Best time to cruise from San Francisco, month by month

Cruises leave San Francisco in every month of 2027, but where they go depends on the season. Alaska runs from late April to early September, Hawaii from mid-September to April, and the short Baja trips to Ensenada mostly in summer. Pick the route first, and the months follow.

The table at the end of this guide lists each month's departures and where they go. It is rebuilt from the schedule every day.

When is the best time to cruise from San Francisco?

The best time depends on the route, because each one has its own months. For Alaska or a short trip, go between May and early September. For Hawaii, go between late September and April.

Route	When it leaves San Francisco	Sailings listed	Length in nights
Alaska	Late April to early September	45	10 to 13
Hawaii	Mid-September to April	23	15 to 16
Baja and Ensenada	May to early September with Carnival, plus Princess in April and November	20	4 to 5
Pacific Coast	March to May, and September	6	7 to 7
Mexican Riviera	October 2027	1	11
Panama Canal	August 2028	1	16
South Pacific	January	2	17 to 18

The schedule runs from 8 November 2026 to 19 October 2028. The destinations page has every route.

What sails from San Francisco each month?

This is the number of departures in each month, and what they are. The 2028 column shows only what is on sale today, so compare months within a year rather than 2027 against 2028.

Month	2027	2028	What leaves
January	5	3	Ruby Princess to Hawaii, plus Azamara Quest's long voyages in 2027 and Seven Seas Splendor to Tahiti in 2028
February	2	1	Ruby Princess to Hawaii
March	1	3	Hawaii, plus Princess's 7-night coast trips in 2028
April	3	5	The last Hawaii departures, Pacific Northwest trips, the first short trips and, in 2028, the first Alaska sailings
May	9	8	Alaska and Carnival's 4-night Baja trips, plus Regent to Vancouver in 2028
June	6	7	Alaska and 4-night Baja trips
July	6	7	Alaska and 4-night Baja trips
August	7	7	Alaska and 4-night Baja trips, plus Ruby Princess to the Panama Canal on 28 August 2028
September	6	2	The last Alaska and Baja trips early in the month, then Hawaii, plus a Pacific Northwest trip in 2027
October	3	1	Hawaii, plus Carnival Luminosa's crossing to Tokyo and an 11-night Mexican Riviera trip in 2027
November	3	Not on sale yet	Hawaii and a 5-night trip to San Diego and Ensenada
December	2	Not on sale yet	Hawaii

The cruises by month pages list every sailing. From November to April almost every departure is on Ruby Princess, so those months give little choice of ship.

When do Alaska cruises leave San Francisco?

Alaska cruises leave between late April and early September. The first on our schedule is 1 May 2027 and the last is 4 September 2028. In 2027 the Alaska sailings run from 1 May to 8 September, on Ruby Princess and Carnival Luminosa. In 2028 they run from 28 April to 4 September, on Ruby Princess and Carnival Legend. Apart from Carnival Luminosa's crossing to Tokyo on 2 October 2027, which calls at Ketchikan and Icy Strait Point, nothing leaves for Alaska from here between October and March.

Most trips are 10 nights, with two days at sea each way. Juneau and Ketchikan are on most itineraries, so these are their averages on NOAA's 1991 to 2020 normals:

Month	Juneau high	Juneau rain	Ketchikan high	Ketchikan rain
April	49°F	3.5 in	50°F	10.3 in
May	58°F	3.5 in	57°F	8.7 in
June	62°F	3.8 in	61°F	7.0 in
July	64°F	5.1 in	65°F	7.3 in
August	63°F	6.4 in	65°F	11.3 in
September	56°F	9.2 in	59°F	14.3 in

Rain is lowest from April to June at Juneau and in June and July at Ketchikan, and July and August are the warmest months at both. September is cooler and wetter, with more than twice Juneau's May rain. Carnival says daytime temperatures even in midsummer may be in the mid-50s to mid-60s °F and that rain is always possible, so pack layers in any month. The Alaska guide compares the itineraries.

When do Hawaii cruises leave San Francisco?

Hawaii cruises leave from mid-September to April. Princess says its Hawaii cruises sail from September through April, and Ruby Princess runs 16-night round trips through the winter, one after another. Carnival adds a 15-night trip each September, on Carnival Luminosa in 2027 and Carnival Legend in 2028. Our schedule has no Hawaii departure from here between May and August.

Princess's 16-day itinerary of 8 November 2026 spends its first four days at sea, so the islands come on days 6 to 9. These are the averages at three of the ports, on NOAA's normals:

Month	Honolulu high	Honolulu rain	Hilo rain	Kahului high
September	88°F	0.9 in	8.7 in	90°F
October	87°F	1.5 in	10.2 in	89°F
November	84°F	2.3 in	14.4 in	86°F
December	82°F	2.2 in	12.1 in	83°F
January	81°F	1.8 in	7.9 in	82°F
February	81°F	1.9 in	10.2 in	82°F
March	81°F	2.4 in	12.7 in	83°F
April	83°F	0.8 in	9.4 in	85°F

Honolulu and Kahului stay warm and get under 3 inches of rain a month through the season. Hilo is the wet port in every month, with over 12 inches of rain in November, December and March. September and October are the warmest Hawaii months, but they fall inside the Central Pacific hurricane season, which runs from 1 June to 30 November, the National Weather Service in Honolulu says. It gives the average season as 4 or 5 tropical cyclones. The Hawaii guide has the sailings.

When can you cruise to Mexico from San Francisco?

Short trips to Ensenada leave in summer, and the longer Mexico routes are rare. Carnival's 4-night Baja trips run from May to early September, on Carnival Luminosa in 2027 and Carnival Legend in 2028. Carnival Luminosa also has a 5-night trip with Catalina Island on 28 April 2027. Princess's 5-night trips to San Diego and Ensenada leave in late November and April.

Beyond Ensenada, the only Mexican Riviera trip on our schedule is Ruby Princess's 11 nights to Manzanillo, Puerto Vallarta and Cabo San Lucas on 27 October 2027. Every Hawaii round trip from here also stops at Ensenada on the way home.

Ensenada is mild all year. The Mexican weather service's long-run averages for its observatory there give a daily high of about 71°F in May, 78°F in July and 79°F in August and September, and 67°F to 69°F from December to March.

The Mexican Riviera trip in late October falls inside the eastern Pacific hurricane season, which the National Hurricane Center gives as 15 May to 30 November, with a peak in late August. Carnival's ticket contract says it may change or drop port calls for adverse weather, without compensation in most such cases, and other lines' contracts have their own terms. The Mexico guide compares the routes.

What is the weather like in San Francisco when you sail?

Mild and often cool, with fog in summer and rain in winter. These are the averages for downtown San Francisco on NOAA's 1991 to 2020 normals:

Month	Average high	Average low	Rain
January	58°F	47°F	4.4 in
February	60°F	48°F	4.4 in
March	62°F	49°F	3.2 in
April	63°F	50°F	1.6 in
May	64°F	51°F	0.7 in
June	67°F	53°F	0.2 in
July	66°F	54°F	Under 0.1 in
August	68°F	56°F	0.1 in
September	70°F	56°F	0.1 in
October	70°F	54°F	0.9 in
November	64°F	51°F	2.6 in
December	58°F	47°F	4.8 in

Summer is not the warm season here. The National Weather Service's study of San Francisco's climate describes summer as cool marine air with persistent coastal stratus and fog, and NOAA says a driver crossing the Golden Gate Bridge in summer will commonly meet fog. The study says the hottest days usually come in spring and fall, when dry offshore winds replace the sea breeze, and that spring and fall usually have the most cloud-free days. It puts over 80% of the city's rain between November and March.

Expect wind at sailaway in any month. The same study says the afternoon and evening sea breeze through the Golden Gate typically peaks at 20 to 30 miles per hour, and ships here leave in the afternoon. The first-timer FAQ covers what to wear on deck.

What cruises leave San Francisco in 2027 and 2028?

2027 has 53 departures on our schedule, from 5 January 2027 to 30 December 2027. Hawaii fills the winter, Alaska and Baja the summer, and the fall brings Hawaii back, with Carnival Luminosa's crossing to Tokyo and the year's only Mexican Riviera trip. The 2027 schedule lists them all.

2028 has 44 departures on our schedule so far, from 6 January 2028 to 19 October 2028. Carnival Legend sails Carnival's Alaska and Baja trips that year in place of Carnival Luminosa, and the 2028 schedule lists them.

When is Fleet Week in San Francisco?

Fleet Week falls in early October. The San Francisco Fleet Week Association gave the 2026 dates as 4 to 12 October, with a Parade of Ships and an air show on its program. When we checked on 3 November 2026, its site had no dates for 2027.

The port's own schedule marks Fleet Week, and the days Pier 27 is booked for events, between the ship calls. On our schedule, the departures either side of early October 2027 are Carnival Luminosa's crossing to Tokyo on 2 October and Ruby Princess's Hawaii trip on 11 October. If your dates fall in early October, check the port's current schedule, linked from its cruise page, once the 2027 Fleet Week dates are out.

Are there cruises from San Francisco in winter?

Yes, but almost all of them go to Hawaii. December 2027 has 2 departures on our schedule, and January to March are mostly Ruby Princess's 16-night trips, with the long South Pacific voyages in January.

Winter is the wet season at home. Downtown San Francisco averages 4.8 inches of rain in December and 4.4 in January, and highs of 58°F. A Hawaii trip that leaves in December spends four days crossing before the first island, where Honolulu averages 82°F. Our holiday cruises page lists the sailings over Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year.

Which month is cheapest for a cruise from San Francisco?

We cannot name one. Our fare records for San Francisco start in November 2026, so we hold no history showing when fares fall, and a month's lowest fare depends on which trips leave in it.

Summer months have the 4-night trips, so their lowest total fares are lower. Winter months have only long Hawaii trips, so their totals are higher, but per night they can come out cheaper. On 3 November 2026, the lowest fare in August 2027 was $522 and in February 2027 $1,349. Per night, those months came to $100 and $84. The cheap and last-minute guide explains how to compare them.