closer to the trip.
Transfer time from the ship’s dock in Colon to the airport in Panama City (PTY) is 1.5–2 hours. Guests can disembark the ship once we have clearance from customs, usually 1-2 hours after arrival. Group transfers to the airport in Panama will be available to purchase on board for $79 per person (price subject to change).
During Your Trip
What is Included?
What’s Not Included
Accommodations
The Windstar msy Wind Star is a beautifully designed, intimate 4-masted sailing ship accommodating 146 passengers.
Ship Amenities
Cabin Amenities
All cabins are comfortably appointed with:
Dining
Delectable cuisine, delightful surroundings, inspired wine pairings...create the most delicious memories while you are on a Windstar yacht. Whether your pleasure is dinner in the exquisite Amphora fine dining restaurant, lunch alfresco at Veranda, or an indulgent dessert delivered to your room from our 24-hour room service menu, you always get to choose where to dine, no reservation required. The freshest local ingredients, seasonal produce, and amazing ingenuity go into each dish, made to order just for you.
Amphora
Here, the dining room manager seats you, but where is your decision. When you dine and with whom are entirely up to you. Each delightful dish is prepared exactly to your liking—an exquisite dinner served course-by-course with a fine selection of vintage wines.
Candles
The perfect place for a romantic tête-a-tête is under the stars in Candles, Windstar’s signature outdoor restaurant transformed by night into a dreamlike paradise. Delectable cuisine, memorable surroundings, and inspired wine pairings await you.
Veranda
It’s breakfast and lunch alfresco! Either order off the menu or pick from the delights of the seemingly endless buffet—the choices are many in the Veranda.
Electricity
Cabins are equipped with one standard US 110-volt outlet and one European 220-volt outlet.
Excursions
Excursions may be booked online beginning 30 days prior to departure. To facilitate the online booking process, you will be assigned a booking number and sent detailed information regarding shore excursions, transfers and activities—and how to book them—approximately four weeks prior to the trip.
Gratuities
Gratuities are included in the cost of the cruise. Gratuities are provided for your cabin steward, dining room steward, bus person, maître d’, and other-behind-the-scenes crew members. Tips to your local guides on excursions are not included and are recommended.
Internet
There is a computer on board for guest use; minute plans are available. Pricing will be posted on board. Guests may also bring their own laptops and purchase a wireless internet plan on board.
Laundry Services
Laundry and pressing service are available on board. Dry cleaning is not available. Check on board for pricing.
Medical Services
There is an onboard infirmary. Medical services entail an additional fee.
Money: On-Trip Purchases
Onboard, the currency is US dollars. All purchases made on the ship will be charged to your onboard account, which you create when you first check in. Please check with the front office on board for further details.
Room Service
A special 24-hour room service menu is available for all guests. Breakfast and lunch items from the Veranda restaurant will be available only when the restaurant is open. Dinner menu items from the Amphora restaurant will also be available for room service only when open. Tips for room service are not included and always appreciated.
Smoking Policy
Smoking and vaping are prohibited in all indoor public spaces and cabins. Smoking is allowed only on deck four by the Pool Bar on the port (left) side of the ship.
Spa Services
There is an onboard spa, and massages and other services are available for an additional fee.
Solo Travelers
We will have a Solos program on board, led by a Solos Coordinator who will ensure you have a great time. Feel free to meet other Solos and traveler on our the Olivia’s Costa Rica & Panama Canal Luxury Cruise page on Facebook.
Telephone
Each cabin has a phone. There is an additional fee to use this phone to call outside the ship; the cost for use will be available onboard.
- Accommodations for 8 days/7 nights on the elegant Windstar Wind Star
- All meals in the ship’s restaurants, which feature gourmet fare
- 24-hour room service
- All nonalcoholic beverages: bottled water, sparkling water, sodas, fresh juices, tea, coffee, cappuccinos, lattes, mochas, and espresso
- Gratuity to ship’s staff
- All port charges and service taxes
- Onboard naturalist
- Olivia’s signature entertainment and programming
- Olivia staff assistance throughout
- Transfers to or from the ship
- Ship services and incidentals, such as boutique purchases, spa services, and alcohol
- Internet and wifi access
- Optional excursions in all ports of call, and gratuities to excursion guides and staff
- Lounge
- The Yacht Club
- Small pool and jacuzzi
- Fitness center
- WindSpa
- Signature shop
- Library and business area
- Buffet dining at Veranda (breakfast and lunch) and fine dining in Amphora (dinner)
- Candles dining under the stars
- Queen-size bed with luxurious linens
- Satellite flat-screen TV with DVD player and movie channels
- Fully-stocked minibar/refrigerator (additional charge for minibar contents)
- Bathroom with granite countertop and shower
- Waffle-weave robe and slippers
- L’Occitane bath amenities
- Hair dryer
- Safe
- Direct-dial phone
- Bose docking station
- 110- and 220-volt outlets
- Fresh flowers
- Fresh fruit
After Your Trip
Transfers to the Airport
Transfers from the ship to the Panama City Airport (PTY) on January 21, 2023 will be available for purchase on board the ship.
Vacation Stretchers
We are offering a 1-, 2- and 3- day Pre-Cruise Vacation Stretcher in San José, Costa Rica, and a 1- and 2- night Post-Cruise Vacation Stretcher in Panama City, Panama. Visit the Vacation Stretchers tab for more information.
This trip requires a moderate level of mobility including walking on rocky, sandy, or uneven terrain, gentle hiking uphill, and getting in and out of tenders (smaller boats) on steep stairwells from the ship and beaches on shore. Wheelchairs and scooters cannot be accommodated on this ship as there are no elevators on board, and each deck is accessible by stairs only. If you have limited mobility that requires assistance to move about the ship or go on any of the excursions you decide to take, you are required to travel with someone who can assist you.
Our Travel Consultants can be reached at USA or Canada: 800.631.6277 or International 415.962.5700, option 1.
