Overnight in Cabo on your cruise: a sunset yacht before you sail

If your cruise stays overnight in Cabo San Lucas, you can watch the sunset from a private yacht and still take the tender back to the ship with time to spare. Sunset falls between about 5:35 PM in late November and December and 7:10 PM in early July, yachts sail until 8 PM, and a private 2 hour sunset trip starts at USD 879 (MXN 16,799) on the Sea Ray 40 for up to 12. Which ships stay the night is below, from the published schedule.

On a regular same-day stop the sunset is usually off the table, because most ships sail between 1 PM and 8 PM. The overnight calls, and a few late departures, open it up.

Which cruise ships stay overnight in Cabo?

These are the overnight patterns in the published schedule for October 2026 to April 2027, as consulted on October 10, 2026. The lines adjust times, Carnival changed Panorama's Cabo hours for 14 sailings this season, so treat this as a pattern and confirm the exact hours with your daily program.

On the alternate weeks, Carnival Panorama does a short Friday stop instead, 6:30 AM to 1:30 or 2:30 PM, so check which sailing you're on.

A few ships don't stay overnight but leave late enough for a winter sunset. The Discovery Princess is in port Mondays from 12 PM to 8 PM (2 PM to 9 PM in March and early April), and on April 23 Star Princess is listed until 10 PM. Whether a sunset fits those depends on your last tender time, so send it to us and we'll tell you.

The cruise ship calendar has every call by date, with the published hours.

What time is sunset in Cabo?

Cabo is on Mountain Standard Time all year, with no daylight saving, so sunset moves only with the season. Approximate times around the middle of each month, with the departure we suggest for a 2 hour sunset trip:

The cruise season runs October to April, which is also the early-sunset half of the year. That works in your favor: a 4 PM departure in December has you back at the marina by 6 PM, with hours of tender service left. The full year's table is in our sunset cruise guide, and the trip guide has sunset times and weather by month.

The sunset route from the cruise port

The classic sunset trip is the 2 hour Pacific route, about 12 miles round trip. You pass the Arch at Land's End, the sea lion colony and Divorce Beach, then head out to face the sun as it drops toward the Cabo Falso lighthouse, the 1905 lighthouse on the Pacific dunes. On the way back the lights of Médano Beach and the town come on.

From November to April you may see whales on the way. They start arriving in November, and the official SEMARNAT season for 2025 to 2026 ran December 15 to April 30.

Hours: how late can the yacht stay out?

These are the rules that decide how long your evening is:

• Departures run from 7 AM to 7 PM.
• Yachts sail until 8 PM.
• Yachts that leave from the marina may stay anchored in the bay until 10 PM. That's where a dinner at anchor fits.
• The Sea Ray 65 meets you at Fisherman's Landing restaurant, by the Cabo Escape terminal, and must be back by 8 PM, because the terminal closes then. It's a short walk from where the cruise tenders land, but not the boat for a late night.

Your ship's last tender time is the other limit. Compare the two and the earlier one wins.

Which yacht for a sunset from the ship

Prices are per boat, not per person, with 16% IVA tax included. The customary 15% crew tip is not included.

The Sea Ray 40 is a flybridge yacht, so you watch from the upper deck, and it includes captain and deckhand, water, ice, a cooler and towels. The Azimut 45 Flybridge adds sodas and towels. The Sea Ray 55 has air conditioning, cabins and heads, useful when the evening cools down in January. Twelve people on the Sea Ray 40 for 2 hours works out to about USD 73 each before the tip.

What it costs per person

Guests:

10

Hours2 h3 h4 h6 h

1. Loading

Per boat, 16% tax included, tip not included. Pick a yacht to see its page.

Dinner on the water before the tender

Two ways to eat on board. On any yacht from the marina, order from the menu in the planner and it's waiting at the slip. Cash prices; paying by card adds 16%:

• Mexican feast for 6 to 8 people, MXN 2,600
• Mexican feast for 14 to 16 people, MXN 4,550
• Medium cheese and charcuterie board, MXN 1,440
• Burrito platter, MXN 901

Book 3 hours, watch the sunset on the Pacific side, then anchor in the bay to eat as the town lights come on. No alcohol is sold or served on these yachts; adults 18 and over may bring their own.

The other way is the McKinna 70, the one yacht with a chef, a multi-course menu cooked on board and complimentary drinks served by its crew of five. Its minimum is 3 hours, USD 4,499 (MXN 85,499) per boat for up to 12. Our dinner cruise guide goes into both options.

Getting back to the tender after dark

The yacht drops you at your slip in Marina Cabo San Lucas, a few minutes on foot from the tender landing on the south side of the marina. From there:

1. Know your last tender time before you leave the ship, in local time. Cabo doesn't change clocks, and ship time doesn't always match.
2. Be in the tender line with a buffer. The line to get back on is longest in the last hour.
3. Keep your cruise card and photo ID on you, not in a bag on the ship.
4. Carry small bills. There are ATMs at the marina, but you don't want to hunt for one at 8 PM.
5. The walk back is the same one you did in daylight, along the marina boardwalk to the landing.

If you'd rather eat in town after the boat, the downtown streets start right behind the landing, so you can walk back to the tender from dinner.

If the port closes

The Port Captain, part of the Mexican Navy, closes the harbor only under a hurricane or storm threat or another extraordinary situation, and most closures fall between September and mid-October. If the harbor is closed on your date, tenders don't run either, and you get a new date or a full refund.

Booking a sunset yacht for your overnight stop

Open the planner, choose the cruise ship option and enter your ship, the date and your last tender time. We'll suggest the departure for that month's sunset and the yacht that fits your group. The cruise port day and sunset cruise pages have the routes.

We reply within 2 hours, 8 AM to 8 PM Cabo time, and you pay through a secure Stripe link once the date is confirmed in writing. For the daytime part of your stop, our guide to the tender and the walk to the marina covers the rest.

Yachts in this guide

Sea Ray 65Express motor yacht · up to 12 guestsfrom $2,509 / 3 hSea Ray 40Flybridge yacht · up to 12 guestsfrom $879 / 2 hAzimut 45 FlybridgeFlybridge yacht · up to 12 guestsfrom $1,249 / 2 hSea Ray 55Flybridge motor yacht · up to 15 guestsfrom $2,129 / 3 h

Questions people ask

Do cruise ships stay overnight in Cabo San Lucas?

Some do. On the published schedule for October 2026 to April 2027, Carnival Panorama stays Tuesday to Wednesday about every other week, Voyager of the Seas stays Sunday to Monday on several dates, and Ovation of the Seas, Carnival Radiance, Serenade of the Seas, Emerald Princess and Crystal Serenity each have overnight calls. Times change, so confirm with your line.

Can I do a sunset cruise on a cruise stop in Cabo?

Yes, if your ship stays overnight or sails late. Sunset in Cabo is about 5:35 PM in late November and December and about 7:10 PM in early July. A private 2 hour sunset trip leaves about 90 minutes before sunset.

How late can a private yacht stay out in Cabo?

Yachts sail until 8 PM. Yachts that leave from the marina can stay anchored in the bay until 10 PM. The Sea Ray 65, which meets you at Fisherman's Landing restaurant, by the Cabo Escape terminal, must be back by 8 PM because the terminal closes.

How much is a private sunset yacht from the cruise port?

Two hours is USD 879 (MXN 16,799) on the Sea Ray 40 for up to 12 and USD 1,249 (MXN 23,799) on the Azimut 45. The Sea Ray 55, for up to 15, starts at three hours: USD 2,129 (MXN 40,399). Prices are per boat, tax included, tip not included.

How do I get back to the ship after dark?

Tenders keep running until the last tender time in your daily program. Your yacht drops you at the marina, a few minutes from the landing, so plan to be in the tender line before that time with your cruise card ready.

Plan your day on the water

Pick a yacht, the hours and the food in the planner. A written reply within 2 hours, 8 AM to 8 PM Cabo time.

Check availabilitySee the fleet