USA Cruises

The best time to cruise in the USA will vary greatly depending on the region. Cruises sailing from or stopping in Florida or Southern California are available year-round, but regions like Alaska, New England and the Pacific Northwest are primarily summer and early-fall destinations. Beyond ocean cruises, river cruises also depend greatly on the region.

All of the major U.S.-based cruise lines like Royal Caribbean, Norwegian Cruise Line, Celebrity, Princess, Carnival, Holland America and Disney among others have ships that homeport in the U.S. and some itineraries that feature port stops in U.S. destinations (especially Hawaii and Alaska). Princess Cruises offers a number of itineraries that call on the ports of the scenic Pacific coast. Some international cruise lines like MSC Cruises and Cunard also have ships that homeport in the U.S.

Unless you book a cruise that has an actual port stop in the U.S. or you're taking a river cruise, much of what you can do and see will be before and after your sailing, particularly in cities like Miami, Fort Lauderdale, San Diego and Seattle. If you have time you can see a Broadway show in New York, check out the art deco architecture in Miami's South Beach, visit Pike Place Market in Seattle or tour the Kennedy Space Center near Orlando.

No, U.S. citizens do not need passports to cruise within the United States or for cruises that begin and end in the same U.S. port.

What you pack will be highly dependent on the region of the U.S. and time of year of your cruise. Light layers and sun protection are always a good idea.