Six Holland America Line ships will sail 11 full transits of the Panama Canal, and one ship will offer 14 itineraries that include both the southern Caribbean and partial transits during fall 2015 through spring 2016.
The cruises will range from 10 to 22 days.
From September 2015 through May 2016, Amsterdam, Maasdam, Nieuw Amsterdam, Oosterdam, Veendam and Westerdam will make 11 transits between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans from six departure cities. Guests can set sail from Boston, Fort Lauderdale, San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle, and Vancouver.
In addition to the Panama Canal transit, the 14- to 22-day cruises include a variety of port calls along the way. On the full transits the ships visit destinations in Mexico, Colombia, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Nicaragua and the Caribbean, along with Half Moon Cay, Holland America Line’s private Bahamian island.
Besides the full transits, Zuiderdam will make 14 partial transits between November 2015 and April 2016. The 10- and 11-day “Panama Canal Sunfarer” itineraries include an exploration of the canal’s Gatún Lake and a combination of southern Caribbean calls in Aruba, Bonaire, Columbia, Costa Rica, Curaçao, Grand Cayman, Panama and Half Moon Cay.
On each Panama Canal cruise, guests can enjoy the On Location enrichment program that brings local experiences onto the ships through lectures, presentations, cuisine and entertainment. Guests can learn to weave with palm fronds during Caribbean sea days; and while the ship is in the Panama Canal an expert historian recounts the history of constructing the waterway. A Panamanian market and buffet on the Lido Deck allows guests to sample regional delicacies such as empanadas, arroz con pollo, ropa vieja and pastel de tres leches.
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