Mazatlan, Puerto Vallarta and Cabo in November - help!

[ScrappyCruiser]

Traveling with my parents to the Mexican Riviera on the Vision November 26 for their 49th wedding anniversary. Dad can't walk far or stand for very long because of a bad back and knee - can anyone suggest short tours or "must see" spots to maximize our time in these ports? This is a huge deal for them and I want it to be the best, so thought maybe some experienced travelers could help (I have never been there, either!) Thank you all in advance for any help.

[lougee1043]

as i just posted --check out the cruiseline web site under destinations--they will list the excursions available thru the ship--they generally make some notes on each excursion regarding walking climbing etce etc

[Canadiankaratemom]

In Cabo, get your parents on a Los Arcos tour- all he will have to do is to get on a boat and they will take him out to see the beautiful Los Arcos.. about 45 minute ride. You can arrange via cruise ship excursion, which will cost more. On Princess Sapphire, it cost $19US per person, you get a drink on board plus a photographer offers to take pictures of you plus he takes some too to sell to you. Local operators will take you out to Los Arcos for about $10US, but not sure how big their boat is or if they offer a drink (non alcoholic).

 

In PV, not sure, as we took the beach excursion to Paradise Village offered by Princess. They set asise end of the beach for us - you get towels, chairs, and a good buffet with one alcoholic drink.

 

In Mazatlan - there are tours to see the divers, the Golden Zone etc wtih cruise excursions.. We arranged our tour with Mazatlan Frank.. a local operator.. not too much walking or standing... we also had lunch on a beach. We enjoyed touring with him.

[MSN-Travelers]

Traveling with my parents to the Mexican Riviera on the Vision November 26 for their 49th wedding anniversary. Dad can't walk far or stand for very long because of a bad back and knee - can anyone suggest short tours or "must see" spots to maximize our time in these ports? This is a huge deal for them and I want it to be the best, so thought maybe some experienced travelers could help (I have never been there, either!) Thank you all in advance for any help.

 

I hate to say this but Vallarta is not a good tourist environment for people with mobility issues. The streets are rough cobblestone, the sidwalks narrow and uneven and curb heights run from 1 inch to 15 inches or more. Standard site seeing tours will show you the sites but are really geared for mutiple stops for "shopping opportunities".

 

You might be better off looking for and booking a private tour guide for the day. That way you can set the pace. I haven't used a private tour guide and cannot recommend anybody in particular. Here is one independent operator that might meet you needs - http://vallartainfo.com/tony.html .

 

Here is a link to the local Vallarta discussion board. You might get better information on private tours from the people that live there. http://www.vallartascene.com/pvforum/phpBB2/index.php

 

Enjoy!

[DesrtDrmr]

Traveling with my parents to the Mexican Riviera on the Vision November 26 for their 49th wedding anniversary. Dad can't walk far or stand for very long because of a bad back and knee - can anyone suggest short tours or "must see" spots to maximize our time in these ports? This is a huge deal for them and I want it to be the best, so thought maybe some experienced travelers could help (I have never been there, either!) Thank you all in advance for any help.

 

Hi!

Have you considered renting your Dad a folding wheelchair for shore trips and/or a battery operated mobility scooter for while you are on the ship? You can take the folding wheelchair on a tender, and it can be put in the luggage hold of a bus for a tour........IF he can climb up the three or four steep steps into the bus. Then, you would have the chair for wandering around town, shopping, etc.

A scooter is a wonderful help on a ship..............the acres and acres of carpeting are very daunting when you have mobility problems. The scooter would give him independence, too, so he and your Mom could go off on their own if they wished.

These items can be rented from CareVacations.com or Scootaround.com and would be left for you in their cabin, and then when they leave the ship, they can leave them there for pick up. The ship has wheelchairs to help folks embark and disembark, and they will also provide someone to push the chair to the cabin. You can ask your travel agent to call Carnival and make a notation that he needs assistance for that.

We just did bus tours in these ports to get an overview. They were sponsored by the ship or cruiseline, took a couple of hours and were very satisfactory. Probably not what all the young folks would want to do, but easy and comfortable for your folks. We toured early and were back on the ship for lunch, and a relaxing afternoon on board.

Hope you have a wonderful cruise, whatever you decide to do, and Happy Anniversary to your parents!