Pacific Coast Cruises

California coastal cruises are a small, specific niche: a week spent mostly in U.S. ports, sailing round trip from Los Angeles, San Francisco or San Diego. A typical Princess version leaves Los Angeles mid-afternoon, has a sea day, spends a long day in San Francisco (8am to 9pm), another sea day, then Santa Barbara, San Diego into the evening, and Ensenada before an early return to LA. Holland America runs similar routes.

Ensenada isn't there for its own sake. The Passenger Vessel Services Act stops a foreign-flagged ship from carrying passengers between two U.S. ports without a foreign call, so every one of these itineraries needs a stop in Mexico - usually a short last-day visit of a few hours. Because the trip starts and ends at the same U.S. port it is closed-loop, and a U.S. citizen can board with a birth certificate and photo ID, though a passport is the safer document.

The appeal is that the ports are cities you might otherwise drive or fly to separately, with the ship as a moving hotel, and that many passengers can reach the pier without a flight. The trade-off is that the two sea days are spent offshore rather than hugging the coast, and the Mexico stop is brief. The short sailings work as a break for West Coast residents, and as a low-commitment first cruise before committing to Alaska or Hawaii.

Sources: cruisecompete.com, porthole.com, cruisemapper.com, egovrush.com