PANAMA CANAL CRUISES

Experience one of the wonders of the modern world on Holland America Line’s Panama Canal cruises. Our Panama cruise itineraries depart from both east and west coasts for loads of convenient options. A cruise to the Panama Canal is an incredible experience, worthy of any bucket list as you travel between oceans. The shipping channel—which took 33 years to complete and cost more than 25,000 workers their lives—is arguably the greatest engineering achievement of all time. As you cruise the canal, you will pass through the two-chambered Miraflores Locks, the one-chambered Pedro Miguel Lock, and three-chambered Gatún Locks. Along the way you'll find Gatún Lake, once the largest manmade lake in the world, which has proved a boon for species that thrive here, undisturbed by the ships passing by. 

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Great to be Back!

2021 Panama Canal Cruises Begin Sailing October 2

Experience the engineering wonders of the Panama Canal as you journey between Pacific and Atlantic oceans. The Panama Canal is just the beginning, these featured 2021 cruises glide to sun-soaked isles and vibrant coastal cities.
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Holland America Line cruises from Seattle or San Diego to Panama Canal are available for guests who have received their final dose of an approved COVID-19 vaccine at least 14 days prior to the beginning of the cruise and have proof of vaccination. Here are the COVID-19 Guest Protocols currently planned which are subject to change as further details are established. They will be updated in accordance with guidance from public health authorities. View our health & safety protocols for more information. 

The Panama Canal Cruise Experience

Feel your ship rise 85 feet as water fills the locks on the Panama Canal. Listen as a historian shares tales of this incredible engineering feat that divided two continents. Explore the intriguing landscapes, culture and people of this amazing region. From engineering marvels to exotic wildlife, there's so much to discover while on your Panama Canal cruise.

See A Modern Marvel On Panama Canal Cruises

Cruise the Panama Canal and experience the locks that changed history with modern engineering. Secure a spot at the bow as you traverse the locks and listen as your Canal historians expound on the history, culture and wildlife of the region.
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Panama Canal Cruises Have Diverse Ports Of Call

Our Panama Canal Cruises are carefully crafted itineraries that blend the region’s most popular ports with less-visited gems, such as Puerto Caldera, Coast Rica; Cartagena, Puerto Vallarta; and Oranjestad, Aruba.
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Perfectly Sized Ships For Panama Canal Cruises

Large enough to offer diverse amenities, yet never crowded, our ships are purposefully designed to accommodate fewer guests so there’s almost always a corner to call your own. You’ll also find coming and going from the ship is easy on your Panama Canal Cruise.
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Exceptional Cuisine & Entertainment

A team of world-class chefs chart an exciting course and offer the most immersive culinary experience at sea. Evenings offer a variety of exclusive entertainment such as Lincoln Center Stage, B.B. King’s Blues Club & Billboard Onboard.
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Extraordinary Panama Canal Cruise Tours

Our Panama Canal excursions connect you to each fascinating destination. At Gatún Lake, board a motor launch for a one-hour cruise and get a water-level view of the Locks. Or watch for monkeys, toucans and sloths while you kayak through the Gatún islands.
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Relax Through The Holidays On A Panama Canal Cruise

A picture of colorful paper mâché animals on one of many holiday Panama Canal cruises

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Featured Panama Canal Cruise Ports

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Fuerte Amador, Panama

Located west of Panama City at the Pacific entrance to the Panama Canal, Fuerte Amador is a gateway to exploring the many faces of this unique Central American country.
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Cartagena, Colombia

Its official name is Cartagena de Indias—or "Cartagena of the Indies"—but call it Cartagena for short. The formal name hints at this Colombian city's colonial relationship with Spain; it was founded in 1533 and named after the mother country's Cartagena.
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Half Moon Cay, Bahamas

The Caribbean is full of tropical wonders and natural beauty. But there’s nothing like Half Moon Cay, our pristine private island paradise in the Bahamas. The most stunning, highest-rated private-island experience in the region, Half Moon Cay has won Porthole Cruise Magazine’s Best Private Island award 17 consecutive years, and was also named the best in Travel Weekly's Readers' Choice Awards. As soon as your toes touch that powdery white sand and your eyes settle on the perfect blue-crystal clear water, you’ll understand why.
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Puerto Caldera (Puntarenas), Costa Rica

One of the stops along the Panama Canal route, Puerto Caldera isn't your ordinary port of call, positioned as it is within easy day-trip distance of the country's multiple national parks.
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Puerto Chiapas, Mexico

The southernmost port on Mexico’s Pacific coast, Puerto Chiapas is named for the state in which it is located. It is relatively new, built in 1975, and is the primary hub from which the region’s agricultural goods, including coffee, are sent abroad.
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San Juan Del Sur, Nicaragua

This lovely beach town is your portal to Masaya, famous for its steaming volcano and colorful crafts market, and colonial Granada, rich in folkloric culture and views of Lake Nicaragua.
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Featured Shore Excursions

Fuerte Amador Private Touring - Half Day (Car)

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Fuerte Amador Private Touring - Full Day (Car)

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Fuerte Amador Private Touring - Half Day (Minivan)

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Fuerte Amador Private Touring - Full Day (Minivan)

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Panama Canal Interoceanic Museum & Former Canal Zone

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The ultimate journey between two continents and two mighty oceans, a Panama Canal cruise encompasses Spanish colonial architecture, verdant rainforest and an engineering marvel. Learn more about our ports in the region with articles on Cartagena’s graceful Old City and Costa Rica’s exotic Pura Vida Gardens; Antigua, Guatemala, including La Merced, the city’s 250-year-old cathedral; and the storied past of Panama Viejo, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. And be sure to explore the complex and fascinating history of the Panama Canal.