We list here only one-way ship repositioning Panama Canal cruises 2021-2022-2023 schedule of transition itineraries offered in Spring and Fall. You can compare here all Panama Canal cruise ships as destinations, departure ports, and sailing dates. Learn how to discern the regular one-way Panama Canal transition cruises from the authentic, cheap repositioning cruises through Panama Canal operated seasonally with discount cheap deals.
Panama Canal Repositioning Cruises
When talking about repositioning cruises through Panama Canal, the predicament here is that most Panama Canal transition cruises are full transits (crossings with one-way itineraries). Panama Canal cruise ships are usually leaving either from Florida or California ports. Transition sailings usually last for about 2-weeks.
Panama Canal cruise ships relocation
These are two special “Panama Canal ship relocation” hints for you (serving almost like shortcuts): the always funny one is “follow the money”, and the not so funny one is “mind the season”.
- Destination. Panama Canal cruise relocation is very often in the category of long Coast to Coast voyages (Florida-California and California-Florida, and New York to California and California to New York). And some itineraries start in South America to end in Florida, Boston or NYC, New York (and the reverse).
- Season. It all happens in Spring (April and May) and Fall (September) when all Panama Canal repositioning ships relocate (to and from) Alaska according to their summer Alaskan season schedule. Repositioning cruises on ships passing through Panama Canal with itineraries to/from South America usually start in some of the Winter months.
As to the money part, you’ll know the Panama Canal reposition cruises by their ticket prices. Deals will vary greatly (depending on the line, ship, and cabin category), but always with pleasantly low rates which could be easily defined as “top-luxury inexpensive to really really cheap”.
Panama Canal cruise transition – facts and statistics
The total length of the Panama Canal is 77,1 km (48 ml).- Locks size. Panama Canal’s lock chambers determine the max size of a ship to be able to pass through. Most cruise ships are built to the max lock size allowed (Panamax ships). Larger size ships belong to the group of Post-Panamax ships. The length of each lock is 320 m (1,050 ft), their walls thickness range from the bottom (15 m / 49 ft) to top (3 m / 9,8 ft).
- The longest ship transiting the Panama Canal was a bulk-carrier – length 296,6 m (973 ft), width 32,3 m (106 ft).
- Draft restrictions (max 12,6 m / 41,2 ft). Since the draft is determined by the ship’s weight, Panamax ships (able to pass through the canal) have cargo weight restrictions to ~52,500 t.
- Panama Canal cruise ship transition tolls are based on the ship’s size (vessel type and cargo type for freighter ships). Cruise ships through Panama Canal pay rates based on their passenger capacity (number of berths/beds). The current Panama Canal cruise ship fee (for bigger ships) is US$92 for unoccupied and US$115 for occupied beds. Panama Canal cruise ships of less than 30,000 t or less than 33 t per passenger are charged as the same per-ton fees as cargo ships. These tolls are (in USD) $3,90 per ton (first 10000 t), US$3,19 pt (second 10000 t), US$3,82 pt (third 10000 t) and US$3,76 pt thereafter.
- The most expensive Panama Canal cruise ship transition toll was charged to the NCL Pearl cruise ship on its westbound repositioning cruise in Spring 2010 (passing on April 14th). NCL Pearl paid US$375,600 (for comparison, the average fee is ~US$55,000).
- There are also priority passing fees – the highest was paid in 2006 (US$220,300) by a tanker ship bypassing 90 other ships waiting to move through the canal. The cargo ship avoided a 7-days delay by paying the regular toll 16 times (the normal fee was only US$13,400).
These are two Panama Canal related links. For all things Panama-related – the Republic of Panama official website VisitPanama.com. For all history-technology-facts stuff – see this Wikipedia link. For details on itinerary and to compare prices (indicative rates) follow the line-links from the table below.
Repositioning Panama Canal cruises 2021-2022-2023 schedule
| Cruise lines / ships | Spring 2022-2023 Summer | Fall 2021-2022-2023 Winter |
|---|---|---|
| Carnival Cruise Lines | ||
| Carnival Freedom | 2022 Apr 17 – 16day Miami FL to Seattle WA2023 Apr 16 – 16day Miami FL to Seattle WA | 2022 Sept 20 – 16day Seattle WA to Miami FL2023 Sept 19 – 16day Seattle WA to Miami FL |
| Carnival Pride | – | 2021 Oct 31 – 14day Baltimore to Tampa FL |
| Carnival Radiance | – | – |
| Celebrity Cruises | ||
| Celebrity Millennium | 2022 Apr 18 – 15day Fort Lauderdale to San Diego | 2021 Oct 27 – 15day San Diego CA to Fort Lauderdale FL2022 Oct 19 – 15day Los Angeles to Fort Lauderdale |
| Cunard Line | ||
| Queen Elizabeth | 2022 Jul 26 – 14day Los Angeles to Fort Lauderdale | – |
| Queen Victoria | 2022 Jan 21 – 16day Fort Lauderdale to San Francisco | |
| Disney Cruise Lines | ||
| Disney Wonder | – | 2021 Nov 5 – 14day from California to Texas (San Diego to Galveston) |
| Holland America Line | ||
| Eurodam | 2022 Apr 10 – 15day Fort Lauderdale to San Diego2023 Apr 9 – 15day Fort Lauderdale to San Diego | 2022 Oct 13 – 16day San Diego to Fort Lauderdale |
| Nieuw Amsterdam | 2022 Apr 7 – 19day Fort Lauderdale to San Diego; 24-day to Vancouver2023 Apr 9 – 17day Fort Lauderdale to San Diego; 21-day to Vancouver | 2021 Oct 2 – 21day Seattle to Fort Lauderdale2021 Oct 6 – 17day San Diego to Fort Lauderdale FL
2022 Oct 8 – 17day San Diego to Fort Lauderdale |
| Oosterdam | 2023 Mar 24 – 17day San Antonio to Fort Lauderdale | 2022 Nov 19 – 17day Fort Lauderdale to San Antonio |
| Volendam | – | – |
| Westerdam | 2022 Mar 18 – 17day San Antonio to Fort Lauderdale | 2021 Nov 13 – 17day Fort Lauderdale to San Antonio |
| Zuiderdam | – | 2022 Nov 17 – 14day San Diego to Fort Lauderdale |
| NCL Norwegian Cruise Lines | ||
| Norwegian Encore | 2022 Apr 17 – 15day Miami FL to Los Angeles CA2023 Apr 16 – 15day Miami FL to Los Angeles CA | 2021 Oct 28 – 17day San Francisco CA to Miami FL2022 Oct 23 – 21day Seattle WA to Miami FL |
| Norwegian Jewel | – | 2021 Oct 6 – 15day Los Angeles to Miami2021 Nov 29 – 15day Miami to San Diego |
| Norwegian Joy | – | 2022 Dec 4 – 14day Port Canaveral to Los Angeles |
| Norwegian Sky | – | – |
| P&O Cruises (UK, Australia) | ||
| – | – | – |
| Princess Cruises | ||
| Caribbean Princess | 2022 Mar 19 – 15day Fort Lauderdale to San Francisco | – |
| Island Princess | – | – |
| Royal Caribbean International | ||
| Serenade Of The Seas | – | 2021 Oct 1 – 13day Los Angeles to Miami FL2022 Oct 2 – 13day Los Angeles to Tampa FL |
Small and Luxury cruise lines ship relocation |
||
| (Fred Olsen) Borealis | 2022 Jan 6 – 17day Southampton to Puerto Caldera | – |
| Oceania Marina | – | 2021 Dec 5 – 14day Miami to Callao-Lima Peru |
| Oceania Vista (new ship 2023) | – | 2023 Oct 16 – 16day Miami to Los Angeles2023 Nov 3 – 16day Los Angeles to Miami |
| Seabourn Odyssey | 2022 Apr 28 – 21day Miami to Los Angeles | 2021 Oct 8 – 21day Los Angeles to Miami |
| Seabourn Ovation | – | 2021 Dec 21 – 21day Miami to Los Angeles |
| Seabourn Quest | – | 2021 Nov 7 – 13day Miami to Callao-Lima |
| Seabourn Sojourn | – | 2021 Dec 21 – 21day Miami to Los Angeles |
| Silver Moon | – | 2022 Dec 5 – 16day Bridgetown to Callao (Lima)2022 Dec 21 – 16day Callao to Fort Lauderdale |
| Viking Orion | – | 2021 Nov 17 – 17day Fort Lauderdale to Los Angeles |
| Viking Star | – | 2021 Dec 24 – 17day Fort Lauderdale to Los Angeles |
| Viking Neptune | – | 2022 Dec 22 – 17day Fort Lauderdale to Los Angeles |
Know that with time prices on Panama Canal repositioning cruise deals usually go down with time. Still, the economic law of “Supply And Demand” will always rule – cruise lines will price their deals and cabin categories accordingly. So good luck with those, and happy Panama Canal “reposition” vacations!