(Democrat Herald) Roughly two feet. That’s how much clearance our ship had on each side when crossing through the Gatun Locks on the northern entrance of the Panama Canal. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime experience — crossing the canal on a cruise ship — and I was lucky to do it in May. On a 15-day westward itinerary on Royal Caribbean’s Radiance of the Seas, we spent nearly an … [Read more...]
Panama continues to lead in shipping tonnage
(Prensa.com) A total of 9,121 ships were registered in Panama as of May 31, representing 229.1 million tons. This makes Panama the leading ship registry in the world by tonnage, according to officials from the Panama Maritime Authority. The figures were released during a recent general council meeting of the International Maritime Organization (IMO), according to a press … [Read more...]
Scared to visit Mexico? How about Panama?
(Gadling) News reports of ongoing crime and attacks on travelers in Mexico have land vacationers looking for alternative destinations and cruise ships headed in the opposite direction. Sure, those beheadings, murders and shootings are happening in remote areas of Mexico for the most part, but stories of such activity combined with travel warnings by trusted sources are enough … [Read more...]
Panama Debt to exceed $15 billion by 2015
(Prensa.com) Panama's public debt will amount to $15.3 billion by 2015 according to report presented yesterday by Minister of Economy and Finance Alberto Vallarino to the National Assembly. But the debt amount will actually decrease in comparison to the country's gross domestic product (GDP), the minister said. He is projecting that ratio will decrease to 34.3 percent. … [Read more...]
France to move quickly on Noriega extradition
(Prensa.com) The French government will move rapidly on extraditing Manuel Antonio Noriega to Panama, officials with Panama's Foreign Ministry said Friday. Those officials said that, while Noriega has up to 30 days to contest the extradition, they don't expect that to happen, and instead are preparing for his transfer. Officials with the French Embassy in Panama stated … [Read more...]