2027 San Diego Cruises: Norwegian Star's Four-Month Winter Season

Table of Contents

• Quick Facts
• Introduction
• Season Highlights: A Compact January-April Window
• Why Choose a Round-Trip Cruise from San Diego?
• Destination Breakdown
• Month-by-Month San Diego Cruise Calendar for 2027
• Ship Deployment
• Planning Tips
• How to Find the Best Deals on San Diego Cruises
• Related Guides
• Frequently Asked Questions

Quick Facts

How we source these figures: CabinSaver tracks published Norwegian Cruise Line fares daily and has recorded 364 pricing snapshots for these sailings between 2025-08-18 and 2026-08-16. The ranges below reflect 15 2027 departures priced for solo travelers at single occupancy (which includes the single supplement), and are subject to change. Verify current fares directly with Norwegian Cruise Line before booking.

Introduction

San Diego is not a year-round Norwegian Cruise Line homeport in 2027, and that is the single most useful thing to know before you start planning. The published schedule holds 15 departures on one ship, Norwegian Star, packed into a 92-day window that opens on January 2, 2027 and closes on April 3, 2027. If your travel dates fall outside that window, there is nothing to book from this port.

That narrowness is worth planning around rather than working against. Thirteen of the 15 departures are 7-night round-trips to the Mexican Riviera, and the remaining two are long one-way Panama Canal transits that end in Florida, which is how Norwegian Star leaves the West Coast for the season.

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Season Highlights: A Compact January-April Window

The 2027 San Diego season is defined by its brevity. One ship, four calendar months, and two itinerary shapes account for everything on the schedule.

January is the densest month, with five departures on January 2, 9, 16, 23 and 30, all of them 7-night round-trips. February carries five entries as well: 7-night round-trips on February 6, 13, 20 and 27, plus the 16-night Panama Canal voyage that also shows a February 13 sail date and ends in Miami on March 1. March holds four 7-night round-trips on March 6, 13, 20 and 27. April holds exactly one departure, the 15-night Panama Canal voyage on April 3 that arrives in Miami on April 18 and closes the season.

Two round-trip itinerary patterns alternate through the winter. The first pairs Cabo San Lucas with Puerto Vallarta and Mazatlan; the second swaps Puerto Vallarta for Ensenada, a shorter hop that appears on the January 9, 16 and 23 departures. From February 6 onward, every round-trip on the calendar runs the Cabo San Lucas, Mazatlan and Puerto Vallarta sequence.

The season also has a clear price gradient. Based on CabinSaver's own fare tracking as of August 2026, the January round-trips carried inside-cabin fares in the region of approximately $138-147 per night for solo travelers at single occupancy, while the March departures ran approximately $221-233 per night on the same basis (subject to change). The four-month window is short, but it is not uniform, and the front half of it is where the lower fares sit.

Why Choose a Round-Trip Cruise from San Diego?

Round-trip cruises from San Diego put you back where you started, which removes the one-way flight logistics that a Panama Canal transit forces on you. For travelers in Southern California, Arizona and the Las Vegas corridor, San Diego is a drive-to cruise port, and the terminal sits on the downtown waterfront rather than in an industrial zone well outside the city.

That location is the practical argument for this port. The cruise terminals are within walking distance of the Gaslamp Quarter, the Embarcadero and the USS Midway Museum, which makes a pre-cruise or post-cruise night in the city straightforward rather than an extra logistics problem. Compared with the alternative West Coast departure points for the same region, San Diego trades schedule breadth for convenience: Los Angeles carries a wider Norwegian calendar, and Vancouver is the Pacific Northwest gateway for Alaska, while San Diego offers a single ship on a tight winter run.

The 7-night length is the other reason travelers pick this port. Thirteen of the 15 departures are exactly one week, which fits a standard vacation allotment without the two-week commitment the Panama Canal voyages require. Sailing time to Cabo San Lucas from San Diego is shorter than from ports further north, so more of the week is spent in Mexico rather than repositioning.

Fares across the season reflect the demand curve rather than the itinerary: the same Cabo San Lucas, Mazatlan and Puerto Vallarta round-trip typically ran approximately $196-208 per night for solo travelers at single occupancy across the second half of February, and approximately $221-233 per night on the same basis across March (subject to change, as of August 2026), which is worth weighing if your dates are flexible.

Destination Breakdown

Mexican Riviera (13 sailings, 7 nights each)

The Mexican Riviera round-trips are the backbone of the season, running every Saturday from January 2 through March 27, 2027. All 13 are 7 nights on Norwegian Star and all return to San Diego.

Ten of the 13 follow the Cabo San Lucas, Mazatlan, Puerto Vallarta pattern, calling at all three of the classic Riviera ports. The January 9, 16 and 23 departures run a variant that visits Mazatlan and Cabo San Lucas and then calls at Ensenada, in Baja California, on the way home. The January 2 and January 30 sailings order the same three-Mexico-port call list differently, hitting Cabo San Lucas first and Mazatlan last.

Inside-cabin fares on these 7-night round-trips typically ran approximately $138-233 per night for solo travelers at single occupancy across the season (subject to change, as of August 2026), with January at the bottom of that spread and late March at the top.

Panama Canal (2 sailings, 15 and 16 nights)

Two long one-way voyages bookend and end the season, both sailing San Diego to Miami via the Panama Canal. These are repositioning cruises in function, moving Norwegian Star from the Pacific to the Atlantic, but they carry full itineraries.

The 16-night voyage shows a February 13, 2027 sail date and disembarks in Miami on March 1, calling at Acapulco, Puerto Quetzal in Guatemala, Cabo San Lucas, Cartagena in Colombia, Panama City at the Pacific Cruise Terminal, Puntarenas in Costa Rica and George Town, Grand Cayman. The 15-night voyage departs April 3, 2027 and arrives in Miami on April 18, covering Panama City, Cartagena, Acapulco, Puntarenas, Puerto Quetzal and Cabo San Lucas.

Both require a one-way flight home from Florida, which is worth factoring into your planning from the start. Inside-cabin fares on these two voyages typically ran approximately $219-225 per night for solo travelers at single occupancy (subject to change, as of August 2026), which is a higher nightly figure than the winter round-trips but covers a substantially longer and more port-dense itinerary.

Month-by-Month San Diego Cruise Calendar for 2027

January 2027

January is the busiest month of the season and the one with the lowest tracked fares. Five 7-night Mexican Riviera round-trips depart on January 2, 9, 16, 23 and 30, all on Norwegian Star. The January 2 sailing catches the tail of the holiday period and visits Cabo San Lucas, Puerto Vallarta and Mazatlan; the January 9, 16 and 23 departures run the Mazatlan, Cabo San Lucas and Ensenada variant. Mexican Riviera weather in January is generally dry, with cooler evenings than later in the season, and sea conditions on the run down Baja can be brisker in midwinter.

Ships: Norwegian Star Destinations: Mexican Riviera Duration: 7 nights

February 2027

February carries five entries and is the month the season splits in two. Four 7-night round-trips depart on February 6, 13, 20 and 27, and the 16-night Panama Canal voyage to Miami also shows a February 13 sail date. From February 6 onward the round-trip pattern settles into Cabo San Lucas, Mazatlan and Puerto Vallarta and stays there for the rest of the season. Tracked inside fares step up noticeably in this month: the four round-trips ran approximately $156-208 per night for solo travelers at single occupancy, up from January's approximately $138-147 per night on the same basis (subject to change, as of August 2026).

Ships: Norwegian Star Destinations: Mexican Riviera, Panama Canal Duration: 7 nights, plus one 16-night voyage

March 2027

March holds four 7-night round-trips, on March 6, 13, 20 and 27, and is the highest-priced stretch of the window. All four run the Cabo San Lucas, Mazatlan and Puerto Vallarta sequence. Spring break demand is the obvious driver, and the tracked fares reflect it: inside cabins ran approximately $221-233 per night for solo travelers at single occupancy across these four departures (subject to change, as of August 2026), the top of the season. Mexican Riviera weather in March is typically warm and dry, which is part of why the month prices the way it does.

Ships: Norwegian Star Destinations: Mexican Riviera Duration: 7 nights

April 2027

April holds a single departure and it is the last San Diego sailing of the year. The 15-night Panama Canal voyage leaves April 3, 2027, transits the canal, and disembarks in Miami on April 18, calling at Panama City, Cartagena, Acapulco, Puntarenas, Puerto Quetzal and Cabo San Lucas along the way. After this sailing, Norwegian Star is no longer based on the West Coast and the San Diego calendar is empty for the remainder of 2027.

Ships: Norwegian Star Destinations: Panama Canal Duration: 15 nights

Ship Deployment

• Norwegian Star - January 2, 2027 through April 18, 2027. Operates all 15 tracked San Diego departures: 13 weekly 7-night Mexican Riviera round-trips calling at Cabo San Lucas, Mazatlan, Puerto Vallarta and Ensenada, plus the 16-night and 15-night Panama Canal voyages to Miami. Norwegian Star entered service in 2001 and is one of the smaller ships in the fleet, which suits the Mexican Riviera ports and the canal locks better than the newest and largest vessels. No other Norwegian ship is scheduled from San Diego in 2027, so ship choice is not a variable at this port.

Because the entire season rests on one vessel, a dry-dock or deployment change affects every 2027 San Diego departure at once. Confirm your specific sailing with Norwegian Cruise Line before booking non-refundable flights or hotels.

Planning Tips

• Treat the January 2 to April 3 window as a hard boundary. There are no published Norwegian departures from San Diego outside it in 2027. If your dates land in May or later, plan around a different West Coast homeport rather than waiting for this schedule to expand.
• Decide early between the 7-night and the 15 or 16-night option. These are different trips with different logistics. The two Panama Canal voyages disembark in Miami, so they require a one-way flight home and roughly two and a half weeks away, while the 13 round-trips return you to your car in San Diego after a week.
• Check which Mexican port pattern your date runs. Only the January 9, 16 and 23 departures include Ensenada; only 10 of the 13 round-trips include all three of Cabo San Lucas, Mazatlan and Puerto Vallarta. If a specific port matters to you, verify the call list for your exact sail date with Norwegian Cruise Line.
• Plan parking or ground transport in advance. The San Diego cruise terminals sit on the downtown waterfront near the Embarcadero, and parking rates and availability vary by operator and season. Confirm current rates and terminal access with the Port of San Diego before your sail date.
• Verify documentation requirements early. A valid passport book is typically required for these itineraries (passport cards are generally not sufficient for cruise travel, and the Panama Canal voyages call at multiple countries). Requirements vary by itinerary and citizenship, so always verify with your cruise line and official government sources.
• Aim to arrive at the terminal in the late morning on embarkation day, though your cruise line may have specific requirements. Check with Norwegian Cruise Line for their recommended arrival time for your sailing.

How to Find the Best Deals on San Diego Cruises

Norwegian Cruise Line pricing fluctuates based on demand, booking time, and availability. Here's how to time your booking:

• Book early - Promotional fares are often available 12-18 months in advance, which for a January 2027 sailing means watching from early 2026 onward
• Monitor price drops - Fares change weekly; set up deal alerts to track your preferred sailings
• Consider the front of the season - January's five departures carried the lowest tracked per-night fares of the 2027 window, while March's four spring-break departures carried the highest
• Watch where a sailing sits in its own history - across the 364 snapshots CabinSaver has recorded for these departures, 14 of the 15 sailings were priced in the lower third of their own observed range as of August 2026; the 16-night February 13 Panama Canal voyage was the exception, sitting near the top of its tracked range
• Compare the two Panama Canal voyages against each other - the 15-night April 3 departure and the 16-night February 13 departure cover overlapping port lists at similar per-night figures, so the choice can come down to trip length and flight costs

Our deal finder shows real-time pricing across all 15 departures, helping you compare fares for your preferred dates and destinations.

San Diego's 2027 Norwegian season is short and single-ship, but within its January-to-April window it offers a clean choice between a weekly Mexican Riviera round-trip and a two-week Panama Canal transit to Florida.

Ready to book? Check live pricing and availability for any of these sailings.

Data current as of August 2026, derived from CabinSaver's own cruise fare tracking. Always verify availability and details directly with the cruise line.

Related Guides

• 2026 Mexican Riviera Cruise Guide: Puerto Vallarta, Mazatlan & Cabo San Lucas - A port-by-port look at the three Mexican Riviera stops that anchor every San Diego round-trip.
• From LA to the Riviera: Norwegian Cruise Line's 2026 Los Angeles Season - The neighbouring Southern California homeport, with a broader calendar than San Diego's.
• 2026 Vancouver Cruises: NCL Alaska & Pacific Sailings from Canada Place - The West Coast's other major Norwegian homeport and the gateway to Alaska sailings.
• 2026 Miami Cruises: Complete Guide to NCL Departures from Port Miami - Where both San Diego Panama Canal voyages end, and what sails onward from there.
• Why are solo cruises so expensive? - How the single supplement shapes the per-night figures quoted throughout this guide.

Frequently Asked Questions

When do NCL cruises from San Diego sail in 2027?

Norwegian Cruise Line's 2027 San Diego season runs January through early April only. The first tracked departure is January 2, 2027 and the last is April 3, 2027, and no May through December 2027 San Diego departures appear in CabinSaver's tracking data as of August 2026. Verify current deployment directly with Norwegian Cruise Line.

Which ship sails from San Diego in 2027?

Norwegian Star is the only ship scheduled to sail from San Diego in 2027, operating all 15 tracked departures. Thirteen are 7-night round-trip Mexican Riviera cruises and two are longer one-way Panama Canal voyages ending in Miami.

How much do 2027 San Diego cruises cost?

Inside cabin fares for the 2027 San Diego departures typically ran approximately $146-221 per night for solo travelers at single occupancy, based on CabinSaver fare tracking as of August 2026 (subject to change). January departures sat toward the lower end of that range and March departures toward the higher end.

Where do San Diego cruises go in 2027?

The 7-night round-trips call at Cabo San Lucas, Mazatlan, Puerto Vallarta and Ensenada, Mexico in varying combinations. The two longer voyages transit the Panama Canal on the way to Miami, calling at Acapulco, Puerto Quetzal, Cartagena, Puntarenas, Panama City and George Town.

Is San Diego a year-round Norwegian cruise port in 2027?

No. Based on CabinSaver's tracking data as of August 2026, the 2027 San Diego schedule is limited to a January through April window. Norwegian Star repositions to Miami in April and no later 2027 San Diego departures are currently published. Check with Norwegian Cruise Line for schedule updates.