WHY You Want a SMALL Ship for the Panama Canal. Cruise tips you NEED Before You Go!

7,119 views · 737 likes · 77 comments · Jan 23, 2026 · 21:37 · Long
Open on YouTube

We finally did it — the PANAMA CANAL! After years of cruising, we’re checking off one of the ultimate bucket-list experiences for cruisers: transiting the Panama Canal through the ORIGINAL, extremely tight Panamax locks — and yes… we were close enough to touch the sides and equipment In this video, we take you along for our full west-to-east Panama Canal crossing aboard Serenade of the Seas, our former home ship from Royal Caribbean’s Ultimate World Cruise. From the Bridge of the Americas to the Miraflores, Pedro Miguel, and Gatun Locks, this is the classic canal experience cruisers dream about. Along the way we share: ✅ What it’s REALLY like inside the old Panama Canal locks ✅ Why smaller ships offer the BEST canal experience ✅ Where to stand on the ship for the best views (and when to move!) ✅ Pro tips to avoid crowds and still get incredible footage ✅ How long the transit actually takes (and why we were nearly record-fast!) ✅ Stunning sunset views as we exit the canal on the Atlantic side We also break down the fascinating history of the Panama Canal, explain the difference between Panamax vs Neopanamax locks, and why Vision and Radiance Class ships deliver the most authentic transit. This sailing is part of our Back-to-Back-to-Back cruise adventure, starting in Vancouver, through Alaska, down the Pacific Coast and Mexican Riviera — and now crossing the Panama Canal on our way to Miami. ✨ If a Panama Canal cruise is on your list — or even just a dream — this video is for you. If you enjoyed the video, please leave a comment. We’d love to hear from you! Also, please remember to give us a thumbs up and SUBSCRIBE HERE: https://bit.ly/3DK9DvU Please visit our website at: https://livingphase2.com where we cover a multitude of information, such as leisure activities, health, wealth, and family topics that are relevant to empty nesters and living in the second phase of life. For any products we mention that we have tried or recommend, you can find most of those linked in our Amazon Store, where if you click through there, we do make a small commission. However, we will never recommend a product we haven’t tried and wouldn’t use ourselves. Here’s the link to the store front: https://www.amazon.com/shop/nancyjacobs #panamacanal , #panamacanalcruise , #cruisevlog , #royalcaribbean , #serenadeoftheseas , #cruiselife , #emptynesters , #livingphase2 , #cruisetips , #travelvlog

#Panama Canal cruise#Panama Canal transit#Panama Canal locks#crossing the Panama Canal#Panama Canal cruise tips#Panama Canal old locks#Panamax ship Panama Canal#Royal Caribbean Panama Canal#Panama Canal full transit#Panama Canal cruise vlog#Panama Canal west to east#Panama Canal history#small ship Panama Canal#Panama Canal bucket list#Panama Canal cruise experience#living phase 2#empty nesters travel#cruise vlog#cruise tips#bucket list cruise

Analytics

We use Google Analytics to count visits and see which pages are popular. It sets cookies and sends your IP address and browsing on this site to Google. You can turn it off at any time.