A cruise from Vancouver takes passengers on a bucket-list journey through the Panama Canal before making several stops in the Caribbean Islands.
The cruise departs from Canada Place on Sunday, Sept. 29 and spends a couple of days at sea before stopping in San Francisco on Wednesday, Oct. 2. It spends one more day at sea before stopping in Mexico in Cabo San Lucas and Puerto Vallarta.
Guests enjoy a day at sea before making two more stops in Mexico in Huatulco and Puerto Chiapas on Oct 10 and 11. The cruise visits Puerto Quetzal in Guatemala the following day before spending one more day at sea.
On Oct. 13, the cruise will make a stop in Puntarenas, Guatemala. On Oct. 15, it will move through the awe-inspiring Panama Canal before spending several days at sea with a day in breathtaking Aruba sandwiched in between.
The Panama Canal is considered a marvel of engineering and a favourite voyage of cruise enthusiasts.
After stopping in Florida's Fort Lauderdale on Oct. 20, the cruise makes stops in Grand Turk in the Turks and Caicos Islands, St. Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands, San Juan in Puerto Rico, and Half Moon Cay in the Bahamas.
The cruise disembarks back in Fort Lauderdale on Sunday, Oct. 27.
| Date | Port | Arrive | Depart |
| Sunday, September 29 | Vancouver, B.C., Canada | 3:00 p.m. | |
| Monday, September 30 | At Sea | ||
| Tuesday, October 1 | At Sea | ||
| Wednesday, October 2 | San Francisco, CA | 8:00 a.m. | 11:00 p.m. |
| Thursday, October 3 | At Sea | ||
| Friday, October 4 | San Diego, CA | 7:00 a.m. | 4:00 p.m. |
| Saturday, October 5 | At Sea | ||
| Sunday, October 6 | Cabo San Lucas, Mexico | 7:00 a.m. | 2:00 p.m. |
| Monday, October 7 | Puerto Vallarta, Mexico | 8:00 a.m. | 5:00 p.m. |
| Tuesday, October 8 | At Sea | ||
| Wednesday, October 9 | Huatulco, Mexico | 10:00 a.m. | 6:00 p.m. |
| Thursday, October 10 | Puerto Chiapas, Mexico | 8:00 a.m. | 5:00 p.m. |
| Friday, October 11 | Puerto Quetzal, Guatemala | 6:00 a.m. | 6:00 p.m. |
| Saturday, October 12 | At Sea | ||
| Sunday, October 13 | Puntarenas, Costa Rica | 8:00 a.m. | 6:00 p.m. |
| Monday, October 14 | At Sea | ||
| Tuesday, October 15 | Panama Canal (Full Transit) (Cruising) | ||
| Wednesday, October 16 | At Sea | ||
| Thursday, October 17 | Aruba | 8:00 a.m. | 5:00 p.m. |
| Friday, October 18 | At Sea | ||
| Saturday, October 19 | At Sea | ||
| Sunday, October 20 | Fort Lauderdale, FL | 7:00 a.m. | 3:00 p.m. |
| Monday, October 21 | At Sea | ||
| Tuesday, October 22 | Grand Turk, Turks and Caicos Islands | 7:00 a.m. | 3:00 p.m. |
| Wednesday, October 23 | St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands | 1:00 p.m. | 10:00 p.m. |
| Thursday, October 24 | San Juan, Puerto Rico | 7:00 a.m. | 5:00 p.m. |
| Friday, October 25 | At Sea | ||
| Saturday, October 26 | Half Moon Cay, Bahamas | 8:00 a.m. | 2:00 p.m. |
| Sunday, October 27 | Fort Lauderdale, FL | 7:00 a.m. |
Vancouver cruise with Holland America Line through the Panama Canal
Holland America Line is known for its mid-size vessels that can navigate this trim terrain. Fans of the cruise line typically enjoy sailing on ships they can become well acquainted with during the voyage and relish opportunities to speak with the captain and cruise director.
The ship is the five-star Nieuw Amsterdam, which offers 11 bars and lounges, three swimming pools, a basketball court, a tennis court, hot tubs, a movie theatre, renowned spa treatments, a showroom, a jogging track, and much more.
The total cost for the lead-in cabin category, an interior stateroom, is US$6,097.36 which converts to C$8,362.68 or C$4181.34 per person. This total breaks down to a per-diem, per-person amount of C$149.33 (see slide three).
One-way flights from Fort Lauderdale to Vancouver start for just over C$200 in October but typically involve two stops at that price. For an itinerary with only one stopover, prices typically start around C$250 (see slide four for details).
Travellers should spend at least one night in Florida post-cruise before flying in case there are delays; it also gives them a chance to enjoy the sun-drenched state before returning to Raincouver.
