Opening of expanded Panama Canal is delayed until 2016

A bigger ditch: Work to construct three new locks at Gatun 

Construction delays have pushed back the opening date for the expanded Panama Canal and its new locks.

Completion of the £3.25 billion engineering project had been expected by December next year, but the Canal Authority has announced it will not open until 2016 – without specifying even an approximate date.

Construction of the locks, which will accommodate vessels about a third larger than the current maximum size, was delayed earlier this year by a dispute over costs with the European consortium carrying out the work.

A third shipment of 4,000-ton lock gates, built in Italy, was delivered to Panama earlier this week. The final shipment to complete the 16 total is expected in January.

Work on the new locks and associated channels, together with dredging and other operations to expand the canal, is almost 80 per cent complete.

The Canal, linking the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, celebrated its 100^th anniversary in August. Read more about the history of the Panama Canal and follow a journey through it on board cruise ship Celebrity  Infinity, in the latest issue of World of Cruising.

Two of the new Panama Canal lock gates awaiting installation

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Celebrity Cruises With Oz Clarke

This October, gastronomes and wine enthusiasts can delve into Europe’s rich wine heritage with renowned expert Oz Clarke and Celebrity Cruises. Oz will lead a host of wine travel experiences, taking in renowned vineyards throughout France, Spain and Portugal during the spectacular annual grape harvest and provide guests the opportunity to enjoy gastronomic experiences and improve knowledge of wine through engaging and entertaining masterclasses.

The 12-night immersive holiday – designed to impress the palates of food and wine fans with some expert advice on hand – will allow guests to take advantage of the first-class restaurants and wine programmes onboard the recently refurbished Celebrity Infinity whilst travelling between Europe’s top wine producing regions.

Guests can customise their holiday with a series of package options to choose from, including:

• An intimate speciality dinner hosted by Oz, matching his personal wine recommendations to each part of a six-course Five Senses menu hosted in the speciality restaurant SS United States. Designed to stimulate all senses, this exclusive dinner costs just £69 per person.
• A series of five events hosted by Oz and Tom Forrest, a fellow wine expert. Tantalise the taste buds with a wine and cheese pairing; immerse yourself in the old world wines of France with an introduction to French wine; and brush up on your wine knowledge with masterclasses in Bordeaux wines, Spanish wine and Sherry; and a French wine masterclass. To experience all five events costs just £89 per person.

The European Immersive Wine Cruise departs during the wine harvest season from Harwich on October 12 and will call at Paris (port of Le Havre), Bordeaux (port of Le Verdon), La Rochelle, Bilbao, Vigo and Porto before returning to Harwich. It costs from just £699 per person (based on two adults sharing an inside stateroom).

For bookings, follow this link to The Cruise Line, the UK's cruise-agent specialists.

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If you haven't already, subscribe to the World of Cruising magazine today.

Celebrity's Big Programme For 2014

Fantastic added value offers for guests booking European cruises sailing from the UK, two ships sailing from UK ports of call and more than 60 new itineraries worldwide are among the many highlights of the new 2014-15 worldwide brochure from Celebrity Cruises.

With an impressive six ships in Europe for summer 2014, six in the Caribbean, three in Alaska and three vessels in Asia, Australia and New Zealand, the choice of itineraries is truly impressive and guests now have a massive variety of destinations to choose from. 

To mark the launch of the new brochure and encourage early bookings, Celebrity is offering great added value for European cruises sailing out of British ports. Selected cruises booked on Celebrity Eclipse and Celebrity Infinity sailing from the UK will get a FREE drinks package, worth up to £900 per person, plus $200 onboard credit AND reduced fares on domestic flights from UK regional airports, starting from just £149 per person.  

For more info and bookings, be sure to follow this link to our sponsors, The Cruise Line, the UK's leading specialist cruise agents.

Time Spent at Sea has moved and can now be found at World of Cruising. You can follow World of Cruising on Twitter and Facebook for the very latest in cruise news.

If you haven't already, subscribe to the World of Cruising magazine today.