Panama Canal Cruises

Panama Canal cruises often make ports of call in the Western Caribbean, but usually spend some time in remote regions of Central America where travelers can find the last remnants of indigenous cultures.

While these ports are interesting and offer numerous opportunities for shopping, sightseeing and water sports, the greatest appeal of the Panama Canal is the transit itself.  The actually transit of the Panama Canal typically begins the evening before the scheduled transit, when your cruise ship must it “in line” behind dozens and dozes of freighter tankers and any other boats or ship waiting to take their turn to enter the massive locks of the Panama Canal.  Once your ship is cleared to enter, you’ll be amazed at the precision and physics involved in rising and lowering a 100,000 ton cruise ship as the Panama Canal does and you’ll leave with a greater appreciation of the effort and sacrifices made to build the engineering wonder in the early 1900’s.

Full Transit

The full transit offers a one-way itinerary that begins on one side of the canal and ends on the other.  They offer a daylong passage through the entire 51-mile-long canal and each of its systems of locks, as well as port of call in both Caribbean islands and along the west coast of Central America and Mexico, with the most frequently visited country being Costa Rice.

Partial Transit

The partial transit enters and exits the canal from the same direction, usually the Caribbean side, and therefore passes through the same set of locks twice.  In the center of the canal there is a large natural lake in which the ship can turn around amidst some of Panama’s most beautiful scenery.  Partial transits typically depart from Fort Lauderdale and offer the convenience of a round-trip itinerary.

Ports of Call: Cartaden Columbia, Ocho Rios (Jamaica), Aruba, Limon (Costa Rica), Panama Canal (Panama), Cozumel (Mexico)