“The Panama Canal is proud to welcome the Norwegian Bliss and recognizes that this distinct milestone is made possible by the Canal Expansion, as well as the experience and efforts gained in the two years since its inauguration,” Manuel Benítez, Deputy Canal Administrator, said.
The Norwegian Bliss left Germany’s Meyer Werft shipyard in March to begin a 15-day itinerary this month, sailing from Miami, Florida through the Panama Canal and up along the west coast of Central and North America before reaching its final destination at the Port of Los Angeles in California. The ship will then service the Alaska region until the end of the cruise season, after which it will be repositioned in the Caribbean.
For the Panama Canal, May 24 marks the unofficial end to the 2017-18 cruise season when it will transit the Pacific Princess, operated by Princess Cruises, as part of a 17-day voyage from Los Angeles, California to its final destination at the port of Fort Lauderdale.
“By the end of its cruise season, the Panama Canal will have transited a total 248 passenger ships with a total of 312,304 passengers onboard,” Albano Aguilar, the Canal’s international trade specialist, said.
“Of this, a total of 20 cruises will be Neopanamax vessels, including the Caribbean Princess, Carnival Freedom, Carnival Splendor, Norwegian Bliss and Disney Wonder – all able to transit the waterway thanks to the Expansion of the Canal,” Aguilar added.
5月14日，巴拿馬運河迎來了挪威郵輪公司的168,000總噸挪威幸福號，這是有史以來最大的過境水路客運船。
“巴拿馬運河很自豪地歡迎挪威幸福號，並認識到這一獨特的里程碑是藉由運河擴建成功，以及自落成兩年以來獲得的經驗和努力，” 運河管理局副局長ManuelBenítez說。 。
在挪威幸福號離開德國的邁爾造船廠造船廠在三月這個月開始為期15天的行程，穿越巴拿馬運河，並沿中美洲和北美洲西海岸了洛杉磯港在到達最終目的地之前，從美國佛羅里達州邁阿密帆船在加州的洛杉磯。然後，這艘船將服務阿拉斯加地區，直到郵輪季節結束，之後它將在加勒比地區重新定位。
對於巴拿馬運河而言，5月24日標誌著2017-18號郵輪季的非官方結束，它將由公主郵輪運營的太平洋公主號經過，作為從加利福尼亞州洛杉磯至其最終目的地勞德代爾港的17天航程的一部分。
“巴拿馬運河在郵輪季節結束時，已經轉運了總共248艘客船，船上共有312,304名乘客，” 運河國際貿易專家 Albano Aguilar說。
“其中包括Caribbean Princess, Carnival Freedom, Carnival Splendor, Norwegian Bliss and Disney Wonder在內的20艘遊輪將全部藉由運河擴建，從而能夠渡過水道。” 阿吉拉爾補充說。
Image Courtesy: Nation Wide Radio / Imformation Source: World Maritime News Staff
