Cruises from Los Angeles: The Mexican Riviera's Home Port

World Cruise Center & Long Beach · Reviewed by Courtney Geisel, Travel Advisor

Quick answer

Los Angeles sails from two terminals, San Pedro (Princess, Royal Caribbean, Norwegian) and Carnival's Long Beach dome, running the Mexican Riviera: 3 to 4 nights to Ensenada, 7 nights to Cabo, Mazatlan, and Puerto Vallarta. Winter is the prime season, and the whole West Coast can drive to the pier.

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Sailing from Los Angeles: what to know

Los Angeles is the Mexican Riviera's front door. The classic 7-night loop, Cabo San Lucas, Mazatlan, Puerto Vallarta, sails weekly through the winter from San Pedro's World Cruise Center (Princess has homeported here for half a century; Royal Caribbean and Norwegian rotate ships through) and from Carnival's unmistakable geodesic-dome terminal in Long Beach. Quick 3-and-4-night Ensenada-and-Catalina runs make the entry-level long weekend, the West Coast's answer to Miami's Bahamas quickies.

The drive market is the story: everyone from San Diego to Santa Barbara, plus Vegas and Phoenix on an easy morning run, can reach the pier without a boarding pass. Both terminals offer on-site parking, and the pre-cruise night writes itself, San Pedro's waterfront and the Queen Mary hotel ship sit next to Long Beach's terminal. LAX to either port runs 30 to 45 minutes against traffic for fly-in cruisers.

Beyond the Riviera, LA's calendar hides two gems: 14-to-16-night Hawaii round-trips that reach four islands with no airfare, the sleeper value in Pacific cruising, and spring/fall Panama Canal repositioning sailings. Courtney prices the LA departures against flying into Cabo or Vallarta for land stays (sometimes the resort wins, sometimes the ship), matches lines honestly, and books the drive-market parking packages. Her planning is free; the cruise lines pay her.

Where cruises from Los Angeles go

Baja quick runs (3-4 nights: Ensenada, Catalina)

Mexican Riviera (7 nights: Cabo, Mazatlan, Puerto Vallarta)

California Coastal (seasonal)

Hawaii round-trip (14-16 nights)

Panama Canal (repositioning)

When to sail

Year-round with the Mexican Riviera strongest October through April; Hawaii round-trips and Panama Canal repositioning cluster in spring and fall.

Price a cruise from Los Angeles

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FAQs

What cruise lines sail from Los Angeles?

Princess, Carnival, Royal Caribbean, Norwegian all offer sailings from World Cruise Center & Long Beach. Which ships are stationed there rotates by season, so the current calendar is always worth checking before you set your heart on a specific ship.

Where do cruises from Los Angeles go?

Typical itineraries include Baja quick runs (3-4 nights: Ensenada, Catalina); Mexican Riviera (7 nights: Cabo, Mazatlan, Puerto Vallarta); California Coastal (seasonal); Hawaii round-trip (14-16 nights); Panama Canal (repositioning).

When is the best time to cruise from Los Angeles?

Year-round with the Mexican Riviera strongest October through April; Hawaii round-trips and Panama Canal repositioning cluster in spring and fall.

Do I need a passport to cruise from Los Angeles?

For closed-loop cruises (sailing round-trip from the same U.S. port), U.S. citizens can technically travel with a government-issued photo ID and a certified birth certificate. A passport is still strongly recommended: if you miss the ship or need to fly home from a foreign port, a birth certificate will not get you on the plane.

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