14-Day Full Transit Panama Canal Cruise

Trip Inclusions

• 14-Day Panama Canal Cruise aboard the ms Statendam from San Diego, CA to Ft. Lauderdale, FL
• Ports of Call in Mexico, Guatemala, Panama, Colombia and a full transit of the Panama Canal
• Six relaxing days at sea
• Choice of Traditional Dining (fixed time) or “As You Wish” Dining (eat when and where you wish)
• Private Cocktail Party – Added Value!
• Pinnacle Grill Dinner* – Added Value!
• $50.00 per person Beverage Card* – Added Value!
• Onboard: Activities, Entertainment, Greenhouse Spa & Salon, Casino, Art Auctions, Internet Café, Library, Boutiques and More! (some fees apply)
• Travel Insurance Protection through Travel Guard included. Ask your travel consultant about our reasonable options to add trip cancellation coverage. – Added Value!
• Customized informative travel documents containing all trip details and helpful packing and planning information.
• Transfers available* for only $38.00 roundtrip (some restrictions apply)
• Hosted by Jim Peck of WTMJ Fox World Travel Show**
• Professional Fox World Travel Vacation Manager throughout**

* Pinnacle Grill dinner & 50.00 per person beverage card are included for the first and second passengers only in the stateroom. All passengers will be required to carry a valid U.S. passport. Transfers are provided by Holland America at an additional cost.

**Minimum participation required for host and tour manager to escort group. Guaranteed departure regardless!

Not Included:

Airfare or air taxes, HAL ship staff gratuities (gratuities on ship automatically added to shipboard account), optional excursions, bar beverages, medical services, and cancellation protection insurance. (At this time there are no fuel surcharges.  Holland America has the right to add these charges to reservations at any time should the cost of fuel increase even after final payment has been made.)

Please call 888-369-8785 to arrange separate airfare and pre/post night hotel stays with a travel specialist.

Cruise Pricing

	Inside Cabin		Ocean View		Verandah Suite
	starting at CALL FOR CURRENT PRICING per person Book Online >		See Details >		See Details >

*Pricing is per person based on double occupancy. Current taxes are included at $360.77 and are subject to change without notice. At this time the cruise lines are not applying a fuel surcharge to bookings. They reserve the right to add this surcharge based on current market costs. Fuel surcharge may be added without notice even after final payment has been made.

 

Ports of Call

	San Diego, California   Beautiful, brilliant San Diego has the sun, the beaches, and the climate to die for. But don't let that fool you – the city is a power. It's the sixth-largest city in the U.S. and a center for military industry, trade, and biotechnology. Of course, it's a great place for cruise visitors. The San Diego Zoo is one of the world's best. Balboa Park is both a natural space and a collection of wonderful museums. Old Town is a colorful gaggle of shops and restaurants. Oh, and the beaches: Coronado, Mission Beach, Pacific Beach, La Jolla. The forecast is for a high of about 75 degrees. Every day. Sigh.   Shore Excursion Highlights San Diego Highlights: See the Gas Lamp Quarter, Coronado Island, and Balboa Park Sea World: 200 acres of animal encounters. World-Famous San Diego Zoo: It's merely the largest collection of plants and animals in the United States.
	Puerto Vallarta, Mexico Puerto Vallarta squeezed into the thin space between Banderas Bay and the verdant folds of the Sierra Madre. It's no longer the well-kept secret of the artists, writers and Hollywood stars who first "discovered" it in the 1960s, but "PV" (as it is affectionately known) still retains the essence of the fishing village it once was. Viejo Vallarta, the old town, is a mix of red-tiled buildings, cobbled streets, chic shops and busy open markets. Other highlights include Mismaloya Beach, Gringo Gulch, and Conchas Chinas, the Beverly Hills of Vallarta. Head inland for more adventure, up into the rugged canyons and luxuriant jungles of the mountains. Shore Excursion Highlights Canopy Adventure: Go zipping through a private ecological reserve. Dolphin Trainer for a Day: Spend six hours with a dolphin expert. A Taste of Mexico & Puerto Vallarta Sights: A walking tour builds up your appetite for the cooking lesson.
	Huatulco, Mexico Everything you ever wanted in a seaside resort: warm sun, sandy beaches and nine beautiful bays rimmed in every shade of blue. Nearby: low-growth caducifolia jungles teeming with birdlife and the nesting grounds of endangered sea turtles. Sample shore excursions: Five Bays by Catamaran; Horseback Riding; Bird-watching Eco Tour; ATV Jungle Adventure.
	Puerto Chiapas, Mexico Puerto Chiapas is the Pacific gateway to the Mayan world. Just north of the Guatemalan border on southern Mexico's Pacific Coast, the port is the starting point for excursions to the ruins at Izapa. Founded around 1500 BCE, Izapa is noted for its large, intricately carved "Tree of Life" stone. Nearer port, explore San Cristobal de Las Casas cathedral, journey to a rainforest, or shop for local handicrafts like stone carvings or colorful textiles. Or, simply wander the beaches and take in the untamed and exotic surroundings. Shore Excursion Highlights Argovia Express: Coffee Tasting & Botanical Garden: Head into the Sierra Madres for a visit to one of the oldest coffee producers in the region. Banana Plantation & Rural Community: Get a deeper understanding of the local people and landscape. Mangrove Boat Ride & Bird Watching: See a profusion of bird life inside a nature reserve.
	Puerto Quetzal, Guatemala In the cultured little country of Guatemala modern Maya still weave their stories on backstrap looms, and the great stone temples of Tikal stand in silent testament to ancient Mayan ingenuity. Sample shore excursions: Casa Santa Domingo & Antigua; Finca Coffee Plantation Tour; Tikal Expedition by Air.
	Fuerte Amador, Panama Fort Amador was one of the U.S. installations that guarded the southern end of the Panama Canal, just below the Bridge of the Americas. The other was Fort Grant, which covered several small islands just offshore. Today, the Amador area is a southern suburb of Panama City, gateway to the canal, and a travel destination in its own right. Cruise visitors shouldn't miss the shopping and dining on Flamengo Island, the Frank Gehry-designed Museum of Biodiversity (once its complete), and Panama City's UNESCO World Heritage site, which includes Panama Viejo and Casco Viejo. Shore Excursion Highlights Miraflores Locks by Night: Watch the big ships pass through and explore the visitors center's four exhibition halls. Aerial Tram and Ecological Encounter: Travel into the upper forest canopy of Soberania National Park. Monkey Watch & Canal Nature Cruise: Take a high-speed ride to Gatun Lake, then slow down to look for capuchins, howler monkeys, sloths, and other animals.
	Panama Canal, Panama Nearly every hard-won mile carved through the jungle here carries a story - of rivers dammed, gigantic lakes dug; of malaria, misery and miraculous powers of will.
	Cartagena, Colombia Privateers loved Cartagena, the chief Spanish port in New Granada (today's Colombia). Sir John Hawkins besieged the city in 1568 and his nephew, Sir Francis Drake, sacked it 18 years later. In response, Spain poured millions into the port's defense, building the fortifications that are today a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The town the walls protected is also part of that World Heritage designation. Cruise visitors can walk those deeply textured alleyways today through some of the best-preserved colonial neighborhoods of the Americas. When you're ready for a change, there are beaches ready to hand. Bocagrande is busy and close to the city. Playa Blanca is south across the bay and quieter. Both are lovely. Shore Excursion Highlights Medieval Cartagena By Horse Carriage: A relaxing trip through the Old Town. Cartagena City Highlights: Fort of San Felipe de Barajas, the Minor Basilica, shopping at the Dungeons, and more.
	Fort Lauderdale, Florida There is an abundance of things to see and do in the Fort Lauderdale area: visit the newly redesigned Fort Lauderdale Beach and cafes, stroll the historic Riverwalk, shop the luxurious stores on Las Olas Boulevard or venture to the Everglades for an intriguing air boat excursion.
Itinerary is subject to change.

Holland America Line

ms Statendam

Grandly proportioned and recently enhanced, ms Statendam offers an onboard experience defined by spacious comfort, and the latest Signature of Excellence features and amenities. Upgrades begin with new fixtures and soft goods in staterooms and bathrooms. Staterooms offer a generous amount of personal space and many feature commanding ocean views with private verandahs.

Recent enhancements include remodeled public spaces, updated lounges and an exciting new entertainment destination called Mix featuring three distinctly themed bars. Together they provide the ultimate place to socialize and be entertained.

Exhibiting a theme of historical Dutch life and exploration, ms Statendam features more than $2 million worth of art and rare artifacts beautifully displayed throughout the ship. The Van Gogh Theater is a work of art in itself, commemorating Dutch artist Vincent Van Gogh's paintings "The Starry Night" and "Irises." At the heart of the ms Statendam a three-story atrium showcases an elaborate 26-foot-high sculpture titled "Fountain of the Siren." Luxuriously appointed and uniquely refined, Holland America Line’s ms Statendam ensures you the ultimate onboard experience with her graceful combination of classic cruise ship features, state-of-the-art amenities, and sophisticated ambiance.

Mix - an innovative meeting place featuring three specialty venues:

The Showroom at Sea - a glamorous nightclub venue for world class entertainment.

Canaletto - an evening venue for Italian fare adjacent to the Lido Restaurant and offering waiter service.

Spa staterooms - Opt for the serenity of a new Spa Suite or Stateroom, featuring modern spa amenities such as yoga mats, an iPod® docking station, and a countertop water feature in-room. Also available are exclusive spa treatments from the Greenhouse Spa and Salon.

Digital Workshop, powered by Windows® - offering fun, free learning about digital photography, videos, scrapbooking, blogging and social networking.

 

About Jim Peck

Jim Peck, renowned host on WTMJ, has also hosted several national game shows including "The Joker's Wild" and "Hot Seat". Jim was also a well-respected news anchor whose career included stops at WTMJ-TV in Milwaukee, KFTY-TV in Santa Rosa, and guest hosting appearances on Good Morning America. A Milwaukee native, Jim has won an EMMY for his interview with Barbara Walters, and a NATPE award for the best locally produced talk show in the country. He has a passion for the history and culture featured in this group vacation. Jim most recently escorted a group on a fabulous Paris and Normandy River Cruise and can't wait to join you in discovering the Panama Canal!

About Fox World Travel

Fox World Travel is the largest vacation travel agency in Wisconsin, with 11 travel agency locations throughout the state and over 50 years experience planning individual, group and corporate travel. Fox has earned "Top Producer" awards with virtually every major vendor and our team of travel agents each average over 10 years of experience with our company and about 20 years experience overall. This recognition and expertise, along with the flexibility to book your vacation travel online, sets Fox World Travel apart from many travel companies. You can be confident you are receiving the highest quality products and services from top industry suppliers when you book your travel with Fox World Travel.

Past Vacations Hosted by Jim Peck

April 2012 - Paris and Normandy River Cruise
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