Panama Canal, Central America Cruise Guide and Reviews

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Why Cruise To The Panama Canal?

Think of it as a Caribbean cruise with a theme. Panama Canal cruises are long, leisurely trips through the Caribbean, Central America, and often Mexico, topped off with a daylong transit of the Panama Canal, one of the greatest engineering achievements of all time. Built between 1880 and 1914, this massive project was started by the French and finished by Americans, but not before thousands of workers died of malaria and harsh working conditions.

The 50-mile-long, all-day trip includes passage through three main locks, which, through gravity and levers, raise ships over Central America and down again on the other side of the isthmus. Onboard experts narrate the entire trip over the ship’s PA system, explaining how the canal was built and how the locks operate. On the day of transit, set your alarm and get up early enough to snag a good spot by a window or on deck so you don’t miss the show.

Because Panama Canal itineraries are lengthy, they attract an older crowd drawn to a slow-paced cruise that’s heavy on days at sea — six or seven on a two-week sailing. For those who have less time, partial transits go halfway through the canal and turn around to offer a taste of the canal experience on a seven-night sailing.

Since the canal is 110 feet at its widest point, the largest cruise ships are too big to pass through it — for instance, Royal Caribbean’s Oasis-class ships are about twice as wide. The ones that can make the trip are called “Panamax vessels,” and they travel through the locks guided by small locomotives on each side tethered to the ship by cables, sometimes with just a couple feet of clearance. (A wider lane of locks is currently under construction and will accommodate ships up to about 180 feet wide. In addition, neighboring Nicaragua has expressed interest in building a canal to rival Panama’s.)

Cruisers choose a Panama Canal sailing for the experience of transiting the famous inter-ocean waterway and learning more about its history and engineering. When it comes to the ports, a Panama Canal cruise is a mixed bag — in a good way — and ideal for folks who like their cruise to include variety. You can enjoy the diversity of the region, from the beautiful beaches of Aruba and Mexico’s Pacific Coast, to the cultural riches of Guatemala’s Mayan ruins and Costa Rica’s lush national parks, where you can trek the rain forest, take riverboat rides through mangroves, or zip line or ride a ski lift-style tram above the forest canopy.

When To Go To The Panama Canal

The majority of Panama Canal cruises are offered between October and April, with a few ships doing the run year-round since temperatures consistently hover in the mid- to upper80s throughout. The high season, like the rest of the Caribbean, spans January through April, plus major holiday weeks, when the winter weather in the U.S. drives people south to warmer climes. A Panama Canal cruise during the offseason summer and fall months will be cheaper, but with a caveat: high humidity and the threat of heavy rains.

Panama Canal Cruise Routes

Most cruises are 10 to 15 nights, sailing between Florida and cities in California, or round trip from Miami or Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Panama Canal itineraries generally include five, six or seven days at sea. There are various combinations of these itineraries, as ships travel between seasons in Alaska and the Caribbean. Here are two of the most common:

14-Day One Way:
The 14-day route sails between Fort Lauderdale or Miami and San Diego or Los Angeles and typically visits Puerto Quetzal or Santo Tomas, Guatemala; Puerto Caldera or Puntarenas, Costa Rica; Cabo San Lucas or Puerto Vallarta, Mexico; and some combination of the San Blas Islands or Colon, Panama; plus Aruba and Cartagena, Colombia.

Good For: History buffs will love the canal transit and the 2,000-year-old Mayan ruins at Guatemala’s Tikal. (You’ll have to take a short flight to get there, but the ancient city of Tikal’s temples is worth it.) Outdoorsy types will like the rain forest treks in Costa Rica and the beauty of rock formations off the coast of Cabo. Aruba’s white sand makes beach lovers happy.

11-Day Round Trip:
The 11-day route conveniently sails round trip from Fort Lauderdale or Miami. Ports are Limon, Costa Rica; Colon, Panama; Cartagena, Colombia; Aruba; and Grand Cayman.

Good For: The canal passage appeals to history lovers, and so does the Spanish colonial architecture of Cartagena’s historic city center, a UNESCO World Heritage site. Costa Rica and Grand Cayman are ideal for anyone who likes to explore nature, including diving, hiking, boating or ziplining. Colon, on the northern entrance to the canal, has a huge shopping complex at the Cristobal cruise terminal that many passengers never venture beyond, even though there is more to the area, from beaches and rain forests to rides on the historic transcontinental railway and excursions to see 16th-century fortresses in the nearby town of Portobelo.

Panama Canal, Central America Cruise Itineraries

Panama Canal, Central America Cruises

Ports

Galveston, Texas
Cozumel, Mexico
Puerto Limon, Costa Rica
Colon, Panama
Mahogany Bay, Roatan, Bay Islands, Honduras

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Ports

Galveston, Texas - Cozumel, Mexico - Puerto Limon, Costa Rica - Colon, Panama - Mahogany Bay, Roatan, Bay Islands, Honduras - View more ports

10 Night Panama Canal (Galveston Roundtrip)

Carnival Miracle L

4.0

(2761 Reviews)

2024 sail dates:

2025 sail dates:

$1016*

$102/night*

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Bonus Offers	Inside	Oceanview	Balcony	Suite
See Offers	N/A	N/A	N/A	$3844*
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See Offers	$1066*	$1266*	$1566*	$2576*
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	$1066*	$1266*	$1566*	$2576*
See Offers	$1066*	$1266*	$1566*	$2576*
See Offers	$1066*	$1266*	$1566*	$2576*
See Offers	$1056*	$1256*	$1556*	$2566*
	$1056*	$1256*	$1556*	$2566*
	$1056*	$1256*	$1556*	$2566*
See Offers	$1056*	$1256*	$1556*	$2566*
See Offers	$1056*	$1256*	$1556*	$2566*
See Offers	$1016*	$1216*	$1516*	$2526*
	$1016*	$1216*	$1516*	$2526*
	$1016*	$1216*	$1516*	$2526*
See Offers	$1016*	$1216*	$1516*	$2526*
See Offers	$1016*	$1216*	$1516*	$2526*
See Offers	$1166*	$1386*	$1706*	$2716*
	$1166*	$1386*	$1706*	$2716*
	$1166*	$1386*	$1706*	$2716*
See Offers	$1166*	$1386*	$1706*	$2716*
See Offers	$1166*	$1386*	$1706*	$2716*

View All 347 Panama Canal, Central America Cruises

Best Panama Canal, Central America Cruise Excursions

Altun Ha & City Tour

$69/Adult

Altun Ha and City Tour

$131/Adult

Amazing Wildlife and Rainforest Canopy Adventure

$183/Adult

Baboon Sanctuary and Jeep Adventure

$209/Adult

Best Panama Canal, Central America Cruise Ports

Belize City, Belize

3.9

(12291 Reviews)

Colon, Panama

3.5

(1885 Reviews)

Panama Canal (Cruise Into Canal)

4.6

(933 Reviews)

Puntarenas, Costa Rica

4.0

(981 Reviews)

View All 48 Panama Canal, Central America Ports

Best cruise lines to Panama Canal, Central America

Disney Cruise Line

Sails 8 Ships

Average rating of:

4.4

Viking Ocean Cruises

Sails 16 Ships

Average rating of:

4.4

Windstar Cruises

Sails 7 Ships

Average rating of:

4.4

Crystal

Sails 2 Ships

Average rating of:

4.4

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3116 Reviews

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4.6

Verified review

Unforgettable Caribbean and Central America Journey Viaje inolvidable por el Caribe y Centro América by kcintron

Sail date: Oct 31, 2024 / Traveled as: Large Group
Ship: Emerald Princess

The mobile app, internet, and Plus Package amenities are exceptional. The Medallion service for cabin access and ordering is fantastic. This technology allows employees to provide personalized service. We were surprised by how they maximized service and interaction with the ship's screens. The ship's aesthetics and variety of activities were very good. Passengers should be aware of time zone changes during navigation. The cruise provides information, but it can be a bit confusing to keep track sometimes. The app is great for getting to know the cruise, activities, schedules, services, and locating family members, but it could be improved. Specifically, with the chat between family members, you have to manually check for messages as it doesn't send notifications. Reservations are deleted or transactions/credits sometimes take a while to update. On the other hand, the cruise should not shorten the pre-established schedules in some ports and should consider having trash cans in common areas. Also, they could improve on non-repetitive buffet options and louder, more varied music in the Lido. La aplicación móvil, el Internet y las amenidades del Plus Package son extraordinarias. El servicio con el Medallion para acceder las cabinas y ordenar es magnífico. Esta tecnología permite que los empleados puedan darte un trato personalizado. Nos sorprendió cómo maximizan el servicio y la interacción con las pantallas del barco. La estética del barco y la variedad de actividades fueron muy buenas. El pasajero debe tener presente los cambios de horario por zonas de navegación. El crucero informa pero resulta un poco confuso aveces llevar un rastreo. El app es extraordinaria para conocer el crucero, las actividades, horarios, servicios y localizar familiares pero puede mejorar. Especialmente, con el chat entre familiares hay que estar pendiente de forma manual para leer los mensajes a tiempo porque no envía notificaciones. Reservas se borran o transacciones/créditos aveces se tardan en actualizarse. Por otro lado, el crucero no debería acortar los horarios pre-establecidos en algunos puertos y debería considerar tener zafacones en las áreas comunes. También, pueden mejorar en opciones de buffet no tan repetitivas y música alta y variada en el Lido.

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3 Comments

4.5

Verified review

Partial Panama canal cruise by jfybel

Sail date: Oct 27, 2024 / Traveled as: Couple
Ship: Rotterdam

12 day partial Panama canal & Caribbean cruise is a great itinerary! Holland America's private island (half moon cay) is a beautiful place. White sandy beach that is not over-developed. Rotterdam ship is very nice.

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5 Comments

4.7

Verified review

Off to see one of the worlds wonders, the Panama Canal by Cruiser74351010

Sail date: Oct 20, 2024 / Traveled as: Couple
Ship: Viking Mars

Started off with a glitch. Got up at 3AM to be at airport for 7AM departure. Flight delayed until 11AM. Retired Professional Pilot so this doesn't bother me. Some people not happy. But if you have time to spare go by air. After a crew was was found to replace the one that wasn't available we had a good flight down there. Our first Viking Ocean cruise after 4 River cruises. They did not disappoint. They will be the only cruise company for us from now until we can't travel anymore.

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5 Comments

2.6

Verified review

Love Caribbean by thomasy1

Sail date: Oct 19, 2024 / Traveled as: Couple
Ship: Zuiderdam

Great value cruise. Food quality need some improvement. Overall experience is positive.

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1 Comment

4.7

Verified review

Panama Canal Needs to be on everyone's budget List by fphillips1960