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Unless you have a companion to save you a spot, know that you will give up your original seat if you choose to move to another area for a different perspective. Cruising with Norwegian means more dining and entertainment options than ever. Or take a trip to Panama City itself, a dramatic contrast between glassy skyscrapers and the narrow alleys and colorful facades of the atmospheric Casco Viejo, or old town, dating back to the 17th century. There are excursions to an Embera village, too, where you can learn about the traditional lifestyle of this rainforest tribe.
Pedro Miguel Lock
Traversing the 40-mile Panama Canal is a rite of passage and something you'll remember for a lifetime. Add in compelling ports like Cartagena, Huatulco and Puerto Vallarta on your Panama Canal cruise vacation, and you're in for a unique adventure. Depart from various cities, including Miami or Los Angeles, and cruise to some of the most exotic and beautiful destinations on Earth. Discover for yourself why Norwegian is the Best Cruise Line in Panama Canal & Central America according to Cruise Critic. We craft our Panama Canal itineraries to enrich our guests' experiences to provide the most exposure to this bucket-list destination. You'll be enchanted by Spanish and Dutch cities dating back centuries, as well as diverse tropical rainforests, white-sand beaches, dramatic volcanoes and UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
Set sail with Princess® – the best Panama Canal cruise line
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]
Cruise Critic is not a booking agent and does not charge any service fees to users of our site. When you book with one of our partners, please be sure to check their site for a full disclosure of all applicable fees as required by the U.S. Originally known as the Thatcher Ferry Bridge, the Bridge of the Americas connects North and South America and serves as the gateway to the Pacific Ocean.
Ocean to Ocean Between Atlantic & Pacific Oceans
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. Zoom your map way out and Panama looks like a small sliver of land, so a trip through its famous canal is a quickie, right? But not so fast — traversing the canal actually takes at least 20 hours! Cruise the Panama Canal and enjoy a zoomed-in real-life look at perhaps last century’s greatest engineering achievement… along with its surrounding lush, verdant lands.
At 180 square miles, it was the world's largest artificial lake at the time it was constructed. Don't miss the Culebra Cut, an artificial valley through the Continental Divide made by cutting through the Culebra Mountains; it's recognizable by the staked, stepped cuts. Here are some Panama Canal cruise tips to help you plan and get the most out of this bucket list experience. It takes between eight and ten hours to do a full transit of the Panama Canal. While the temperature in Panama is reliably warm, averaging between around 77°F and 87°F all year, rainfall can vary quite significantly. November is the peak of the wet season when most days see a vast amount of rain.
Keep in mind that Panama has a rainy season between May and December so if you're looking to spend time exploring, plan around these months. After that, you'll traverse the Chagres River, then sail 8 miles through the Culebra Cut. The initial descent starts at the single-stage Pedro Miguel Lock, which lowers the ship 31 feet.
Celebrity Beyond Holiday Cruise to the ABC Islands and Panama Canal - Royal Caribbean Blog
Celebrity Beyond Holiday Cruise to the ABC Islands and Panama Canal.
Posted: Sat, 16 Dec 2023 08:00:00 GMT [source]
A trip is still worth it for the excellent 3D IMAX film narrated by Morgan Freeman, which does a great job explaining the trials, tribulations and perils of building this awe-inspiring feat. You can also stand on the ground-level terrace or grab a seat in the bleachers on the first level to watch ships pass through the final set of locks; sometimes, a staff member is on hand to provide commentary. On a full-transit Panama Canal cruise, the ship enters the first set of locks (usually from the Atlantic Ocean side, as most cruises originate from there or the Caribbean). It then travels through Gatun Lake and the other sets of locks to exit the canal on the Pacific side. You too could experience this truly extraordinary transit, rising up – or down – 26 meters above sea level through six sets of locks, all against a backdrop of ever-changing scenery.
Panama Canal cruises
Sit back, relax, and let Norwegian take you through one of the most magnificent marvels in the world. On a transit from Panama City to Colon, the futuristic skyline of Panama City will be on your starboard (right) side. When you pass through the skinny Culebra Cut between Panama City and Gamboa, you’ll have the greenery of a national park on both sides, so this is a good time to look for monkeys and toucans in the trees.
So stretch out on a Caribbean beach, admire the pristine rainforests, stroll the cobbled streets of colonial towns and journey through the fabled Panama Canal with Princess. Experiencing the Panama Canal doesn't have to be time-consuming or budget-busting. 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. Experiencing this marvel of early 20th-century engineering appeals to those with a wide array of interests, from history and politics to colonial architecture and wildlife spotting. Built by the U.S. government between 1903 and 1914, this 50-mile waterway linking the Atlantic and Pacific oceans revolutionized shipping by creating an expedited route for the transit of cargo and, ultimately, cruise ship passengers.
Partake in a Costa Rica excursion for a Caribbean adventure with Princess Cruises. A cruise to the Panama Canal is a chance to land on amazing destinations during the same trip. To get the most out of your trip, it's wise to avoid cruising during Panama's rainy season between May and December. The busiest travel months for Panama are from October through April, with temperatures starting off cool in October and getting warmer as the weeks pass. 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.
A full transit of the Panama Canal involves passing through six sets of locks, crossing an entire lake and contending with other marine traffic waiting to go through the lock system one at a time. It can take a cruise ship 10 hours or so to cover the 48 miles from the Caribbean to the Pacific. This engineering marvel saves ships from having to navigate the treacherous Cape Horn route at the southernmost tip of South America.
Passengers often choose an Atlantic to Pacific or Pacific to Atlantic route, depending on where they live, although you'll gain hours if you choose the latter. (Some people prefer to have their longer one-way flight at the beginning of a trip, instead of the end.) With this trans-canal option, you spend a day on the canal, crossing from ocean to ocean and going through the complete lock experience. If having the full "canal experience" is part of your bucket list -- or if you're an engineering geek and don't care too much about shore excursions within Panama itself -- this trip is for you. Most full Panama Canal cruises do call in the Western Caribbean, the Costa Rican ports of Limon (on the Atlantic side) and Puntarenas (on the Pacific), and Cartagena, Colombia. As you enter the canal through the Pacific Ocean Entrance by way of the Gulf of Panama, the first set of locks you’ll encounter are the Miraflores Locks. This two-chambered lock system lifts ships a stunning 54 feet in two stages.
As well as the canal, admire the views on the deck of tropical forests that reach inland as far as the eye can see. Navigating the Panama Canal locks with Holland America Line is undoubtedly a one-of-a-kind experience. It’s a journey through history, a testament to human innovation, and an adventure that offers a special perspective on global connectivity. As you plan your voyage, look forward to the thrill of the Miraflores ascent, the singular experience of the Pedro Miguel Lock, and the grand descent of the Gatun Locks.
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