Windstar Cruises: Costa Rica & Panama Canal
If you prefer to sail on a smaller ship, consider booking your Panama Canal cruise with Windstar. The line offers a shorter 7-day itinerary on a 312-guest all-suite motor yacht, Star Pride (pictured above), or on a 148-guest masted sailing yacht, Wind Star or Wind Spirit, from January to March 2025 and again from November 2025 through March 2026. If you wait until April 2026, you can reserve a stateroom aboard Windstar’s newest ship, Star Seeker, which can accommodate 224 guests.
The itinerary begins in Puerto Caldera, Costa Rica. It stops at several destinations in Costa Rica before arriving in Panama City (Fuerte Amador), where you’ll have a chance to see the major attractions. The ship then transits the Panama Canal before disembarking in Colón. Prices start at $2,599 (cruise only) or $3,292 (all-inclusive) per person (double occupancy).
Royal Caribbean: 13-Night Panama Canal Eastward Cruise
If you want the experience of transiting the Panama Canal but aren’t interested in getting off the ship in Panama, Royal Caribbean offers this eastbound itinerary with a full transit on Feb. 19, 2025. The 2,143-guest Serenade of the Seas will depart San Diego for Puerto Vallarta and Huatulco in Mexico, and Puntarenas, Costa Rica, before transiting the canal on day 10 of the cruise. After visiting Cartagena, Colombia, on the Atlantic side, the ship will then sail 2 sea days before disembarking in Miami. Prices start at $1,626 per person (double occupancy).