Shore excursion from Carnival Splendor in Puerto Vallarta - BEWARE!!

[SadieN]

We took that tour last Thanksgving.

It would have been a 'two-minute' tour if we didn't stop at the overlook, etc. On the same tour we saw many vendors on Church property.

The overlook is the only place I saw that was able to accomodiate a tour bus, it was very beautiful. I do not remember many people eating or buying anything at the place where beers were served. IIRC there were only 3 vendors when we were there.

 

There is Galleria Vallarta shopping mall next to WalMart.

http://virtualvallarta.com/puertovallarta/lifestyles/pvl-sf10/lets-go-shopping-2.email.shtml?author217

[larkz]

I'm pretty good with a solid "NO," when I'm not interested. But it gets tiring in some places. The stroll through Cozumel was about as much as I want to be pestered. I never reward someone for being an aggressive jerk. Pushy, conniving sales tactics are not called for.

 

I noticed that a walk down the West End shopping area on Roatan, for example, was quite pleasant in comparison to Cozumel. The two kids who came up to my daughter and I to sell cheap necklaces and bracelets were friendly and charming, so I bought a bracelet and gave them five bucks for their enterprise but also for their demeanor. I appreciated their effort and their attitude. A woman in a pottery shop was also very laid back and friendly, and let us take our time to look over the selection; we made a purchase from her too.

 

Carnival has its claws firmly around its excursion vendors' yahoos, so you'd think they would be able to exert a little pressure to cool it, or else. They can pass the warning on to the street vendors, or shut them down by not bringing the vans full of cruise passengers anymore. I would suggest contacting Carnival (even if it doesn't go anywhere) to let them know that the vendors at the stops were overly aggressive. Maybe you could appeal to Carnival's powerful sense of greed by reminding them of market studies that show consumers who feel as if they have been -- or will be -- ransacked tend to put their assets on lock down. Piss them off in the port, and they're less likely to blow twelve bucks on cocktails when they get back on board.

[GlendaleCruiser]

People just need to stand up for themselves. Nobody would be allowed to put a giant lizard on either my wife or myself. Not going to happen.

 

And sure as heck wouldn't allow them to touch us to put on jewelry! They might end up with a broken hand. Your personal space is just that, your space. If it's violated.. don't just let them do it.

 

Ushered into a shop and door closed behind? Then leave. You're never forced to put up with things like that.

 

Come on, just stand your ground, be strong and secure and they'll back off. If you're meek, you're just asking for them to take advantage of you. And too many people are meek, which makes the vendors think Americans are too dumb and naive to stop them.

 

Totally agree. They start trying to put iguanas or jewelry on me I start screaming, DON'T TOUCH ME, DON'T TOUCH ME until they go away. Then I pretty much get left alone, LOL.:D

[gabbygirl123]

My husband and I always pretend like we're fighting and we never get bothered to buy anything. Too funny!

[GlendaleCruiser]

Excursion in Ensenada to see "The Blowhole". What a bust! Had to walk the LONGEST GAUNTLET of vendors to get from the bus to the blowhole. Never again.

[twindaddy]

Excursion in Ensenada to see "The Blowhole". What a bust! Had to walk the LONGEST GAUNTLET of vendors to get from the bus to the blowhole. Never again.

 

If you want to see a blow hole, I can give you my mother in laws address.

 

thank you, I am here all week.

[candigirl]

edmusic....I for one really appreciate your warning. This is one of the tours we were thinking about in PV. In the past we hired a taxi and probably went to some of the same places. I remember the side of the road area with the view. I also remember our taxi driver telling the vendors to leave us alone. It was a very pleasant experience. We were not pressured and did choose to have a picture taken with the iguana on my son's shoulder and I think I did buy a trinket or 2 but it sounds like a much more pleasant experience than yours. So, thanks to you, I think that I will pass on the Carnival excursion and that feeding frenzy experience you describe and do it again on my own where I have some control.

Silly me, I originally joined cruise critic to get just your kind of advice that helps me make a good decision about how I want to spend my time and money. I'm sorry you got so much grief trying to be helpful.

[Go24JeffGordon]

Thank you so much for posting this. We have been trying to decide on tours to take. Will pass on this one.

[edmusic]

edmusic....I for one really appreciate your warning. This is one of the tours we were thinking about in PV. In the past we hired a taxi and probably went to some of the same places. I remember the side of the road area with the view. I also remember our taxi driver telling the vendors to leave us alone. It was a very pleasant experience. We were not pressured and did choose to have a picture taken with the iguana on my son's shoulder and I think I did buy a trinket or 2 but it sounds like a much more pleasant experience than yours. So, thanks to you, I think that I will pass on the Carnival excursion and that feeding frenzy experience you describe and do it again on my own where I have some control.

Silly me, I originally joined cruise critic to get just your kind of advice that helps me make a good decision about how I want to spend my time and money. I'm sorry you got so much grief trying to be helpful.

 

Candi - thanks for your kind words and support. I honestly didn't expect some of the grief I've received. I especially like the flame that told me "It said 'shopping' on the description - what did you expect?" Well, what I was expecting is not the 'sheep led to slaughter' experience I received. To me that is not shopping, that's extortion. Sure, I could have been more vocal and screamed, but that is not my style. I prefer a gentle answer but evidently that is not enough in Mexico. I understand now how your taxi driver ran interference for you as opposed to our driver who was 'in on the game'.

[edmusic]

Thank you so much for posting this. We have been trying to decide on tours to take. Will pass on this one.

Thanks for your kind words. I sent off an e-mail to Carnival expressing my disappointment in this excursion. Fortunately, that was really the only blemish on our cruise. We had a fantastic time and I would say without a doubt it was the best of my five cruises. I'll be posting a complete review very shortly which you'll be able to read before your cruise.

[edmusic]

A shopping mall? Are you kidding? LOL!

No, I am not kidding. Would it have been too hard to drop us off here?

 

http://virtualvallarta.com/puertovallarta/lifestyles/pvl-sf10/lets-go-shopping-2.email.shtml?author217

 

Or, perhaps drop us off at Malecon Beach and let us visit the stores on our own. Glad you got a good laugh out of me.

[Cruise, J.D.]

OP, I'm sorry for your experience and I'm sure others appreciate your warning. However, the experience you described is about the same at any cruise port in Mexico or the Caribbean, and even in other tourist places. I've had the same tactics tried on me in Hawaii.

 

To those who have seen this on a regular basis, it came across as a joke.

[Spring1onu]

I understand can be pushy and for anyone who hasn't researched, it can be intimidating. What I don't understand is how and why it's the cruise lines responsibility to give you an experience that's like home because you're American tourists. What?! You missed me with all that....

 

OP - I'm sorry you had a bad experience and I hope your warning here helps someone who might be a newbie....

 

 

 

 

 

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[cambio]

I understand can be pushy and for anyone who hasn't researched, it can be intimidating. What I don't understand is how and why it's the cruise lines responsibility to give you an experience that's like home because you're American tourists. What?! You missed me with all that....

 

 

Of course everyone has different experiences and backrounds to make their judgments from, but my wife and I believe that the cruise line tours in the Mexican Riviera waste our precious vacation time with useless and overpriced (to us) shopping and dining stops compared to tours that we have taken in the Caribbean and Europe.

 

We love to cruise the Mexican Riviera because we can drive to San Pedro and Long Beach fairly easily and hated to lose both the Mariner of the Seas and Splendor. If the lack of good destinations and tours is one of the causes of losing "our" ships, then a fix seems like an idea that could be advanced to the Cruise Lines.

[edmusic]

I understand can be pushy and for anyone who hasn't researched, it can be intimidating. What I don't understand is how and why it's the cruise lines responsibility to give you an experience that's like home because you're American tourists. What?! You missed me with all that.... OP - I'm sorry you had a bad experience and I hope your warning here helps someone who might be a newbie....

Perhaps I was being a bit naive in my perceptions but I feel the description in brochure doesn't live up to the actual experience and so I expressed my opinion on CC which I feel is exactly where to post everyone's experience; the good the bad, and the ugly.

[Joanne G.]

I appreciate the OP's description of his experience. I have shopped in many Caribbean ports, both on my own and as part of ship-sponsored excursions, in stores and in straw markets, and rarely (Jamaica) have I encountered the type of extremely aggressive vendor that the OP describes. I find such encounters very unpleasant, and if I had a Mexican Riviera cruise planned, I would avoid that particular excursion for sure.