Zaandam: 12-Night Mexico

San Diego is a major cruise port on the Southern California coast, about 120 miles south of Los Angeles and directly on the Mexican border. The B Street Cruise Ship Terminal and adjacent Broadway Pier sit in downtown San Diego along the Embarcadero waterfront, within walking distance of the Gaslamp Quarter, Seaport Village, and the USS Midway Museum.

Cabo San Lucas sits at the very tip of Mexico's Baja California Peninsula, where the Pacific Ocean meets the Sea of Cortez. This is a tender port: ships anchor in Cabo San Lucas Bay and passengers ride small boats to the marina.

One of Mexico's oldest beach resorts, Mazatlan's cruise port is walkable to the historic Centro Historico with its 19th-century architecture and vibrant Plazuela Machado. The city's famous cliff divers perform daily, and miles of golden beaches stretch along the coast.

Stretched along Banderas Bay with the Sierra Madre mountains rising directly behind the shoreline, Puerto Vallarta draws about 290,000 residents year-round and far more during the winter cruise season. The city has managed to grow as a tourist destination while keeping its Mexican identity intact, particularly in the Zona Romantica and the malecon (boardwalk) areas where local life and tourism coexist on the same streets.

Ensenada sits on the Pacific coast of Baja California, 80 miles south of the US-Mexico border. It's the closest foreign port to Southern California, which makes it the default quick-cruise stop for ships departing Los Angeles, Long Beach, and San Diego on 3-5 night itineraries.