# Princess Cruises in Costa Rica: Puntarenas and Puerto Limón calls > Princess Cruises is a large ocean cruise line, and Costa Rica shows up on its Panama Canal sailings. Full ocean-to-ocean transits between Los Angeles and Fort Lauderdale stop at Puntarenas on the Pacific, while round trips from Fort Lauderdale with a partial canal visit call at Puerto Limón on the Caribbean. It suits people who want a taste of Costa Rica as one stop on a longer trip, not a sailing holiday. Source: https://costaricasailing.net/princess-cruises/ Last checked: 2026-10-22 Location: Puntarenas, Puntarenas, Central Pacific, Costa Rica Type: cruise Official website: https://www.princess.com Costa Rica ports: Puntarenas (Pacific) and Puerto Limón (Caribbean) Pacific calls: 16-night Panama Canal ocean-to-ocean sailings between Los Angeles and Fort Lauderdale Caribbean calls: 12-night Panama Canal sailings from Fort Lauderdale Time ashore: About a day, typically early morning to late afternoon Best for: Cruisers who want Costa Rica as one stop among many ## What they offer Princess is one of the big names in ocean cruising, with large ships sailing all over the world. For anyone reading a sailing site, the honest headline is this: a Princess cruise isn't a sailing trip. It's a floating hotel that gives you a single day in a Costa Rican port as part of a longer voyage, almost always tied to the Panama Canal. That still makes it useful to know about. Plenty of people get their first look at Costa Rica from a cruise ship, then come back later to charter a boat, take a catamaran sail or learn to sail properly. If that's you, this page explains where Princess ships actually stop and how to make the most of the day. ## The trips Costa Rica turns up on 2 kinds of Princess itinerary. **Ocean-to-ocean Panama Canal sailings.** These run between Los Angeles and Fort Lauderdale (in either direction), take about 16 nights and include a full transit of the canal. On the way they stop at Mexican ports such as Puerto Vallarta and Huatulco, then call at Puntarenas on Costa Rica's Pacific coast. Schedules for late 2026 show ships like Crown Princess and Island Princess on this route, with Puntarenas days in December. **Panama Canal round trips from Fort Lauderdale.** These 12-night Caribbean itineraries enter the canal area and stop at Colón, then call at Puerto Limón on Costa Rica's Caribbean coast before heading back north. Caribbean Princess is the ship listed on several of these departures through the 2026-2027 winter season. Itineraries shift from year to year, so check the current schedule on the Princess site before you plan around a specific port. ## Where you leave from You don't leave from Costa Rica at all. These cruises start and end in the United States, and Costa Rica is a port of call. - **Puntarenas** sits on a long spit of land in the Gulf of Nicoya. The cruise pier is right in town, close to the beachfront promenade. From here, shore trips usually head inland to cloud forest, rivers or coffee country, or out onto the gulf by boat. - **Puerto Limón** is the main Caribbean port. Shore trips tend to go to rainforest canals, banana and cacao farms, or down the coast toward Cahuita. ## Who it suits - Travelers who like big-ship comforts and want to see several countries on one trip. - People curious about Costa Rica who aren't ready to plan a land trip yet. - Families or groups with mixed interests, since there's plenty to do onboard. It's not a good fit if you want to spend your time under sail, anchor in quiet bays or stay more than a day in one place. For that, look at the small ships on our [cruises](/cruises/) page or the local operators on [sailing tours](/sailing-tours/). ## Good to know before you book - A port day is short. Ships usually arrive early in the morning and leave in the late afternoon, so pick one focused outing rather than trying to cram in several. - If you want a few hours on the water in Puntarenas, the Gulf of Nicoya is calm and sheltered, which makes it a good place for a short boat trip. - The Pacific dry season runs roughly December to April, which lines up with many of these sailings. On the Caribbean side, the weather pattern is different and rain can fall at any time of year. - Bring cash in small bills or a card for local vendors, plus sunscreen and a hat. The sun near the equator is strong even on cloudy days. ## Frequently asked questions ### Which Costa Rica ports do Princess ships visit? Puntarenas on the Pacific coast and Puerto Limón on the Caribbean coast. Which one you get depends on whether the itinerary is a full canal transit or a Caribbean round trip. ### Can I start or end a Princess cruise in Costa Rica? On the standard Panama Canal itineraries, no. They start and finish in US ports, and Costa Rica is a day stop. ### How long will I have ashore? Usually around 10 hours, from about 7 in the morning to the late afternoon. Exact times are shown on each sailing's schedule. ### Is a Princess cruise a sailing holiday? No. Princess ships are large motor-powered cruise ships. If you want a ship that uses sails, look at [Windstar Cruises](/windstar-cruisesa/) or other small-ship options on our [cruises](/cruises/) page.