Cruise: Panama Canal

The Panama Canal Authority (ACP) is expecting more than 230 cruise ship transits during the 2016-2017 season, beginning October 4 with the Coral Princess on a voyage from Los Angeles to the U.S. East Coast.

"We expect the major cruise lines will use the Panama Canal route during the cruise season, which lasts until April 2017," said Albano Aguilar, an international trade specialist at the canal authority.

Holland America Line, Princess Cruises, Celebrity Cruise Line and Norwegian Cruise Line, will offer itineraries with full or partial transits of the canal.

Smaller cruise ships will also transit the waterway, including the Voyager Safari and National Geographic Sea Lion, with seven- and eight-day itineraries, respectively, along the West Coast of Central America.

Regent Seven Seas, Holland America Line and Noble Calidonia will have ships transiting on new itineraries - Regent Seven Seas Explorer on January 2, Holland America's Eurodam on April 13, and Noble Calidonia's Hebridean Sky on April 17.

ACP is now accepting bookings for Neopanamax passenger vessels for transit dates beginning April 1, 2017. To date, the agency has confirmed 11 reservations for passenger vessels to transit the expanded canal starting October 2017.