Panama Canal Kicks Off 2024-25 Cruise Season with 225+ Transits

The Panama Canal officially opened its 2024-25 cruise season on Tuesday, October 7, 2024, with the northbound transit of Brilliance of the Seas, embarking on a 15-day journey from Los Angeles to New Orleans.

In a press release, it was announced that this repositioning cruise signals the start of a season that will see more than 225 transits through the canal.

Albano G. Aguilar, a market analysis and forecasting specialist from the Office of Corporate Affairs, noted that “an increase in transits is expected this fiscal year due to the continued demand for vacation experiences, which still shows no signs of slowing down.”

Panama Canal Administrator Ricaurte Vásquez Morales added, “Crossing from one ocean to the other through a fast and safe route like the Panama Canal is also a great attraction for the cruise industry, because of the wonder that our operation represents.”

“Last year we served more than 200 cruise ship transits, with tourists from various parts of the world, who included the Canal transit as part of their travel itineraries. We are very excited about the start of this cruise season and the experiences that thousands of tourists will have,” Morales continued.

Several major cruise lines, including Norwegian, Carnival, and Royal Caribbean, will be offering full and partial canal transits this season, while smaller vessels like Le Bellot and National Geographic Quest are also expected. Fourteen ships, such as World Explorer, Sapphire Princess, and Queen Anne, will be making their inaugural transits through the canal.

This fiscal year, 54 Neopanamax passenger ships, including nine of the largest—like Norwegian Bliss, Joy, and Encore—are anticipated to pass through the canal. First-time Neopanamax transits will include Sapphire Princess, Crown Princess, Queen Anne, Grand Princess, and Nieuw Statendam.

During the 2022-23 season, the canal saw 210 Panamax and 41 Neopanamax cruise transits. For the 2023-24 season (through July), 201 transits have been completed, including 42 Neopanamax vessels. The Panama Canal’s cruise season runs from October to May each year.