Record in Transit: Panama Canal Welcomes Largest Cruise Ship Ever

The Panama Canal hit a new high point on Monday, February 2, 2026, with the first-ever transit of the Disney Adventure, now the largest cruise ship by both passenger capacity and gross tonnage to pass through the waterway.

The Neopanamax vessel made the journey as part of a positioning voyage, quietly setting a new benchmark for the canal and the cruise industry at the same time. At 208,000 gross tons and built to carry around 6,700 passengers, the ship becomes the biggest passenger vessel to complete a Panama Canal transit since the expanded locks opened.

Disney Cruise Line. Photo: Adam McCullough / Shutterstock

As the Disney Adventure moved through the Agua Clara Locks in Colón province, Panama Canal Administrator Ricaurte Vásquez Morales presented a commemorative plaque to mark the occasion. The gesture recognized not just the ship’s size, but the planning and coordination needed to move a vessel of this scale safely and smoothly through the canal.

At 342 meters long and 46.4 meters wide, the Disney Adventure required close coordination across multiple canal teams, including pilots, lock operators, and traffic controllers. Officials called the operation a clear example of the canal’s ability to handle increasingly large and complex transits with consistency and care.

This crossing also signals growing confidence from cruise lines in using the Panama Canal as part of global itineraries, particularly for high-capacity ships. For the canal, that confidence translates into stronger ties with the cruise sector and a continued role in connecting major tourism markets.

The Disney Adventure is one of five cruise ships making their first Panama Canal transit during the 2025 to 2026 cruise season. The others include AIDAdiva, Brilliant Lady, Celebrity Ascent, and Star Seeker. Looking ahead, canal officials expect more than 40 Neopanamax cruise ship transits during fiscal year 2026.

Until now, the record for the largest passenger ship to pass through the canal belonged to Norwegian Bliss, which carries about 5,000 passengers and measures 168,000 gross tons. Disney Adventure surpasses that mark by roughly 40,000 gross tons, an increase of about 24 percent.

Delivered to Disney Cruise Line last year, the Disney Adventure was built at the Meyer Werft shipyard in Germany and is homeported in Singapore. From there, the ship operates three- and four-night sailings at sea, carrying roughly 6,700 guests, supported by a crew of 2,500, and offering 2,111 staterooms.

Onboard highlights include bow artwork of Captain Mickey, Marvel Landing with the longest roller coaster at sea, and the Disney Imagination Garden, centered around a three-deck castle structure.