Watch a 100,000-ton ship climb a staircase of water.
A full transit between Florida and California, or a partial transit from Florida that enters the locks, turns around in Gatun Lake and comes home. SmartCruiser shows every Panama Canal sailing from every line, prices them with taxes and fees included, and puts the sailings with SmartCruiser bonus credit at the top.
Three ways to do the Canal
Full transit, partial transit or the long way around: the right one depends on your time and whether you want to fly one way.
Full transit, coast to coast
- 14 to 17 nights between Fort Lauderdale or Miami and Los Angeles, San Diego or San Francisco
- All three lock systems in one unforgettable day, plus Cartagena, Costa Rica, Cabo and often Aruba
- Fly home from the other coast; open-jaw flights
Best for: bucket-list cruisers, retirees, anyone who loves sea days.
Partial transit from Florida
- 10 or 11 nights round trip from Fort Lauderdale, Miami or Tampa
- Through the Gatun Locks into Gatun Lake, then back out the same day, with Cartagena, Colon, Costa Rica and Grand Cayman
- Fly in and out of one city; Princess, Holland America, NCL and Celebrity
Best for: a first Canal cruise, 10 days off, round-trip flights.
Costa Rica & Panama up close
- 7 to 10 nights on Windstar, Viking, Oceania, Regent or Lindblad between Panama City and Puntarenas
- The old 1914 locks on ships small enough to feel them, plus the Darien, the San Blas islands and the rainforest
- Daytime transit guaranteed; most lines include excursions
Best for: nature lovers, couples, a one-week Canal with no long sea days.
Panama Canal deals: SmartCruiser picks first
Every Panama Canal sailing from every line, priced live with taxes, fees and port expenses included. The picks at the top are sailings where booking with SmartCruiser gets you something extra: bonus onboard credit, instant savings, or a senior, resident or police & fire fare that beats the public price. Below them, every other sailing with full sorting.
SmartCruiser picks
Sorted by what you save, biggest firstEvery Panama Canal sailing
Stack any filters, then pick a sortPrices are per person, double occupancy, in US dollars, and include cruise fare, taxes, fees and port expenses as published by the cruise line at the moment you load this page. Fares are capacity controlled and change daily; the fare is confirmed when you book. Flights and hotels are extra unless the line’s offer says otherwise. SmartCruiser instant savings and bonus onboard credit are provided by SmartCruiser on top of the cruise line’s price and are not available when booking direct; amounts vary by stateroom category and are shown for the lowest category offered. Special SmartCruiser rates are pricing SmartCruiser holds on that sailing for its clients, with extra onboard credit; you book your own stateroom and travel on your own. Senior fares apply to guests 55 and over; resident fares need proof of residency in a listed state or province at check-in; police and fire fares apply to active or retired police, fire and EMT personnel with ID. Qualifier-fare savings are measured against the best fare the cruise line offers the general public for the same stateroom category on the day the list was pulled, updated weekly.
Which end of the Canal?
Pick a home port and the list above filters to it.
Shore excursions you can book before you sail
Every SmartCruiser port guide lists the tours you can book for that day ashore: small-group sightseeing, beach days, snorkel trips and private guides from Shore Excursions Group, an independent tour company with its own return-to-ship guarantee and 14-day cancellation terms. Popular Panama Canal ports to start with: Cartagena, Aruba, Curaçao, Cabo San Lucas, Puerto Vallarta and Grand Cayman. Shore Excursions Group sells and operates the tours; SmartCruiser earns a commission on bookings made through these links at no extra cost to you.
Which line for the Canal?
Big ships use the new 2016 locks; small ships use the original 1914 locks, which is the better show.
When to go
The Canal season follows the dry season: October to April. Transits bunch up when ships move between Alaska and the Caribbean.
Panama Canal questions we answer every day
Full transit or partial transit?
A full transit crosses the whole Canal in one day, 8 to 10 hours, and means a one-way flight home. A partial transit enters the Gatun Locks, sails Gatun Lake and returns the same way, so you see one set of locks twice and fly round trip. Most first-timers take the partial; most repeat cruisers want the full.
Which side of the ship for the locks?
Both sides see a lock wall up close, so book the side that faces the sun in the morning for photos, or watch from the bow and the top decks. Princess and Holland America open the bow to guests on transit day.
Do I need a passport?
Yes for full transits, which end in a different country or coast. Partial transits from Florida are closed-loop, but you go ashore in Panama, Colombia and Costa Rica, so bring a passport anyway.
Is it a lot of sea days?
A full transit has five to seven sea days; a partial has three or four. Transit day itself is a sea day you will never forget.
Are taxes and fees included in the prices here?
Yes. Every price on this page includes cruise fare, taxes, fees and port expenses, including the Canal toll the line passes on. Flights, hotels, gratuities, drinks and excursions are extra.
Talk to a Panama Canal specialist
Full or partial, which direction and which month: we price every line side by side with the open-jaw flights. Monday to Thursday 9 to 6, Friday 9 to 5, Saturday 10 to 6 ET.