Cruises from California: which port to use for Mexico, Hawaii and Alaska
Cruises from California leave from four ports: Long Beach and Los Angeles (San Pedro) have the most sailings all year, San Diego is the Disney and Holland America base from fall to spring, and San Francisco has longer Alaska and Hawaii round trips. Pick the port by the trip: short Baja and Mexican Riviera cruises from Southern California, Hawaii from any of them, and Alaska from San Francisco or, faster, from Seattle.
Book it if
- You want a 3- or 4-night Baja cruise without flying.
- A week on the Mexican Riviera in winter sounds right.
- You'd rather sail to Hawaii than fly, and you like sea days.
Skip it if
- You want a 7-day Hawaii cruise. That means flying to Honolulu for Pride of America.
- You want the most time in Alaska for a week's vacation. Seattle or Vancouver is better.
- You want lots of island stops in a week. The Caribbean does that better.
California cruise ports compared
Each port has its own guide with terminals, parking and the lines that sail from it. Here’s how they differ.
- Long Beach and Los AngelesThe busiest California ports, with year-round sailings. Carnival in Long Beach; Princess, Royal Caribbean, Norwegian and Virgin Voyages in San Pedro. The most 3- and 4-night trips.From $169 per personChecked October 2026
- San DiegoDisney Wonder, Holland America, Royal Caribbean and Norwegian, mostly fall to spring. The easiest port to fly into: the airport is about 2 miles away.From $219 per personChecked October 2026
- San FranciscoPrincess and Carnival round trips to Alaska in summer and Hawaii and Mexico in the cooler months. Longer trips, fewer short ones.From $482 per personChecked October 2026
- Most sailings
- Long Beach and Los Angeles, year round
- Disney cruise California
- San Diego (Disney Wonder, October 2026 to April 2027; Disney Magic in October 2026)
- Alaska round trips
- San Francisco, usually 10 days
- Hawaii round trips
- Los Angeles, San Francisco and San Diego, usually 14 to 16 days
- Shortest trips
- 3-night Ensenada cruises, mostly from Long Beach and Los Angeles
| Departs | Line and ship | Nights | Itinerary | From | Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 24, 2026 | Carnival Cruise Line, Carnival Panorama | 7 | 8 Day Mexican Riviera (from Los Angeles California) | $687 | Check price |
| Oct 24, 2026 | Princess Cruises, Discovery Princess | 7 | 7 Night Mexican Riviera Cruise (from Los Angeles California) | $1,489 | Check price |
| Oct 25, 2026 | Norwegian Cruise Line, Norwegian Encore | 7 | 7 Night Mexican Riviera (from Los Angeles California) | $409 | Check price |
| Oct 29, 2026 | Carnival Cruise Line, Carnival Radiance | 4 | 5 Day Mexican Riviera (from Los Angeles California) | $379 | Check price |
| Oct 31, 2026 | Princess Cruises, Discovery Princess | 7 | 7 Night Mexican Riviera Cruise (from Los Angeles California) | $1,219 | Check price |
| Nov 1, 2026 | Norwegian Cruise Line, Norwegian Encore | 7 | 7 Night Mexican Riviera (from Los Angeles California) | $379 | Check price |
| Nov 2, 2026 | Royal Caribbean, Ovation of the Seas | 4 | 4 Night Catalina & Ensenada Cruise (from Los Angeles California) | $353 | Check price |
| Nov 3, 2026 | Carnival Cruise Line, Carnival Radiance | 4 | 5 Day Mexican Riviera (from Los Angeles California) | $423 | Check price |
| Nov 6, 2026 | Royal Caribbean, Ovation of the Seas | 3 | 3 Night Ensenada Cruise (from Los Angeles California) | $469 | Check price |
| Nov 7, 2026 | Carnival Cruise Line, Carnival Panorama | 7 | 8 Day Mexican Riviera (from Los Angeles California) | $803 | Check price |
| Nov 7, 2026 | Princess Cruises, Discovery Princess | 7 | 7 Night Mexican Riviera Cruise (from Los Angeles California) | $649 | Check price |
| Nov 8, 2026 | Norwegian Cruise Line, Norwegian Encore | 7 | 7 Night Mexican Riviera (from Los Angeles California) | $399 | Check price |
| Departs | Line and ship | Nights | Itinerary | From | Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 22, 2026 | Disney Cruise Line, Disney Wonder | 5 | 5 Night Baja Mexico Cruise (from San Diego California) | $867 | Check price |
| Oct 24, 2026 | Disney Cruise Line, Disney Magic | 6 | 6 Night Baja Mexico Cruise (from San Diego California) | $1,200 | Check price |
| Oct 25, 2026 | Royal Caribbean, Serenade of the Seas | 7 | 7 Night Ensenada, Cabo & La Paz Cruise (from San Diego California) | $547 | Check price |
| Oct 27, 2026 | Disney Cruise Line, Disney Wonder | 6 | 6 Night Baja Mexico Cruise (from San Diego California) | $1,014 | Check price |
| Oct 30, 2026 | Disney Cruise Line, Disney Magic | 7 | 7 Night Baja Mexico Cruise (from San Diego California) | $1,264 | Check price |
| Nov 1, 2026 | Royal Caribbean, Serenade of the Seas | 7 | 7 Night Ensenada, Cabo & Mazatlan Cruise (from San Diego California) | $339 | Check price |
| Nov 2, 2026 | Disney Cruise Line, Disney Wonder | 3 | 3 Night Baja Mexico Cruise (from San Diego California) | $634 | Check price |
| Nov 5, 2026 | Disney Cruise Line, Disney Wonder | 4 | 4 Night Baja Mexico Cruise (from San Diego California) | $777 | Check price |
| Nov 6, 2026 | Disney Cruise Line, Disney Magic | 14 | 14 Night Panama Canal Cruise (from San Diego California) | $2,477 | Check price |
| Nov 8, 2026 | Royal Caribbean, Serenade of the Seas | 7 | 7 Night Ensenada, Cabo & Mazatlan Cruise (from San Diego California) | $614 | Check price |
| Nov 9, 2026 | Disney Cruise Line, Disney Wonder | 4 | 4 Night Baja Mexico Cruise (from San Diego California) | $758 | Check price |
| Nov 13, 2026 | Disney Cruise Line, Disney Wonder | 3 | 3 Night Baja Mexico Cruise (from San Diego California) | $961 | Check price |
| Departs | Line and ship | Nights | Itinerary | From | Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 23, 2026 | Princess Cruises, Ruby Princess | 16 | 16 Night Hawaii Cruise (from San Francisco California) | $3,606 | Check price |
| Nov 8, 2026 | Princess Cruises, Ruby Princess | 16 | 16 Night Hawaii Cruise (from San Francisco California) | $2,692 | Check price |
| Nov 24, 2026 | Princess Cruises, Ruby Princess | 5 | 5 Night U. S. Pacific Coast Cruise (from San Francisco California) | $2,291 | Check price |
| Nov 29, 2026 | Princess Cruises, Ruby Princess | 16 | 16 Night Hawaii Cruise (from San Francisco California) | $1,296 | Check price |
| Dec 26, 2026 | Princess Cruises, Ruby Princess | 16 | 16 Night Hawaii Cruise (from San Francisco California) | $3,092 | Check price |
| Jan 5, 2027 | Azamara, Azamara Quest | 87 | 87 Night Grand Voyage Cruise (from San Francisco California) | $30,519 | Check price |
| Jan 5, 2027 | Azamara, Azamara Quest | 48 | 48 Night Grand Voyage Cruise (from San Francisco California) | $17,149 | Check price |
| Jan 5, 2027 | Azamara, Azamara Quest | 18 | 18 Night Hawaii Cruise (from San Francisco California) | $3,339 | Check price |
| Jan 11, 2027 | Princess Cruises, Ruby Princess | 16 | 16 Night Hawaii Cruise (from San Francisco California) | $1,119 | Check price |
| Jan 27, 2027 | Princess Cruises, Ruby Princess | 16 | 16 Night Hawaii Cruise (from San Francisco California) | $2,619 | Check price |
| Feb 12, 2027 | Princess Cruises, Ruby Princess | 16 | 16 Night Hawaii Cruise (from San Francisco California) | $1,459 | Check price |
| Feb 28, 2027 | Princess Cruises, Ruby Princess | 16 | 16 Night Hawaii Cruise (from San Francisco California) | $1,439 | Check price |
Cruises to Mexico from California
This is what most California cruises are.
- 3- and 4-night Baja cruises: to Ensenada, with Catalina Island or San Diego on some 4-night trips. Carnival sails these year round from Long Beach; Royal Caribbean and others run them from Los Angeles, and Disney from San Diego in fall and winter.
- 7-night Mexican Riviera: to Cabo San Lucas, Mazatlán and Puerto Vallarta, from Long Beach, Los Angeles and San Diego. From San Francisco the same route takes 10 to 11 nights.
- Best time: December to April, when Mexico is warm and dry. Late summer and early fall is hurricane season on Mexico’s Pacific coast.
Compare lines and ports in our Mexico cruise guide.
Cruises to Hawaii from California
A Hawaii cruise from California is a round trip of about 14 to 16 days, with roughly eight days at sea. Foreign-flagged ships sailing round trip from a U.S. port must stop at a foreign port, so they call at Ensenada on the way back. There’s no 7-day Hawaii cruise from California: the islands are about four days’ sail away.
- Princess: the biggest program, with round trips from Los Angeles and 15-night trips from San Francisco from fall to spring.
- Holland America: longer round trips from San Diego.
- Carnival: its first dedicated Hawaii program starts in fall 2027, when Carnival Legend moves to Long Beach for the season and sails 14-day round trips to Honolulu, Maui, Kauai, Hilo and Kona, with Ensenada on the way back. Ten sailings are on sale for October 2027 to March 2028.
If you want a 7-day Hawaii cruise, fly to Honolulu for Norwegian’s Pride of America; see our cruises from Honolulu guide. Our Hawaii cruise guide compares both options.
Alaska cruises from California
Princess and Carnival sail 10-day Alaska round trips from San Francisco in summer (Carnival’s 2027 trips on Carnival Luminosa visit Juneau, Skagway, Ketchikan, Prince Rupert and Tracy Arm), and a few longer Alaska voyages leave from Los Angeles. They add about three days of coastal sailing compared with a Seattle trip. For most Californians, a flight to Seattle for a 7-night round trip, or to Vancouver for a one-way Gulf of Alaska cruise, gets more Alaska out of a week. See our guides to an Alaska cruise from Seattle and an Alaska cruise from Vancouver, and Princess Alaska cruises for the line with the most California options.
Three insider picks
1. For a cheap first cruise, go short from Long Beach. A 3-day cruise from California to Ensenada is one of the lowest-cost cruises in the U.S. Weekend sailings are lively; midweek ones are quieter.
2. For families, Disney in San Diego. Disney Wonder is the only Disney ship based in California, from October to April. Book holiday sailings early.
3. Match Hawaii to your tolerance for sea days. Two weeks from California is a relaxing voyage with four or five island days. One week from Honolulu is all islands and no rest. Neither is wrong; they’re different trips.
California cruise FAQ
Are there 7-day cruises to Hawaii from California?
No. Hawaii is about four days’ sail from California each way, and foreign-flagged ships have to add a foreign port, so round trips run about 14 to 16 days. For a 7-day Hawaii cruise, fly to Honolulu and sail on Pride of America.
What are the cheapest cruises from California?
Usually 3- and 4-night Baja cruises to Ensenada from Long Beach and Los Angeles, especially midweek and outside school holidays. Carnival tends to have the lowest fares. See our short cruise guide.
Is there a Disney cruise from California?
Yes. Disney Wonder sails 3- to 7-night Baja and Mexican Riviera cruises from San Diego from October 2026 to April 2027, and Disney has extended its San Diego agreement through at least 2031.
Can I cruise to Alaska from California?
Yes, mainly 10-day round trips from San Francisco on Princess and Carnival in summer, plus a few longer voyages from Los Angeles. A 7-night trip from Seattle spends a similar amount of time in Alaska.
Do I need a passport for a cruise from California?
For a round trip that starts and ends at the same California port, U.S. citizens can usually sail with an original birth certificate and government-issued photo ID under CBP’s closed-loop rule. A passport is safer in case you need to fly home from Mexico or Canada. See our no-passport cruises guide.
Sources
- Port of Los Angeles: Los Angeles Cruise Terminal (World Cruise Center)
- Visit Long Beach: Long Beach Cruise Terminal information
- Port of San Diego: navigating the cruise terminals
- Port of San Diego: Disney Cruise Line homeport partnership extended (April 2026)
- Port of San Francisco: cruise terminals and cruise lines
- Disney Parks Blog: fall 2026 and spring 2027 itineraries (Disney Magic and Wonder from San Diego)
- Carnival News: Carnival Legend's 2027–28 Hawaii series from Long Beach
- Cruise Industry News: Carnival 2027 Alaska cruises from San Francisco (Carnival Luminosa)
- Princess Cruises: cruises from San Francisco
- U.S. Customs and Border Protection: Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (closed-loop cruises)