Sailing the Panama Canal

It is a warm night. There is a gentle breeze coming from the surrounding ocean. You’re lying in a lounge chair on the top deck of a cruise ship, sipping a warm hot chocolate and it is the third night of a Pirates of the Caribbean movie marathon. As you watch the third installment, you can’t help but smile because what better way to enjoy this franchise than sailing on the ocean. You’re heading to South America, and you are still only at the midpoint of your vacation. A week is ending, and you have another glorious week ahead of you. This is the magic of sailing on Disney Cruise Line’s Panama Canal Itinerary.

This has quickly become my favorite cruise itinerary, which I’ve had the pleasure of sailing several times. Well, I must be honest, it is tied with Alaska. But you simply can’t beat a two-week, all-inclusive vacation where the guest service is so good, you will never want to leave. I always feel the most taken care of aboard a Disney Cruise.

Sailing Direction- East VS. West

The Panama Canal cruise itinerary on Disney is a repositioning cruise. Meaning the port you start in will not be the one you end in. When I sailed east to west, we started in New Orleans, LA and ended in San Diego, CA. When I sailed west to east, we started in San Diego, CA and ended in Galveston, TX.

Extremely large ships can’t sail through the canal so for these limited sailings, you are most likely going to be on the Disney Wonder or the Disney Magic.

Sailing west bound out of New Orleans was a great port to start in on the Disney Wonder because we got to sail on the Mississippi. Because you can’t create a large wake, you sail very slowly. You essentially get a river boat cruise of New Orleans. Sail by this historic city and enjoy the sites for as long as you like. We set sail around 4:30/5pm and weren’t fully out of the Mississippi River until 2-3am.

The best part of getting to be on the Disney Wonder for this itinerary was that while we were sailing out of New Orleans, we were having dinner at Tiana’s Place, which felt very special.

The next westbound Panama Canal sailing with the Disney Magic in 2026 will be sailing out of Galveston, TX. I am hoping that in the future they will sail out of New Orleans again.

Westbound is the superior sailing direction for one simple fact. You will be traveling through 3 time zones. Sailing westbound will have you gaining time letting you get to sleep in longer. Eastbound travel will have you lose 3 hours throughout the duration of your cruise. This is hard for those who struggle with the adjustment or who want to do any early morning activities.

For my fellow Californians, westbound is also nice because you get to take the ship home!

Sea Days- What A Typical Day Looks Like

Sea days are what makes sailing with Disney different. The days are jam packed with activities happening every 30-60 minutes. The beauty of a cruise is you can do as much or as little as you want. Trivia, game shows, live music, karaoke, gym classes, spa demonstrations, happy hours, movies (outdoor and indoor), and more await you.

For kids, Disney has programming all day. For the younger kids, their location is secured and locked down requiring them to be signed in and out by a specified adult. They can page you for a pickup anytime they are ready to leave.

For preteens and teens, they each have their own spaces where they can come and go as they please. All 4 spaces for kids 3-17 have activities planned every 30-60 minutes as well.

For those traveling with children, this means they can be entertained for hours in secure programming so you can enjoy the spa, adults only pool, have quiet time to yourself in Cove Café or just take a nap! I know many families who love sailing with Disney because the parents feel they can have a vacation alongside the children.

On longer voyages like the Panama Canal, you can attend the lectures in the morning. On this itinerary, you can expect to find the lecture series where an expert will teach you all about the history and construction of the Panama Canal. This was fascinating and made the experience of sailing through the canal a lot richer.

You may also find the history of Disneyland lecture series with Bruce Kimbrell. He will take you through fun facts and history of the creation of Disneyland and beyond. You can learn about park operations, who are behind the names on the windows down main street and he gives personal tidbits from his time at Disney.

A long voyage exclusive aboard a Disney cruise is the daily photo scavenger hunt. These are so fun and a great way to get some steps in because they take you around the entire ship.

Evening Dining and Entertainment

In the evening, you will either have early dining 5:45pm or late dining 8:15pm. You will rotate between restaurants alongside your serving team. Both times are family friendly but for those wanting less children present, late dining, also called second seating, is for you.

On the Disney Magic and Wonder, you have three different restaurants to dine at alongside your serving team.

On both ships there is Animator’s Palate, a Disney Cruise Line classic that celebrates animation with art covering the walls, splashes of color amongst its black and white motif and monitors in the wall that change throughout the dinner service.

The Disney Magic has Rapunzel’s Royal Table. This is the character dining restaurant that is themed for Tangled, complete with overhead lanterns lighting the restaurant. Lumiere’s is the Beauty and the Beast themed formal dining room. No entertainment here, just a quiet, beautiful restaurant.

(Be sure to check out our full dining guide for the Disney Magic!)

On the Disney Wonder, you have Tiana’s Place which is character dining and live music featuring Tiana, Louis and their band. Mardi Gras is the final celebration here and a great time for all.

Triton’s is the Little Mermaid themed formal dining room aboard and features a stunning mosaic of ariel. Be sure to stop by on your way in or out for a closer look, it is stunning.

The evening entertainment will be the prime time show in the Walt Disney Theater. You will see full staged musicals (Disney Wonder: Golden Mickeys, Frozen, Disney Dreams) (Disney Magic: Twice Charmed, Tangled, Disney Dreams), magic acts, comedians, music acts, circus acts, etc. There are two showtimes for the Walt Disney Theater shows to accommodate dining times. First seating will go to dinner and then to the show. Second seating will go to the show and then to dinner. This is what Disney does best and sets themselves apart from other cruise lines. They have the best entertainment in the theater, be sure not to miss it!

After 9pm, in the adult spaces aka the bars on deck 3, you will have entertainment for adults only. And Disney doesn’t hold back just because they are Disney. They truly mean for 18+. They have all sorts of game shows, such as Match Your Mate, which is unmissable. The main stage acts, like comedians and magicians will do shows in here for close-up magic and more adult humor they aren’t allowed to do at the family show. There are all sorts of fun waiting for you at the bars including live music, dancing, karaoke and more.

Panama Canal Destinations

While itineraries constantly change, you can expect most, if not all of these locations to be destinations on your 2-week voyage. To simplify, I will list destinations from West to East. You will get to start your trip off with what is essentially a Mexican Riveria cruise.

Puerto Vallarta:

Puerto Vallarta is a beautiful destination that has it all for nature lovers and adventure enthusiasts. There are plenty of jungle excursions for the adventurous traveler that wants to zip line and ride ATVs through the lush terrain.

For those not wanting to book an excursion or just wanting to enjoy the views, this cruise port is particularly great because you dock right next to the beach. You can simply exit the ship and walk to the beach and enjoy the day relaxing in the sun and swimming in the Pacific.

You can also go and explore the town and go on a historical tour or do some tequila tasting! Authentic Mexican food will be all around you so be sure to enjoy some one of the world’s best cuisines.

Conveniently, the mall and Walmart is also nearby so if you forgot to pack something, this will be your chance to go and grab whatever it is you left behind!

Cabo San Lucas:

The natural beauty of Cabo cannot be denied. Once you make way to drop anchor, you are in the perfect spot to marvel. We’ve spotted baby humpbacks from our window, leaping and playing in the water amidst the backdrop of beautiful rock formations.

The dock here does not accommodate cruise ships. You will board smaller tender ships to get to land. Here you will find whale watching tours, you can swim with dolphins or you can dine at many of the restaurants near the dock. Captain Tony’s was my favorite as a cruise worker because the food and service were great and they have free Wi-fi. It was our crew’s favorite destination to eat and catch up with our family and friends back home.

Along the pier you will find all sorts of restaurants, shops and people will be asking you constantly to book tours or buy something from them. Don’t be alarmed, you can just say no and keep walking. No need to engage if it makes you upset or nervous. But be warned, it is very common and can be overwhelming for some.

Panama Canal:

While this is not a destination in which you will be exiting the ship, it is considered as one of your stops. Sailing through the canal is an all day excursion that typically starts before sunrise. Get ready for an early morning and long day.

Be sure to check out the lecture series I told you about! Knowing how the canal was built and how it is operated will make the experience far more enriching. Disney is extra accommodating in the early hours by opening the breakfast buffet earlier and having coffee stations set up all around the top decks to help give people whatever they need without having to go too far so you can enjoy the views.

When the temperature rises throughout the day, they hand out cold hand towels to put on your neck to keep you cool and the coffee stations become infused ice water stations. Panama is very hot and very humid. This is just another nice touch from Disney that brings me sailing with them time and time again.

Cartagena:

This location wins best cruise terminal. It is so stunning and filled with lush plants and wildlife. There are free roaming parrots and they have flamingos and other wildlife. Due to the fact that the ship was Disney, they even had a large Encanto display. If you don’t book an excursion, you should at least get off the ship and enjoy the large terminal.

We loved the city tour we booked through the ship. It was a great way to see a city we had never been to. We toured the historical sights of the old town and the vibrant arts district. We visited the San Felipe de Barajas Fort, saw the old city walls and even visited an emerald mining museum!

Grand Cayman:

Crystal clear waters await you! Here you will take tender boats to the dock. Do not miss the beach. We walked around town and directly to the beach, which was quite a walk from the cruise port. Taking a taxi would have been a better idea but getting to explore on foot had its benefits.

The waters were clear and warm and this destination had the best temperatures for swimming out of the entire itinerary. There are plenty of water-based excursions you can do here, and adventure seekers can rent off roading vehicle tours.

Cozumel:

Cozumel’s dock is right next to plenty of places to shop and will let you catch a good look at the art on the ship’s bow. This is an easily walkable cruise port. You exit right into the heart of town.

Most people who have excursions will be taken right from the dock to their group and guides. We booked a snorkeling excursion to see the coral reefs.

We boarded a small tour boat on the dock and set off with our group to snorkel. The gulf water was warm, and the coral was beautiful. We had a great time despite me constantly using the snorkel as a straw when I’d jump from the boat into the water. For some reason, I couldn’t get that right, so I ditched the mask and snorkel upon entry.

Our tour guide and assistants were fantastic on this excursion, and every other excursion we took on these trips. It isn’t ever required but tip your guides! They work hard to ensure you have a great experience.

Galveston or New Orleans:

These have been the locations that have changed for us with both itineraries.

New Orleans has so much history, I recommend booking a city tour. Or a nighttime haunted cemetery and city tour if you want a touch of voodoo and mysticism added.

Tourist destinations like Bourbon Street are fun to see but if you don’t want a party atmosphere, I’d go to different areas.

Eating will need to be at the top of your priority list and if you make food your focus, you can’t go wrong. Beignets, jambalaya, and gumbo are all iconic New Orleans dishes. Run, don’t walk, to eat some.

I can’t truly speak on Galveston. This was where our cruise ended and we immediately left to Austin to visit family. If you find yourself driving that way, visit Buc-ees!

If you are on a Panama Canal itinerary on any cruise line, I hope you have a fantastic time on this unique voyage. For a vlog of my Disney Magic Panama Canal voyage, check out our YouTube channel.