Cruise Through the History of the Panama Canal

Table Of Content

• Panama Canal Cruise Articles and Videos
• 10 of 1,575 Princess Panama Canal & Central America Cruise Reviews
• Cartagena Excursions: Soak up History in the Old City
• Puerto Quetzal Excursions: Explore Mayan and Colonial Heritage in Guatemala
• Panama Canal History & Excursions
• Booking a Panama Canal Cruise: Cruise Ships, Sights and Attractions

In that time, President Roosevelt's pro-Panamanian independence efforts were considered controversial. Roosevelt writes in his autobiography, "There are plenty of other things I started merely because the time had come that whoever was in power would have started them. But the Panama Canal would not have started if I had not taken hold of it." The Panama Canal stands today as a testament to modern engineering, but its creation was not without hurdles. The idea to build the Panama Canal was first noted in 1534, but all progress was halted by a series of wars.

Panama Canal Cruise Articles and Videos

Experience a full crossing with our slideshow, Postcards from a Panama Canal Transit on Celebrity Infinity. Explore a crown jewel of Central America during Princess Cruise's Panama City excursions. Find places to visit while in port at Panama City, Panama, from Princess Cruises. Experience what it's like to live in a bustling Central American metropolis. Find things to do in Antigua, Guatemala, while in port, from Princess Cruises. The best way to experience Guatemala is to start in Antigua's parks, museums and more.

10 of 1,575 Princess Panama Canal & Central America Cruise Reviews

Partial Panama Canal cruises -- where ships only go halfway through the locks before turning around -- not only cut the number of days, but increase day-trip options in the Central American cities near the canal. While several ships bring lecturers onboard to talk about the canal's history, this is one trip where a little extra reading might add to your enjoyment. "The Path Between the Seas," by historian David McCullough, is highly recommended. One of the new offerings is the 12-day Panama Canal with Costa Rica and Caribbean itinerary, a roundtrip journey that allows guests to partially transit the Panama Canal.

Cartagena Excursions: Soak up History in the Old City

San Francisco shore excursions tour Alcatraz, the Golden Gate Bridge and more. Follow our social media and blog for the latest cruise and travel news, including our best vacation deals. Browse our photo gallery of Panama Canal cruising photos from Princess Cruises. Keep in mind, this is just a sample of the sights waiting for you on a Princess Cruises Panama Canal cruise vacation.

Set sail with Princess® – the best Panama Canal cruise line

Uncover colonial history through Cartagena excursions from Princess Cruises. Marvel at the awesome history of the Panama Canal and be transported back in time on a Panama Canal cruise with Princess. Whether it’s your cruise destination or a launching point, Vancouver is a beautiful destination in itself with a sophisticated downtown and lots of natural elements to explore. The seafood is fresh, the sun is shining and there’s a whole lot to do, so get out there and explore the city before, during and after your cruise from Port Canaveral, Florida.

However, as of press time, the four exhibition halls that portray the canal's history, construction, biodiversity and importance are temporarily closed for renovations. Obviously, a forward location on the ship will give you a clear vantage point as you head into the locks. After that, you'll traverse the Chagres River, then sail 8 miles through the Culebra Cut.

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Posted: Wed, 25 Oct 2023 13:09:49 GMT [source]

With four pools (including an adults-only aft Serenity Pool), a WaterWorks aqua park, Camp Ocean kids club and seven restaurants, the ship offers enough diversions for sea-day fun, even at half the size of Carnival's newest megaships. 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.

Panama Canal History & Excursions

Another option is the Rainforest and Aerial Tram tour to the Gamboa Rainforest Resort in the 55,000-acre Soberania National Park. The tram climbs 280 feet through the dense jungle vegetation to reach the tree canopy above. During the ride to the top, keep an eye out for local wildlife, including white-faced capuchin and howler monkeys, sloths, butterflies, iguanas, toucans and frogs. It used to be that only smaller Panamax ships could squeeze through the locks of the Panama Canal. However, with the opening of a new set of locks in 2016, larger New-Panamax-sized ships can transit, as well. That means you take a Panama Canal cruise on a small-masted Windstar ship or luxury Silversea cruise or can sail on a megaship as large as the 1,094-foot-long and 136-foot-wide Norwegian Bliss.

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.

Princess® has joined forces with Discovery™ to introduce Discovery at SEA, offering immersive experiences you won’t find anywhere else. On shore, Discovery™ and Animal Planet™ recommended excursions and exclusive options you can only get from Princess. With the warmer temperatures, March is an ideal month to head to the beaches on one of the San Blas Islands, an archipelago of about 365 islands and cays off the Caribbean coast of Eastern Panama. Some cruise lines that visit the archipelago are Windstar, Star Clippers, Hapag-Lloyd and Ponant. 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. You can also spot spectators sitting in the grandstands at Gatun Locks on the Atlantic side and on the balcony at the Miraflores Visitor Center on the Pacific side.

Plus, our experienced travel consultants have access to exclusive vacation deals to make sure you get the best value for your time and money. On a cruise from San Francisco you can experience all that the ‘City by the Bay’ has to offer, from its artistic, forward-looking culture to the beautiful coastline. With the abundance of lounges throughout the Coral Princess, you'll never run out of places to meet and greet with other travelers.

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. The partial Panama Canal experience isn't much shorter than a full crossing, but you'll experience the Caribbean-side locks twice and miss out on the Pacific side. 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. Lauderdale into the expanded Canal on Caribbean Princess®, our largest ship to transit the canal, with exciting new amenities, to cruise the region. Even travelers who've sailed through the Canal have never seen it like this.