The 2,850 passengers from Colon may visit the Gatun Locks, or cross the isthmus to obtain information from the Miraflores Visitors Center, or perform full or partial crossings of the Canal.

Experts from the Florida-Caribbean Cruise Association (FCCA) highlight that every cruise ship passenger spends $125 and cruise personal $80 every time they stop at a port. The Equinox has capacity for 999 passengers.

Augusto Terracina, from the cruise port, reported that Colon 2000 has capacity for the arrival of two cruise ships at once and the services offered continue to improve. “The use of elevators, escalators, new restaurants, supermarkets, and specialty stores with hand-made craft, jewelry, watches, and technological devices continues to amaze cruise ship lines and their passengers.”

The Equinox will arrive on the following dates: January 8 and 29, February 19, March 11, and April 1, 2012. This gigantic cruise ship is equally important to the two ships of the Colon 2000 Home Port, the Grandeur of the Seas and Horizon, owned by Pullmantur, which will depart eight times in the months of January and February.

Tourism Authority of Panama’s statistics from January through November indicate that 313,317 cruise ship passengers arrived to both ports of the Panama Canal’s entrances, which represents an increment of 48.7%.

According to Salo Shamah, General Manager of the Tourism Authority of Panama, the activity in the home ports promotes tourism in different ways: shopping, tours, and hotel occupancy (by the tourists who arrive before and leave after their cruise trips.) "Cruise ships are a growing segment, which is positively diversified."