Cruises from California
California has four cruise homeports: Long Beach and Los Angeles side by side in the south, San Diego near the border, and San Francisco in the north. Between them you can sail to Mexico, Hawaii, Alaska and the Panama Canal year round, with fares from $359 for 4 night Mexico trips to $2,200 for 15 night Hawaii round trips.
Four: Long Beach, Los Angeles (San Pedro), San Diego and San Francisco
$359 to $2,200 per person depending on route and length
Mexico dominates the south, Alaska and Hawaii sail mainly from San Francisco and LA, coastal wine-country trips from all four
About $20 per day at Long Beach and San Pedro, $22 at San Diego, $30+ near San Francisco piers
Sailing from Long Beach, Los Angeles, San Diego and San Francisco
California cruising splits into two personalities. The south is the volume market: Carnival's Long Beach terminal and the World Cruise Center in San Pedro send ships to the Mexican Riviera every week of the year, with Catalina and Ensenada on the quick 4 night loops. The north is the scenery market: San Francisco sends Princess ships to Alaska and Hawaii without the flight to Seattle or Vancouver.
This hub compares all four ports. Dive into each port page below for terminal details, parking rates and current fares, or jump straight to the route pages for Hawaii from California and Alaska sailings.
Season: Year round in the south, San Francisco strongest spring through fall.
Popular California sailings right now
| Itinerary | Length | Line | From |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baja Mexico from Long Beach | 4 nights | Carnival Cruise Line | $359 pp |
| Mexican Riviera from Los Angeles | 7 nights | Princess Cruises | $649 pp |
| Hawaii round trip from San Francisco | 15 nights | Princess Cruises | $1,499 pp |
| Alaska from San Francisco | 10 nights | Princess Cruises | $999 pp |
Fares move daily and the lowest ones rarely stay published. Call (888) 624-7833 and we will pull live availability for your dates across every line sailing from California.
Parking at the port
Expect about $20 per day at the southern ports and more like $30 in San Francisco, where the pier lots are city garages. All four ports have hotel park and cruise options, and for LA area departures the airport-hotel-shuttle triangle usually beats direct terminal parking on trips over 5 nights.
Where to stay the night before
For Long Beach and San Pedro departures, hotels in Long Beach put the Queen Mary view and the terminal within 10 minutes. San Diego's port is walkable from the Gaslamp Quarter, and San Francisco sailings leave from Pier 27 on the Embarcadero, so a downtown hotel doubles as a pre-cruise vacation.
Cruise lines sailing from California
- Carnival Cruise Line
- Princess Cruises
- Royal Caribbean International
- Norwegian Cruise Line
- Holland America Line
- Celebrity Cruises
- Disney Cruise Line
Where you can sail
- Mexican Riviera
- Baja and Ensenada
- Hawaii
- Alaska
- Panama Canal
- California Coast
Ready to sail from California?
Our cruise desk sees agent-only pricing, cancellation returns and unpublished promotions across every major line. Two minutes on the phone regularly beats an hour of tab comparison.
Cruises from California: your questions
Which California port should I sail from?
Mexico on a budget: Long Beach. Premium Mexico or Hawaii: Los Angeles. Walkable boutique port with Mexico and Panama Canal routes: San Diego. Alaska or Hawaii without flying north: San Francisco.
Can you cruise from California to Hawaii?
Yes, 14 to 16 night round trips sail from San Francisco and Los Angeles several times a year. See our Hawaii cruises from California page for dates and pricing.
What is the cheapest cruise from California?
3 and 4 night Ensenada runs from Long Beach, from about $359 per person most of the year. Prices checked: July 2026.
Get today's best price on cruises from California
Tell us your dates and nearest port. A cruise specialist replies with real availability and any unpublished rates, usually within the hour during desk hours.