Puerto Vallarta/ Mexican Riviera excursion questions

[IrishQT]

Hi everyone! I'm so happy I found CC and am totally addicted.

We are cruising out of LB on the Pride in September '06. Has anyone ever done the Yelapa Beach and Snorkel Adventure excursion? Any other recommendations for excursions in PV, Mazatlan, and Cabo... or do you recommend no excursion in one of these ports... What I mean is.. Is Cabo, for example, better to just walk around town for the time you have in port? Thanks in advance for any thoughts/suggestions/recommendations!

 

[donnavb5]

It's been 15 years since I was in Cabo, but we had a local come up and ask if we'd like to go in his glass bottom boat for five bucks. So we did and it was quite awesome. It just had boards on the side (he DID have life jackets) and we could sit and look the whole time. When we got back to the ship people that did the Carnival glass bottom boat recommendation said that boat was big and had a small area of glass where you could walk over to and look. They were extremly jealous of our adventure.

[Curt Jerome Wild]

There is tons of information on specific things there.

Here's a link:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=203

Depends on what you like to do, how much, how little.

Vallarta, I like to just hang at the beach at one of the hotels.

Mazatlan, Randi's or Stone Island (I can get there myself and hang out if I don't feel like horsing around).

Cabo, walk around town, or beach.

Be very careful of getting into boats off the pier here. Lot's of people get hurt (there are wacky rocks that you have to kind of crawl over).

But like I said, try looking around the other board to get tons of ideas.

Curt Jerome Wild

[CriSyss]

We did the Unimog excursion in Puerto Vallarta and it was THE best adventure that I'd ever taken ! The Unimog's are open-air Mercedes trucks...the guide takes you up through the Sierra Madres through small villages (where you stop to shop for a bit)...THE best lunch en route and then a stop at a beach for the best rum punch I've ever tasted ! You won't be disappointed with the Unimog trip. In Cabo, we were tendered to shore and then just walked around on our own. We ended up at Cabo Wabo and had Waboritas at 9 in the morning !! We bought decorative bottles of tequila from a shop, in addition to some beautiful t-shirts, etc. Oh, how I envy you cruising the Mexican Riviera...that was my favourite so far.

[Victory Bound]

We are sailing on the Pride in June and are really looking forward to it.

 

In Puerta Vallarta, we are doing the Canopy Tour through Los Veranos. This is not a Carnival sponsored tour but from everything I have heard, many CC members have done this and have raved about it. Sylvie from Los Veranos was very helpful and when I mentioned that I leared of her company from the CC message boards, she said that she LOVES Cruise Critic.

 

In Mazatlan, our family group is doing Randy's Happy Horses. Again, not a ship sponsored tour but Randy knows the ships schedule and when she needs to get people back. The ride on the beach and time at Victors Restaurant at the end sounds just fantastic.

 

In Cabo, we don't have anything scheduled. This may just be our "walk around town" day. If we can get a good deal on a glass-bottom boat tour, we might do that so that we can get some good photos of the arch. I also want to visit Cabo Wabo.

 

Check the Mexican Riviera Port of Call board, as there is a lot of useful information there too.

 

Have a great cruise!

[Annie34]

We did the same excursions last year as Victory Bound has planned...enjoyed both, especially the canopy tour...it was awesome! We ended up parasailing in Cabo and then walked to Cabo Wabo afterward. The boat that took us parasailing also brought us up close to Los Arcos where we could see the sea lions laying out on the rocks...Great excursions! You'll have a wonderful time!

[tess2cruz]

We just got back, or so it seems, from the Pride 2/12/06. WOW, loved the shore excursions, so let me share.

We booked the Canopy Adventure, also online with Los Veronas. I have NEVER had so much fun and excitement in any port. The whole organization was fantastic. Sylvie even remembered me through our emails. The guides are so entertaining, and instill confidance in you right away. My friend was terrified of hieghts, and she still did it, we even had to get pictures so her family would know she did!! We did one zip line over 500 feet in the air, 1/4 mile long. Los Veroas is supposed to be the best, and we only had to make reservations, no pre pay. We met the owner too, very nice gentleman and we told him the recommendation came from CC, he said some others in our group said the same thing. My only complaint on this tour was it was not long enough. WOW

We walked back to the ship from downtown, (not recommended!!) along the beach, it was nice, just way to far.

Matzalan: We booked, not with Carnival, online the Stone Island tour, for $45 we got a bargain. Pancho, very sweet guy!!, meet us at the pier, sign with our names on it. We took taxis, paid with tour, to a ferry. There they gave us tickets for 2 activites and lunch. Once at the Island, right across from the ships, lol, we got a Mexican limo, (tractor pulling a wagon) to the resaurant. We ordered lunch, (shrimp) and then went Horse back riding. The horses are well trained, and only trotted on the way home, but it was fun. When we got back to the table our friend we left was getting a henna tattoo. We all sat there getting drunk and getting tattoos. It was fun and relaxing. While many vendors did bother us, the very sweet wife of Pancho shooed off the ones trying to sell us fake silver. Pancho and his wife took such good care of us. We decided against snorkling, another said water was very cold and murky. So we picked the banana boat ride. That was fun, a bit scary since I was on the back, but I had never done that before it was fun. Best part of the trip was on the way back on the ferry. They take you out to some rocks to see some seals, and being from Oregon this was not all that big a deal for me, BUT the whales were out there too, and the captain for the ferry, (who I think was pretty hot, and flirted with) took us really close to the whales, so we got two exrusions for the price of one. This review does not even come close to letting you know how much fun it was in Matzalan.

Cabo: We were going to go parasailing, but on our way to town we saw a Margaritavilla, (Margaritaville knockoff LOL) and even though it was only 11am it was 5 o'clock somewhere, and we had a $9 margarita. Well, the day was spent shopping in Cabo. Beautiful city.

Overall, I loved the people in Mexico, and will go back

Hope this helps you have as great a time as I had.

[Wennfred]

In Mazatlan we rode horses with Randi's Happy Horse, had a great time, In P.V. we swam with the Dolphins, by far the best thing we ever did, this you shouldnt miss and in Cabo we laid out infront of the Mango Deck beach bar/grill and had a great time eating, drinking and telling all the vendors No Thanks, No Thanks, No Thanks :D

[southbayer]

I'm going down south in a month, and don't have anything planned for excursions YET.... Are many of these activites booking in advance recommended ????????

[tootsiescurly]

We have found that booking excursions independent of the cruise lines is the way to go. You will pay less money and have a better experience. You can get a water taxi in Cabo at the dock that the tender drops you off. The taxi's will have an abundance of excursions for less than the cruise ships.

[tess2cruz]

I'm going down south in a month, and don't have anything planned for excursions YET.... Are many of these activites booking in advance recommended ????????

 

Yes, it was recommended we reserve in advance for this reason. Because of the devistation in Cozumel from the hurricane, more tourists are visiting the west side of Mexico this season. More at the resorts and hotels will mean more booking excursions, and last minute cruisers may be left high and dry. We booked about a month in advance through web sites of the companies themselves and were very satisfied. Los Veronas didn't require prepay. Search the web.

[AudioFilly]

We were in Puerto Vallarta last year. We stayed a week and our favorite excursion of the week was Rhythms of the Night. Don't know how much it would cost to take it through Carnival, but I would highly recommend that you do on this one. It seemed like about an hour boat ride over to Las Calletas and then it is dinner and a show. It might run a little late, and I wouldn't want to chance it.

 

If you will be there after dark, slip a little flashlight in your pocket. Other than for the stage and sound system, they use no lights other than torches and candles. While this is very romantic, it made it a little scary picking foods off of the buffet. But we loved the show and the food was wonderful. I just really wanted to know what some of it was.

 

As you can see by the end of the evening we were feeling no pain.

 

[DiN2cruzagain]

Greetings!

We were on the Pride in Sept. 05 and had an awesome time. We did the Rhythms of the Night thru Carnival and I think it was $89 per person. It was truly an amazing experience. The party boat going over to Las Calates, the food and the show were wonderful. Money well spent and the Pride does wait on you to return if your booked thru them. Make sure you go to Senor Frogs too! Woo Hoo...........

 

In Cabo we just walked around, took the bicycle taxi's to Cabo Wabo for a couple waborita's. Then we took the glass bottom boats out to the arch! I think that was like $20 for six of us. The swells were really big, so it was a real thrill in that little boat but was awesome.

 

In Mazatlan we took the open air taxis and toured the whole city and the golden zone. Since there were so many of us we had to take more than one but we all stayed together and it was a blast. The food at the port and the entertainment was great too........

 

I will tell you that the temperature in the ports the middle of Sept. was 102!! HOT! HOT! HOT! Who cares, drink a margarita and cool off!

 

Have a wonderful cruise........We had a balcony port side room and the view was terrific!!!

 

 

[IrishQT]

I have been hearing that it's cold the first and last days of the cruise... Did you find that to be true in September? Thanks for all your information. I'm from the east coast and this is my first time to the west coast.. so any info is appreciated! Thanks again!:D

[DiN2cruzagain]

Yes, it was cool the first and last day but I still set on the balcony and got some rays. The last day if you were on the deck you really needed a sweatshirt. But who cares, the sun was shinning and the margatitas were great! The sunrises and sunsets were awesome!!!! I would go again in a heartbeat!!!

 

 

 

 

[G&L in WPG]

You will enjoy the trip to Yelapa. Snorkeling at Los Arcos is about the best PV has to offer. Yelapa is a neat little village, and the trip to the falls, while specatacular, is scenic and goes threough interesting terrain. The booze cruising is great, and very scenic as well. I would also highly recommend the Sierra Madres tour with Vallarta Adventures (called Unimog above). That was a great trip, tour of a typical small Mexican village, lunch at a local's house, hike through the jungle, then off to a private beach for food and drinks, the Tequilla shots all the way home, all while riding in the back of agreat big Mercedes 4X4. The guide was talking all the way and explaining a lot about life in Mexico and the history of the country. Really informative and enjoyable tour.

[aprilfool56]

We are first time cruisers on th Pride on 4/2 to PV, Maz and Cabo...we are excited beyond words. We already purchased the Dolphins/Snorkeling in PV and Stone Island in Mazatlan (through Carnival, since I did not know any better, and just found this CC website)...

Nothing yet scheduled for Cabo on the 7th, which is our daughter's 16th birthday. Any suggestions for her sweet 16 in Cabo?

Thanks to everyone...after I get a cruise under my belt, I hope to return the favors and help others who don't know what to expect.

[Treven]

We did the Unimog excursion in Puerto Vallarta and it was THE best adventure that I'd ever taken ! The Unimog's are open-air Mercedes trucks...the guide takes you up through the Sierra Madres through small villages (where you stop to shop for a bit)...THE best lunch en route and then a stop at a beach for the best rum punch I've ever tasted ! You won't be disappointed with the Unimog trip. In Cabo, we were tendered to shore and then just walked around on our own. We ended up at Cabo Wabo and had Waboritas at 9 in the morning !! We bought decorative bottles of tequila from a shop, in addition to some beautiful t-shirts, etc. Oh, how I envy you cruising the Mexican Riviera...that was my favourite so far.

I took that excursion the last time I was in PTO; really had a great time. Sure was glad they insisted all the passengers wear seatbelts as bumpy as some of the roads were. I gather you had lunch at a beach on San Francisco Bay?

[judyf]

We are first time cruisers on th Pride on 4/2 to PV, Maz and Cabo...we are excited beyond words. We already purchased the Dolphins/Snorkeling in PV and Stone Island in Mazatlan (through Carnival, since I did not know any better, and just found this CC website)...

Nothing yet scheduled for Cabo on the 7th, which is our daughter's 16th birthday. Any suggestions for her sweet 16 in Cabo?

Thanks to everyone...after I get a cruise under my belt, I hope to return the favors and help others who don't know what to expect.

 

Welcome to cruising. This is my first trip to Cabo too on 4/10 sailing of the NCL Star.

 

From my research we plan to take a glassbottom boat ride and then get dropped off by town and go to Cabo Wabo, and walk around. Sounds like this is a good port to do things on our own.

 

Best tip just keep readiing these boards! Have you checked out the roll call section and found other that are sailing the with you? If not jump right over there.

[G&L in WPG]

I don't recall any seatbelts, just overhead handles to hang on to. Lunch was at a private resort, but I can't remember the name of the place. It was nice, food was good. Long drive back to PVO.

[Treven]

We had to wear seatbelts; as a matter of fact, one of the guides had to get out a seat-belt extention for me.

 

Toward the end of our tour, the driver turned onto a dirt road down a steep embankment. We ended up on private property & there were picnic tables & a small building where other employees had already gotten there & had lunch ready for us. It was right on Bahia de San Francisco. I tried to upload one of the pix I'd taken during lunch, but the board here said it was too big.

[srmaz]

I have done the Mexican Riviera by cruise, but I also live most of the year in Mazatlan. I go north for September. Unless you are from Mississippi or Louisiana and are used to heat and humidity, be prepared for a challenging visit!

 

My suggestion is to stay on ship and enjoy the pool and head for your air conditioned room (or bar) when you need to.

 

Aside from that, my suggestion is to go for water based activities that put you on the beach. The canopy tour in PV was a favorite of my neices and nephews, but in September I think it would be too hot. I'd do the dophin tour, or just hang out on the beach under a shaded palapa.

 

Same with Mazatlan...stay near the beach or head for an air-conditioned hotel bar! Everyone here talks about Randi's horses since she is active on these forums, but don't forget Ginger's Bi-lingual horses let's you gallop or trot on the beach instead of doing the nose to tail type ride.

 

Cabo is even hotter, although a bit drier during that time of year. I'd still head for a beach and stay in the water most of the time, but have the option of going into a hotel for an air-conditioned lunch. Try Pueblo Bonito where you can play on the beach enjoy lunch in comfort!

 

John

[southbayer]

I'll be there end of april, hopefully not too hot and humid

[gottago2mexico]

I'll be there end of april, hopefully not too hot and humid

April is lovely. Doesn't get hot and humid until Summer. You'll have a great time.

[Nicole721]

We're going next month.

 

We're booked on the Paradise Beach excursion and the Pirate Party Boat for PV, the Stone Island Tour for Maz, and Lands End Tour and Beach Club in Cabo.

 

It sounds all good and fun but I've gotta spend me some time at the nearest Senor Frogs! ;)