In January 2026 we went on a 17 day Panama Canal cruise from Fort Lauderdale to Los Angeles. After we left Fort Lauderdale we headed straight south to our first stop in Cartagena, Columbia. To our surprise this was the best stop on our cruise. Cartagena is a vibrant, colorful city from the Spanish colonial times. In the old days it was protected by a massive fort. It's now a modern vacation city with about a million people. After we left Cartagena we headed to the highlight of our cruse, the Panama Canal. Our ship, the Island Princess was able to use the old locks from 1915. Here is a timelapse video from the 8 hours crossing the Panama Canal in 3:30 minutes. Here are the pictures with detailed explanations about the Panama Canal. The next stop was Panama City. The first settlement was the Spanish Colonial Era (1519–1821): Known as Panamá Viejo. Colombian Period (1821–1903) is now known as the Casco Viejo (Old Quarter) of the city. Today, Panama City is a major financial center known for its high-rise skyline, distinct from the historic, UNESCO-listed ruins of Panama Viejo and the colonial architecture of Casco Viejo. Here is a link to the pictures of Panama City. The next stop was Fuerte Amador Costa Rica where we visited a coffee plantation and an old oxcart factory. Here is the link to the pictures of Costa Rica. The next 3 stops have been: Puerto Chiapas, Huatulco and  Puerto Vallarta, Mexico before we headed to Los Angeles.