On April 29th, the first passenger vessel passed through the new locks of the Expanded Panama Canal. The Disney Cruise Line “Disney Wonder” is one of several cruise ships to have transited the canal during the 2016-2017 cruise season, that ends in May, but the first passenger ship to have used the new locks.
According to Panama Canal Authority, other lines such as Princess Cruises, Holland America Line, Royal Caribbean Cruises and Norwegian Cruise Line all sent passenger vessels through the original locks. In addition, smaller vessels, such as the Safari Voyager and National Geographic’s Sea Lion, which call on ports in the Caribbean and along the east and west coasts of Central America, contributed to the segment’s traffic as well.
By the close of the 2017 fiscal year, which ends September 30, Panama Canal International Trade Specialist Albano Aguilar expects 233 passenger vessels – representing a total 237,298 passengers – to have transited both the original and new locks.
On April 1, the Panama Canal began accepting booking requests for passenger vessels in the new locks. So far, 18 reservations have already been made for passenger vessels to transit the Expanded Canal for the 2017-2018 season, a number which is expected to increase in the coming months.