The Carnival Miracle opened the 2026-27 cruise season on the Panama Canal earlier this month with an eastbound transit.

According to the Panama Canal Authority, the Carnival Cruise Line ship was the first of 220 that are set to transit the waterway between October 2026 and May 2027.

In a social media update, the authority said that the season will be highlighted by large Neo-Panamax vessels, as well as smaller-scale cruise ships.

The schedule is said to “reaffirm the canal as a key route for the cruise industry and international tourism.”

The Carnival Miracle is currently repositioning to Galveston ahead of a winter season offering itineraries departing from Texas.

After wrapping up a summer deployment in Alaska, the vessel kicked off its repositioning voyage on September 26, 2026.

In addition to a full transit of the Panama Canal, the 16-night cruise features visits to destinations on the West Coast of Central America and the Caribbean.

Other ships transiting the waterway this month include the MSC Poesia, which is also sailing from the Pacific to the Caribbean after a summer season in Alaska.

The MSC Cruises vessel is currently repositioning to PortMiami as part of a 19-night cruise that sailed from Seattle on September 28, 2026.

The Disney Magic, the Eurodam and the Carnival Spirit will also operate similar itineraries in coming weeks.

Highlights of the season include the second transit of the Star Princess, which became one of the largest cruise ships in the Panama Canal earlier this year.

Sailing from Los Angeles to Vancouver to Fort Lauderdale, the 175,000-ton vessel is scheduled for an eastbound crossing in mid-October.

The Disney Adventure currently holds the title of the largest cruise ship to sail through the water channel, having transited the Panama Canal during its repositioning voyage to Asia in late 2025.