Cruise ship Disney Wonder transits Panama Canal

disney wonder in panama canal Disney Wonder Panama Canal 2017On Saturday, 29th April 2017, Disney Wonder became the first cruise liner to pass through the new, larger locks of the expanded Panama Canal. The vessel is some 964 feet long and has a beam of 106 feet, and can carry up to 2,400 passengers. The transit was part of her 14-night cruise from Port Canaveral to San Diego, from where the ship will operate cruises to Baja. Later this year Disney Wonder will be based in Vancouver, operating cruises to Alaska. Previously liners had used the original, smaller locks, which limited the size of vessels that could be accommodated. A spokesman for the Canal Authority said: “Saturday’s historic transit mark s the beginning of cruise lines being able to include the locks in their itineraries, opening up additional transit options”. By the end of this fiscal year, it is expected that around 233 passenger vessels will have transited both the original and the larger locks. The Authority has already received bookings for 18 vessels during the 2018 season. The expanded Canal was opened in June 2016, allowing newer, larger vessels to use the waterway.