Panama Canal Cruises Have A Lot To Offer

Panama Canal cruises are the best way to see this 50-mile man-made wonder that takes you from North to South America. Prior to 1880, the only way to reach South America was along treacherous jungle rivers. The French began their project, which lasted more than 23 years and cost them 20,000 workers in the process. When they abandoned the work in 1903, the US took over, spending $352 million to get the job done in 11 years. The opening of the Panama Canal in August 1914 was considered by Teddy Roosevelt as "by the far the most important action" he took in foreign relations.

A number of major cruise lines offer Panama Canal cruises venturing from the east or west coast of America. Cruises vary in duration; 7-9 days (Regent Seas, NCL), 10-11 days (Princess, Costa, Holland America, Crystal, Royal Olympia), 14-16 days (Princess, Carnival, Celebrity, Silversea) or 18-21 days (Princess, Hollans America, Cunard). Most people prefer to traverse from Miami, Tampa or Fort Lauderdale, Florida or from Californian ports like San Diego, Los Angeles or San Francisco. These Pacific and Atlantic cruises often call in the Western Caribbean, Costa Rica, Colombia and Panama regions. You can choose to cruise the entire 50-mile canal or hop off at a nearby port city for a day of adventure.

In the past, Panama Canal cruises were pretty standard, beginning in Florida and sweeping through the Caribbean and Central America, briefly stopping in Mexico. Today's offerings are much broader, lasting from a week to a month, with a number of exciting stops along the way. Often Costa Rica is added to the itinerary, as is Western Canada. You can begin in San Francisco, San Diego or Seattle in the west and Miami, Fort Lauderdale or Tampa in the east. Many itineraries offered by Carnival Group include places like the Cayman Islands, Colombia (Cartagena) and Mexico (Manzanillo) as well.  

When you hop off your Panama Canal Cruises, there is much to do. You can take the Panama Canal Railway from Panama City to Colon. You can travel to the beautiful Portabelo Bay, where Sir Francis Drake and Christopher Columbus loved to visit. Here you'll see musket holes in the Santiago Fort, crumbling walls at the 250-year-old San Geronimo Fort, as well as the town's quaint monasteries, counting houses and impressive monuments. In Anton Valley, you can see waterfalls, rainforests and petroglyphs. The Ember Indian Village is a nice day break too, with cultural arts, dance, jewelry making and dining. Swimming, snorkeling, kayaking, horseback riding and hiking can all be part of your Pacific - Atlantic cruises port adventure.

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Ocean Village Cruises

Activities are plentiful aboard Ocean Village Cruises. Open air circuses and laser light shows are popular on deck at night, while the two pools and ocean-view gym are popular hangouts during the day.