How a cruise port day in Cabo works
Cabo San Lucas is a tender port: your ship anchors in the bay and launches carry you to the cruise ship dock on the south side of Marina Cabo San Lucas, right in town. The ride takes about 10 to 15 minutes, with the longest lines in the first hour. Ships usually arrive between 6 AM and 1 PM and leave between 1 PM and 8 PM, so most calls give you four to ten hours ashore. The ships calling this season and their hours are on our Cabo cruise ship schedule page.
A private yacht turns those hours into the Arch, the sea lions and Lover's Beach without waiting for a tour group to fill up. Twelve of our thirteen yachts board inside the marina, a 10 to 15 minute walk from the tender dock along the boardwalk; the Sea Ray 65 meets you at Fisherman's Landing restaurant, by the Cabo Escape terminal. Our cruise port guide and the marina guide show where everything is.
Example: in port from 7 AM, all-aboard at 1 PM
A morning call like this one is common on Fridays. Here is how the day fits together with a two-hour charter.
| Time | What happens |
|---|---|
| 7:00 AM | Your ship anchors in the bay. Get on one of the first tenders. |
| 7:30 AM | Ashore at the cruise ship dock. The Sea Ray 65 meets you at Fisherman's Landing restaurant, by the Cabo Escape terminal, from 8 AM; for the other yachts, walk to the dock on your boarding pass. |
| 8:00 AM | Cast off. Pelican Rock, the Arch, the sea lions, Lover's Beach and the ride back along Médano Beach. |
| 10:00 AM | Back at the dock after two hours (11:00 AM on the Sea Ray 65, which has a three-hour minimum). Time left for town, the marina or Médano Beach. |
| 12:00 PM | In the tender line, 45 to 60 minutes before all-aboard. |
| 1:00 PM | All aboard. The ship sails in the afternoon. |
All-aboard is set by your cruise line, often 30 to 60 minutes before departure; your daily program has the exact time. Check whether your ship runs on ship time or local time; Cabo is on Mountain Standard Time all year.
With an afternoon call, say noon to 8 PM, the same plan starts at 1 PM and still leaves the evening on board. A three-hour charter adds a swim stop at Lover's Beach and fits any call of six hours or more. If snorkeling is the point, the two-hour route includes a snorkel stop at Pelican Rock, next to the Arch, and the CONANP conservation fee for the protected area is included in our charter price. Santa María Bay needs four hours on the water, so it only fits ships that stay eight hours or more.
Updated October 10, 2026: Santa María Bay is closed for snorkeling for now; we expect it to reopen in November 2026. Until then, the snorkel stop is Pelican Rock, next to the Arch, on the 2 hour charter.
Example prices for a private shore excursion in Cabo
Per boat, so a family of eight on the Bayliner 33 pays the same as a couple. Order lunch in the planner and it is on board when you arrive.
| Yacht | 2 h | 3 h | 4 h |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bayliner 33 up to 8 guests | $599 $75 per person | $869 $109 per person | $1,139 $142 per person |
| Sea Ray 40 up to 12 guests | $879 $73 per person | $1,199 $100 per person | $1,499 $125 per person |
| Sea Ray 65 up to 12 guests | min 3 h | $2,509 $209 per person | $2,999 $250 per person |
Prices per boat with 16% tax included; the 15% crew tip is not included. The per-person figure is the boat price divided by its full capacity, rounded.
The Sea Ray 65 meets you at Fisherman's Landing restaurant, by the Cabo Escape terminal, and must be back by 8 PM, when the terminal closes. The Pontoon 38 takes eighteen from USD 869 for two hours, the best value for a big family group, and the Sea Ray 55 takes fifteen with air conditioning.
What happens if the port closes
The Port Captain closes the harbor only under a storm threat or another extraordinary situation, and most closures fall between September and mid-October. When that happens the tenders do not run either, so the ship usually skips Cabo. Your charter then moves to another date or your payment comes back in full, with no questions. The same applies if your ship cancels the call for its own reasons. Details are in our note on weather cancellations.
Choosing the yacht for a cruise stop
The Sea Ray 65 is the simplest: you step off the tender and onto the yacht at the same dock, with twelve seats, a paddle board and a floating mat. The Bayliner 33 is the lowest price for up to eight, with a cabin and a head. The Sea Ray 40 has a flybridge for the Arch photos and includes towels. Bring your ship card, an ID, sunscreen and the drinks you want; the crew has the cooler and ice.
