Gatun Lake Panama Canal

Cruise Port schedule, live map, terminals, news

Region
Hawaii - Mexico - Panama Canal

Local Time
2026-11-15 05:16

78°F
25.3°C

Light breeze
2.1 m/s

85 °F / 30 °C
75 °F / 24 °C

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Port Gatun Lake Panama Canal cruise ship schedule shows timetable calendars of all arrival and departure dates by month. The port's schedule lists all ships (in links) with cruises going to or leaving from Gatun Lake Panama Canal. To see the full itineraries (ports of call dates and arrival / departure times) and their lowest rates – just follow the corresponding ship-link.

Day	Ship	Arrival	Departure
1 November, 2026 Sunday	National Geographic Quest

Gatun Lake is an artificial freshwater lake (part of the Panama Canal) in which the Chagres River. The closest cruise port is Colon. The waterway has total area 425 km2 (164 mi2) and a volume of ~5.2 km3 (~1,2 mi3). Cruise ships and cargo carriers (mainly container ships) navigate the lake for ~33 km (21 mi) before the actual transit of the Panama Canal.

Some larger-sized cruise ships operating Caribbean itineraries (usually roundtrips from Florida USA) offer "Panama Canal" themed voyages that don't transit the Canal but only navigate in the Gatun Lake. "Partial" Panama Canal cruises are offered by companies like Princess and HAL-Holland America Line. Most partial transits depart from Port Everglades/Fort Lauderdale, and their "Panama Canal" segment features passing through the Gatun Locks and sailing in Gatun Lake.

The next table shows Holland America's "Panama Canal Sunfarer" itinerary (11-day roundtrip from Fort Lauderdale). Prices vary between USD 750-1200 per person with double occupancy.

Date / Time	Port
DAY1 (4 pm)	Departing from Port Everglades/Fort Lauderdale
DAY2 (8 am - 3 pm)	Half Moon Cay, Bahamas
DAY4 (1-11 pm)	Oranjestad, Aruba Netherlands Antilles
DAY5 (8 am - 11 pm)	Willemstad, Curacao Netherlands Antilles
DAY7 (7 am - 1 pm)	Cartagena, Colombia
DAY8 (5 am)	Entering Panama Canal for docking at Port Colon (Cristobal Pier)
DAY8 (9-10 am)	Cruising the Gatun Lake with land access (limited only to organized shore excursions)
DAY8	Cruising the Gatun Lake (no land access)
DAY (1 pm)	Exiting Panama Canal for docking at Port Colon (Cristobal Pier)
DAY8 (3-8 pm)	Colon, Panama
DAY9 (5:30 am - 3 pm)	Puerto Limon/San Jose, Costa Rica
DAY11 (7 am)	Arriving in Port Everglades/Fort Lauderdale

Being dammed twice, Chagres River forms two man-made reservoirs (the lakes Gatun and Alajuela), both part of the Panama Canal's system. Gatun Lake also provides all the water for the Canal's lock system (which needs daily millions of gallons daily) as well as drinking water for Colon and Panama City.

The 1913-opened Gatun Dam (that creates the lake) is approx 3 km / 2 mi from Chagres River's mouth and approx 10 km / 6 mi from the Caribbean Sea. The Dam has a hydroelectric station that generates all the electricity (capacity 6 MW / 8000 hp) needed for the Panama Canal's operations (locks, spillway machinery, lighting), as well as for the canal villages.

Gatun Lake's recreational activities (via boat tours) include fishing, swimming, wildlife viewing (monkeys, anteaters, tropical birds, insects).

Barro Colorado Island

Barro Colorado Island, like Gatun Lake, was formed in 1913 (when Chagres River was dammed), since 1923 is designated as a Nature Reserve, and since 1946 is administered by the Smithsonian Institution (US Government-created agency that manages museums, libraries, research centers and zoos worldwide, as well as American architectural landmarks).

Barro Colorado Island has total area 15,6 km2 (6 mi2) and is accessible to visitors/tourists. However, the access is regulated by the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI) and reservations and tour arrangements are required.

Barro Colorado tours are inclusive of roundtrip boat transportation, guided 2-3-hour hiking trip (wildlife-themed), lunch, and a museum visit. Most Barro Colorado Island tours depart from Gamboa - a small town built for the Panama Canal's employees and their dependents.

In Gamboa are the headquarters of Panama Canal Authority's Dredging Division, which docks are used by ferryboats to reach STRI's facilities at Barro Colorado. Gamboa itself is a tourist destination popular for its lush rainforest, wildlife (crocodiles, caymans, iguanas, numerous bird species), and the "Pipeline Road" (the old pipeline hiking trail) which is Panama's best for bird watching.

Independent sightseeing is limited. Gatun Lake is part of the Panama Canal transit. Most passengers can watch the locks and lake from the ship. On partial transits that offer a landing, going ashore generally requires a shore excursion booked through the cruise line.

Getting Ashore at Gatun Lake

On a typical Atlantic-side partial transit, the ship enters Gatun Lake through Gatun Locks or Agua Clara Locks. If the itinerary includes a landing, excursion passengers transfer by tender to a lakeside pier, such as Gatun Yacht Club, and continue with their tour group. There is no regular walk-off terminal or passenger shuttle into Colón from the lake.

Most excursions from the lake end at the ship’s assigned berth in the Colón area. The ship returns through the locks while passengers are ashore. A standard full transit is generally spent aboard, though some expedition itineraries include a guided landing.

Best Ways to Spend Your Time

Watch the Locks and Lake from the Ship

Go out on deck for the approach to the locks, then move to a side deck to see the gates and watch the ship rise or descend inside a chamber. Once on the lake, look for forested islands and passing cargo ships. On an Atlantic-side partial transit, staying aboard usually gives you a second chance to watch the locks on the way back toward Colón.

See Agua Clara Locks from Shore

Join a ship excursion to the Agua Clara Visitor Center for an elevated view of the expanded locks and Gatun Lake. Some tours also visit Fort San Lorenzo, where you can walk around the ruins above the mouth of the Chagres River. Ship movements at the locks depend on canal traffic, so you may spend part of the visit waiting for a vessel.

Take a Small-Boat Wildlife Tour

Some sailings offer a coach transfer to a marina and a guided boat ride along the forested shoreline. Look for monkeys and waterbirds, with sightings varying by trip. The outing involves boarding a small boat as well as the ship’s tender. Check boarding requirements if you have limited mobility.

Continue Toward the Pacific by Boat

On selected partial transits, a ship excursion continues by smaller passenger boat through the canal toward the Pacific, then returns by coach to Colón. Allow roughly six hours and expect possible delays at the locks. This option takes up most of the day.

Visit Barro Colorado Island on an Expedition Sailing

Some expedition itineraries arrange a guided visit to the Smithsonian research site on Barro Colorado Island. Check your ship’s program for landing and walking details. Public day visits require advance arrangements and depart from Gamboa, so they are generally impractical during a standard Gatun Lake call.

Returning to the Ship

Confirm the reboarding berth and all-aboard time with the ship. Canal traffic can shift both the tender departure and the ship’s arrival in Colón. Carry any medication you may need if the excursion runs long. If you go ashore independently during a separate Colón stop, leave time for road delays and terminal entry.