Enjoying a Modern Princess Cruise to Panama Canal

Princess Cruises to the Panama Canal are popular because people love the idea of combining a relaxing cruise vacation with the excitement of seeing an engineering marvel.

Prior to the construction of the canal, travelers had to make their way through a winding path of jungle rivers across the isthmus connecting South America and North America. France began a canal project in the late 1800's that was a failure, costing the lives of nearly 20,000 builders. In 1903, the United States took charge of the project and the canal opened eleven years later.

Cruising through the Panama Canal today is just as exciting as it was a hundred years ago when it was built.

A Princess Cruise to Panama Canal is best enjoyed between October and April. The area's rainy season typically tapers off by the beginning of December, giving you a better shot at a sunny comfortable cruise. Most of the major cruise companies travel through the canal, but Princess Cruises offer the most bargain Panama Canal Cruises, running as many as 40 cruises through the canal each year.

In the past, Panama Canal Cruise deals included just a standard itinerary that lasted about two weeks and included a trip through the Panama Canal. Travelers would board in Florida, stop in Central America and the Caribbean, and end up on the West Coast of the United States.

Nowadays, you can buy a cheap Panama Canal cruise that includes a lot of variety and plenty of scenery. Cruises range from one to three weeks and include stops in the usual ports like Ft. Lauderdale, Miami, San Diego, San Francisco, Costa Rica, and Columbia.

For example, a 10 night cruise from Ft. Lauderdale to Mexico, on the luxurious "Coral Princess", starts at $899 per Person.

Newer cruise itineraries sometimes just offer a partial trip through the canal and stop in Gamboa and Colon, and you can start or end your cruise in Tampa, Seattle, Vancouver, or Port Canaveral.