Cruise to Mexico: Mexican Riviera, Baja and Cozumel compared

Best time to cruise to Mexico

The answer depends on which coast you sail.

• Mexican Riviera (Pacific side), October to April: this is when most West Coast ships are in Mexico; in summer many of them move to Alaska. Winter is the dry season in Cabo and Puerto Vallarta.
• Baja and Ensenada, all year: Carnival runs short trips from Long Beach year round.
• Western Caribbean (Cozumel, Costa Maya, Progreso), all year: winter and spring break are the busiest weeks; late summer and fall are hot and humid, and fares are often lower.
• Hurricane season: NOAA’s National Hurricane Center dates the Eastern Pacific season from May 15 to November 30 and the Atlantic season from June 1 to November 30, with the Atlantic peak around September 10. Lines steer ships around storms, so a sailing in these months can swap or skip ports.

Three ways to cruise to Mexico

Baja (Ensenada) cruise

3 to 5 nights from Long Beach, Los Angeles, San Diego or San Francisco. Ensenada, sometimes with Catalina Island or San Diego. The classic cheap first cruise.

Mexican Riviera cruise

Usually 7 nights from Los Angeles or San Diego to Cabo San Lucas, Mazatlán and Puerto Vallarta, or Cabo and La Paz. Two or three sea days. Longer 10-night trips add the Sea of Cortez.

Western Caribbean

4 to 7 nights from New Orleans, Galveston or Florida to Cozumel, Costa Maya and Progreso, often with Belize or Roatán. Warmer water and better snorkeling than the Pacific side.

Lines compared for Mexico cruises

• Carnival Cruise LineThe biggest Mexico line on both coasts: year-round Mexico trips from Long Beach, Baja from San Francisco on Carnival Luminosa, and Cozumel from the Gulf. Usually the lowest fares.
  From $88 per personChecked September 2026
• Princess Cruises7-day Mexican Riviera round trips on Discovery Princess from Los Angeles, October 2026 to April 2027, plus longer Sea of Cortez trips. Calmer and more adult.
  From $1,189 per personChecked September 2026
• Royal CaribbeanVoyager and Ovation of the Seas from Los Angeles and Serenade of the Seas from San Diego, on 2- to 8-night trips. The family pick on the West Coast.
  From $67 per personChecked September 2026
• Norwegian Cruise LineNorwegian Encore and Norwegian Star on the Mexican Riviera from Los Angeles and San Diego in winter 2026–27, with no fixed dinner times.
  From $289 per personChecked September 2026
• Disney Cruise LineDisney Wonder runs Baja and Mexican Riviera trips from San Diego from fall to spring, and Disney Magic from San Diego each October. Costs more than other lines for the same ports.
  From $608 per personChecked September 2026
• Virgin VoyagesThe only adults-only line on the Mexican Riviera: Brilliant Lady sails from Los Angeles, with 7-night trips to Cabo, La Paz and Mazatlán.
  From $424 per personChecked September 2026

On the Caribbean side, most big lines call at Cozumel, including MSC and Celebrity from Florida. From New Orleans, Carnival, Norwegian and Royal Caribbean all run Western Caribbean trips; see our cruises from New Orleans guide. Ship guides for Mexico sailings: Disney Wonder, Disney Magic and Star Princess, which makes one Mexican Riviera round trip from Los Angeles in April 2027.

Typical length and price

Baja trips run 3 to 5 nights and are among the cheapest cruises you can book anywhere, especially on Carnival from Long Beach. Mexican Riviera cruises are almost always 7 nights, with a few 8- to 11-night variations; they cost more than a Baja trip, and fares are highest around the winter holidays. Western Caribbean trips from the Gulf are 4 to 7 nights and priced like other mainstream Caribbean sailings.

Beyond the fare, Mexico now charges foreign cruise passengers a per-person fee at most ports, including Cabo, Puerto Vallarta, Cozumel and Costa Maya. It doubled to $10 per passenger on August 1, 2026, and is scheduled to rise to $15 from July 1, 2027 and $21 from August 1, 2028. The verdict pass shows our dated from-price.

Departure ports

• Los Angeles and Long Beach: the main Mexico hub. Carnival uses its own Long Beach terminal; Princess, Royal Caribbean, Norwegian and Virgin use the World Cruise Center in San Pedro.
• San Diego: Disney, Royal Caribbean (Serenade of the Seas) and Norwegian.
• San Francisco: Carnival Luminosa’s weekend Baja trips in 2027, and Princess holiday sailings.
• New Orleans: Cozumel, Costa Maya and Progreso on 4- to 7-night trips.
• Galveston and the Florida ports: most Cozumel and Costa Maya sailings start here.

Mexico cruise sailings snapshot

Sample Mexico cruises, 2026–2027. From-prices per person, checked September 2026.

Departs	Line and ship	Nights	Itinerary	From	Link
Oct 10, 2026	Disney Cruise Line, Disney Wonder	3	3 Night Baja Mexico Cruise (from San Diego, California)	$882	Check price
Oct 16, 2026	Disney Cruise Line, Disney Magic	3	3 Night Baja Mexico Cruise (from San Diego, California)	$747	Check price
Oct 18, 2026	Celebrity Cruises, Celebrity Reflection	6	6 Night Grand Cayman, Bahamas & Mexico (from Fort Lauderdale (Port Everglades), Florida)	$792	Check price
Oct 18, 2026	Disney Cruise Line, Disney Wonder	4	4 Night Baja Mexico Cruise (from San Diego, California)	$608	Check price
Oct 19, 2026	Disney Cruise Line, Disney Magic	5	5 Night Baja Mexico Cruise (from San Diego, California)	$800	Check price
Oct 22, 2026	Disney Cruise Line, Disney Wonder	5	5 Night Baja Mexico Cruise (from San Diego, California)	$675	Check price
Oct 24, 2026	Disney Cruise Line, Disney Magic	6	6 Night Baja Mexico Cruise (from San Diego, California)	$1,008	Check price
Oct 25, 2026	Carnival Cruise Line, Carnival Radiance	4	4 Day Baja Mexico (from Los Angeles, California)	$194	Check price
Oct 27, 2026	Disney Cruise Line, Disney Wonder	6	6 Night Baja Mexico Cruise (from San Diego, California)	$822	Check price
Oct 30, 2026	Disney Cruise Line, Disney Magic	7	7 Night Baja Mexico Cruise (from San Diego, California)	$1,057	Check price
Oct 30, 2026	Royal Caribbean, Voyager of the Seas	6	6 Night Cabo Overnight & Ensenada (from Los Angeles, California)	$91	Check price
Oct 31, 2026	Virgin Voyages, Scarlet Lady	5	Mexico & Bimini Beach Club Halloween (from Miami, Florida)	$424	Check price

Ports of call

• Ensenada: the Baja port on every short trip, for La Bufadora blowhole and Valle de Guadalupe wineries.
• Catalina Island (Avalon): a California stop on some Baja cruises. It’s in the U.S., so it doesn’t count as the foreign port.
• Cabo San Lucas: El Arco and the marina. Ships usually tender guests ashore.
• Puerto Vallarta: the Malecón, old town and Banderas Bay.
• Mazatlán: a historic center and long beaches.
• La Paz: a quieter Sea of Cortez port, known for whale shark trips.
• Cozumel: one of the busiest cruise ports in the world, with reef snorkeling and a ferry to Playa del Carmen.
• Costa Maya: a purpose-built cruise port near the Chacchoben Mayan ruins.
• Progreso: the port for Mérida and Chichén Itzá day trips.

Cozumel and Costa Maya often share an itinerary with Roatán; see our Roatan port guide.

Mexico cruise FAQ

What's the cheapest cruise to Mexico?

Usually a 3- or 4-night Baja cruise to Ensenada from Long Beach on Carnival. From the Gulf, short Cozumel trips from New Orleans or Galveston are the cheapest. See our short cruise guide.

Can you cruise to Cancún?

Not directly. Cancún has no cruise port. The closest calls are Cozumel, where you can take a ferry to Playa del Carmen and drive north, and Costa Maya further south. If Cancún’s beaches are the goal, a hotel stay makes more sense.

Is a Mexican Riviera or Western Caribbean cruise better?

The Mexican Riviera is better if you live on the West Coast, want town and city ports, and don’t mind sea days. The Western Caribbean is better for snorkeling, clearer water and Mayan ruins, and has more sailings year round.

Do I need a passport for a cruise to Mexico?

On a round trip that starts and ends at the same U.S. port, U.S. citizens can use a birth certificate and government-issued photo ID under CBP’s closed-loop cruise rule. A passport is still safer if you might have to fly home from Mexico. More in our no-passport cruises guide.

What is the Mexico cruise fee increase?

Mexico charges foreign cruise passengers a per-person fee at most of its cruise ports. It started in 2025, rose to $10 on August 1, 2026, and is scheduled to increase again in 2027 and 2028. Check whether your line bills it in port taxes and fees or separately.