zCartagena + Costa Rica + Panama Canal

Welcome aboard our deluxe ship, the 210-guest ms Saint Laurent. Settle in to your stylish stateroom or suite and acquaint yourself with the welcoming public areas and outdoor lounges of your floating home for the next 10 days. Enjoy an elegant dinner accompanied by free-flowing wines, cocktails and beverages as the Saint Laurent sets sail across the azure waters of the far southern reaches of the Caribbean Sea.  Meals D

This pristine archipelago comprises more than 370 islands and cays, of which only 49 are inhabited. Setting out in the Saint Laurent’s Zodiacs, your guided sightseeing expedition explores the beauty of the islands and its surrounding seas. Along the way, you’ll also discover the traditional ways of the Kuna Yala, a culturally cohesive indigenous people that live in remote island communities throughout the archipelago. The women are renowned for their intricate and colorful needlework and their families depend mainly upon subsistence agriculture, fishing and tourism.  Meals B+L+D

Inaugurated in 1914, the Panama Canal is an engineering marvel which you will experience firsthand on today’s complete Canal transit from the Atlantic to the Pacific. Your adventure begins at the Gatun Locks, a 3-stage system that takes you from sea level up to Gatun Lake. You’ll sail across the lake and through the infamous Culebra Cut (formerly known as the Gaillard Cut) and then through the Miraflores Locks, ultimately descending to the Pacific Ocean. As you make this wondrous voyage, the Saint Laurent offers intimate and comfortable vantage points from which to take in the spectacle of huge cargo freighters, cruise ships and military vessels making the transit against a dramatic topography of mountains and rainforests. You can enjoy the view from one of the ship’s innovative outdoor lounges or while enjoying a drink at the bar. Our onboard experts are available throughout the day to enrich your crossing with illuminating insight into the history and workings of the Panama Canal.  Meals B+L+D

This morning’s sightseeing excursion is highlighted by an expertly-guided walking tour through Casco Antiguo. Founded in 1673 and noted for its splendid Colonial architecture, this unique walled city is filled with charming plazas, beautiful gardens and several of the city’s most notable landmarks including the Presidential Palace. Splendidly restored 17th-century buildings graced with iron balconies are reminiscent of the French Quarter in New Orleans and the area is abuzz with inviting boutiques, cafes and restaurants. You’ll also join your guide to visit the ruins of Old Panama, founded in 1519 and destroyed in 1671 by the infamous Welsh Captain Henry Morgan.  Meals B+L+D

After breakfast, set out by Zodiac for a guided expedition into Darien National Park. Recognized by UNESCO in 1981 as a World Heritage Site, this unique Pak forms a bridge between the two continents of the New World. It encompasses a remarkable range of habitats including sandy beaches, rocky coastlines, mangrove forests, swamps and lowland tropical rainforests all inhabited by a wide variety of mammals, birds and butterflies. The region is also home to two indigenous groups, including Embera Indians who navigate the waterways in their dugout canoes to hunt with blowpipes as their ancestors have for generations. We’ll explore these same waterways to observe the Park’s diverse flora and fauna. Birders will be thrilled with this opportunity to spot elusive species including Harpy Eagles, Red-cheeked Woodpeckers, macaws and Yellow-bellied Great Kiskadees. Before returning to ship, we’ll also spend time in an Embera village to learn more about their daily life and enduring traditions.  Meals B+L+D

Enjoy a leisurely breakfast and a delightful morning of cruising as the Saint Laurent navigates into the pristine waters of Coiba National Park, one of the largest marine parks in the world comprising 38 protected islands. After lunch, you’ll join your fellow guests and expert guides to explore by Zodiac the shores of Coiba Island and the surrounding marine areas that lie within the Gulf of Chiriquí. Coiba Island served Panama as a penal colony and for many years, access was heavily restricted.  Virtually untouched by human contact for generations, the island’s flora and fauna have flourished and the primary tropical forests maintain exceptionally high levels of endemism of mammals, birds and plants due to the ongoing evolution of new species. Coiba is also the last refuge for a number of threatened animals including the Crested Eagle, and its isolation promises thrilling wilderness exploration as you step ashore for expertly guided beach and forest walks.  Meals B+L+D

Along the remote southwestern corner of Costa Rica, Golfo Dulce is difficult to reach but that’s what makes this such a picturesque, pristine and exciting place to explore. This inlet of the Pacific Ocean is one of only three tropical fjords in the world and its protected waters are a sanctuary for a remarkable diversity of marine life including dolphins, marlins, sea turtles, parrotfish, and whales. The surrounding rainforests are home to dart frogs, anteaters and a variety of monkeys including spider, howler and white-faced capuchin monkeys. Scarlet macaws, toucans and hummingbirds are among the avian species that inhabit the region. This afternoon, you’ll join our expert naturalists to explore by Zodiac across these undisturbed waters and along its remote shores. For those who wish, there will also be a chance to swim in the clear waters of the bay.  Meals B+L+D

Hailed by National Geographic as “the most biologically intense place on Earth,” the remote Osa Peninsula was one of the last places in Costa Rica to be settled and the first roads were just built 10 years ago. In addition, half of Osa’s vast tracts of rainforest, swamp and coastline are protected by Corcovado National Park. The result is an incredible habitat that shelters some of Central America’s most critically endangered species including Baird’s tapir, the white-lipped peccary, jaguars and the harpy eagle. The Peninsula is also home to almost half of Costa Rica’s 860 bird species, 140 different types of mammals and 117 species of reptiles and amphibians. Arborists have recorded more than 740 species of trees! This morning’s expedition will begin with a Zodiac excursion to the Peninsula where you’ll step ashore with our naturalist guides to explore Osa’s pristine beaches and forests.  Meals B+L+D

After breakfast, you’ll join our expert naturalist team for another Zodiac beach landing, this time to explore along the well-tended forest trails of Manuel Antonio, regarded by many as the crown jewel of Costa Rica’s national parks. Although smaller than other parks like Corcovado, Manuel Antonio’s white-sand beaches, rocky headlands and dense forests make it one of the country’s most beautiful. Winding your way around Cathedral Point, you’ll have spectacular views of the Pacific coast before continuing through primary and secondary forests. Informative narration from your guide is enhanced with exciting opportunities to spot a variety of colorful birds and mammals including two-toed sloths.  Meals B+L+D

After a final breakfast onboard, you’ll disembark the Saint Laurent in Puerto Caldera, Costa Rica.  Meals B