The Panama Canal’s 2024-25 cruise season officially commenced on Tuesday, October 7, 2024, with the northbound transit of the Brilliance of the Seas, sailing on a 15-day itinerary from Los Angeles to New Orleans.
According to a press release, this repositioning voyage marks the beginning of over 225 expected transits through the Panama Canal during the season.
Albano G. Aguilar, a specialist in market analysis and forecasting at the Office of Corporate Affairs, said 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.”
“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,” said Panama Canal Administrator Ricaurte Vásquez Morales.
“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.”
This season, major cruise lines like Norwegian, Carnival, and Royal Caribbean continue to offer full and partial Panama Canal transits, while smaller ships such as Le Bellot and National Geographic Quest are also expected. Fourteen cruise ships, including the World Explorer, Sapphire Princess and Queen Anne, will transit the canal for the first time.
This fiscal year, 54 Neopanamax passenger ships are expected to transit the Panama Canal, including nine of the largest ever, such as the Norwegian Bliss, Joy and Encore. Inaugural transits of other Neopanamax ships, including the Sapphire Princess, Crown Princess, Queen Anne, Grand Princess and Nieuw Statendam, are also anticipated.
During the 2022-23 season, the canal recorded 210 Panamax and 41 Neopanamax cruise transits. For the 2023-24 season (through July), 201 transits have been logged, including 42 Neopanamax vessels. The Panama Canal cruise season runs annually from October to May.
