Panama Canal Expects Over 220 Cruise Transits by May

PANAMA · CANAL

A Carnival ship bound from Seattle for Texas has opened the canal’s October-to-May cruise season, with more transits planned than last year.

The Panama Canal cruise season opened on Wednesday, 7 October, when the Carnival Miracle began a northbound transit of the Miraflores Locks. The Panama Canal Authority (ACP), the Panamanian state agency that runs the waterway, expects more than 220 cruise transits this season.

That is up from the more than 195 transits it forecast a year ago. The lines it names for the season, Carnival, Norwegian and Royal Caribbean, belong to Miami-based groups listed in New York.

For US travellers, the season brings canal voyages and repositioning cruises between the West Coast and the Caribbean. For investors, it is a small but visible gauge of demand for long itineraries.

Carnival Miracle Opens the Season

The Carnival Miracle crossed from the Pacific towards the Atlantic on a 16-day repositioning voyage from Seattle, Washington, the ACP said. A repositioning voyage moves a ship between seasonal markets, in this case from the Pacific Northwest to the Gulf of Mexico.

The ship left Seattle on 26 September and ends the voyage in Galveston, Texas, in mid-October, Cruise Industry News reported. From there it is due to run four-night and ten-night Caribbean cruises.

La Estrella de Panamá and the broadcaster TVN both reported the opening transit on Wednesday. A year earlier, Cunard’s Queen Elizabeth opened the season on Thursday, 9 October 2025, also on a voyage from Seattle.

Cruise passengers watch from the bow as their ship enters a set of Panama Canal locks, pictured in 2015. Photo: Paul Harrison / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)

More Than 220 Transits and 39 Large Ships

The ACP expects 39 of the transits to use the Neopanamax locks, the wider chambers opened in 2016. They include three of the largest cruise ships, the Star Princess, Norwegian Bliss and Norwegian Joy, the ACP said.

Five ships will cross for the first time: L’Austral, Le Lapérouse, Seven Seas Prestige, Spirit of Adventure and Explora III. Smaller expedition vessels such as National Geographic Quest and Le Bellot are also expected.

Norwegian Cruise Line, Carnival Cruise Line and Royal Caribbean will operate both full and partial transits, the ACP said. A partial transit enters the canal, sails into Gatun Lake and returns to the same ocean.

Albano G. Aguilar, a market analyst in the ACP’s corporate affairs office, said cruise transits should perform well in fiscal year 2027. The ACP cites 5.0% growth in global cruise passenger demand in 2027 and 16 new ships, for a world fleet of 490.

A Rebound After a Leaner Year

The new forecast reverses last season’s dip. In October 2025 the ACP expected more than 195 transits, down from more than 225 forecast for 2024–2025.

At the time, it blamed cost-cutting by the big lines, including shorter itineraries and more use of their renewed Caribbean facilities. Large ships remain fewer: 39 Neopanamax transits, against forecasts of 41 last season and 54 the season before.

The canal’s size record was set last season by Disney Cruise Line’s Disney Adventure, which crossed on Monday, 2 February 2026. At 208,000 gross tons, it was the largest passenger ship ever to use the canal, the ACP said.

Water Remains the Constraint

Cruise ships share the locks with cargo traffic, and both depend on fresh water from Gatun Lake.

On 28 September the ACP raised the Neopanamax draft limit to 49 feet (14.94 metres). It also lifted daily slots to 33 from 15 October.

It also said a water deficit continues in the canal watershed. A Deloitte analysis reported by La Prensa on 5 October warned that El Niño could put pressure on the canal in 2027.

During the 2023–2024 drought, some days saw only 18 transits against a norm of 38, La Prensa reported.

What It Means for You

For US cruise passengers, more scheduled transits mean more choice of canal itineraries between October and May. Texas cruisers also gain a ship, as the Carnival Miracle moves to Galveston for Caribbean sailings.

For investors, the higher count suggests the big lines are adding canal voyages back after last year’s cuts. Carnival Corporation (CCL), Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings (NCLH) and Royal Caribbean Group (RCL) trade on the New York Stock Exchange.

Panama uses the US dollar, so canal fees and shore spending need no currency conversion. Background on dry-season bookings: Panama Canal Will Auction 558 Slots for Dry Season.

What Is Not Known

The ACP gave no passenger total, toll revenue estimate or list of departure ports for the season. Its release also does not say how many cruise transits actually took place in 2025–2026.

Nobody can yet say whether El Niño will force new draft limits during the dry season early next year. Such limits mainly affect the largest ships using the Neopanamax locks.

What Comes Next

Daily canal slots rise to 33 on Thursday, 15 October, and the Carnival Miracle is due in Galveston in mid-October. Large ships such as Norwegian Bliss and Norwegian Joy are scheduled later, on dates the ACP has not published.

The 220 figure is a schedule, not a guarantee. Lines can still add or cancel transits before the season ends in May.

Frequently Asked Questions

When is the Panama Canal cruise season?

It usually runs from October to May. The 2026-2027 season opened on Wednesday, 7 October, with the Carnival Miracle.

How many cruise ships will cross the canal this season?

The Panama Canal Authority expects more than 220 cruise transits. Of these, 39 will use the larger Neopanamax locks.

Which cruise lines sail through the Panama Canal?

The canal names Norwegian Cruise Line, Carnival Cruise Line and Royal Caribbean for full and partial transits. Smaller expedition ships such as Le Bellot and National Geographic Quest are also expected.

What is a partial Panama Canal transit?

The ship enters through one set of locks, cruises into Gatun Lake and then returns to the same ocean. A full transit crosses between the Pacific and the Atlantic.

Could drought disrupt Panama Canal cruises?

The canal raised its draft limit on 28 September and adds daily slots from 15 October, but reports a continuing water deficit. A Deloitte analysis warns El Niño could strain the waterway in 2027.

Sources: Panama Canal Authority (2026–2027 cruise season); Panama Canal Authority (2025–2026 season); Panama Canal Authority (2024–2025 season); Panama Canal Authority (draft and slots, 28 September); Panama Canal Authority (Disney Adventure); La Estrella de Panamá; TVN; La Prensa (El Niño analysis); Cruise Industry News (all accessed 8 October 2026).