Transcanal Cruise Tips

What is a Transcanal Cruise?

Panama Canal Crossing Guide 101.

To put it simply, a Transcanal cruise refers to the crossing through a canal. Of course, the most popular transcanal cruise is through the Panama Canal. To completely understand what a transcanal cruise is you should know there are a couple of options. You can choose a full transcanal cruise, often referred to as a full transit cruise. Or, you may opt to take a partial transcanal cruise. Occasionally you may even hear people referring to a faux crossing when speaking of transcanal cruises, but a faux crossing never truly enters the canal.  Considering the Panama Canal is a very popular bucket list cruise all of these terms can get overwhelming when trying to decide which transcanal cruise is right for you.

Full Transcanal Cruise:  A full transcanal cruise is often referred to in a few different ways. It can be called a Panama Canal cruise, a full transit cruise, or even a repositioning cruise. However, to be certain you are on a full transcanal cruise your itinerary will sail you completely through the locks, from one ocean to the other. It is also important to note that a full transcanal cruise will usually be around two weeks although that is just a rough estimate. The length of the cruise really depends on the exact itinerary, the departure and arrival cities, and the ports of call.

What’s really nice about a full transcanal cruise is the price, these cruises are often less expensive than a partial transcanal cruise because the cruise ship may be repositioning to a new port. It should also be noted that with this option you will not be returning to the same destination you sailed from, well that is unless you take another full transcanal cruise back in the other direction!

Partial Transcanal Cruise: A partial transcanal cruise is just like it sounds. You will get to experience some of the Panama Canal locks and port cities, but you will not cross through to the other side. What’s nice about a partial transcanal cruise is that you get the opportunity to see more of Panama. Rather than spending the whole day going through all the locks you will get a port stop.

Faux Crossing: If the locks don’t intrigue you but Panama does a faux crossing is always an option. On a faux crossing your ship will port at the Caribbean entrance and allow you to explore a sliver of Panama without ever having to truly enter the locks.

If you are looking for the best deals on any transcanal cruise it is best to check our Price Advantage Alerts.  Our Price Advantage Alerts are generated when our price at CruiseExperts.com is a lower than the price you would pay if you called the cruise line direct! Simply put, our groups department has contracted this price through the cruise line meaning we can give our customers a discounted group price on these sailings that the cruise line can’t! Not only will you find that our Price Advantage Alerts are less expensive than the cruise line price but you can rest assured that these particular sailings are the best cruises you will find. The groups department only reserves group pricing on cruises with the best itineraries, best cruise ships, and during the best season for that destination! That means you are getting an amazing cruise at the best price!

Don’t miss out on these amazing deals on transcanal cruises. Call the CruiseExperts.com today at 1-888-804-CRUISE(2784). Check out our Price Advantage Alerts frequently and pay less than if you called the cruise line direct! Don’t forget to like us on Facebook and join our InnerCircle for exclusive offers and cruise news you can use! Also, check out our new Resource Center, where you can receive expert knowledge from us before your next cruise!