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After passing a mile through Miraflores Lake, you'll reach the two-stage Miraflores Locks, which will descend the ship the last 54 feet back to sea level. The final step is sailing 8 miles to go under the Bridge of the Americas and finally reach the Pacific Ocean. But since a Panama Canal cruise is unique, you'll encounter some logistical considerations that you won't on other itineraries — including the fact that your debarkation and embarkation ports might be different. Options are plentiful for cruise lines that sail to Panama, including popular ones like Carnival, Royal Caribbean Princess, Holland America Line (HAL), Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL), Celebrity, Oceania and Viking.
10 of the best Panama Canal cruises - The Times
10 of the best Panama Canal cruises.
Posted: Wed, 17 Apr 2024 12:02:05 GMT [source]
The Panama Canal Cruise Experience
Top Panama Canal cruise tips and tricks to get the most out of this unique crossing - The Points Guy
Top Panama Canal cruise tips and tricks to get the most out of this unique crossing.
Posted: Sat, 02 Dec 2023 08:00:00 GMT [source]
You could also be aft, at the back of the ship, with a pair of binoculars to spot other ships. Visiting the Panama Canal for the first time is an extraordinary experience, made all the more special if you take some time to learn about this incredible feat of engineering. Learn about the latest ships and destinations by browsing hundreds of questions (and the answers to those questions) posted by real cruisers.
Explore Panama Canal
Ships and passengers spend much time waiting, and 40 ships pass through the canal each day. Since they all line up in Limon Bay to wait their turn, you may be docked there the entire night and start the crossing early morning; you might even be lined up ready to go and still need to wait part of the day. Sailing through the Panama Canal makes for a cruise itinerary like none other. For one thing, passengers on board get to witness the mechanics and science of an engineering marvel that's been deemed one of the Seven Wonders of the Modern World. And by the end of the day, they'll have crossed from one ocean to another — truly an amazing feat.
Featured Shore Excursions
A short trip from the port at Puerto Quetzal, the city is home to museums like Casa de los Sueños, where the history of this town is depicted through art. Dating back to 1673, the UNESCO World Heritage Site features landmarks like the Panama National Theater and the Cathedral Basilica of St. Mary. You'll also find some of the city's best restaurants, beautiful squares and plazas and top-rated museums.
Panama Canal (Cruising), Panama
Cruise by the famed Lovers Beach, past the sea lion colony and the towering rock formations of Land’s End, then set sail for Chileno Bay. Let Princess pick you up from the airport and take you directly to your ship or hotel when you arrive, even if you didn't book your airfare through us. A uniformed Princess representative meets you at the airport after you've retrieved your luggage and transports you directly to your ship or hotel without you having to worry about the logistics of navigating a new city. A cruise to the Panama Canal is a chance to land on amazing destinations during the same trip. Stopping at different cruise ports during a Panama Canal crossing makes it easy to savor the varied flavors of these countries, each with its own signature spice and tang. The thrill is not over after you go through the canal locks, there's more to see as you travel through the canal, with tropical flora and fauna adorning the way.
The Leader in the Panama Canal Cruise Ports
Most of the major lines and some smaller ones offer at least a few Panama Canal sailings each season. Being in the locks is a thrilling experience and gives you an insight into how extraordinary the canal is, all the more so given that it’s more than 100 years old. You’ll see everything from giant cargo ships to small yachts making the transit.
Discover the Marvels of the Panama Canal
Other great shore excursion options include taking the refurbished Panama Railway from the Pacific to the Atlantic. It rides parallel to the Canal and offers a great view in luxuriously paneled railway cars. Another exciting alternative is to take a trek through the rain forest at Gamboa, or visit an authentic Embera Indian Village on the Chagres River (which often takes place by canoe).
Many Panama Canal and Central America ports are relatively industrial, and some -- particularly Colon and Puerto Limon -- have a reputation for petty crime within the main city. You will likely be safer on a shore excursion, booked through the ship or independently, than if you decide to head on your own into town. If you're not a fan of tours, know that in Colon, city officials have regulated taxis and provided good shopping and cafe facilities at the two main cruise ship docking areas, Colon 2000 and nearby Cristobal Pier. The ultimate journey between two continents and two mighty oceans, a Panama Canal cruise encompasses Spanish colonial architecture, verdant rainforest and an engineering marvel. And be sure to explore the complex and fascinating history of the Panama Canal.
Regent Seven Seas Cruises' newest ship, Seven Seas Grandeur, debuts in November 2023 and its first two Panama Canal itineraries in early 2024 are already waitlisted. Remove the hassle from air travel and give yourself the gift of flexibility, time and a thicker wallet with Princess EZair flights. We negotiate lower rates with the airlines, allow you to modify your flight up to 45 days prior with no penalty and protect you if your flight is late or canceled.
On the flip side, the ship will often sail round-trip from Florida, allowing passengers to enjoy various Caribbean ports before and after the transit. Passengers can purchase round-trip airfare or even drive to their departure port, which can be cheaper and logically easier than ending up on the opposite coast than you set out from. Silversea Cruises' indulgent 31-day New York to Lima sailing aboard its newest ship, 728-guest Silver Nova features a Panama Canal transit in the middle of the trip. January's dry weather makes the month the perfect time to explore Central America's national parks, jungles and tropical rainforests, including Costa Rica's Manuel Antonio National Park and Curú Wildlife Refuge and Panama's Darien National Park. During your visit, be sure to look for monkeys, sloths, iguanas, blue-footed boobies, capybaras, crocodiles and even manatees on a jungle boat tour along the canal and into Gatun Lake.
Partake in a Costa Rica excursion for a Caribbean adventure with Princess Cruises. The canal never stops working and you will traverse along with other ships and boats and witness the swift movement of these vessels. These holidays, along with a few others in November, feature parades, parties and other displays of national pride, so you can expect it to be busy in towns across the country. If you are doing a full transit through to the Pacific Ocean side and you're staying in the area, you might want to carve out some time for the Miraflores Visitor Center. However, as of press time, the four exhibition halls that portray the canal's history, construction, biodiversity and importance are temporarily closed for renovations.
Descend on some of the most exciting travel destinations in Central America during a Panama Canal cruise. Stops in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico; Puntarenas, Costa Rica; and Colón, Panama, means appreciating countless natural landscapes on top of traversing through the famous shortcut itself.
There are so many fabulous encounters with nature available from this port, you'll have a hard time deciding on a shore excursion. A visit to the Tabacon Resort Hot Springs takes you to the slopes of the active Arenal volcano. The Poas volcano features the amazing sight of a huge crater filled with iridescent blue water. Walk through a cloud forest at Villa Blanca, where you're surrounded by mist and water droplets clinging to the vegetation.
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