Emerald Princess - Baja Peninsula & Sea of Cortez Holiday
Emerald Princess rings in the New Year at sea on this 10-night Los Angeles roundtrip into the Sea of Cortez, trading the usual Riviera rush for unhurried days in La Paz, historic Loreto, Cabo San Lucas and Puerto Vallarta.
Price Range
$
Budget
*Prices vary by cabin type, sailing date, and availability. Confirm rates with Princess Cruises before booking.
Ship Details — Emerald Princess
View full Emerald Princess details
Year Built
2007
Tonnage
113,000 GT
Passengers
3,080
Crew
1,200
Decks
19
Class
Grand
Itinerary & Route Map
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Where this cruise calls, day by day
6 ports and 5 sea days over 10 Nights.
- Day 1Los Angeles, CA port guide: where ships dock and what to do ashore
Los Angeles, CA
United StatesDepart Day 2 · At sea
- Day 3Cabo San Lucas port guide: where ships dock and what to do ashore
Cabo San Lucas
MexicoPort Day 4 · At sea
- Day 5
La Paz
MexicoPortLa Paz is the capital of Baja California Sur and a working city rather than a resort. Ships use the Pichilingue terminal, a ferry and cargo dock about ten miles north of the malecón, with nothing at the gate. The Sea of Cortez is what you come for: sea lion colonies at Isla Espíritu Santo, whale sharks feeding in the bay through winter, and Balandra, a shallow turquoise cove that caps how many people can enter.
- Snorkelling with sea lions at Los Islotes, off Espíritu Santo
- Balandra Beach and its mushroom rock
- Whale shark swims in La Paz Bay, roughly Oct-Apr
- The malecón and its bronze sculptures
- Getting ashore
- Ships dock at Pichilingue, 25-30 minutes by road from central La Paz; there is nothing at the terminal itself.
- Best months
- Nov-Apr is mild and dry with whale sharks in the bay; Jul-Sep is very hot and humid
- Day 6
Loreto
MexicoPortLoreto is a small Baja town on the Sea of Cortez with the first Spanish mission in the Californias, founded in 1697 and still standing on the main street. Ships anchor off and tender in. The setting does more work than the town, which you can see in an hour: the Sierra de la Giganta rises behind, and a marine park of bare desert islands sits offshore.
- Misión de Nuestra Señora de Loreto and its museum
- Isla Coronado's sea lions and white sand
- Blue whale watching in the Gulf of California
- Panga trips in Bahía de Loreto National Park
- Getting ashore
- Tender port - ships anchor off Loreto and tender to the town waterfront, roughly 10-15 minutes.
- Best months
- Nov-Apr is mild, with blue whales roughly Jan-Mar; summer is brutally hot
Day 7 · At sea
- Day 8Puerto Vallarta port guide: where ships dock and what to do ashore
Puerto Vallarta
MexicoPort Day 9 · At sea
Day 10 · At sea
- Day 11Los Angeles, CA port guide: where ships dock and what to do ashore
Los Angeles, CA
United StatesArrive
Onboard Amenities
Cruise Highlights
About the Ship
What Travelers Say About Emerald Princess
Reviews of the ship itself — the same for every Emerald Princess sailing. Distilled from 91 traveler threads, passenger reviews and travel blogs.
Emerald Princess is a classic mid-size Grand-class ship that debuted in 2007, a generation older than Princess's newer Royal-class vessels like Enchanted Princess. Carrying around 3,080 guests double-occupancy, it offers a more traditional, manageable cruise experience built around the multi-story Piazza atrium, a European-square-style social hub on Deck 5 with cafes, boutiques and live entertainment. It deliberately lacks the flashy modern features of newer ships, there's no SeaWalk here, and its 4.0/5 U.S. News rating across 1,249 reviews reflects a solid but more mature, less cutting-edge product. Reviewers often compare its clean, comfortable-but-unflashy feel to a Celebrity Solstice-class ship.
What People Love
- Very large, well-established review base (1,249 guest reviews on U.S. News), giving a reliable picture of a long-running, proven ship
- Crown Grill steakhouse is a guest favorite, with aged beef, chops and seafood that make it one of the most sought-after reservations onboard
- The multi-story Piazza atrium serves as a lively social hub with cafes, live music and street performers
Common Complaints
- Lower overall rating than newer fleetmates (4.0/5 on U.S. News, ranked 8th among Princess ships)
- As a 2007-built Grand-class ship it lacks modern showpiece features like the SeaWalk found on newer Royal-class vessels
- Some reviewers note the ship shows its age in places despite refurbishments