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Panama Canal

Discover the Panama Canal: Cruise from Panama to Belize

Panama to Belize - Example 11 Day Cruise aboard SH Vega
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Embark on an 11-day cruise aboard the SH Vega from Panama City to Belize. Start in Fuerte Amador, exploring Panama City’s historic sites before cruising the iconic Panama Canal. Navigate its 48-mile waterway, passing through locks and Gatun Lake. Experience Bocas del Toro’s pristine beauty, home to diverse wildlife. Visit San Andrés Island, rich with Afro-Caribbean culture and vibrant coral reefs. Sail to Providencia Island, a UNESCO Seaflower Biosphere Reserve, perfect for snorkelers and divers. Roatan Island offers the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef and Garifuna culture. In Belize, explore Placencia’s coral ecosystems and Half Moon Caye’s marine reserves, including the Blue Hole.
Providencia IslandSan Andres IslandRoatan Island French Cayebocas del toroCuru Wildlife RefugePanama Canal
Highlights
  • Cruise Panama Canal, passing locks lifting and lowering your ship to 85 feet
  • Visit the Seaflower Biosphere Reserve, a rare Caribbean atoll archipelago
  • Explore Mesoamerican Barrier Reef, the world's second-largest coral system
  • See 4,000 red footed boobies and their bright red color courtship rituals
Activities
Places Visited
Activity Level: Variable
Activity options vary depending on destination and operator. Activity level is determined by the range and intensity of activities you choose to participate in. Discuss with your Trip Planner which options are best for you.
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Full Itinerary

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Day 1: Fuerte Amador, Panama City

Arrive at the airport and head to your hotel. Relax, and spend the overnight here preparing for your adventure.

*Pre/Post hotels and flights are always subject to change until the Travel Documents are provided.

Day 2: Fuerte Amador, Panama City | Embark

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 colorful Biomuseo showcases Panama's biodiversity. Miraflores Locks' visitor center tells the story of this legendary waterway. A short taxi ride away, modern Panama City has evolved around its two historic centers: the conquistador-era Panamá Viejo and 17th-century Casco Viejo.

Day 3: Cruising the Panama Canal

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.

Day 4: Bocas del Toro

Bocas del Toro, an archipelago in Panama, blends untouched natural beauty, and 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.

Day 5: San Andres Island

San Andres, 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 is 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 Redland crabs, iguanas, and tropical birds.

Included Excursion

Island Tour
  • Learn about the navy & pirates' history of San Andres in a very funny and interactive way at the Persistance Museum
  • Enjoy panoramic views of the First Baptist Church, perched atop one of the highest hills of the island
  • Discover the Botanical garden

Day 6: Providencia Island

Providencia, in the Caribbean Sea, is the second-largest of the Colombian islands, measuring just 17 km2 with mangrove forests and tropical dry forests. Its infinitely colorful surface, lush underwater landscapes, and mangroves turn the sea green and are home to tiny fish full of life. Declared a UNESCO Seaflower Biosphere Reserve, the Old Providence Nature Park and ecotourism haven attracts divers and snorkellers to its crystal-clear waters.

Included Excursion

Island Tour & Cultural Presentation
  • Enjoy an open-air drive along Providencia’s only road, offering breathtaking views of lush mountainous landscapes and charming painted wooden houses along the shoreline, narrated by knowledgeable local guides
  • Experience the vibrant culture of Providencia with a stop at Fresh Water Bay for local music and dance performances, refreshments, and shopping for unique souvenirs
  • Walk across a wooden footbridge to Santa Catalina Island, where you’ll discover mangroves, traditional houses, and historic fortifications

Day 7: At Sea

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 allows you to mingle with other passengers and share your experiences of this incredible trip or head to the library which is stocked full of reference books. Get an expert’s view in one of the onboard lectures or perfect your photography skills with invaluable advice from the onboard professional photographers.

Day 8: Roatan Island, French Cay

Teeming with marine life, Roatan, Honduras' largest Bay Island, is surrounded by the world's second-largest coral reef, the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef. The Garifuna, 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.

Day 9: Placencia

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 Garifuna community of Seine Bight celebrates its traditional heritage through drumming and dance.

Day 10: Half Moon Caye

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 coastal 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.

Day 11: Belize City | Disembark

  • 1 Breakfast
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 home to pumas, deer, howler monkeys, and tapirs.

Ship/Hotel

SH Vega

SH Vega
SH Vega Club Lounge
SH Vega Club Lounge

Panama City - Hotels

Dates & Prices

My Preferred Start Date

This itinerary is no longer available. For other trip ideas, please visit Central America & Mexico Tours and Cruises.
Rates are subject to change without notice. Book early to get the best rate.
SH Vega Suite OceanViewOceanview
Oceanview D4
19 m2, Oceanview staterooms features 2 single beds, bedroom and living room and a luxurious ensuite bathroom.
SH Vega Suite OceanViewOceanview
Oceanview M4
19 m2, Oceanview staterooms features 2 single beds, bedroom and living room and a luxurious ensuite bathroom.
Balcony
Balcony D5
28 m2, Located at the forward and aft of the ship, these balcony staterooms feature 2 single beds or double bed bedrooms with a living room area, a luxurious bathroom and your own private 6m2 balcony
Balcony
Balcony M5
28 m2, Located at the center of the ship, these balcony staterooms feature 2 single beds or double bed bedrooms with a living room area, a luxurious bathroom and your own private 6m2 balcony
Balcony
Balcony D6
28 m2, Located on deck six, these balcony staterooms feature 2 single beds or double bed bedroom with living room area, a luxurious bathroom and your own private 6m2 balcony
SH Vega SuitePremium suitePremium Suite
Suite
44 m2, Our Suites features a super king bed and separate living room with and a soothing flame-effect fireplace a luxurious ensuite bathroom, and a 12 sq.m. private balcony.
SH Vega Suite PremiumSH Vega Suite PremiumPremium suitePremium Suite
Premium Suite
49 m2, Our grandest suites feature a super king bed and separate living room with and a soothing flame-effect fireplace a luxurious ensuite bathroom, a spacious walk-in wardrobe, and a 12 sq.m private balcony.
Included
  • 10 Breakfasts, 8 Lunches, 9 Dinners
  • 10 Nights Accommodations
  • Accommodations as listed
  • Ground transportation as listed
  • Activities as listed
  • Meals as listed
  • Access to a 24-7 Emergency line while traveling
  • Wifi
  • Self-service laundry 
  • Coffee, tea, soft drinks and selected alcoholic beverages available 24-hours per day
  • Lecture programs by our experienced expedition team and guest speakers
  • Onboard gratuities & port taxes
  • Branded Swan Hellenic expedition parka and use of rubber boots in Polar Regions.
  • Group return transfers from the airport to the cruise port (via our included accommodation where applicable)
  • One night pre-cruise accommodation with breakfast in a 4/5-star hotel or onboard
  • 24-hour room service
Excluded
  • Travel Insurance
  • Personal Expenses
  • Flight costs (please request a quote)
  • Additional excursions during free time
  • Fuel and transportation surcharges (when applicable)
  • Passport and Applicable Visa Expenses
  • We recommend every traveler to take out a travel cancellation insurance, travel interruption insurance and a travel health insurance policy with an assumption of the return transport costs of repatriation

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Kate was great to work with in the planning stage. She was prompt, helpful, and efficient. Our tour guide, Edwin, was knowledgeable and passionate. We were very happy to have traveled with Adventure Life, it made the trip easy and a true pleasure. We could concentrate on enjoying the experience rather than the details of travel.
Lisa Bridge

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