As we cruised through Lake Gatún, gliding by islands covered with thick vegetation while tropical birds flew overhead, it was hard to believe we were in the midst of a manmade feat of engineering. As we hit the locks to bring us into the Caribbean, however, we could have leaned out and touched the concrete walls as our small ship slowly stepped down to sea level.

While there are plenty of grand cruise itineraries out there around the world, none of them involve such a famous stretch of water that can be covered in a day. The Panama Canal connects the world’s biggest oceans — the Atlantic and the Pacific — and cuts across a small isthmus at the bottom of Central America. The six locks raise ships a total of 85 feet (26 meters) and back down again before they exit into the opposite ocean.

This massive project that took two expensive tries to finish has operated continuously since August 1914, enabling goods from around the world to arrive where we live far faster than they could otherwise. The Canal remained under U.S. control until 1999; ownership then shifted to the Panamanian government, which since added a second set of locks for larger ships with a higher cargo capacity.

Transiting the Panama Canal is not exactly speedy. Coming into the system, more time is spent waiting than moving as the ship slowly rises while the locks fill to the right level for the ship to move on. This 51-mile-long canal is unique, however; at its middle lies large Lake Gatún, a nature reserve that houses Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute. Here the ships glide past islands covered by thick tropical vegetation before getting to the second set of locks for the exit to the other ocean.

PHOTO: © PICTUREMAKERSLLC |
DREAMSTIME.COM

While local yacht charters and pleasure boats traverse the whole waterway, a more reliable option is to join a cruise higher on the port master’s priority list and more likely to avoid delays. These cruises range from dual-country sailings including Costa Rica to multiweek affairs that cross the equator and keep going.

Ship sizes vary quite a bit, as well. Windstar Cruises offers a seven-day cruise of Costa Rica and Panamá on small ships with a capacity of just 148 guests maximum. Norwegian Joy, at the other end of the spectrum, transports up to 3,766 passengers through the locks on voyages starting in Los Angeles and ending in Miami.

More than 100 cruises make the Panama Canal voyage each year, starting and ending at a variety of ports up and down the coasts of the Americas. Some start or end in West Coast ports. Others, such as Carnival Legend, depart from Galveston, Texas, or New Orleans. The largest number of U.S. departures embark from Tampa, Fort Lauderdale or Miami in Florida.

The companies operating Panama Canal cruises offer options to please almost every kind of traveler: families, romantic couples, party crowds and those looking for pampering from a high staff-to-guest ratio. Most of the major cruise lines operating large ocean vessels include the Panama Canal on their destination list. Travelers looking for small-ship offerings can choose from Silversea Cruises, Windstar Cruises, Seabourn Cruise Line and Sea Cloud. Some lines feature specialist-branded voyages, such as Smithsonian Journeys with The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection.

Since the crossing itself only takes around 12 hours on average, most Panama Canal cruises spend more time in ports before or after. Atlantic-side destinations in the mix may include Caribbean islands, Cozumel in Mexico, Roatán in Honduras, or Cartagena in Colombia. On the Pacific side, stops often include Los Cabos or Puerto Vallarta in Mexico, Puerto Quetzal in Guatemala, and a port or two in Costa Rica.

A cruise joining two oceans provides a lot of flexibility in vacation offerings. It may be an add-on to a trip to the Caribbean or South America. Or it may appear on the itinerary of an epic journey that hits two oceans and two continents, such as Buenos Aires to Juneau. By putting the Panama Canal into a vacation plan that includes other items on the wish list, this bucket-list adventure checks off more than one box.

INFO TO GO
Since most cruises through the Panama Canal come from somewhere north or south, only a few start in Panamá City or Colón — the cities at opposite ends of the Canal. The aviation gateway for either is Tocumen International Airport, the hub for Copa Airlines. The most popular starting or ending point for the shortest of these cruises is Puerto Caldera or Puntarenas in Costa Rica, about 1.5 hours from San José International Airport. Most cruises that include the Panama Canal operate from December through May, when the sun shines daily and rain is rare.