The full crossing, not the loop: Atlantic to Pacific through all three lock chambers in one daylight day, with Caribbean Colombia on one side and the Mexican Riviera on the other. It is a repositioning-style voyage, so the fare per night is far below what the engineering deserves.
The route at a glance
Fourteen nights, typically Fort Lauderdale to San Diego (or the reverse), in the October to April season. Holland America's Eurodam runs the classic pattern: sea days down the Caribbean to Cartagena, then a full daylight transit of the canal - up the Gatun locks, across the lake, down through Pedro Miguel and Miraflores to the Pacific - followed by Costa Rica or Nicaragua, Huatulco and Puerto Vallarta on the Mexican coast, and sea days up to California. Expect roughly six port calls and seven sea days: this is a ship-and-scenery voyage as much as a port voyage.
Who this route suits
Best for engineering and history travelers (the canal is the point, and a daylight full transit is the complete version), for sea-day lovers who read, and for West Coast travelers who can fly one-way cheaply. The long, warm sea days and big-ship stability suit limited-mobility travelers well. Less ideal for anyone who wants a port every morning, and travelers who only care about the canal itself may prefer the cheaper partial-transit loop - see the Panama Canal and Central America route for that alternative.
What it costs
Full transits price like repositioning cruises, which is the bargain here. Holland America's April 2027 Eurodam sailing lists inside cabins from $2,229 per person, oceanview from $2,289 and balconies from $3,169 - roughly $160 a night inside for a 14-night voyage. Excursions in Cartagena and on the Mexican coast run $50-130. The one-way airfare is the main extra to budget; the canal transit itself is included in the fare.
The five-minute version
- Fourteen nights, ocean to ocean, Fort Lauderdale to San Diego or reverse.
- Cartagena, full daylight canal transit, Costa Rica, Huatulco, Puerto Vallarta.
- About six ports, seven sea days; the ship is the destination.
- Inside from about $2,230, balcony from about $3,170; one-way flights extra.
- Only want the canal? The partial-transit Central America route costs less and returns to the same port.