Panama Canal

751 Cruises availables At departure or passage at this port

Azamara Club Cruises (30 Cruises)

Crystal Cruises (22 Cruises)

Cunard (47 Cruises)

Holland America Line (113 Cruises)

Cruise HAL Holland America Line ms Eurodam ship

ms Eurodam

2104 Passengers
86273 tons
Visit the ship's page
Cruise HAL Holland America Line ms Nieuw Amsterdam ship

ms Nieuw Amsterdam

2106 Passengers
86273 tons
Visit the ship's page
ms Nieuw Statendam.

ms Nieuw Statendam

2666 Passengers
99902 tons
Visit the ship's page
Cruise HAL Holland America Line ms Oosterdam ship

ms Oosterdam

2024 Passengers
82820 tons
Visit the ship's page

Lindblad Expeditions (52 Cruises)

National Geographic Quest

National Geographic Quest

135 Passengers
Visit the ship's page

MSC Cruises (29 Cruises)

msc magnifica cruise ship

MSC Magnifica

3223 Passengers
95128 tons
Visit the ship's page

Norwegian Cruise Line (37 Cruises)

Oceania Cruises (44 Cruises)

Ponant (40 Cruises)

Le Bellot.

Le Bellot

184 Passengers
9 tons
Visit the ship's page

Princess Cruises (63 Cruises)

Cruise PCL Princess Island Ship

Island Princess

2200 Passengers
92822 tons
Visit the ship's page

Regent Seven Seas Cruises (31 Cruises)

Scenic Cruises (16 Cruises)

Seabourn Cruise Line (32 Cruises)

Seabourn Quest.

Seabourn Quest

32000 tons
Visit the ship's page

Viking Ocean Cruises (58 Cruises)

Viking Mars.

Viking Mars

Visit the ship's page
Viking Octantis.

Viking Octantis

634 Passengers
30150 tons
Visit the ship's page
Viking Polaris.

Viking Polaris

634 Passengers
30150 tons
Visit the ship's page

Windstar Cruises (76 Cruises)

Star Legend.

Star Legend

502 Passengers
12995 tons
Visit the ship's page
Star Pride.

Star Pride

502 Passengers
12995 tons
Visit the ship's page
Wind star.

Wind Star

249 Passengers
5307 tons
Visit the ship's page


Frequently Asked Questions

Eight to ten hours, for 80 kilometres of locks, lake and cut carved through the mountain. Nobody goes ashore: this is a call experienced entirely from the decks.
Get up early and take the bow: entering the first lock is the high point of the morning, and the forward decks fill from first light. Then alternate viewpoints — the aft decks let you measure how far you have come. Port or starboard hardly matters; both banks have their show.
By water gravity alone, with no pumps. On the Caribbean side, the three Gatún chambers lift the ship about 26 metres, taking a few minutes per chamber. Each transit returns roughly 200 million litres of fresh water to the sea.
The electric locomotives that guide the hull along the lock walls. In the historic locks, sometimes only a few tens of centimetres of clearance remain on each side.
The canal pilot. It is the only place in the world where a captain formally hands over the conduct of his vessel: the pilot takes effective command for the whole transit.
The three Gatún chambers on the Caribbean side, the long crossing of Lake Gatún, the Culebra Cut carved through the continental divide, then the Pedro Miguel lock, the Miraflores reservoir and its final two chambers, which lower the ship to Pacific level. The Bridge of the Americas marks the exit.
The trench carved through the continental divide, the deadliest section of the construction. Rock walls slide past within easy view from the decks.
It opened in August 1914, after the resounding failure of a first French attempt and an American construction effort of unprecedented scale. The Spanish were already discussing linking the two seas in the sixteenth century. Since 2000 the canal has belonged fully to Panama, which doubled its capacity in 2016 with new locks for giant vessels.
Hat, water and shaded breaks: heat and humidity last all day. Binoculars help on Lake Gatún, for frigatebirds above the anchorages and the forested shores. Narration is often provided on board by a commentator who embarks for the occasion.
Not necessarily. Both banks have their show, and the best of it happens on the open decks, where you can move as the stages change. A fixed balcony costs you half the day.