Panama Canal Discovery

ITINERARY

Fuerte Amador (Panama City)
Day 1
Fuerte Amador, the Panama Canal's Pacific terminus, lies at the end of a mile-long manmade causeway, built from the canal's waste materials. Nearby, Frank Gehry's colourful Biomuseo showcases Panama's biodiversity. Miraflores Locks' visitor centre tells the story of this legendary waterway. A short taxi ride away, modern Panama City has evolved around its two historic centres: the conquistador-era Panamá Viejo and 17th-century Casco Viejo.

Cruising Panama Canal
Day 2
Cruising the Panama Canal is a bucket-list experience, navigating a 48-mile waterway that connects the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, eliminating the need for a voyage around Cape Horn. The journey involves passing through three sets of locks, lifting and lowering the ship by up to 85 feet, traversing Gatun Lake, an artificial reservoir, and navigating the narrow Culebra Cut—a 9-mile stretch carved through the Cordillera Central mountain range.

Bocas del Toro
Day 3
Bocas del Toro, an archipelago in Panama, blends untouched natural beauty, abundant marine and bird life with Afro-Caribbean and indigenous cultures. Bocas, a small surfing town, offers restaurants and cafes alongside pristine beaches. These golden-sand beaches provide nesting sites for hawksbill, leatherback and green turtles. Swan Caye, a nearby island, is home to red-billed tropicbirds, brown boobies, frigates, gulls and terns.

San Andrés Island
Day 4
San Andrés, a Colombian island in the Caribbean, lures visitors with reggae beats and breathtaking underwater worlds that teem with fish and shipwrecks just off Nicaragua's coast. Spratt Bight Beach has a palm-fringed paradise with a lively promenade. Nearby Johnny Cay Park offers an idyllic islet with coconut groves, while nature enthusiasts can explore Old Point Regional Mangrove Park, home to red land crabs, iguanas and tropical birds.

Providencia Island
Day 5
Affectionately known as Provo, Providenciales is the third largest isle in the Turks and Caicos. Grace Bay Beach serves as its watersports hub, offering resorts and seaside dining. Chalk Sound National Park showcases a turquoise lagoon dotted with tiny cays, home to the Turks and Caicos Rock Iguanas, barracudas, stingrays and lemon sharks. Smith's and Bight Reefs provide a sanctuary for starfish, turtles, conch and colourful marine life.

Day at sea
Day 6
Sea days are rarely dull. Take the time to sit back and let the world go by. The ship’s observation decks provide stunning views of the passing ocean. A day at sea gives you the opportunity to mingle with other passengers and share your experiences of this incredible trip or head to our library which is stocked full of reference books. Get an expert’s view in one of our on-board lectures or perhaps perfect your photography skills with invaluable advice from our onboard professional photographers.

Roatan Island, French Cay
Day 7
Teeming with marine life, Roatán, Honduras' largest Bay Island, is surrounded by the world's second-largest coral reef, the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef. The Garífuna, descendants of African and Indigenous peoples, have a vibrant culture here. Lush rainforests offer opportunities for adventure, while animal sanctuaries in French Cay like Daniel Johnson's Monkey and Sloth Hangout and Arch’s Iguana and Marine Park home provide unique encounters.

Placencia
Day 8
Placencia, a beach resort town on the southern tip of Belize's Placencia Peninsula, blends relaxation with adventure. Just offshore, the world-renowned Mesoamerican Barrier Reef is a UNESCO World Heritage Site with an incredible coral ecosystem. Inland, the Placencia Lagoon provides a habitat for manatees and saltwater crocodiles. North, the Garífuna community of Seine Bight celebrates its traditional heritage through drumming and dance.

Half Moon Caye
Day 9
Half Moon Caye, a crescent island in Belize's Lighthouse Reef, is Central America's first marine reserve. It features one of the few remaining old-growth littoral forests and shelters 4,000 red-footed boobies, known for their bright red feet and courtship rituals. The Half Moon Caye Natural Monument preserves vital ecosystems underwater. A pristine coral reef wall drops over 900 m (3,000 ft), while the Blue Hole is one of Belize's top dive sites.

Belize City
Day 10
Belize offers a captivating blend of ancient civilizations, rainforest trails and wild landscapes. Pristine cayes dot the 200-mile coast, luring you to Caribbean bliss, while the secrets of the ancient Maya are revealed at Lamanai, showcasing their architectural genius. Nearby, in the Maya Mountains, is the Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary, the world's only jaguar sanctuary, also home to pumas, deer, howler monkeys and tapirs.

WHAT'S INCLUDED

• Group return transfers from the airport to the cruise port
• All meals onboard
• Onboard accommodation in a stateroom selected category
• 24-hour room service
• Coffee, tea, soft drinks and selected alcoholic beverages available 24-hours per day
• Lecture programmes by our experienced expedition team and guest speakers
• One selected shore excursion/expedition activities per port of call (Kayak not included, bookable for a fee on board)
• Standard WiFi. Premium Wifi available for a fee bookable on board
• Onboard gratuities & port taxes