Best Cruise Destinations From the US
At some point life, travel, and cruising will return to some resemblance of “normal”. While it will be great when things return to normal, some people may still be wary of traveling long distances from home. Luckily, the US has (during normal times) a ton of cruises sailing from it. The best cruise destinations from the US range from the Bahamas to destinations all around the world.
A lot of people think of cruising as the sandy beaches of the Bahamas or Caribbean. There is an assumption that you have to fly to Florida and that those are really the only options. But, there are cruises – and cruises from the US – that can take you all around the world. And – there are a lot more US ports than those in Florida to choose from.
Homeports, or the port where the passengers join the ship, are popping up everywhere, and especially on the east coast. Cities such as Baltimore, Maryland or Mobile, Alabama now play host to cruises. It’s incredible how many ports will offer cruises in 2022 and beyond. All of these options help to make a cruise a potential vacation option – without even having to fly – for so many. Did you think it was possible to visit Antartica without ever setting foot on a plane? Believe it and read on to find out which cruises will get you there.
Best Cruise Destinations From the US
For this post only locations (and corresponding cruises) that are accessible from the continental United States – and as such you will see Alaska and Hawaii listed as destinations despite being part of the US themselves. In addition only roundtrip voyages have been included. These voyages have the same embarkation and disembarkation port. Lastly, only cruises from 2022 and beyond have been included as cruises to and from the US are still on hold based on the CDC’s current cruising restrictions.
Additionally, as many of these cruise destinations and departure ports have hundreds of departures scheduled, I will select a few sample itineraries for each option to highlight. This is certainly not an exhaustive list of cruises from the US, but enough to give you a taste of what’s available!
Affiliate Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. If you click on or make a purchase through these links I may make a small commission at no additional expense to you. Most links are through CruiseDirect.com, a cruise search engine with excellent deals on cruises. In addition, Rakuten – an online shopping cash-back service – offers up to 2% back for purchases on CruiseDirect.com.
Caribbean & Bahamas
Cruises to the Caribbean and Bahamas are a lot of what people think of when cruising comes to mind. Crystal clear waters, sandy beaches, and margaritas by the pool.
As Caribbean and Bahamas cruises are incredibly popular they are offered in a huge variety of lengths, at varying price points, on nearly every cruise line, throughout the different regions of the Caribbean, and from a multitude of departure ports. While the most popular departure ports are in Florida, there are departure ports throughout the eastern and southeast sides of the United States. This makes the prospect of driving to the ship a potential reality for so many.
Mexican Riviera
The Mexican Riviera brings to mind sandy beaches, vibrant culture, and fun in the sun. Mexican Riviera cruises are a great getaway to some fun in the sun without having to go too far. These cruises have convenient departures most often from Los Angeles and San Diego and range from short 4 day journeys to 7 night and longer voyages.
The shorter cruises may include ports such as Catalina Island, California, and Ensenada, Mexico; whereas popular stops on the one week and longer cruises are ports like Puerto Vallarta, Cabo San Lucas, and Mazatlan.
Alaska
Cruising to Alaska is on so many people’s bucket list – and it should be! Alaska is a breathtaking place. It can be especially appealing to those new to travel as it is part of the United States there are less logistics to figure out – as the currency is the same, most people’s cell phones will work (at least somewhat), and people speak the same language.
Bermuda
A Bermuda cruise is unlike any other. As there aren’t any other islands to explore near Bermuda the cruise itinerary is pretty simple – leave an east coast homeport, sail to Bermuda, stay in Bermuda for a few days, and then sail back. You get to do some multi-day exploring in Bermuda and enjoy some lovely sea days of relaxation. A great way to see this beautiful place.
Canada/New England
While New England is part of the US, it doesn’t make it any less of a beautiful cruise destination. These cruises – combining the best of New England’s beautiful, scenic, nearly idyllic coast, with Canadian destinations such as Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia, Quebec, and Montreal lead to cruises that are almost nostalgic in their beauty.
Hawaii
Oh the beautiful tropics of Hawaii. Flying to Hawaii can be a long journey depending on where you are flying from – yet it is still on so many people’s bucket lists. Taking a cruise to Hawaii can be a great alternative. Lots of relaxing sea days combined with days exploring various Hawaiian islands – what could be better?
Pacific Coastal Cruises
San Francisco:
Princess Cruise Line – Ruby Princess, 4 nights
Princess Cruise Line – Ruby Princess, 7 nights
Los Angeles:
Princess Cruise Line – Discovery Princess, 7 nights
San Diego:
Holland America Line – Koningsdam, 7 nights
Panama Canal
There are a variety of options for Panama Canal cruises. There are typically round-trip options out of Fort Lauderdale or Miami for 8-12 days. These would be considered a “partial transit” of the canal. On these voyages the ship would enter through most often the first set of locks, have scenic cruising at Gatun Lake, transit back through the first set of locks, and then continue cruising in the Caribbean.
French Polynesia, South Pacific, Marqueses
Who hasn’t dreamed of sitting on a white sand beach in Tahiti? Snorkeling with sting-rays and buying beautiful Tahitian pearls? Well, there are cruises from either San Diego or Los Angeles that will take you there!
World Cruises – Global Destinations
In 2022 there are four World Voyages that circumnavigate the globe and are roundtrip from either Los Angeles, Fort Lauderdale, or Miami. These voyages are all more than 100 days in length and vary in exact itinerary. Some ports included on the various itineraries are Australia, New Zealand, India, Petra, Dubai, Europe, and Asia.
For a more in depth run-down of world cruises please take a look at my post 2022 World Cruises Overview
South America, Antartica, & Amazon
Yes! You can get to Antartica and circumnavigate South America by way of the US. Anyone that has been to Antartica will tell you how incredible, serene, and magnificent it is. Anyone that has experienced the vibrancy of South America will tell you how incredible it is. Combine the two continents and experiences and you have truly an exceptional experience.
Africa
You can even get to Africa on a cruise from the US! These cruises are not that common and aren’t offered regularly; however, ever couple of years they pop up. These voyages are often 70+ days and depart from Fort Lauderdale. Most often it would include a full circumnavigation of the African continent and include overnight in some of the best cruise destinations like Cape Town, South Africa.
Asia
The Pacific is a mighty and vast ocean and as you sail across from San Diego to a place like Japan you really appreciate the sheer magnitude of the ocean. These voyages are sometimes named something associating with the Ring of Fire – a nickname for a ring around the Pacific that has extensive volcanic activity. Much like the other Grand and Specialty voyages, a voyage to Asia roundtrip from the United States will be 70+ days. However, if you are looking at how to see the best cruise destinations from the US going on a cruise like this would definitely do it.
Greenland/Iceland, Northern Europe
This voyage – or this type voyage – has been referred to for years as “The Voyage of the Vikings”, or “Grand Arctic Adventures”. Crossing the North Atlantic bouncing between many untouched lands and often taking the ships up into the Arctic Circle. It’s an incredible opportunity to experience history, possibly see the Northern Lights, and see some incredible destinations.
Mediterranean
Dreaming of visiting Italy but don’t want to fly there? There are even cruises that sail to various parts of the Mediterranean! One of the best parts of cruising to the Mediterranean is the opportunity to see so many different countries in a short period of time. A chance to see St. Peter’s Basilica, sip on Spanish wine, and visit Buckingham Palace all in one trip.
While there aren’t many roundtrip Mediterranean cruises from the US, there are lots of repositioning cruises available where you can sail either to or from the US and only have one long flight.
New York City:
Cunard – Queen Mary 2, 28 nights – stopping in England, Spain, Italy, & Portugal
Quick By-Departure-Port Guide to Cruise Destinations from the US
What I found most exciting while researching this post is the variety of cruises offererd from different home ports in the US. Here’s a quick summation of voyages that I found from different US ports. This is not an exhaustive list, but rather, say you live near Maryland – a quick guide for what kind of cruises you might find.
So Many Incredible Cruise Destinations From the US
There are so many amazing places to visit in this world and it’s incredible how many of them are accessible from ports in the United States. And, with more and more home ports gaining popularity and people embracing the “no-fly” option of cruising, going forward there will be more choice almost than ever. There is so much to explore and I can’t wait to get cruising.
Very Informative! Looking forward to cruising again 🙂
Thank you! Glad you enjoyed it. 🙂