{"id":54702,"date":"2015-09-18T15:32:54","date_gmt":"2015-09-18T19:32:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hollandamerica.com\/blog\/activities\/shore-excursions\/the-panama-canal-7-pros-of-cruising-one-of-the-7-wonders-of-the-modern-world\/"},"modified":"2022-11-11T15:41:29","modified_gmt":"2022-11-11T21:41:29","slug":"seven-reasons-visit-panama-canal","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hollandamerica.com\/blog\/travel-inspiration\/seven-reasons-visit-panama-canal\/","title":{"rendered":"The Panama Canal: 7 Pros of Cruising One of the 7 Wonders of the Modern World"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Panama Canal<\/a> is an incredible man-made marvel that can be uniquely experienced on a Holland America Line cruise. If it’s not on your bucket list, it should be! There’s an incredible wave of awe that comes over every cruiser transiting the lakes and locks of this spectacle that made the list of the Seven Wonders of the Modern World. And the region is beautifully lush, making it a picture-perfect vacation.<\/p>\n

The only way to fully experience the Panama Canal is on a cruise. In fact, it’s the best way to experience any destination! No other vacation is as convenient, pampering and exciting … all at the same time. On a cruise you unpack one time, yet you get to visit many ports and countries. And with dining, entertainment, enrichment and so much more included, there’s no better value!<\/p>\n

Holland America Line features diverse and extensive cruises to the Panama Canal, from full transits that reposition a ship from one destination to another, to the roundtrip Fort Lauderdale, Florida, series of cruises that enter part of the canal but don’t fully transit.<\/p>\n

Here’s a list of the seven pros of a Panama Canal cruise:<\/p>\n

EASILY GO FROM ATLANTIC TO PACIFIC<\/strong>
\nThe days of having to go around Cape Horn at the tip of South America to get from Atlantic to Pacific \u2014 or vice versa \u2014 are long gone. Now ships can easily move from ocean to ocean, cutting 8,000 miles off the journey. And with the expansion well under way, larger vessels will soon be able to make the 48-mile journey. Ships often make the full transit on repositioning cruises in the fall and spring that take them from one cruising destination to another. Unlike many repositioning cruises, a Panama Canal transit includes a lot of scenic cruising and many ports of call, making it the ideal way to get from one season to the next.<\/p>\n

\"PC1\"<\/a><\/p>\n

If You Want To Go:<\/strong>
\nIf you want to get away for the winter holidays and transit the entire Panama Canal, Amsterdam’s 18-Day Holiday Cruise<\/strong> from San Diego, California, to Fort Lauderdale is an incredible way to celebrate Christmas and ring in the New Year! Departing Dec. 18, 2015, the voyage calls at ports in Mexico, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, Aruba, Cura\u00e7ao and Half Moon Cay.<\/p>\n

IT’S A TECHNICAL MARVEL<\/strong>
\nIt’s called one of the Seven Wonders of the Modern World for a reason. The Panama Canal is a series of locks that raise and lower a ship to different sea levels. It took 33 years to complete the project, which was started by France 1881. The United States took over the project in 1904, and the Panama Canal was officially opened Aug. 15, 1914.<\/p>\n

\"Graphic<\/a>

Graphic from panamaliving.com.<\/p><\/div>\n

Onboard, guests will learn facts like this and more about the history of the canal and the art, culture and wildlife of the region through our Exploration Speaker Series that brings on Panama Canal experts.<\/p>\n

Our \u201cOn Location\u201d Guide Lisa presented a fantastic slide show of what we would see on our transit. Her talk was so comprehensive that we discovered a few things to see that we hadn\u2019t spotted on our previous crossings. And we looked for them on this transit. \u2014 Sharon J.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

If You Want To Go:<\/strong>
\nAre you looking for a special way to celebrate the New Year? Join Veendam on a 14-day Panama Canal<\/strong> cruise and see the wonder for yourself. Departing Jan. 3, 2016, the voyage from San Diego to Tampa, Florida, gives guests an up-close view of the inner-workings of the canal.<\/p>\n

WHAT A VIEW!<\/strong>
\nThe Panama Canal is a lush gateway lined with emerald-hued flora and an abundance of colorful fauna. Standing on deck as you traverse the canal is sensory overload, with beautiful sites around every corner. Be sure to have your camera on hand.<\/p>\n

\"PC_lushCollage\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Absolutely loved our trip from Fort Lauderdale to San Diego through the Panama Canal years ago. Amazing scenery… \u2014 Guest Fiona B.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

If You Want To Go:<\/strong>
\nIf you think one cruise isn’t enough, Maasdam is sailing back-to-back transits departing March 1, 2016<\/strong>, from Fort Lauderdale to San Diego, and back to Fort Lauderdale departing March 15<\/strong>. The two cruises have non-repeating ports in Mexico, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Guatemala, Colombia and the Caribbean, making it the perfect Collectors’ Voyage for guests who want an immersive Panama Canal experience.<\/p>\n

CRUISING THROUGH THE LOCKS<\/strong>
\nThe Panama Canal is made up of three locks: Gatun, Pedro Miguel and Miraflores. On average, it takes a ship eight to 10 hours to pass through the canal. While moving through it, the system of locks raises each ship 85 feet above sea level.<\/p>\n

\"Moving<\/a>

Moving through the Panama Canal locks. Photo by Captain Mercer.<\/p><\/div>\n

Bright Hub Engineering<\/a> did a great job explaining how ships move through the locks:<\/p>\n

\u2022 The ship approaches the lock gates at a reduced speed.
\n\u2022 The “pilot” boards the ship and he instructs the ships speed and direction.
\n\u2022 The ship enters the lock gates, which is narrow when compared to the size of the ship.
\n\u2022 The lock gates are then closed, enclosing the ship inside. To lift up the ship, water has to be pumped into the lock chambers.
\n\u2022 When water is pumped, the level of water increases inside the lock chamber lifting the ship up. The lifted height equals the height required for the ship to proceed to the next lock chamber. Thus the ship gets lifted up above the sea-level from the pacific ocean.
\n\u2022 It reaches Gatun Lake after getting lifted up through Miraflores and Pedro Miguel locks. The ship has to be lowered down to get to the level of the Atlantic Ocean through the Gatun locks.
\n\u2022 The ship enters the Gatun lock chamber, where the gates again get closed, enclosing the ship in the lock chamber. The water gets pumped out of the lock gates, decreasing the water level in the lock chamber.
\n\u2022 When the water level equals the level of the Atlantic Ocean side, the outward lock gates open up, leading the ship to the sea passage.<\/p>\n

If You Want To Go:<\/strong>
\nIf you want to transit the Panama Canal sooner rather than later, there’s still time to cruise this fall! If you like last-minute adventures, Westerdam and Oosterdam leave Sept. 26 and 27, respectively, to reposition from Alaska to the Caribbean. Westerdam is departing Seattle on an 18-day cruise<\/strong>, while Oosterdam is sailing from Vancouver on a 19-day transit<\/strong>. In October, Veendam cruises from Atlantic to Pacific on a 19-day transit<\/strong> departing Oct. 17 from Boston to San Diego. Those who want to leave from Fort Lauderdale can depart on Veendam Oct. 21.<\/p>\n

THE IMPRESSIVE LAKES<\/strong>
\nThe Panama Canal has two lakes: Gatun Lake and Miraflores Lake. Did you know that Gatun Lake is an artificial lake? It was created between 1907 and 1913, and at that time it was the largest man-made lake in the world.<\/p>\n

\"Captain<\/a>

Captain Mercer snapped this photo of Gatun Lake during his transit.<\/p><\/div>\n

If You Want To Go:<\/strong>
\nWhen it’s time for the Alaska season, Maasdam repositions from Fort Lauderdale to Seattle, Washington, on a 20-day adventure<\/strong> that includes a transit of the Panama Canal. Guests looking for a shorter journey can disembark at San Diego, making it a 15-day cruise, or Vancouver, British Columbia, for a 19-day voyage.<\/p>\n

SAILING ROUNDTRIP FORT LAUDERDALE<\/strong>
\nIf you want a convenient roundtrip Fort Lauderdale cruise, Zuiderdam offers Sunfarer voyages<\/strong> starting at 10 days that include a Caribbean exploration and a partial Panama Canal transit. The ship spends a morning cruising Gatun Lake where guests can disembark and take one of several shore excursions, including the Gatun Locks & Kayak in the Canal to Colon<\/a> tour.<\/p>\n

\"Guests<\/a>

Guests on Sunfarer itineraries can go ashore at Gatun and take a variety of tours.<\/p><\/div>\n

SEE THE PROGRESS OF THE EXPANSION<\/strong>
\nIn 2007, work began on a $5.25 billion expansion project that will enable the canal to handle post-Panamax ships \u2014 those exceeding the dimensions of Panamax vessels built to fit through the canal. The expanded canal will be able to handle cargo vessels carrying 14,000 20-foot containers, nearly three times the amount currently accommodated! The expansion project, expected to be completed in 2016, includes the creation of a new, larger set of locks and the widening and deepening of existing navigational channels. As of Aug. 31, 2015, the project is 93 percent complete.<\/p>\n

We will be doing our fourth transit next April with HAL. What a great trip. We learn new things every time. Looking forward to it – again. \u2014 Sue C.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

If You Want To Go:<\/strong>
\nIf you’re looking to transit the canal but also visit the exotic ABC Islands in the Caribbean, Westerdam’s March 12, 2016, cruise<\/strong> is the perfect choice for you. The 21-day cruise from Fort Lauderdale to San Diego makes 13 calls along the way, including Aruba, Bonaire and Cura\u00e7ao. Mexico also takes center stage, with five calls throughout the country.<\/p>\n

December 2015 UPDATE: Take Advantage of View & Verandah<\/strong>
\nWe want to make your dream cruise even dreamier with our new View & Verandah<\/a> promotion. We\u2019re offering stateroom upgrades, up to 10 percent off shore excursions and up to 25 percent off Collectors\u2019 Voyages on 2016-2017 sailings when booked by Feb. 29, 2016. Check out the offer to see if your dream cruise is included and book now!<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Panama Canal is an incredible man-made marvel that can be uniquely experienced on a Holland America Line cruise. If it’s not on your bucket list, it should be! There’s an incredible wave of awe that comes over every cruiser transiting the lakes and locks of this spectacle that made the list of the Seven Wonders of the Modern World. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1821,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[30,31],"tags":[4206,4193],"class_list":["post-54702","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-travel-inspiration","category-where-to-travel","tag-destinations","tag-travel-insight"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hollandamerica.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/54702","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hollandamerica.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hollandamerica.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hollandamerica.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1821"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hollandamerica.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=54702"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.hollandamerica.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/54702\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":67817,"href":"https:\/\/www.hollandamerica.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/54702\/revisions\/67817"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hollandamerica.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=54702"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hollandamerica.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=54702"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hollandamerica.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=54702"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}