Carnival Spirit Offers Panama Canal Cruise Ahead of Summer in Alaska

Carnival Spirit Offers Panama Canal Cruise Ahead of Summer in Alaska

Set to operate in Alaska during the summer, the Carnival Spirit is currently offering a 16-night Panama Canal to the Pacific Northwest.

After completing its winter schedule in the Caribbean, the Carnival Cruise Line vessel left Miami on its repositioning voyage on April 16.

Cruising all the way to Seattle, the one-way itinerary features visits to ports in three different countries: Colombia, Costa Rica and Mexico.

In addition to doing a complete transit of the Panama Canal, the Carnival Spirit is visiting Cartagena de Indias, Santa Marta, Puntarenas and Cabo San Lucas before arriving in Washington.

The 2001-built ship is then set to kick off its summer program in Alaska.

Beginning on May 2, the Spirit offers a series of seven-night cruises to the Last Frontier which also includes visits to Canada.

During the four-month program, the vessel will visit popular destinations in the region including Skagway, Ketchikan and Juneau.

Sailing roundtrip from Seattle, the Carnival Spirit also offers scenic cruising of the Tracy Arm Fjord, as well as visits to Victoria.

The schedule is part of Carnival’s 49-departure, three-ship summer season in Alaska, which also features the Carnival Luminosa and the Carnival Miracle.

Upon completing its Alaskan program in September, the Carnival Spirit is set to offer an additional Panama Canal cruise. Sailing from Seattle to New Orleans, the 16-night repositioning voyage precedes the ship’s debut in Mobile.

During the 2023-2024 winter, the Spirit is set to offer a series of different itineraries departing from the Alabama port.

Ranging from six to eight nights, the cruises sail to different parts of the Caribbean and the Bahamas, including Mexico, Honduras and Belize. In the Bahamas, the ship is set to visit Bimini, Freeport, Nassau and Princess Cays.

As the lead ship of Carnival’s Spirit Class, the Carnival Spirit originally entered service in 2001. Designed with a multi-deck atrium, a glass-enclosed pool deck and a large number of cabins with private balconies, the 2,100-guest ship was followed by the Carnival Pride, the Carnival Legend and the Carnival Miracle.

Panama Canal to Receive Over 200 Transits by Cruise Ships This Season

Panama Canal to Receive Over 200 Transits by Cruise Ships This Season

The Panama Canal announced the transit of Carnival Cruise Line's Carnival Spirit, which will kick off the 2022-2023 cruise season, with over 200 transits by new and returning cruise ships expected in the waterway this season, according to a press release.

Over the next few months, the Panama Canal will facilitate over 200 cruise ship transits, 17 more than was expected in the 2019-2020 season, including two transits by the Norwegian Encore, according to the Panama Canal.

“We anticipate a record number of Neopanamax vessel transits this year, which will help boost Panama’s tourism sector. Given our role in international trade, we are thrilled to welcome visitors from around the world to experience the Panama Canal first-hand and to discover what our country has to offer,” commented Albano Aguilar, international trade specialist, at Panama Canal.

The cruise season for the Panama Canal stretches from October to May. This season will see the return of several cruise lines, including Carnival Cruise Line, Holland America, Princess Cruises, Norwegian Cruise Line, and Royal Caribbean Cruises, all of which will offer passengers itineraries that include a full or partial transit of the Panama Canal.

In addition, at least 12 cruise ships are scheduled to make their first transit through the Panama Canal this season, including the Fridtjof of Nansen, Seabourn Venture, World Navigator, Celebrity Edge, Sea Cloud Spirit, World Voyager, Evrima, Le Bellot, Spirit of Adventure, Viking Neptune, Viking Octantis, and Viking Polaris.

Cruise ship off Panama coast transfers passengers

Canadian passengers on the Zaandam, Chris and Anna Joiner, asked their government for help

A cruise ship carrying more than 1,800 people off Panama has begun moving healthy passengers to another ship after four people died and two others tested positive for coronavirus.

The owners of the Zaandam, Holland America, said that more than 130 people on board had reported suffering "flu-like symptoms" and respiratory issues.

The Dutch-owned operator said it was transferring asymptomatic people to a sister ship.

It said this would avoid further cases.

The Zaandam and its sister ship the Rotterdam are both off the Pacific coast of Panama.

The Zaandam was planning to sail to Florida but got stuck after the Panamanian authorities said that no vessel with confirmed coronavirus cases on board could pass through the Panama Canal.

However, both ships were later granted permission to continue their journeys in order "to provide humanitarian help" - although the Panamanian authorities added that no passenger could disembark.

The company first announced its plan to "transfer groups of healthy Zaandam guests to [the] Rotterdam" in a statement on Facebook on Friday, adding that it would follow "strict protocols".

It said that "four older guests" had died, but did not give further details about the causes of death.

"We received approval from Panamanian authorities to conduct ship-to-ship operations at anchor between the two vessels," the statement reads.

An unspecified number of passengers - as well as medical supplies and staff - are being transferred between the vessels

Hundreds of passengers without coronavirus symptoms are to be transferred to another ship

Holland America had earlier said that 53 guests and 85 crew members had reported influenza-like illness symptoms.

There were initially 1,243 guests and 586 crew onboard the Zaandam, including four doctors and four nurses, the company said.

The Panama Maritime Authority later said that passengers who were not displaying coronavirus symptoms could be transferred to the Rotterdam.

"It has been concluded that it does not represent any risk to our population since it will be carried out more than eight miles from the mainland," the authority said, adding that the bodies of the deceased would remain on the Zaandam.

The Zaandam has now been granted permission to pass through the Panama Canal

Gurvan Le Pavec, whose parents are onboard the Zaandam, said they have "zero contact with the outside world", adding: "The only thing everyone is waiting for is a positive outcome and that all the passengers can disembark and go home."

The Zaandam was on a South America cruise that departed from Buenos Aires, Argentina, on 7 March.

On Friday, Panama reported that 14 people had so far died in the country after contracting Covid-19, with 786 confirmed cases of infection.

There are now more than 10,000 coronavirus cases in South America

Watch the Norwegian Joy Transit the Panama Canal

Watch the Norwegian Joy Transit the Panama Canal

The Norwegian Joy has made her inaugural transit of the famed Panama Canal as the 2017-built ship was in the Canal on October 22.

It is the first of six transits for the ship this season, including two partial transits, part of 29 transits from neo-Panamax vessels scheduled for the 2019-2020 season, according to a statement.

The season kicked off earlier this month as the Island Princess was the first cruise ship through the Panama Canal to mark the start of the 2019-2020 season.

The Norwegian Joy is a sister ship to the 2018-built Norwegian Bliss, and both vessels are the largest cruise ships to have sailed through the Panama Canal at 333 meters long and with a beam of over 41 meters.

Following her debut in Alaska this summer, the Joy is offering Mexican Riviera and Panama Canal voyages during the winter 2019-2020. 

Ten more vessels will make their first Panama Canal transits this season, including the Norwegian Dawn, Ponant’s Le Dumont D’uwille, P&O's Ventura, the Carnival Glory, Scenic Eclipse, Flying Clipper, Seven Seas Splendor, Hanseatic Inspiration, Hanseatic Nature and the Greg Mortimer.

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El Norwegian Joy de @CruiseNorwegian cuenta con circuito de carreras, simulador de realidad de virtual que incluye la famosa película Star Wars y muchas otras amenidades.
Para esta temporada, se espera un total de 29 tránsitos de cruceros neopanamax por el Canal de #Panamá.

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Island Princess Makes First Panama Canal Transit of New Season

The Island Princess was the first cruise ship through the Panama Canal to mark the start of the 2019-2020 season, according to a press release.

According to Senior International Trade Specialist, Albano G. Aguilar, the Canal will facilitate approximately 258 transits over the next few months, including a record-breaking number by Neopanamax vessels.

“We will see about a ten per cent increase in cruise ship transits at the Panama Canal this season in comparison to last year, a boost largely driven by Neopanamax vessels,” said Aguilar. “We are proud to play a role in Panama’s thriving tourism sector and look forward to showing off what our country has to offer to the more than 320,000 passengers visiting us from around the world this season.”

https://www.flickr.com/gp/spacejunkie/7o3Z8f
Entrance to the Panamax Canal Image by Dave Jones

The Canal expects 29 transits by Neopanamax cruise ships this season, including at least one by the Norwegian Bliss, which remains the largest cruise ship to pass through the waterway, according to a statement.

It will be preceded by its sister ship, the Norwegian Joy, which will pass through for the first time later this month.

Ten other vessels will also make their inaugural transits this season, including the Norwegian Dawn, Ponant’s Le Dumont D’uwille, P&O's Ventura, the Carnival Glory, Scenic Eclipse, Flying Clipper, Seven Seas Splendor, Hanseatic Inspiration, Hanseatic Nature and the Greg Mortimer. 

The Island Princess transited northbound earlier today having originated in Vancouver, Canada and will continue on its 21-day journey to Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

AIDAnova Set for Ems River Transit

AIDAnova Set for Ems River Transit

The new AIDAnova will leave Meyer Werft shipyard in Papenburg and carefully transit the Ems River on her way to Eemshaven, according to a statement. 

The transfer is set to begin on Oct. 8 and conclude about 24 hours later, AIDA said.

The ship will leave around 8:00 a.m. from Papenburg, and pass the Friesen-bridge near Weener in the early afternoon. Another milestone will happen in the early evening as the ship will pass the Jann-Berghaus-bridge in Leer .

After the passage of the Ems barrier Gandersum around 1:00 a.m., the ship is expected to arrive in Emden at 02:30 a.m. and moor in Eemshaven at 09:00 a.m.

AIDA will provide pretzels, croissants, coffee and tea at the Meyer shipyard, at the Friesen-bridge and at the Jann-Berghaus-bridge for onlookers.