The 2007 - 2008 cruise ship season brought a total of 235 cruise ships to the ports of Colon 2000 and Cristobal on the Caribbean and Fuerte Amador on the Pacific side.

The cruise lines accounted for 30 percent of Panama's overall tourism package, bringing around 450,000 visitors to the country and pumping $47 million into the economy, according to official reports

The 2008 - 2009 season is expected to start early in the last quarter of 2008 and there is a projected increase in port activity of 20 percent, according to reports.

One of the main reasons for the increase is Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines "Enchantment of the Seas" which departs from Colon every week for a cruise which includes Cartagena. Colon will be the liner's homeport beginning in December 2009.

The 2007-2008 season saw 20 other cruise lines make contracts with Panama, including Carnival, Radisson Seven Seas Cruises and Regal Princess. All of this makes the cruise ship business in Panama look very promising.