Cabo San Lucas Cruise Port: What Nobody Tells First-Timers
Cabo San Lucas cruise port guide for first-time Carnival cruisers: how tendering works, what to do with your day, and the one time you cannot be late for. Everything from stepping off the tender at the marina to getting back on the last boat, filmed on a Carnival Panorama sailing out of Long Beach. Cabo San Lucas is a tender port, which means your ship anchors in the bay and small boats run you into the marina all day. That one detail changes how your entire port day works. In this guide I walk through the tender ticket system and who tenders first, the vendor gauntlet waiting at the marina, the three completely different ways to spend a day here (the marina walk, Medano Beach, and the water taxi out to El Arco), whether to book excursions through Carnival or locally, how much cash to bring, and the all aboard math that catches first timers every single cruise. Ensenada First-Timer Guide: La Bufadora Both Ways: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2jyjJ7Ioj94 Ultimate Guide to Long Beach Port Terminal (for Carnival Cruises): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1bzymswfGVU Carnival Cruise Tips: The Truth About the Sail & Sign Card: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-w37PL0dPVs Carnival HUB App: Everything You Need to Know (1st Time Cruisers): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UPZ6MAxc5kg I Spent Extra on Faster to the Fun Carnival Here's Why: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qjcAttpOfwA DISCLOSURE: Tequila Lighthouse in Cabo San Lucas gave me the tequila sampler you see in this video. Nobody paid me to mention them. Everything else in this video, including the Cabo Kelly whale watching trip, I paid for myself. 🦆 Oh, and… I snuck some ducks into this video. Can you find them all? Drop a comment if you do! 🕵️♂️🦆 🔔 Subscribe for more Carnival cruise content: https://www.youtube.com/@ReubensRandomSandwich?sub_confirmation=1 🚢 New to cruising? Start here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLIaFZXcZ2w3c 👍 Follow me on Facebook for LIVE cruise updates: https://www.facebook.com/reuben.poon.2025 📸 Instagram for behind-the-scenes: https://www.instagram.com/reubensrandomsandwich/ 🎵 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@reubensrandomsandwich 📧 Business and sponsorship inquiries: me@reubensrandomsandwich.com 💬 Let me know what you think in the comments! This content is for entertainment purposes only. While I do my best to research and provide you with the best information, I've known to be wrong sometimes! Some links above are affiliate links. If you buy through them, I earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. It helps keep these videos coming! PS - Nobody buys my opinion in these videos. Tequila Lighthouse gave me a tequila sampler for this one and I tell you that in the video and above, but free is not the same as bought. I do get some money from the YouTube partner program. But if you WANT to sponsor a video, email me!!18 0:00 Cabo San Lucas Port Day, What to Expect on a Carnival Cruise 0:59 How the Tender Works and Who Boards First 6:45 Stepping Off Into the Marina Vendors 8:22 Three Ways to Spend Your Cabo Day 12:21 How Much Cash to Bring 13:30 Getting Back Before the Last Boat Leaves