Disney Adventure Becomes Largest Cruise Ship Ever To Transit The Panama Canal
19.02.2026
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The Panama Canal marked a milestone on Monday with the inaugural transit of the neopanamax cruise ship Disney Adventure, the largest passenger vessel by capacity and gross tonnage ever to cross the interoceanic waterway, according to the canal authority.
The 208,000-gt ship, carrying capacity for about 6,700 passengers, completed the passage as part of a positioning voyage under the operation of Disney Cruise Line, underscoring the canal’s ability to handle the industry’s largest cruise tonnage with precision and reliability.
Disney Adventure measures 342 metres in length with a beam of 46.4 metres. The transit required extensive multidisciplinary coordination to meet operational and safety standards.
The ship is among five cruise vessels completing inaugural passages during the 2025–2026 season, alongside AIDAdiva, Brilliant Lady, Celebrity Ascent and Star Seeker.
For fiscal year 2026, more than 40 neopanamax cruise transits are expected. The previous passenger tonnage record was held by Norwegian Bliss at 168,000 gross tons with capacity for 5,000 passengers.
Disney Adventure exceeds that mark by about 40,000 gross tons, or roughly 24%. Delivered into the fleet in 2025, the vessel was built at the Meyer Werft shipyards in Germany and is homeported in Singapore, operating three- and four-night itineraries at sea.
She accommodates about 6,700 passengers supported by a crew of 2,500 across 2,111 staterooms.
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