Question from Mexican Riviera Newb!

[nauticaz24]

Hey there everyone! Just had a quick couple of questions.

 

My two cruises have both been Western Carib. Cruises, one in March, one in January. What is the weather like in January on this cruise. More importantly, would it be nice enough to swim at the beaches??

 

Secondly, I heard that the beaches arent as nice as the Caribbean for swimming, such as you cant see the bottom like you can there. Is this true, or not.

 

Third, what are the chances of seeing a Whale? I know my GF would really be excited by that. Ive heard of a Whale Watching expedition?? Possible to see em off of the cruise ship?!?!?

 

Thanks!!!!

[Bob P]

We were just on the Star January 16-24, so here are my two cents' worth:

 

The weather in Acapulco was quite warm, 80s during the day. Zihua/Ixtapa and PV were in the upper 70s. Cabo was in the low 70s but very nice in the sun. On the ship itself, the first and last days at sea were cool to the point that even in the sun, many people sitting by the pool were wrapped in towels. In fact, the last day at sea coming back from Cabo to LA you could take your pick of beach chairs, it was extremely cool and windy.

 

We snorkeled in Acapulco (big mistake) and Zihua (OK, but definitely nowhere near the Caribbean). The water was a decent temperature, not too chilly but not bathwater either. The clarity of the water leaves a lot to be desired. I heard the water in Cabo was quite chilly according to friends who snorkeled there.

 

We didn't see any whales off the ship, but we did see lots of dolphins from our balcony. We did a whale watching cruise in Cabo and that was great: plenty of whales all around the catamaran, both near and far. We heard that January is a very good time to see whales in that part of the world.

 

Hope this helps, feel free to ask more questions!

 

Peace,

Bob P

[nauticaz24]

Thanks for your insight. We would definetly want to swim/snorkel, so that might not be good for us. Have you taken any caribbean cruises? If so, how would they compare????

[JohnQ]

We have done this cruise twice and it is always possible to see whales from the ship. They could even be close. But to really see them, take a whale tour like out of Cabo, which was great. You will get much closer and can spend more time observing. They also have open bar!!!

[Bob P]

Personally, I think there is no comparison between the water in the Caribbean and the water in the Mexican Riviera. The Caribbean is crystal clear, you can see everything... just beautiful. The Mexican Riviera water is anywhere between cloudy and murky.

 

The snorkeling in Acapulco was not good. If that had been the first time I ever snorkeled, I'm not sure I would want to do it again.

[nauticaz24]

Interesting, Thanks for your quick replys!! making me reconsider though :) Maybe ill do an all iclusive in Cancun or Cozumel or something

[bajalover]

Hi! Our family has done both. I love the Caribean! The water is stunning! However, the mexican riviera is a blast! Those people know how to make you feel at home. I have had our most fun and most memorable times in mexico. It you want a good time, go mexico, if you want great water, go caribean.

[Bob P]

I agree completely, we had a great time on the Mexican Riviera itinerary. I was just commenting on the quality of the snorkeling in those ports vs. the quality in the Caribbean.

 

We found the people--especially in Zihua and PV-- extremely friendly and helpful!

[nauticaz24]

. We have been looking at resorts and cruises, January is the best time for us to go. We would like to go somewhere were we can swim comfortably without being cold. And we prefer something to do with Mexico, wether its Cancun or The Riviera, because my girlfriend is Mexican. We prefer a beach to a pool. So we are just debating it. Thanks for all you replies, keep em coming :)

[cruisecrasy]

Great replies on this board - bless 'em! Cancun side of Mexico is more expensive in my experience but beaches are great on either coast of Mexico even if water clarity isn't..The 'ambience' though, is different on the west coast compared to the east at least in my humble opinion!! Hope this helps...& happy cruisin'!!

[cynbar]

We were on the Diamond Princess the week of 1/22 -- the weather was cool on the first and last days, but nice and warm and perfect for shorts and swimming all the other days. January is a really good time for whales -- we saw some from the ship, but also did the zodiac whale watching excursion in Cabo. This was a lot of fun -- a really fast inflatable boat and an accomodating tour guide who could zip around quickly when a whale was spotted. It lasted about 2 hrs which gave us plenty of time for other activities before we left port. Here's a picture of one of our new friends....