I’m a West Coast Travel Editor, and I Recommend These 10 Cruises from Los Angeles to Book Now, Starting at $289 (for 4 Nights!)
By Dana Dickey,
2 days ago
I like to think of cruises as one of the last great travel bargains in America, since you can travel to numerous far-flung destinations on one trip for as little as $100 dollars a day, without suffering uncomfortable accommodations, flight delays or bed bugs like you would in some sketchy hotel that costs the same amount. I’ve covered the cruise industry as a travel editor, and cruise ship guests always praise how the on-ship experience is a story of overall ease, since you’re only unpacking once—when you occupy your cabin—yet you get to visit so many ports of call, linked like jewels on a necklace.
Depending on the ship you choose, you can enjoy multiple restaurants and bars, spa appointments, learning opportunities and wellness pursuits all before you even disembark. While East Coast cruises get a lot of the attention, since the Caribbean and Europe are conveniently right there, I’m here to recommend West Coast-originating cruise vacations to book right now , before the bargains and best cabins sell out. These trips depart from one of two Los Angeles ports, San Pedro and Long Island, and this list of the 10 best cruises range from a brief three nights to as long as three weeks. They include popular cruise lines for families as well as cruise lines for adults . Keep reading after the list—I’ve answered some of the most frequently-asked questions about Los Angeles cruises.
Broadway-style shows, onboard kids’ activities for ages 3 to 17, 10 dining options (including outdoor dining ) and an onboard casino to add some zest to your evenings are part of the fun on this 2,984-passenger ship that hits the sweet spot of affordability, something for everyone and a quickie getaway.
A day stop in Ensenada, Mexico will get you off board of this 3,990-person cruise line, but the kids might have to really be bribed to leave the longest waterslide at sea that wooshes you over the open ocean, and a family-friendly mat waterslide. (This ship’s all-ages offerings make it a super-fast and fun all-inclusive family vacation .) and choose among Jamie Oliver-branded Italian fare, L.A. burger favorite Johnny Rockets and more. And don’t miss the next-level ice-skating shows.
Since spring 2024, the Italian-themed Carnival Firenze has disembarked from Long Beach, giving Riviera-flavored experience to weekly voyages up and down the West Coast from Los Angeles. The 4,126-passenger lets you choose among Italian and Japanese fare, has fresco’ed walls and European archways and columns ringing the main dining room. There are activities for kids and teens (making it practically an all-inclusive family resort in Mexico ), cocktail lounges and shows for the grownups. Plus, mid-cruise, there’s a chance to take a day-trip to the breathtaking arch towers and charming villages of Cabo.
Destinations: San Francisco; Victoria, Vancouver, British Columbia
Duration: 5 nights
Date: May 5, 2025
Want a jumping-off point to a spring break full of Canada’s natural beauty? Take this five-night cruise about the luxe 2,501-passenger Radiance of the Seas, which originates in Los Angeles and ends in Vancouver, Canada. (Pro tip: Stay there a couple extra days, since there are so many things to do in Vancouver .) As you cruise north along the Pacific Coast, you have the option of surf ‘n’ turf, sashimi, osso buco or at the chef’s table, a multi-course white tablecloth experience of elevated fare such as scallop carpaccio with yuzu vinaigrette. Movies under the stars by the pool, sports ranging from min-golf to rock climbing and medi-spa treatments keep you busy, and so, so relaxed.
Destination: Cabo San Lucas, Mazatlan, Puerto Vallarta
Duration: 7 nights
Date: January 25, 2025
Leave Los Angeles’s late winter gloom and head south on this 3,660-person vessel, with a day stop each in Cabo, Mazatlan and Puerto Vallarta . It’s a destination-packed getaway that is an affordable sampling of Mexico’s historic tourism destinations, coupled with three days at sea to enjoy the Disc over Princess’s offerings including more than a dozen dining spots and bars, three pools and a Vegas-style casino. It’s worth an upgraded cabin to take advantage of the 270-degree balconies exterior cabins.
Why fly to Canada when you can make a whole holiday around the journey? This four-night trip includes three days at sea for you to enjoy onboard experiences (or just the endless ocean breezes from your room if you get a balcony room). Greek, Italian and so many dining options, as well as all-ages fun—you’ll wish you had for than four nights to spend on the Discovery Princess.
Destination: San Francisco; Astoria, Oregon; Victoria and Vancouver British Columbia
Duration: 6 nights
Date: May 3, 2025
This one-way cruise leaving from Los Angeles and culminating in Vancouver is aboard the glitzy Celebrity Summit vessel that’s not only got spa services and fine dining aplenty, but also offers onboard experiences like mixology, sushi-rolling, pizza-making and bourbon and whiskey tasting. That, plus a few hours in the adults-only solarium with pool and hot tub and your vacation vibes are accelerated.
Princess received an award from Food & Wine magazine for being the best cruise line for food lovers, so that’s good news for the 2,600 travelers on this cruise, which has five days traveling to Hawaii and five days back. That’s lots of on-board opportunity to try all eight of the restaurants on board, as well as have meals delivered right to your deck chair as you watch the Pacific glide by. A nightclub, piano bar and theaters round out the entertainments, as well as your programs, freshwater swimming pools and basketball, volleyball and tennis courts.
Destination: Hawaii-Kailua-Kona, Honolulu, Hilo; French Polynesia-Raiatea, Bora Bora, Moorea, Tahiti
Duration: 18 days
Dates: January 8, 2025
This is the crème de la crème of upscale cruise experiences, since this relatively small ocean liner (670 passengers) can slip into smaller ports that the big boys, so you’ll deal with fewer overwhelming crowds. With 400 staffers catering to your every need, custom stone, teak and tile work interiors, a casino and wellness center, as well as four open-seating restaurants and 8 bars and lounges, you’ll want for noting on this cruise, which leaves from winter here in Los Angeles but escapes to high summer in the blue blue waters of the South Pacific.
Destination: Los Angeles, Hilo, Hilo, Kauai, Honolulu, Maui, Kailua, Nuku Hiva, Tahiti (Papeete), Bora Bora, Tahiti (Papeete)
Duration: 22 days
Dates: January 4, 2025
Sure, you’re spending more than $400 per night on your cabin, but that’s the level of luxury you’re experiencing on the Silver Shadow, a ship with 392 passengers and nearly 1:1 staff-to-guest ratio. (There’s also more space-per-passenger, so you never feel crowded,) French gastronomy, fine wines, sophisticated décor and your own private butler, at your service on the way to moorings in Hawaii and the South Pacific. It’s the most artistic escape to Tahiti since Gauguin, and worth the almost month-long investment of your precious time.
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