By: Staff Writer
October 11, 2024
As the Panama Canal begins to fill from the months long drought, it is expecting a very busy remainder of 2024 and 2025 year and announces that it will have 225 ship transits for the season.
The Panama Canal’s 2024-25 cruise season officially commenced on Tuesday, October 7, 2024, with the northbound transit of the Brilliance of the Seas, sailing on a 15-day itinerary from Los Angeles to New Orleans.
According to a press release, this repositioning voyage marks the beginning of over 225 expected transits through the Panama Canal during the season.
Albano G. Aguilar, a specialist in market analysis and forecasting at the Office of Corporate Affairs, said that “an increase in transits is expected this fiscal year due to the continued demand for vacation experiences, which still shows no signs of slowing down.”
“Crossing from one ocean to the other through a fast and safe route like the Panama Canal is also a great attraction for the cruise industry, because of the wonder that our operation represents,” said Panama Canal Administrator Ricaurte Vásquez Morales.
“Last year we served more than 200 cruise ship transits, with tourists from various parts of the world, who included the Canal transit as part of their travel itineraries. We are very excited about the start of this cruise season and the experiences that thousands of tourists will have.”
This is a marked difference than the previous season where the canal experienced a severe drought, having to cut its transits per day down to as below 25, when it experienced a high as 36.
The Canal is an important trade and transport hub for goods coming to and from the Americas.
However, this increased demand is not without significant cost as water shortages as a result of the Canal increasing its demand is bringing challenges of water shortages.
To address recurring water shortages, Panama plans to build a dam and reservoir that could displace more than 2,000 residents along the Río Indio.
The Panama Canal is normally fed by Lake Gautun, but Panama’s reliance on the canal for global trade and urban water access clashes with the potential displacement of communities, raising concerns about equitable solutions amid climate pressures.