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Cruises from Los Angeles to Mexico: Baja or the Mexican Riviera?

Baja cruises from Los Angeles last 3 to 8 nights and go no further than Cabo San Lucas. Mexican Riviera cruises last 7 nights or more and carry on to Mazatlan and Puerto Vallarta. On 2 November 2026 the lowest fares were $193 and $299 per person.

By Andrew Budai · Last checked · Rates and opening hours change, so confirm before you travel.

A cruise from Los Angeles to Mexico is one of two trips. A Baja cruise lasts 3 to 8 nights and goes no further than Cabo San Lucas. A Mexican Riviera cruise lasts 7 nights or more and carries on to Mazatlan and Puerto Vallarta.

This schedule has 375 Baja sailings and 193 to the Mexican Riviera, from San Pedro and Long Beach. On 2 November 2026 the lowest fares were $193 and $299 per person, for the cheapest cabin listed with taxes and port fees included. The table at the end of this guide lists the Mexican Riviera sailings, and our Baja page lists the rest.

What is the difference between Baja and Mexican Riviera cruises from Los Angeles?

The difference is how far the ship goes. A Baja cruise stays on the Baja California peninsula and turns back at Cabo San Lucas, at the southern tip, or sooner. A Mexican Riviera cruise carries on along Mexico's Pacific coast to ports such as Mazatlan and Puerto Vallarta.

BajaMexican Riviera
Length3 to 8 nights7 to 14 nights
Sailings on this schedule375193
Usual stopsEnsenada, often Catalina Island, and Cabo San Lucas on longer tripsCabo San Lucas, Mazatlan and Puerto Vallarta, plus La Paz on Carnival
Days at sea1 or 23 on most trips, more on the longest
WhenEvery monthMostly October to April
Lowest fare on 2 November 2026$193$299

That dividing line is ours, because the cruise lines do not share one. Royal Caribbean's Baja guide uses the two names as if they were the same and calls Ensenada the first stop on the way down the Mexican Riviera. Celebrity's Baja page names Cabo San Lucas and Ensenada as its Baja ports, and treats Puerto Vallarta and Mazatlan as other Mexican Riviera ports. Read the ports on a sailing, not its name.

Why are some Mexican Riviera cruises from Long Beach listed under Baja?

Because they turn back at Cabo San Lucas. Carnival's 5-night and 6-night trips from Long Beach are sold as Mexican Riviera cruises, but they stop only at Cabo San Lucas and Ensenada, so this site lists them under Baja. Norwegian Encore's 5-night trip in February 2028 is sold the same way.

Carnival Panorama makes this easy to mix up, because it alternates the two kinds of trip. Its 6-night cruise leaves on a Sunday and reaches Cabo and Ensenada. Its 8-night cruise leaves on a Saturday and reaches Puerto Vallarta, Mazatlan, La Paz and Cabo.

Some trips under Mexican Riviera stop short of Puerto Vallarta too. Several Royal Caribbean sailings that call at Ensenada go only as far as Mazatlan, and so do a few Princess 7-night trips.

Which cruise lines sail to Mexico from Los Angeles and Long Beach?

Carnival sails to Mexico from Long Beach, and Royal Caribbean, Princess, Norwegian and Virgin sail from San Pedro. Those are two separate ports, so check which one is yours before you book a hotel or a car.

LineShipTripsUsual dayPort
CarnivalCarnival Radiance3 and 4 nights, some 5 nights to CaboFriday, MondayLong Beach
CarnivalCarnival Panorama6 nights to Cabo, 8 nights to the RivieraSunday, SaturdayLong Beach
Royal CaribbeanOvation of the Seas3 and 4 nights, some of 7 to Cabo, to November 2027Friday, MondaySan Pedro
Royal CaribbeanVoyager of the SeasMostly 7 nights to the Riviera, to April 2027FridaySan Pedro
Royal CaribbeanNavigator of the Seas3, 4 and 7 nights, November 2027 to April 2028Friday, MondaySan Pedro
PrincessDiscovery Princess7 nights to the Riviera, mostly October to AprilSaturdaySan Pedro
NorwegianNorwegian Encore7 nights to the Riviera, to April 2028SundaySan Pedro
VirginBrilliant Lady7 nights in 2027, plus 3 and 4 nights that NovemberSaturdaySan Pedro

The longest trips are occasional. Princess has some of 10 and 11 nights, and several of those add La Paz and Guaymas. Regent has a 10-night in January 2027, and Carnival Legend has a 14-night in January 2028 that goes south to Huatulco.

On the official schedule, which runs to 31 December 2027, San Pedro sailings use the World Cruise Center, and Star Princess uses the Outer Harbor on 19 April 2027. Carnival uses the Long Beach Cruise Terminal. The San Pedro berths for 2028 are not published yet.

For other cruises to Mexico from California, Princess also sails from San Francisco and Norwegian from San Diego. This schedule lists only Los Angeles and Long Beach.

How long do Mexico cruises from Los Angeles spend in port?

A 7-night Mexican Riviera cruise usually gets 7 to 10 hours at each of three ports, with 3 days at sea. A 3-night Baja cruise usually gets 8 or 9 hours in Ensenada. These are the common patterns in the itineraries on sale, and any one sailing can differ.

TripDays at seaHours in port
3 nights, Carnival or Royal Caribbean1Ensenada 8 or 9
4 nights, Carnival1Catalina 9 or 9.5, Ensenada 9
4 nights, Royal Caribbean1Catalina 11, Ensenada 8 or 9
5 nights, Carnival2Cabo 8, Ensenada 9
6 nights, Carnival2Cabo about 30, overnight, Ensenada 9
7 nights, Princess3Cabo 7 or 8, Mazatlan 9, Puerto Vallarta 9
7 nights, Norwegian3Cabo 7.5 or 8, Mazatlan 10, Puerto Vallarta 10
7 nights, Royal Caribbean3Cabo 7.5, Mazatlan 8 to 10, Puerto Vallarta 9 or 10
7 nights, Virgin3Cabo 7, Mazatlan 9, Puerto Vallarta 9
8 nights, Carnival3Puerto Vallarta 12, Mazatlan 8.5, La Paz 9, Cabo 7 or 8

By our arithmetic, Carnival's 8-night trip spends about 37 hours in port against about 26 on Princess's usual 7-night, for one more night and one more port. Carnival's 6-night trip spends about 30 of its 39 port hours at Cabo.

How long is a cruise to Cabo from Los Angeles?

The shortest cruises to Cabo San Lucas on this schedule last 5 nights, and most give you 8 or 9 hours there after 2 days at sea. For longer in Cabo, look for the word overnight.

  • 5 nights. Carnival Radiance sails these on some Tuesdays and Thursdays in winter and spring, with 8 hours in Cabo. A few on Voyager of the Seas stay about 24 hours.
  • 6 nights. Carnival Panorama sails from Long Beach about every second Sunday and stays about 30 hours.
  • 7 nights. A few Ovation of the Seas trips between December 2026 and March 2027 stay 28 or 52 hours, and some add Catalina.
  • 7 nights or more to the Riviera. Cabo is one stop of several, and most trips stay 7 or 8 hours.

Cabo is a tender port. Princess says ships anchor in the bay, usually near the Arch, and small boats carry guests to the marina. Norwegian's port page also says the ship anchors offshore. The hours above are the ship's time in port, so your time on land is shorter.

What is there to do in Ensenada on a cruise from Long Beach?

Ensenada is the stop on almost every Baja cruise from Long Beach and San Pedro, and ships usually stay from 8am to 5pm. Ships dock there, so you walk off without a tender. Norwegian names the port as Ensenada Cruiseport Village, 90 miles south of San Diego, and Princess says it is minutes from downtown.

  • In town. Carnival points to Avenida López Mateos for silver jewelry and handmade pottery. Royal Caribbean lists downtown bars less than 10 minutes from the port by taxi.
  • La Bufadora. This is a blowhole on Punta Banda. Carnival's La Bufadora Adventure tour lasts 4.5 hours, adds the Riviera del Pacífico and gives about 1.5 hours at the nearby market.
  • Wine country. Royal Caribbean's wine tour goes to the Calafia Valley, 40 minutes' drive from the port. Princess lists Guadalupe Valley wine tours.

An Ensenada cruise from Long Beach lasts 3 nights at its shortest, and Ensenada is usually the third day, after a day at sea. Carnival runs 87 of these, mostly on Fridays, from $212 per person on 2 November 2026, and Royal Caribbean leaves San Pedro on Fridays too. Our short cruises guide compares them.

Is Catalina Island part of a Mexico cruise from Long Beach?

Catalina is in California, not Mexico, but many 4-night cruises stop there before Ensenada. Love Catalina puts the island 22 miles south-southwest of Los Angeles. Carnival, Royal Caribbean and Virgin all call at Avalon, for 9 to 11 hours on most trips.

Love Catalina says most cruise ships anchor just outside Avalon Harbor and use tenders to the Cabrillo Mole, less than 4 minutes' walk from Crescent Avenue. Some Royal Caribbean 4-night trips skip Catalina and add a day at sea, so check the ports on the row.

When do Mexico cruises leave Los Angeles?

Baja cruises leave all year, and most Mexican Riviera cruises leave between October and April. From May to September, nearly every Mexican Riviera sailing on this schedule is Carnival Panorama's 8-night from Long Beach.

Princess calls December through April the peak season, and says summer and early fall bring more humidity and occasional storms. The National Hurricane Center says the eastern Pacific hurricane season runs from 15 May to 30 November, with a peak in late August, so October and November sailings fall inside it. Our season guide sets this against what sails each month.

How much is a cruise to Mexico from Los Angeles?

On 2 November 2026 a 3-night Baja cruise started at $209 per person and a 7-night Mexican Riviera cruise at $299. Those are the lowest fares that day for the cheapest cabin listed, with taxes and port fees included, and they change often.

TripLowest fare on 2 November 2026Lowest per night
3 nights, Baja$209$70
4 nights, Baja$193$48
5 nights, Baja$249$50
6 nights, Baja$270$45
7 nights, Mexican Riviera$299$43
8 nights, Mexican Riviera$428$54

The fare is only part of the bill, so add parking or the trip from the airport. Our cheap cruises page ranks the lowest fares on every route.

Is it safe to cruise to Mexico from Los Angeles?

The State Department's Mexico advisory was at Level 2, exercise increased caution, when we read it on 1 November 2026, in the version published on 28 May 2026. It says conditions vary widely from state to state and that U.S. citizens should follow the same restrictions as U.S. government employees.

Those restrictions include not waving down taxis on the street and not traveling between cities after dark. The advisory has maps of restricted areas, so read it against each port on your itinerary before you plan a day ashore. For what to bring on board, see our documents guide.

Sources

Cruises from Los Angeles to the Mexican Riviera

From the schedule on this site, rebuilt every day.

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