The Arch at Land’s End from the tender, then a beach by 10 am.
Cabo San Lucas is a tender port: ships anchor in the bay off El Arco and small boats run you to the marina in about 10 minutes, where the beach water taxis, glass-bottom boats and the walk into town all start. Most cruisers spend the day on Médano Beach or out on the water at Lover’s Beach, the Arch and the snorkel coves of the Tourist Corridor. SmartCruiser lists every cruise that calls at Cabo from every line, priced with taxes and fees included, with the sailings that carry SmartCruiser bonus onboard credit or instant savings at the top.
Three ways to do Cabo
A beach day, a boat day, or a 7 night Mexican Riviera cruise built around Cabo; each button filters the list of sailings below.
Médano Beach and the marina on your own
- Water taxi from the tender landing straight to Médano for about $10, or a 15 minute walk around the marina
- Swimmable water, beach clubs with loungers for the price of lunch, the Arch in view the whole time
- Back at the tender dock in 5 minutes by water taxi when the last tender is called
Best for: families, first-timers, anyone who wants zero logistics
The Arch, Lover’s Beach and a snorkel cove
- Glass-bottom boats circle Land’s End, the sea lion colony and Pelican Rock for about $20 to $25 per person
- Water taxis drop you at Lover’s Beach for an hour and come back; agree on the return time
- 3 to 4 hour snorkel tours to Chileno Bay or Santa María cove run about $75 to $100 with gear and drinks
Best for: couples, snorkelers, photographers, whale watchers in winter
5 and 6 night Cabo-only sailings
- Carnival Panorama’s 6 night cruises from Long Beach give you an extended Cabo stay with no other Mexican port
- Royal Caribbean and Princess add Cabo overnights on select sailings so you get an evening on the marina
- Two sea days each way from Los Angeles; the ship is the destination
Best for: spring break, anniversaries, people who only want one port
Cabo San Lucas cruises: SmartCruiser picks first
Every cruise that calls at Cabo San Lucas from every line, priced live with taxes, fees and port expenses included. The picks at the top are sailings where booking with SmartCruiser gets you something extra: instant savings or bonus onboard credit. Below them, every other sailing that stops here, with full sorting by home port, line, month, length and price.
SmartCruiser picks
Sorted by what you save, biggest firstEvery cruise that calls at Cabo San Lucas
Stack any filters, then pick a sortPrices are per person, double occupancy, in US dollars, and include cruise fare, taxes, fees and port expenses as published by the cruise line at the moment you load this page. Fares are capacity controlled and change daily; the fare is confirmed when you book. Flights, hotels and transfers are extra unless the line’s offer says otherwise. SmartCruiser instant savings and bonus onboard credit are provided by SmartCruiser on top of the cruise line’s price and are not available when booking direct; amounts are per stateroom, vary by stateroom category and are shown for the lowest category offered. Special SmartCruiser rates are pricing SmartCruiser holds on that sailing for its clients, with extra onboard credit; you book your own stateroom and travel on your own. Senior fares apply to guests 55 and over; resident fares need proof of residency in a listed state or province at check-in; police and fire fares apply to active or retired police, fire and EMT personnel with ID. Qualifier-fare savings are measured against the best fare the cruise line offers the general public for the same stateroom category on the day the list was pulled, updated weekly.
Home ports that sail to Cabo San Lucas
Pick a home port and the list above filters to cruises leaving from there.
Things to do in Cabo San Lucas
Everything good in Cabo is on or beside the water, and most of it is within sight of the ship.
Which lines call at Cabo San Lucas?
Cabo is the busiest Mexican Riviera port, with calls from Southern California ships year round and overnights on select sailings.
When to go
Cabo is desert on the sea: dry and warm from November to May, hot and humid with the Pacific hurricane season from July to October.
Cabo San Lucas questions we answer every day
Does the ship dock in Cabo San Lucas?
No. Cabo is a tender port: the ship anchors in the bay off the Arch and its own lifeboats or local boats carry you to the marina in about 10 minutes. Expect a wait for tender tickets in the first hour; ship-booked excursions get priority. Tendering can be suspended in high wind and guests with mobility devices should check with the ship.
How do I get to Médano Beach or Lover’s Beach?
Water taxis at the tender landing run to Médano for about $10 and to Lover’s Beach for about $15 to $20 round trip; agree on the price and the pickup time before you go. Médano is also a flat 15 minute walk around the marina. Lover’s Beach has no facilities and the Pacific side is not safe for swimming.
Do I need pesos, and what time is it in Cabo?
Dollars are taken everywhere; pesos help with taxis and small tips. Cards work at beach clubs and restaurants, sometimes with a surcharge. Cabo keeps Mountain Standard Time all year, so it is one hour ahead of California in winter and the same in summer; the ship may stay on ship time, so check the daily program for all-aboard.
Is Cabo San Lucas safe?
Cabo is the Mexican port cruise lines worry about least, and the US State Department rates Baja California Sur at its second-lowest advisory level. Stay in the marina and beach areas, use licensed water taxis and ship-vetted operators, follow the beach flags, and be back at the tender dock 30 minutes before the last tender.
What is the one excursion to book?
On a first visit, the glass-bottom boat to the Arch with a drop at Lover’s Beach; it is cheap, short and the signature picture. On a longer call, the Chileno Bay snorkel. Book through the ship if the call is under 8 hours or you are nervous about the tender schedule.
Do I need a passport for a Mexican Riviera cruise?
On a round trip from a US port, US citizens may sail with a government photo ID plus an original birth certificate, but we strongly recommend a passport: if you miss the tender you cannot fly home from Los Cabos without one. Non-US citizens need to check Mexico’s entry rules.
Are taxes and fees included in the prices here?
Yes. Every fare on this page includes the cruise fare, taxes, fees and port expenses. Flights, hotels, shore excursions and gratuities are extra.
Talk to a Cabo San Lucas cruise specialist
We know which Mexican Riviera sailings give you the longest Cabo day or an overnight, and which ones carry SmartCruiser bonus onboard credit. Monday to Thursday 9 to 6, Friday 9 to 5, Saturday 10 to 6 ET.