JFontaine Posted February 16, 2005 #1 Share Posted February 16, 2005 Just returned from the Crystal Harmony. Hope the following is useful. Acapulco. Took a licensed cab from the pier ($15) to the Hyatt. At the Hyatt, just walked around and then went down to the beach. At the beach I "rented" a chair and a palapa for $6.00 (one person) for the day from the beach attendant - who could not have been nicer, and bought drinks from the beach waiter - who also could not have been nicer. The beach was a fairly crowded public beach, and 100 vendors must have approached me during the day. Most accepted a "no thanks" and moved on. One guy - selling beach massages - grabbed my leg. I'm sure he meant no harm but it was weird. Crossed the street (an adventure) to visit Wal-Mart to see what it was like, and then took a regular cab back to the port ($10.00). Traffic was heavy so don't cut this close. Ziha - at the tender pier I purchased a round trip ticket to Los Gatos ($3 round trip I think)- a beach about fifteen minutes from the pier by water taxi. I am not the most athletic but was able to get in and out of the water taxis without much trouble. The beach is lined with bars that also sold food - they had lounge chairs out front, including chairs that are put in the water - what fun to sit in the water! Although I paid five dollars for my chair and umbrella - it seems that they were free if you bought food or drink. The beach and the water were lovely - the water was warm and clear. There were some vendors, but significantly less than Acapulco. The bars close at 4:30 - so around 4 the place starts to clear out. No reservations necessary for the return water taxi - they are lined up in the water. When the bill came (3 non-alcoholic drinks that I purchased for my cabin attendant and her friends, one Mexican beer and an order of French Fries) - $40.00 - I did feel ripped off, especially since I had paid for the chair, and also tipped the guy another five dollars on top of the chair rental - but I was not in a position to argue. All in all, it was a great day. Cabo - lots of independent water taxis at the tender pier. One guy wanted $20 for a water taxi (for one) to Lover's Beach, but most guys asked for $10 (plus $1.00 port fee). I looked for a regular taxi to take me to a resort, but finding none at all, went back and took a water taxi to Lover's Beach. Getting in the water taxi was not that bad - you are at the dock. Getting out was another story - the boat pulls up on the beach, some guy grabs your stuff so it doesn't get wet, and you jump out as the boat bobs in about a foot or two of water. I was told swimming only at the Sea of Cortez side where the boat drops you off, that the current was too strong on the Pacific side. I walked across the beach (not far - couple of minutes) to the Pacific side. I kid you not - my eyes filled up with tears. I've seen many beaches in my life (25 cruises, plenty of beach vacations) but this beach might have been the most beautiful that I have ever seen. There were very few people when I got there at 10 - it filled up as the morning went on. There are no facilities here: no chairs, no bathroom, and one guy sold drinks out of a cooler (but there were vendors!). To leave (you need to make a reservation to come back at the time you purchase your ticket) - jump into a boat bobbing in the water. I watched a woman try this on her own and fall into the water, so I signaled one of the guys working there, and he was a pro - he made a step with his bent knee, told me to step on it which is just what I needed to climb on board (he grabbed my stuff and my hand too). I was so happy for his help and tipped him accordingly. This beach was beautiful beyond words - if you can get there - go. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dmk Posted February 16, 2005 #2 Share Posted February 16, 2005 MLevine: Thank you for a most informative post. You've answered a lot of questions I had and have given me some ideas. Could you also tell me if it is possible to use the pool at the Hyatt?:D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JFontaine Posted February 16, 2005 Author #3 Share Posted February 16, 2005 On the Hyatt - the place was so big I think it would be very easy to blend into the crowd - so I don't think using the pool would be a problem. It did seem like the guests wore arm bands - I could be wrong. There was security between the beach and the pool area, possibly to keep vendors and others out of the pool area. Once I established myself at the beach, I had no problem going back and forth between the two areas. There was also security at the front door - but they took one look at me (and my beach bag) getting out of the cab and let me right in. I am always unsure whether to take towels or not from the ship - as they are a sign that you don't belong. I took my towel (striped - theirs was blue). Once I paid for the use of the chair I was fine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NitaBcruising Posted February 18, 2005 #4 Share Posted February 18, 2005 MLevine, Thank you for posting your experiences! We are planning our days at these places, and were thinking beach days would be nice, as we've been before. :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.