Homeport Cruising 101 Guide

• Introduction
• Cruising from the Northeast
• Cruising from the Southeast with Florida
• Cruising from the Gulf Coast
• Cruising from California
• Cruising from the Pacific Northwest with Alaska
• Cruising from Hawaii
• Our Favorite Homeport Cruises
• Tips for Booking Homeport Cruises

Now, more than ever, travelers are seeking out vacation options that offer the best bang for their buck. And time and time again, cruising from a nearby "homeport" tops this list not only for its tremendous value, but for its sensible convenience, too. With a surplus of cost-conscious cruise lines operating in a healthy state of competition, our editors have seen bargain cruises sell for as little as $99 of late, ranging from one-night dinner-and-dancing “cruises to nowhere” to quickie trips to the Bahamas. Even for more exotic and lengthy sailings to locales like Hawaii or Latin America, it’s rare to see cruise starting rates quoted above triple-digit pricing (there seems to be a psychological barrier that the cruise companies don’t wish to cross by pricing base rates above $999). Good luck stretching your dollar that far – with lodging, meals, transportation, and many activities thrown in – back on land. Plus, save loads of cash by skipping out on the expensive international or long-haul domestic flights and opting for ground transportation or quick flights to nearby homeports instead.

You’ll find that the landscape of homeport cruising has expanded quite dramatically in the last few years, with hundreds of itineraries disembarking from some two dozen U.S. and Canadian homeports right in your own backyard – we’ve set out here to roadmap the options for your perfect cruise vacation. We’ve also outlined what to expect from each of the homeports, so you’ll know which ones are worth tacking on an extra day or two in – from stretching out on sandy Florida beaches to star-spotting in LA, the vacation can easily continue (or start up) on dry ground.

Read on for regional homeport cruising overviews for the Northeast; the Southeast with Florida; the Gulf Coast; California; the Pacific Northwest with Alaska; and Hawaii. We've also outlined our favorite homeport cruises, and some tips on booking homeport cruise vacations. 

See Alaska Travel Guide | See Asia Travel Guide | See Bahamas Travel Guide | See Bermuda Travel Guide | See Canada Travel Guide | See Caribbean Travel Guide | See Europe Travel Guide | See Hawaii Travel Guide | See Mexico Travel Guide | See Pacific Northwest Travel Guide | See Tahiti Travel Guide | See Turkey Travel GuideSee United States Travel Guide