The Panama Canal – a useful shortcut!

The construction of the Panama Canal was started in 1882 by the French with a workforce of over 10,000 men but the project failed due to financial problems and the deaths of over 22,000 workers. The United States took over the project in 1904, and the Canal was opened on 15th August 1914 reducing the number of nautical miles between San Francisco and New York by 7,900!

An interesting fact, despite how it may look on a map, the Canal actually runs from northwest to southeast, and is 51 miles in length with locks, gates and dams.

Control of the canal stayed with the United States until 2000, when it passed to Panama.
The current project to widen the canal and increase its locks is costing somewhere around £6 billion and is due to be finished by 2014.

Between the Caribbean and the Pacific, a ship is lifted 85ft, and then lowered again by 31ft. Ships are guided through the canal by towing locomotives, although they move under their own power. Each transit takes between eight and nine hours, and costs the cruise lines a significant amount of money. In 2008 the Disney Magic paid a record $331 dollars for just one transit of the canal.

Most cruises through the Panama Canal depart from Fort Lauderdale or San Juan, calling at a number of Caribbean Islands before the transit and ending the voyage in Los Angeles or San Francisco.
Panama cruises are really popular as they are something a bit different to the norm, and are offered by a wide range of cruise lines. If you would like more information about them, don’t hesitate to contact me.