DEPARTURE INFORMATION
Lower Mainland
April 7, 2026 – 26 Days
Vancouver Island
April 7, 2026 – 26 Days
BC Interior
April 7, 2026 – 26 Days
Activity Level 2
GROUP SIZE
TOUR SUMMARY
Fort Lauderdale to Vancouver on Holland America’s Koningsdam!
A cruise through the Panama Canal should be on everyone’s bucket list. This is a wonderful voyage with the benefit of one flight and disembarking in Vancouver. The Koningsdam carries only 2,650 passengers and has lots of veranda staterooms which are the most popular nowadays, but insides, oceanviews, and suites are also available. There is a great variety of ports – Cartagena, Colombia; Panama City; Puerto Caldera, Costa Rica; Acajutla, El Salvador; Puerto Quetzal, Guatemala; Puerto Chiapas, Mexico; Manzanillo, Mexico; Puerto Vallarta, Mexico; San Diego, and San Francisco. Passing through the Panama Canal, the Koningsdam is lifted by 3 locks, sails through Gatun Lake and the 12-km long Gaillard Cut, then is lowered by 3 more locks back to sea level. We fly to Fort Lauderdale and coach home from Vancouver.
WHAT’S INCLUDED
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Meals
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Transportation
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Accommodation
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Guides & Gratuities
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Knowledgeable Wells Gray tour director
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Tour Highlights (Included)
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TOUR FARES
| Departure Point | Inside Stateroom Category I | Oceanview Stateroom Category C | Veranda Stateroom Category VA | Vista Suite Category A |
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$8,850$12,870 |
$9,980$15,135 |
$10,935$17,045 |
$12,430$20,035 |
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$9,025$13,045 |
$10,155$15,310 |
$11,110$17,220 |
$12,605$20,210 |
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$8,900$12,920 |
$10,030$15,185 |
$10,985$17,095 |
$12,480$20,085 |
- This tour is exempt from GST.
- Please inquire for triple fares.
- Other cruise categories including suites may be available.
- There is an additional cost to join this tour from Nanaimo or Comox.
- Earn 174 Experience Points.
Early Booking Bonus!
$300 discount on first 12 seats; $150 on next 8.
DEPARTURE POINTS & DATES
ACTIVITY LEVEL
Level
Moderate Activity: As a traveller you like a variety of activities and walking up to 2 km with breaks such as a guided walking tour is very doable for you without assistance. Although cruising is normally Activity Level 1, the tours in Cartagena, Costa Rica, and Guatemala have more activity such as walking on cobblestone streets, uneven sidewalks, and stairs. Choose shore excursions at other cruise ports based on your abilities. At airports and cruise terminals, you must handle your own luggage and often walk long distances. You may need to handle your own luggage at the hotels if luggage service is not available.
You may bring a cane or walking poles if needed. The coaches cannot carry a scooter or motorized wheelchair. The tour director and driver have many responsibilities, so please do not expect them, or your fellow travellers, to provide ongoing assistance. If you are not capable of keeping up with the group or require frequent assistance, the tour director may stop you from participating in some activities or some days of the tour. In extreme situations, you may be required to leave the tour and travel home at your own expense; travel insurance will probably not cover you.
Tour Size
This tour can accommodate up to 40 participants.
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Please book early: Cruises are incredibly popular nowadays. Ships are filling up faster and earlier than they once did, so waiting too long to book usually means “Sorry, wait till next year.” Holland America has confirmed a block of staterooms for this cruise and they are normally held until 90 days before sailing (early January 2026). However, any unsold staterooms can be taken away from us at any time if the ship or even a category fills. This occurs on most of our group cruises, then we must turn away disappointed customers, even though seats are available on the connecting motorcoach. Therefore, please don’t delay booking this tour.
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Documentation: A valid passport is required and must not expire within 6 months of your return to Canada. No visas are needed for Canadian citizens. Online immigration forms are required for Colombia and Guatemala and must be completed shortly before entry. Instructions will be provided at final payment.
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Dinner reservations: The Koningsdam offers both open dining and fixed dining. Open dining is standard, so you can go to a restaurant when you are ready with your friends or make a reservation earlier in the day. If you prefer to dine at the same time with the same people each day, we can request this. The four specialty restaurants take reservations and you should do this early in the voyage or online up to three months before sailing.
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Shore excursions: Three shore excursions are included in Cartagena, Costa Rica, and Guatemala. Shore excursions at all the other ports should be booked when they become available on Holland America’s website www.hollandamerica.com, usually three months prior to the cruise. The popular shore excursions fill up early (such as those mentioned in the itinerary), so booking on board may be too late.
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Included lunches: The above itinerary shows an included lunch on every cruise day. These lunches are on the ship, except for the included shore excursions in Costa Rica and Guatemala. If you book a ship or independent shore excursion, you may miss an included lunch if you are not back on board at lunchtime. There is no compensation for missed lunches.
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Flight seating: We are unable to take requests for window or aisle seating on the planes. The airline will not accept them, as group seating is assigned as a block. If this is important to you, we suggest you take the “No Flight” option with a fare reduction of $270 and book your own flight which allows seat selection.
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Flight upgrades: Please enquire about current prices for upgrades on the flight to Fort Lauderdale. Business class may be available.
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Flight delays or cancellations: In the event flights are delayed or cancelled by airlines due to weather or other reasons, there may be additional costs to you. Wells Gray Tours will not pay for hotel rooms and meals during the delay. Most travel insurance policies cover expenses incurred for flight delays.
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Food Allergies on cruises: You must notify us no later than at final payment if you have a food allergy. An allergy causes medical distress, a preference does not. Most food allergies can be handled at meals on the ship, but you may have to order 24 hours in advance. For some allergies, please consider bringing your own snacks or food items so you are not dependent on what restaurants are able to serve.
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Payments: A deposit of $800 per person is requested at time of booking and balance is due January 5, 2026. By paying the deposit, you agree to the Terms & Conditions, Activity Level and Cancellation Policy outlined. Payments can be made by online banking or cheque (1.5% discount on tour fare), or by Visa or Mastercard ($5,000 limit per person on credit cards).
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Early Booking Bonus: Early bookers receive a $300 discount on the first 12 seats and $150 on the next 8 seats for booking early with deposit. The discount is not offered after January 5, 2026.
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Cancellation Policy: Up to December 5, 2025, the cancellation charge is $100 per person. From December 6, 2025 to January 5, 2026, the cancellation charge is $300 per person. From January 6 to February 5, the cancellation charge is 40% of the tour fare. From February 6 to March 5, the cancellation charge is 80% of the tour fare. After March 5, there is no refund.
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Itinerary and Fare Changes: Our many suppliers may notify us about changes to the itinerary prior to departure and sometimes during the tour. We do our best to substitute a similar service if something cancels, but occasionally the only alternative is to provide a refund for the missed activity. Please note that if we are forced to cancel a tour component due to an issue beyond our control, the current penalties still apply if you choose to cancel the entire tour. Fuel surcharges and changes to taxes, currency exchange rates, or other tour costs can occur at any time, therefore Wells Gray Tours reserves the right to increase fares due to such changes up to departure.
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Travel Insurance: A Comprehensive Insurance policy is available through Wells Gray Tours and coverage is provided by Travel Guard. Policies purchased at deposit include a waiver of the pre-existing condition clause for medical and cancellation claims, otherwise policies can be purchased no later than at final payment. Medical questionnaire is not needed. Please contact us for details. If you have your own travel insurance, please read the policy carefully to be sure that you are adequately covered for medical, cancellation, interruption, and luggage. Please do not travel to the USA without medical insurance as a minimum.
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Photo Credits: Holland America Line (Panama Canal, Puntarenas, MS Koningsdam) Adobe Stock (Puerto Vallarta, Antigua, Panama Canal), and Pixabay (Panama City).
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Experience Points or E-points: This tour earns 174 e-points. Each time you travel on a Wells Gray tour, you earn e-points that are added to your account after the tour returns. One e-point equals $1. Redeem your earned points on select tours or accumulate enough points to earn a free tour! Redemptions offered until January 5, 2026.
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