Which cruise line to Mexican Riviera?

[dirienzo]

We will be going out of LA to the mexican riviera next April. We are deciding between the Diamond Princess and Royal Carribean Vision of the Seas. Our group will consist of a 17, 18, 25, and two 50 year olds. Any opinions on which is the better ship? Both do the same itinerary. Thanks

[paljoeysmom]

I was on the Vision 8 months ago doing the Mexican Riviera. It is a beautiful ship and had the VERY BEST food out of my 16 cruises. It was dry docked & freshened up at the end of last year before we sailed. I believe the Vision to be an EXCELLENT value for your hard earned $$$$. I have not been on the Diamond Princess. I am sailing on her sister the Sapphire Princess on 10/2. The Princess is a newer more modern ship so you are going to pay more money for her. If you are cash strapped or want to spend more money in the ports go with the Vision. I personally loved her.

[ca2ga2000]

I can't comment on which is better - but my family is going on the Diamond to the Mexican Riviera on 4/9/05!

 

We are:

 

Dad (55)

Mom (52)

My Hubby (38)

Me (30)

My Brother (27)

My Sister (23)

 

Whichever you choose, I'm sure it's going to be a blast!

[paradise4ever]

We Did The Star Princess 2 Yrs Ago And Are Now Booked On The Diamond Princess. We Also Sailed On The Fairsea With Sitmar Who Was Bought Out By Princess. The Best Service, Food, Etc. We Just Love It. Give It A Try. I Ve Heard Some Of The Other Lines Don T Compare To Princess

[SueSea]

We had the same decision to make when selecting our Mexican Riviera cruiseline. We have found that we enjoyed our cruises on newer, larger ships more than on older ships. I know that VOS is not THAT old or THAT small, but it is pre-Radiance and pre-Voyager. IMHO, newer classes include many improvements over previous classes. I made the mistake of trying Celebrity for the first time on Zenith--it was the wrong ship for me. I ended up disappointed in the trip, but many of the disappointments were due to the ship. I was also less than thrilled with my NCL Wind cruise, due in large part to the ship. I vowed then to always sail a newer ship when trying a new cruiseline.

 

Another factor was that I have read many, many reviews from those who found the food on RCI average at best. I talked with my TA who said she has been hearing the same thing from her clients who have sailed RCI. My last two cruises were on NCL, and we thought the food on both those cruises was just average, so we were ready for a cruise with better food. My TA, who knows me pretty well, recommended Princess for us. And Personal Choice dining was the icing on the cake. We do enjoy traditional dining, but the flexibility of PC is more desireable. For those reasons, we found it easy to justify paying the higher fare for Princess. We got great bargains on Zenith & Wind, and we ended up less satisfied. If a ship is deeply discounted, there is a reason for it.

[CaribbeanCruisesRock]

Royal Caribbean? ;)

[merela]

for either Diamond or Royal Caribbean. I wouldn't say there is a big difference between the ships unless you are booking higher category cabins.

 

Depending on how many rooms you are booking or if you are booking 3rd and 4th passengers in one cabin, Diamond may have special prices for 3rd and 4th passengers in the same cabin.

 

HTH.

 

 

Jennifer

[dirienzo]

Another consideration is that the Diamond is only in Cabo until 2, and Puerto Vallerta until 5 or 6, wheras the Vision is in Cabo until 6, and Puerto Vallerta until 10 pm. Also, Diamond gets back to LA at 6 am-does that mean that you have to start disembarking at that time?