Even bigger! Giant Royal Caribbean ship is the largest ever to call Los Angeles home
Los Angeles residents have a new way to cruise to Mexico.
On May 31, Royal Caribbean repositioned the massive Ovation of the Seas to the Port of Los Angeles for Mexico cruises.
"We are here in a big way," said Vicki Freed, Royal Caribbean's senior vice president for sales, at a Q&A on a preview sailing of the new route for media and travel agents. She meant that both literally and figuratively.
The 4,182-passenger Ovation of the Seas is the first Royal Caribbean Quantum Class ship based in Los Angeles — and also the largest ship ever to sail out of that port based on capacity. (At 168,666 gross tons, it's just slightly smaller than the 169,116-ton Norwegian Encore, also based there.)
Launched in 2016, Ovation of the Seas is one of Royal Caribbean's five Quantum Class ships and includes amenities like indoor skydiving, bumper cars and the North Star observation capsule that lifts passengers 300 feet above sea level.
The Mexico itineraries out of Los Angeles on Ovation of the Seas range from three to eight nights in length and visit ports such as Catalina Island, California, and Ensenada and Cabo San Lucas, Mexico.
This repositioning also marks a major West Coast expansion for Royal Caribbean, which previously only sailed the 3,368-passenger Navigator of the Seas from Los Angeles to Mexico. Navigator will continue sailing from Los Angeles until October 2026.
"When we say West Coast is the 'best coast,' we're coming out strong," Freed said.
This October, Quantum of the Seas (another Quantum Class ship of a similar size to Ovation) will also begin to sail from Los Angeles to Mexico. The slightly smaller 3,602-passenger Voyager of the Seas will also sail from Los Angeles starting in October 2026.
Freed also announced the 2,143-passenger Serenade of the Seas will sail from San Diego to Mexico starting in October 2026 for the winter season. This will mark Royal Caribbean's return to San Diego after a long absence. The three-to-seven-night itineraries will include stops in Cabo San Lucas and Ensenada, as well as La Paz, Mexico, which will be a new destination for the brand.
Royal Caribbean originally planned for Ovation of the Seas to sail out of Tianjin, China, this summer, but it ultimately decided to move the vessel to Los Angeles as part of this West Coast expansion.
Ovation of the Seas sailed from Japan before arriving in Los Angeles on May 31. After its first summer season sailing from Los Angeles to Mexico, Ovation of the Seas will relocate to its Asian home dock in Singapore from October 2025 to March 2026. From May to September 2026, Ovation will return to its typical summer season sailing to Alaska, but this time from Seward, Alaska, and Vancouver, British Columbia, instead of Seattle. In September 2026, Ovation will return to Los Angeles, where it will remain until April 2027.
Royal Caribbean isn't the only cruise line expanding its presence in Los Angeles. Virgin Voyages will launch its first Los Angeles sailings in 2026 on board the brand-new Brilliant Lady, which can accommodate 2,770 passengers.
In 2024, Carnival Cruise Line began sailing one of its newest ships, Carnival Firenze, from the Port of Long Beach, just a few miles from the Port of Los Angeles.
The West Coast cruise market to Mexico is certainly heating up. Hopefully, that will mean all kinds of deals for potential passengers to take advantage of ... or at least more convenient sailing dates for more travelers.
Planning a cruise? Start with these stories:
TPG featured card
at American Express's secure site
Terms & restrictions apply. See rates & fees.
| 3X | Earn 3X Miles on Delta purchases. |
| 1X | Earn 1X Miles on all other eligible purchases. |
Pros
- Delta SkyClub access when flying Delta
- Annual companion ticket for travel on Delta (upon renewal)
- Ability to earn MQDs through spending
- Various statement credits for eligible purchases
Cons
- Steep annual fee of $650
- Other Delta cobranded cards offer superior earning categories
- Earn 100,000 Bonus Miles after you spend $6,000 or more in purchases with your new Card within the first 6 months of Card Membership and an additional 25,000 bonus miles after you make an additional $3,000 in purchases on the Card within your first 6 months, starting from the date that your account is opened. Offer Ends 04/01/2026.
- Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card Members receive 15 Visits per Medallion® Year to the Delta Sky Club® when flying Delta and can unlock an unlimited number of Visits after spending $75,000 in purchases on your Card in a calendar year. Plus, you’ll receive four One-Time Guest Passes each Medallion Year so you can share the experience with family and friends when traveling Delta together.
- Enjoy complimentary access to The Centurion® Lounge in the U.S. and select international locations (as set forth on the Centurion Lounge Website), Sidecar by The Centurion® Lounge in the U.S. (see the Centurion Lounge Website for more information on Sidecar by The Centurion® Lounge availability), and Escape Lounges when flying on a Delta flight booked with the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card. § To access Sidecar by The Centurion® Lounge, Card Members must arrive within 90 minutes of their departing flight (including layovers). To access The Centurion® Lounge, Card Members must arrive within 3 hours of their departing flight. Effective July 8, 2026, during a layover, Card Members must arrive within 5 hours of the connecting flight.
- Receive $2,500 Medallion® Qualification Dollars with MQD Headstart each Medallion Qualification Year and earn $1 MQD for each $10 in purchases on your Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card with MQD Boost to get closer to Status next Medallion Year.
- Enjoy a Companion Certificate on a Delta First, Delta Comfort, or Delta Main round-trip flight to select destinations each year after renewal of your Card. The Companion Certificate requires payment of government-imposed taxes and fees of between $22 and $250 (for itineraries with up to four flight segments). Baggage charges and other restrictions apply. Delta Basic experiences are not eligible for this benefit.
- $240 Resy Credit: When you use your Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card for eligible purchases with U.S. Resy restaurants, you can earn up to $20 each month in statement credits. Enrollment required.
- $120 Rideshare Credit: Earn up to $10 back in statement credits each month after you use your Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card to pay for U.S. rideshare purchases with select providers. Enrollment required.
- Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card Members get 15% off when using miles to book Award Travel on Delta flights through delta.com and the Fly Delta app. Discount not applicable to partner-operated flights or to taxes and fees.
- With your Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card, receive upgrade priority over others with the same Medallion tier, product and fare experience purchased, and Million Miler milestone when you fly with Delta.
- Earn 3X Miles on Delta purchases and earn 1X Miles on all other eligible purchases.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees. Enjoy international travel without additional fees on purchases made abroad.
- $650 Annual Fee.
- Apply with confidence. Know if you're approved for a Card with no impact to your credit score. If you're approved and you choose to accept this Card, your credit score may be impacted.
- Terms Apply.
- See Rates & Fees