Disney cruise ship pays record fee to cross Panama Canal

PANAMA CITY, Panama - The Disney Cruise Line has paid a record US$331,200 for one of its ships to cross the Panama Canal.

The Panama Canal Authority says the 964-foot (295-meter) Disney Magic made the crossing May 16.

Panama increased canal fees last year and now charges cruise liners according to number of beds rather than cargo capacity. The Disney Magic has 875 staterooms.

Canal authorities said Tuesday that the previous record fee paid by any ship was US$317,142, set on May 7 by the cargo vessel MSC Fabienne. The high for a cruiser was US$313,000, set last October by two Norwegian Cruise Line ships.

The U.S.-built waterway earned US$1.76 billion in fees last year. A US$5.25 billion expansion is to be completed by 2014.

Source: www.cnbc.com