By Chris Meyer/ cmeyer@ocglobetrotter.com

If you’re a cruiser, chances are that you know that you can hop a ship in San Pedro and head to the Mexican Riviera: Cabo San Lucas, Puerto Vallarta and Mazatlan. This “Love Boat” route is as old as the modern cruise industry.

But you may not know about the more distant destinations, from Australia to Rome, you can access from LA. So here are 10 great cruises from LA:

1. ALASKA: You can board the ship in shorts and flip flops, but pack warmer clothes as you will will be chilling with massive glaciers as well eagles, bears and whales. These 12- and 14-day itineraries are the easiest and most economical way to experience the Great Land.
2. COSTA RICA AND THE PANAMA CANAL: New this year are 19-day round-trip voyages that blend the engineering masterpiece of the canal with Central America’s unspoiled rainforests.
3. HAWAII: Plenty of relaxing sea days and visits to four Hawaiian Islands make this an epic 15-day round-trip from SoCal.
4. TAHITI: The ship keeps going after Hawaii for a second tropical paradise – Tahiti, Bora Bora and other fabled French Polynesian wonders – on this awesome 28-day voyage, which returns you back to where you started from.
5. SOUTH AMERICA: Mexico, Central America and all the way down the South American coast with time to visit Machu Picchu on the way.  After 17 days, you can get off in Santiago Chile and fly home or continue on the ship around the cape and all the way to Rio.
6. NEW ZEALAND: Rather than making a U-turn in Tahiti, this ship powers on all the way to New Zealand. After 21 days at sea, you can continue another four to Australia, stick around or fly back to LA.
   

   Overwater bungalows are alluring but stationary.

7. ROME: Travel from La La land all the way to the Eternal City on this 31-day epic traversing the Panama Canal and Atlantic with plenty of fascinating ports of call along the way.
8. VANCOUVER: A little closer to home, but a lovely 9-day voyage up the coast with stops in San Francisco, Astoria and Victoria. You can continue to Alaska on the luxury ship or catch a three-hour flight back home.
9. LONDON: Take a very British ship through the canal and across the pond on a 29-day journey to England.
10. AROUND THE WORLD: If you have 111 days you can circumnavigate the globe without visiting and airport. This is the ultimate LA cruise!

Here’s a link for searching cruises out of Los Angeles:  HomeportLA

Contact Chris Meyer for more information and exclusive Expedia pricing.  (800) 745-4015 or cmeyer@ocglobetrotter.com.