When its locks opened for business in 1914 it was considered the 8th wonder of the world.  It was an event equivalent to putting a man on the moon.  Digging this fifty mile long canal that runs in a north south direction (because of the shape of the Isthmus of Panama), the Panama Canal shaved thousands of miles off the trade route between the East Coast and California that previously required sailing around the tip of So. America.  Almost as soon as Columbus discovered the New World, dreamers began thinking about how a canal could be dug that would bridge the narrow strip of land that separates North America and South America.  Today, seeing this engineering marvel and transiting the Panama Canal still remains one of the premiere things to see and do at least once in your life time.

There is only one way to experience the magnitude of the Panama Canal and that is by cruise ship and none are better at providing for such an experience than the folks at Holland America Lines (HAL) .  Offered as repositioning cruises during the spring and autumn when they relocate their ships from the Caribbean to the Alaskan waters (or back), luxury ocean liners like their Volendam and Noordam offer a truly unique up close and personal experience of how nearly a hundred years after its completion the Panama Canal continues to operate flawlessly.

 It takes a full day to move from one ocean to the other and because of the heavy shipping traffic Holland America makes their reservations to pass through the Canal months, even years in advance. Passing through a series of locks that raise your ship almost 300 feet above sea level and then lower it back down, the Canal features a continuous series of deep gouges (cuts through mountain ranges), lakes and dams that were engineered when Teddy Roosevelt was President.  HAL does something else that is very special on their Panama Canal cruises.  During the days leading up to the ship reaching the Canal, a series of lectures by a historian/engineer are offered to give those who want an overview of the Canal’s history, going back to the mid 1800’s and covering the effort of the French when they tried to complete the project.  In addition to this when the ship approached the first set of locks, a professional guide is brought on board and while using the public address system points out and explains everything that is being seen.  Excellent!

The options for viewing this amazing odyssey are many.  You can do it from the comfort of your stateroom, the lounges, the pool deck, over breakfast, lunch and afternoon tea in the elegant dining rooms and you can almost reach out and touch the country of Panama by going outside on deck as you are raised and lowered inside the locks.  However, the heat can be oppressive (90-degree temperatures) and high humidity.  Or, you can go to the theater, enjoy your appointment in the spa, try you hand in the casino or read a book and then return to being a voyeur and watching as your cruise ship and other ships pass through the Canal. 

The days spent at sea prior to or following the day it takes to transit between the Pacific and the Caribbean are laced with visits at other delightful ports-of-call on both sides if the Isthmus.  Acapulco, Cartegena, Costa Rica, Puerto Vallarta, Cabo San Lucas and embarkation and disembarkation ports like Vancouver, San Diego, Ft. Lauderdale and New York City make for a delightful hand wringing experience when it comes to choosing which of the Holland America Panama Canal cruises to go on. 

 A cruise from Florida to California, for example, takes about sixteen days which for some may not work because of vacation schedules.  However, all is not lost for Holland America offers shorter Caribbean cruises that take you through the first set of locks (Gutan Locks) on the Atlantic side into Gutan Lake where you then turn around and exit back out.  It is an excellent experience for it yields a genuine feeling as to what you

could expect to see if you completed

the entire transit.

              Travel is like icing on the cake of life and destinations like cruising the Panama Canal makes the frosting even more delightful.  Happy Traveling!