The Hottest Cruises to Mexico

Panama Canal and Mexico

While larger ships tend to have set seasonal itineraries in ports designed to accommodate their bulk, small- and mid-sized luxury vessels (carrying 300 to 1,000 passengers) have the freedom to change up itineraries pretty much every week. Each year, several lines head for both Mexico’s Caribbean or Pacific ports by sailing via the Panama Canal.

Azamara Quest: From January to March 2014, 694-passenger Azamara Quest offers a trio of 12- and 14-night "Route of the Americas" and "Sea of Cortez" itineraries, two with a Panama Canal crossing, calling on 11 Mexico ports on the Pacific, such as Cabo San Lucas, Huatulco and Puerto Vallarta. Like its sister ship, Azamara Journey, couple-centric Quest offers an elegant country club ambience, fine dining and inclusive wines and spirits at six restaurants and four bars, plus a spacious spa and fitness center (stateroom rates start at $3,599 per person for 12-night sailings; azamaraclubcruises.com).

Crystal Serenity, Crystal Symphony: Crystal Serenity, a 1,070-passenger recently refurbished luxury ship, offers contemporary decor as well as fine dining and inclusive wine and spirits in eight restaurants (including Silk Road by Nobu Matsuhisa) as it sails an 11-night "Caribbean Sunrise" itinerary (Nov. 30, 2014) with a Panama Canal transit that visits Costa Maya and Cozumel as well as Costa Rica, Honduras, Belize and Key West. Sister ship, the 922-passenger Crystal Symphony, has a 13-night "Sea to Shining Sea" Panama Canal crossing (Oct 15, 2014) that calls on Zihuatanejo/Ixtapa and Cabo San Lucas as well as Miami, Grand Cayman, Cartagena and San Diego (stateroom rates start at $4,225 per person for 11-night sailings; crystalcruises.com).

Photo courtesy of Crystal Cruises