The Path Between the Seas:

The building of the Panama Canal was an epic undertaking that resulted in an awesome feat of engineering bravado.

Since the days of Columbus, explorers had been seeking a navigable passage through Central America that would speed the transit of goods and bypass the treacherous seas around the horn of South America. But the first attempt in 1879 to connect the Atlantic and Pacific oceans ended in failure and financial ruin for French diplomat Ferdinand de Lesseps, who had successfully built the Suez Canal in Egypt a decade earlier.

In 1902 the United States revived the canal dream by purchasing France’s holdings in the new country of Panama. Despite dense jungle, mud slides, searing heat, and malaria, the 50-mile (85 km) canal was eventually completed 12 years later, shaving 9,000 miles off the route around Cape Horn.

More than 100 years later, “The Path Between the Seas” still stands as an engineering marvel that can only be truly appreciated by sailing through it.

On a voyage from the Atlantic to the Pacific (or vice-versa), the highlights of a full Canal crossing include:

• Entering the gigantic Gatun Locks from Limon bay where mechanical "mules" tow ships through a series of 3 locks and up to some 85 feet (26 metres) above sea level.
• Sailing across Gatun Lake, one of the largest artificial bodies of water in the world.
• Navigating Gaillard Cut, a narrow 8-mile (13 km) long section of water that cuts through rock and shale on its way across the continental divide. This is the very line on which every drop of water stands an equal chance of flowing into one ocean or another.
• Passing by Gold Hill, the highest point along the canal at 662 feet (202 metres) above sea level. On the north side of the embankment, there's a brass and marble monument which commemorates the 30,000 workers who lost their lives building the canal.
• Transiting the Pedro Miguel Locks at the southern end of Gaillard Cut where ships are lowered 31 feet (9.5 metres) to Miraflores Lake.
• Entering the Miraflores Locks for the final two steps down to sea level. These gates are the tallest in the world because of the extreme tidal variations of the Pacific Ocean. In fact, the last gate is eight storeys high and weighs 730 tons.
• Sailing under the mile-long Bridge of the Americas that straddles the Panama Canal at the entrance to the Pacific Ocean.

The main season for Panama Canal cruises is from September to May, and ships typically depart from Ft. Lauderdale, Miami, Acapulco, San Diego and Los Angeles. Cruises usually range in length from 10 to 21 nights, with longer voyages offering a full transit from ocean to ocean, and shorter voyages offering a partial transit through the first set of locks before returning to Florida.