Panama Canal full transit or partial transit
Both cruises use the canal. Only a full transit leaves one ocean and arrives in the other. A partial transit enters from the Caribbean, crosses Gatun Lake, and comes back out the same locks.
Full transit
- Direction
- One way, Atlantic to Pacific, or the reverse. The ship passes every lock and the Culebra Cut.
- Start and finish
- You board in one city and leave the ship in another. Florida to California is the common pair. Some cruises start in Seattle or Vancouver and end in Florida.
- Length
- Usually 14 to 17 nights. A voyage that also stops in Mexico, or continues on toward an Alaska season, runs longer.
- Flights
- You use two airports. The flight home does not leave from the city where you boarded.
- What you see
- Both sets of locks, the lake, and the cut. Cartagena is a common stop. The Pacific side often adds a Mexican or Central American port.
- Cruise fare
- An interior cabin is often about $1,200–$2,200 per person for 14 to 17 nights. A balcony is often about $2,200–$4,000. A sale can put an interior near $1,000. That is the cruise only.
Partial transit
- Direction
- A round trip. The ship uses the Caribbean locks, spends time on Gatun Lake, and comes back out the same side.
- Start and finish
- You return to the port where you boarded, usually Fort Lauderdale or Miami.
- Length
- Often 10 or 11 nights. It is still longer than a Caribbean cruise of seven nights.
- Flights
- You use one airport. The flight out and the flight home use the same city.
- What you see
- The Caribbean locks and the lake. You do not pass the Culebra Cut or the Pacific locks. The other days are often Cartagena or a Caribbean stop.
- Cruise fare
- An interior cabin is often about $800–$1,800 per person for 10 to 12 nights. A balcony is often about $1,500–$3,000. The flight back to Florida is booked separately.
These are recent published ranges on Princess, Holland America, and Celebrity, for two people in a cabin. Taxes and port fees can add a few hundred dollars. Drinks, gratuities, and Wi-Fi are extra on most of these ships unless the fare says they are included. Regent, Silversea, and Viking ocean cost more, and an agent requests those fares. Most of these cruises run in spring and fall.
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