California Cruises: Ports, Ships and Things to Do

At a glance

272 current cruises call at the 7 ports Cruiseable lists under California, on 29 ships from 14 cruise lines. The busiest of those ports is San Diego, on 272 itineraries. The lowest lead fare across those cruises is $229. The lines sailing the most of them are Holland America Line (89), Disney Cruise Line (46) and Princess Cruises (44).

About

Whether you've seen the HOLLYWOOD sign countless times in movies, or you think you haven't had great wine until you've strumbled through Napa, the fact remains that the only true way to experience California is to go there. When planning a trip, many automatically think of the sun-soaked beaches and breezy palms of Southern California. The celeb-obsessed, whirling electricity of Los Angeles and colorful surf bars of San Diego are well worth spending time in, but visitors would be remiss to overlook the rest of this mammoth state that makes up the majority of the Western United States’ coastline.

Photos of California

Celebrity Millennium moored in Southern California with the Catalina Casino on the right.
Summer action on the Santa Monica Pier in Southern California.
The ocean liner Queen Mary, which plied North Atlantic waters for Cunard Line from 1936 to 1967, is now a floating restaurant and museum in Long Beach, California.
"Irises" (1889), the oil painting by Vincent van Gogh, can be viewed at the Getty Museum in Los Angeles.
John Williams conducts the LA Philharmonic in Hollywood Heights, Los Angeles.
The bright lights of Long Beach, California, a major cruise port on the West Coast.
Several Carnival Cruise Lines ships sail out of the Long Beach Cruise Terminal in Southern California.
Sapphire Princess leaving the port of Los Angeles.
A bird of paradise spotted along the canals of Venice, California.
A young woman discounts a balance beam at Muscle Beach in Venice, California.
A doggie at Muscle Beach in Venice, California.
Flyboarding at dusk off Venice Beach, Calif., as dusk descends.
Friends frolic in the surf during a summer holiday in Venice Beach, California.
A group of visitors from Italy play soccer (futbol) on Venice Beach in the city of Los Angeles.
Visitors from Germany who rated Venice Beach their favorite beach in the world.
Jogging on Venice Beach, Calif., a favorite pastime of locals.
A young woman tackles the pullup bars on Muscle Beach in Venice, Calif.
Young women goof off on the pullup bars on Muscle Beach in Venice, Calif.
On the balance beam at Muscle Beach in the Venice Beach neighborhood of LA.
A local man goes through his fitness regimen at Muscle Beach in Venice, California, where spectators gather to gawk and marvel.
A man balances a soccer ball on Venice Beach in the city of Los Angeles.
A fiery sunset over Venice Beach, California.
A surfer and sailboat in the waters of Venice Beach, California.
A look at the seaside resort of Venice Beach, California.