Viking Oceans Cruises – NEW! West Indies & Panama Canal Passage (8 Countries) 18 Days

Embark your ship and settle into your stateroom. San Juan is a city of white-sand beaches, lush rainforests and inspiring Spanish colonial architecture. Compact and elegantly planned, Old San Juan spans the centuries. El Morro fortress has been standing watch over San Juan Bay since the 16th century and its formidable cannons peer out to sea. The streets of the centuries-old UNESCO World Heritage Site are paved with steel-blue adoquín stone, used to ballast the Spanish galleons that brought settlers here. These colorful, narrow byways lead to picturesque multihued facades and townhouses with neoclassical balconies.

Throughout San Juan, there is evidence of the city’s Spanish influence. Centuries-old, two-story houses line the streets of the Old Town, many of them brightly hued with pastel facades. Some of the city’s most historic structures have been transformed into cultural venues. In the stately Ballajá Barracks, built to house troops in the mid-1800s, the Museum of the Americas chronicles the region’s heritage. The metallic-blue 16th-century La Fortaleza, once a defensive citadel, is the oldest continually used executive mansion in the Americas, today home to the city’s governor.

Sail through turquoise waters where legends of marauding pirates, swashbucklers and tales of hidden treasures were born. Admire the views as you sail today and enjoy an al fresco dining experience. The Aquavit Terrace serves a range of International fare and casual dining favorites, as well as a range of superb cocktails inspired by our destinations.

Willemstad is home to vibrant facades of Dutch-style buildings that lend a sunny air, earning it a place as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. A stunning row of 18th-century gabled houses lines the Handelskade along the waterfront. The cheery demeanor even extends to the city’s butter-hued Fort Amsterdam. Willemstad’s rainbow-colored streets lead to the moveable Queen Emma Bridge, a pedestrian harbor crossing that links two districts of the city. Elsewhere on Curaçao, crystalline waters lap at sandy shores, inviting bathers to relax and snorkelers to explore vibrant reefs.

Learn about the delicate ecosystems of the Caribbean Sea that lie beneath the surface of these crystal clear, warm waters. These remarkable coral reefs are known as the “rainforests of the sea.” Linger on the deck of your veranda for vistas of azure and turquoise as you sail through some of the world’s most beautiful waters. Perhaps you will take a dip in the Infinity Pool or stroll the Promenade Deck.

Cartagena is Colombia’s cultural treasure. The walls of its extensive San Felipe de Barajas Fortress stretch for seven miles and are 25 feet thick, making them the longest in South America. Inside this impregnable fortress, Cartagena’s Ciudad Vieja, or Old City, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site for its remarkable preservation. Its many picturesque plazas and beautifully preserved buildings invite endless strolls and exploration. Lively Afro-Caribbean rhythms spill into the charming alleyways, offering a hint of the vibrancy throughout the city.

Colón lies near the Panama Canal’s Atlantic entrance. During the California gold rush, prospectors from the eastern United States sailed here, trekked across the narrow isthmus of Panama, then sailed up the Pacific coast, believing the journey easier than traversing the entire United States. Indigenous tribes maintain a strong presence in this northern corner of Panama. In the city’s rural reaches—the Emberá people—descended from ancient tribes, live in thatched-roof huts, travel by dugout canoe and weave traditional baskets.

The Panama Canal connects the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans, crossing the narrowest stretch of the isthmus of Panama. A full transit through the 48-mile-long canal takes around eight to ten hours and passes through the Gatun Lake and the Culebra Cut, an artificial valley that runs through the Continental Divide. An engineering marvel of the 20th century, the crossing passes through a series of locks that lift and lower ships 85 feet from sea level, guided by electric locomotives known as mulas. The Panama Canal transit is a rite of passage and a truly memorable experience.

Sail Mar Pacífico, meaning “peaceful sea,” dubbed by Ferdinand Magellan when he crossed these waters almost 500 years ago. Renew your body, mind and spirit in our Scandinavian-inspired spa, a Nordic sanctuary of holistic wellness, today while at sea. Whether you unwind in the Sauna, refresh in the Snow Grotto or take a dip in the Thermal Pool, you will feel recharged and revitalized.

Puntarenas is the gateway to magnificent beaches and rich wildlife. The port prospered on the shoulders of coffee barons as oxcarts delivered satchels of beans to the docks from the mountains. With the opening of a railroad in 1879, the oxcarts disappeared, but coffee remains Costa Rica’s major export. Today, Puntarenas retains its fishing heritage, as colorful boats in the harbor attest, and the lush rainforests nearby offer endless walking trails under a dense canopy; rich in vegetation and echoing with the screeches of howler monkeys.

Léon boasts innumerable and incredibly preserved Spanish colonial churches, residences and other buildings, exuding a timeless atmosphere. The city is the gateway to some of the world’s most visually arresting vistas, from vast tropical jungles and soaring peaks to enormous freshwater lakes. Home to dozens of volcanoes, Nicaragua claims some of the most fertile soils on Earth and its farming culture has thrived for centuries. Many of the country’s fincas, or coffee plantations, open their doors so visitors can see how the beloved bean is grown, harvested and roasted.

Traverse the world’s largest ocean, which covers almost 64 million square miles. At twice the size of the Atlantic, the Pacific is an ocean of extremes. Enjoy the amenities of your ship as you sail. Perhaps take a breath of fresh air on a brisk walk around the Promenade Deck or begin your day with a workout in the well-equipped Fitness Center.

Located at the tip of the 775-mile Baja Peninsula, where the Pacific Ocean meets the Gulf of California, Cabo—as it is commonly known—is one of Mexico’s top destinations for its long beaches, resorts, scuba diving and picturesque coast. Renowned for the spectacular rock formations that line its shores, this bustling playground boasts one of the region’s most scenic harbors. The sleepier side of this resort town lies in San José del Cabo. Its charming pink church, inviting town square and low adobe homes evoke an old colonial flair.

Sail the Pacific Ocean, its vast expanse of waters covers more than 30 percent of the Earth’s surface and touches the continents of Asia, Australia, North and South America. As you sail, explore our well-curated library, tucked in a private alcove of The Living Room, and select from a broad range of titles. Read a book by the Main Pool, a calming oasis in any weather with its retractable roof, allowing for year-round swimming.

Los Angeles is renowned as the world’s leading center of film and television, and is home to an endless array of museums, concert venues and other cultural institutions. The city also offers some of the best dining in the world. Along the palm-lined streets of Beverly Hills, grand celebrity mansions hide behind iron gates. The chic shops of Rodeo Drive invite endless browsing. The Roosevelt Hotel, an icon built in the 1920s that once served as the residence of Clark Gable and Carole Lombard, oversees the Hollywood Walk of Fame and the historic Grauman’s Chinese Theater. After breakfast, disembark your ship and journey home.