canal cruises
The Panama Canal has been called "the great divide," the bridge between two continents "and" the greatest shortcut in the world. "
A look at the immensity of the Panama Canal, and you understand why a French company with a workforce of 10,000 people went bankrupt trying to search him. The project, conceived in 1534, while by Charles I of Spain, began in 1882 and ended seven years later disaster more 22,000 people died from disease and plague.
The United States took over the assets of a French company in 1902 and began the process of finishing the canal.
It is an epic story, best appreciated in passing through the ship, see what many historians say changed the face the industrial world.
This 51 mile Tollway water shaved more than 7900 nautical miles off the distance between New York and San Francisco.
Sail the Panama Canal offers not only a rich and detailed story told by a board of canal historian, is the natural beauty that surprises most - an ever changing panorama Jungle Clad Hills, shimmering Lake Gatun, the vaulted space above the deck of America, and of course the complex system of locks and doors themselves.
When you approach the canal from the Atlantic, you travel through 7.2 kilometers of dredged channels. Your ship will then proceed to a little over 11 km to the west slightly before reaching the Gatun Locks. Huge ships are lifted, as if they were toys, 85 feet by three sets of locks, the level of Gatun Lake. This lake has resulted in the damming of the Chagres River and the Continental deal Divide. This combined with the Gaillard Cut is a feat equal to dig a trench 10 feet by 55 feet wide from New York to California.
Passing through Gatun Lake to the mouth of the Gaillard Cut and down the canal 13 kilometers, you arrive at the Pedro Miguel lock, which down 31 feet. This lock borders Miraflores Lake, about 55 feet above the Pacific. Your ship still about 2 kilometers through Miraflores Lake and reached the locks at Miraflores. These locks lower your boat to tide levels in the Pacific. On leaving the Miraflores locks of you continue 4 kilometers from the Balboa Bay of Panama.
From the deck of your boat or your private balcony, you marvel that the floodgates open into one another. The locks are double to allow a vessel to be raised while another is lowered. The lock chambers on the Panama Canal are 1000 feet long and 110 feet wide. The transit time in the channel is usually seven to eight hours. In counterpoint, there is the wonder of nature that surrounds the fact that a man, a lush virgin tropical forests, impenetrable and inviolable, except for the channel. Imagine watching the sunrise in the Atlantic located in the Pacific. Visit Mayan ruins and colonial towns.
You can watch cliff divers plunge from dizzying heights or hiking in a tropical forest where hummingbirds dart outnumber the crows at home.
In early 2000, the United States has ceded control 100% of the canal to Panama after having shared their joint protection and control since 1977. The final cost of the canal from U.S. $ 336 million, which is less than the cost of new cruise ships that pass through.
While passing through the canal is an incredible experience, remember your cruise, depending on the route will also take you to places like Puerto Caldera, Costa Rica, Cartagena, Colombia, Santa Cruz; Hualtulco and Zihuatanejo, Mexico or perhaps, Ocho Rios, Jamaica Oranjestad, Aruba or, possibly, Willemstad, Curacao and Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic.
Engineered as carefully as the canal itself, these cruises combine just the right number of exciting ports with long days at sea at leisure. And no matter which direction you go, you'll discover a remarkable collection of wonders, both natural and anthropogenic.
Stay tuned, this year marks the beginning of a major expansion of the Panama Canal, another engineering marvel, but that's another story ...
Sid Kaplan
Cruise Vacations Guide
About the Author:
Sid Kaplan has extensive experience in the travel business. He owned and operated a large retail cruise only agency in Canada and his wife has 25 years experience working for major cruise lines. Their website is Cruise Vacations Guide
which offers advice and tips to those looking to create memorable cruise vacations. Shore excursion and land tour information is also provided. Cruise, hotel, car rental and vacation adventure booking online.
Article Source: ArticlesBase.com - A Land Divided - a World United - the Panama Canal
Eighth Wonder of the World : Panama Canal Cruise Vacations : Princess Cruises
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1987 Gavin MacLeod Panama Canal Photo Princess Cruise Print Ad (24708) An original vintage magazine ad print from the year published. Print ads make unique gift items that can be framed as artwork. Shipped flat un-framed in plastic sleeve with backing board.... |
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Canal Cruise Laser Die Cut * 5 x 2 1/4... |
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City and a Massive Freighter as It Cruises the Canal, Havana, Cuba Photographic Poster Print City and a Massive Freighter as It Cruises the Canal, Havana, Cuba is digitally printed on archival photographic paper resulting in vivid, pure color and exceptional detail that is suitable for any museum or gallery display. Finding that perfect piece to match your interest and style is easy and within your budget!... |
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Cruise the Canals of Europe: England, Ireland & Wales [VHS] $19.95 This is the story of the first ever crossing of England & Ireland by a trans-Atlantic vessel. But you will not need to sail the Atlantic to enjoy the rivers and canals of Europe. Cruise the Canals of Europe shows the wonders and beauties of Europe's inland waterways without having to pass through a single lock. If you would like to experience a different kind of European vacation, Cruise the Can... |
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Cruise Panama Canal [VHS] $3.95 ... |
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Panama Canal By Cruise Ship: The Complete Guide To Cruising The Panama Canal $13.68 One of the greatest engineering feats ever, the Panama Canal is becoming one of the world's most popular cruise itineraries. Ports of call span the Caribbean and the Mexican Riviera, but the highlight of the cruise is the eight-hour transit of the Canal in which six massive locks raise and lower the ship 85 feet. Read about the monumental construction of the Canal as well as the history, culture, ... |
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Panama Canal Map by Cruise Map Publishing Company $4.98 Folded map of the history of The Panama Canal. Includes map of the Panama Canal, history of the Canal and it's completion, information on travelling through the canal, a 2-D map of the canal and it's locks and information about nature surrounding the Panama Canal.... |
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Panama on a Budget - Revised and Updated $5.39 5 ebooks are combined into 1 to give you a thorough guide to planning your vacation to the beautiful country of Panama. Included are:1. Panama on a Budget2. 4 Reasons Why You Should Visit Panama3. Top 10 Places to Visit in Panama4. Understated Panama, Unexpected Adventure5. Top 10 Reasons to Chose Panama for Retirement... |
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Cruise Panama Canal $4.00 Your unforgettable trip through the modern marvel that is the Panama Canal includes stops at 12 ports of call, including Cartagena, Ila Margarita, Martinique, and St. Croix. Includes a bonus segment on the region's top ten attractions.... |
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Cruise Experience Panama Canal ... |
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1987 Gavin MacLeod Panama Canal Photo Princess Cruise Print Ad (24708) An original vintage magazine ad print from the year published. Print ads make unique gift items that can be framed as artwork. Shipped flat un-framed in plastic sleeve with backing board.... |
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Canal Cruise Laser Die Cut * 5 x 2 1/4... |
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City and a Massive Freighter as It Cruises the Canal, Havana, Cuba Photographic Poster Print City and a Massive Freighter as It Cruises the Canal, Havana, Cuba is digitally printed on archival photographic paper resulting in vivid, pure color and exceptional detail that is suitable for any museum or gallery display. Finding that perfect piece to match your interest and style is easy and within your budget!... |
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Cruise the Canals of Europe: England, Ireland & Wales [VHS] $19.95 This is the story of the first ever crossing of England & Ireland by a trans-Atlantic vessel. But you will not need to sail the Atlantic to enjoy the rivers and canals of Europe. Cruise the Canals of Europe shows the wonders and beauties of Europe's inland waterways without having to pass through a single lock. If you would like to experience a different kind of European vacation, Cruise the Can... |
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Cruise Panama Canal [VHS] $3.95 ... |
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1987 Gavin MacLeod Panama Canal Photo Princess Cruise Print Ad (24708) An original vintage magazine ad print from the year published. Print ads make unique gift items that can be framed as artwork. Shipped flat un-framed in plastic sleeve with backing board.... |
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Canal Cruise Laser Die Cut * 5 x 2 1/4... |
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City and a Massive Freighter as It Cruises the Canal, Havana, Cuba Photographic Poster Print City and a Massive Freighter as It Cruises the Canal, Havana, Cuba is digitally printed on archival photographic paper resulting in vivid, pure color and exceptional detail that is suitable for any museum or gallery display. Finding that perfect piece to match your interest and style is easy and within your budget!... |
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Cruise the Canals of Europe: England, Ireland & Wales [VHS] $19.95 This is the story of the first ever crossing of England & Ireland by a trans-Atlantic vessel. But you will not need to sail the Atlantic to enjoy the rivers and canals of Europe. Cruise the Canals of Europe shows the wonders and beauties of Europe's inland waterways without having to pass through a single lock. If you would like to experience a different kind of European vacation, Cruise the Can... |
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Cruise Panama Canal [VHS] $3.95 ... |
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Eastern Caribbean Ports of Call: From Puerto Rico to Aruba Including the Panama Canal $17.95 ... |
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