When Disney first transited the canal ... back in ??? ... they set a record for the highest fee ever paid to transit ......
the fee structure for the canal is complicated and encompases tonnage, pass' load, cargo load and allows paying extra to move to the front of the line ....
if you wonder why a
DCL canal passage costs more as compared to other lines ....... they paid $$$$ for this "honor" or should I say YOU did ....
TA DA
not THE answer ... but a part of the equation ......
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PANAMA CITY Posted 6/10/2008 (Reuters) — A U.S.-owned cruise ship has paid a record $331,200 to cross the Panama Canal as vessels fight for space in the increasingly congested waterway, authorities said Tuesday.
The 964-foot-long Disney Magic, owned by a subsidiary of Walt Disney Co, broke the transit record on May 16, the Panama Canal Authority said. The ship sails out of Port Canaveral, Florida, and is registered in the Bahamas.
Three container ships have also recently paid more than $313,000, the previous record price set in October 2007 by NCL Corp Ltd vessel Norwegian Pearl. NCL is an affiliate of Star Cruises Ltd .
Non-reserved slots for crossing the canal are sold at auction to the highest bidder, with yachts, cruise liners and container vessels all competing for limited spaces on the 50-mile waterway between the Atlantic and Pacific.
Companies shipping goods between Asia and the U.S. East Coast are willing to pay higher prices to cross the canal to save time and avoid docking goods at ports in Mexico and Central America and transporting them over land.
The canal also allows cruise ships to journey from the Caribbean to the Pacific. The Disney Magic vessel offers cruises from Florida to Los Angeles, and crossing the Panama Canal is one of the highlights for tourists.
Last year, the U.S.-built canal started a $5.25 billion expansion plan, but work won't be completed until 2014.
