Panama Canal Opens 2026-27 Cruise Season With More Than 220 Transits
Five vessels are scheduled to make their first Panama Canal passage during the season, including Seven Seas Prestige, Spirit of Adventure and Explora III.
The Panama Canal has scheduled more than 220 cruise-ship transits for its October 2026–May 2027 season, which opened October 7 with Carnival Cruise Line’s Carnival Miracle. The ship entered the Miraflores Locks from the Pacific for a northbound passage to the Atlantic. It was sailing a 16-day repositioning cruise from Seattle.
The seasonal schedule includes 39 Neopanamax transits and five vessels making their first Panama Canal passage. Participating cruise lines will offer both complete crossings and partial-transit itineraries.
Albano G. Aguilar, market analysis and forecasting specialist in the Panama Canal Authority’s Corporate Affairs Office, expects favorable cruise traffic during the fiscal year. He linked that outlook to expanding passenger demand, growth across the cruise industry and operators’ expectations for their future operations.
Projections cited by the authority put global cruise passenger demand growth at 5% in 2027. The worldwide fleet is expected to gain 16 vessels, bringing the total to 490 ships.
Royal Caribbean International, Norwegian Cruise Line and Carnival Cruise Line are among the operators with canal itineraries this season. The waterway connects cruise routes across North America, the Caribbean and the Pacific coast.
Star Princess, Norwegian Bliss and Norwegian Joy are among the ships scheduled for Neopanamax passages through the expanded locks. Vessel limits for those locks include a maximum length of 370.33 meters and a beam of 51.25 meters.
The schedule also includes smaller vessels: Wind Star, National Geographic Quest, Star Legend and Le Bellot.
Seven Seas Prestige, Spirit of Adventure and Explora III are scheduled to make their inaugural canal passages during the season. L’Austral and Le Laperouse will also cross the waterway for the first time.
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