Cruise to Cabo San Lucas (Baja California, Mexico)

Cabo on a Baja cruise

Royal Caribbean features a seven-night itinerary departing from Los Angeles aboard the Voyager of the Seas. The itinerary calls at Ensenada, then Cabo San Lucas, continues to Mazatlán, and returns to Los Angeles. Cabo is one stop on this round trip to Mexico. The cruise line notes that ports may be changed for weather, safety, or operational reasons; check the current itinerary and stated port time before choosing an excursion.

Take a tender to the marina

In Cabo, cruise ships anchor in the bay. Small tender boats take passengers directly ashore to the marina. This is the starting point for your visit—not a pier right beside the ship. So allow time for both the tender ride ashore and the return trip when choosing an activity. The marina is in the center of Cabo San Lucas and connects your time ashore with cafés, shops, and excursion boats. If you’d like to explore the area after arriving, you can stay near the marina instead of setting off on a long road trip right away.

Boat trip, beach, or excursion inland

A boat trip is the best way to see El Arco and Lover’s Beach: the rock formations lie along the coast, and an excursion with a tour operator combines a pass by the arch with a stop at Playa Médano. The sheltered Chileno Bay offers a separate option for snorkeling and kayaking. Playa Médano, by contrast, has restaurants, beach clubs, and water sports. This is a different choice from a more leisurely visit to the marina—don’t try to fit both beach and inland excursions into the same short time slot.

If you’re interested in art and architecture, you could choose an excursion to San José del Cabo instead of a beach day. Its Art District, historic mission, and small artist studios are the cultural highlights; the drive takes you out of Cabo along the coast. Todos Santos, with its galleries and small boutiques, is also outside Cabo. This is a separate, longer Baja excursion and is not comparable to a short visit to the marina. Choose one main destination for your port day and compare the total excursion duration with your ship’s time in port.

Rental cars and longer visits

A rental car makes the most sense if you want to explore the coast on your own or visit somewhere outside Cabo. For a boat trip from the marina or a visit to nearby Médano Beach, having your own car offers little extra benefit. On a longer excursion, you can decide the order of your stops; just be sure to include pickup, drop-off, and the drive back to the port area in your plans. San José del Cabo and Todos Santos are destinations for independent trips along the Baja coast. For a single port call, compare these routes with a pre-booked excursion before reserving a vehicle.