Which Mexican Riviera Itenerary ??

[Texas_firefighter]

I am perusing Mexican Riviera Itenerarys for a future cruise (?) and noticed some differences. First ,is that one goes further south and includes Acapulco and Ixtapa . I'm leaning toward that one. The other route includes PV and Mazatlan. Another difference, at least on Carnival, is that two iteneraries offer the same ports ,but have different port times. One offers Acapulco @ 8am-10pm,the other !2pm-1am.Is there an excursion that would be missed if we don't arrive at 8am? Help please, from those that have sailed this cruise or have researched their upcoming MR cruise.Thanks.

[Fblack]

Check out the Holland America cruises too. they have 7 and 10 days itineraries.

[DougH]

Look at HAL. The 10 day route is very nice, it has the standard Cabo, Mazatlan and Puerto Vallarta but adds Loreto, Pichilinque (La Paz) and Topolobampo (Copper canyon)

[DougH]

Look at HAL. The 10 day route is very nice, it has the standard Cabo, Mazatlan and Puerto Vallarta but adds Loreto, Pichilinque (La Paz) and Topolobampo (Copper canyon)

[mjbearit]

Texas,

We are getting ready to do the Mexican Riviera one that I think you are looking at. It is Acapulco, Zehuatinejo/Ixtapa and Manzanillo (spelling is questionable at best!). In Aca our ship leave at 1:00 AM. We are doing a ship's excursion to dinner and cliff divers that doesn't return to the ship until 12:00 AM! I know very similar excursions are offered earlier in the day as well, so I really think that everything is pretty much the same just with different times. We booked all our excursions through the ship on this trip so I'll be sure and write up a critique when we return and include the tours. Maybe that will give you some more info.

Mike

[crzndeb]

Check out the 9 day Carnival Spirit on Oct 18 of this year. It will be adding PV to it's normal 8 day route.

[Texas_firefighter]

Texas,

We are getting ready to do the Mexican Riviera one that I think you are looking at. It is Acapulco, Zehuatinejo/Ixtapa and Manzanillo (spelling is questionable at best!). In Aca our ship leave at 1:00 AM. We are doing a ship's excursion to dinner and cliff divers that doesn't return to the ship until 12:00 AM! I know very similar excursions are offered earlier in the day as well, so I really think that everything is pretty much the same just with different times. We booked all our excursions through the ship on this trip so I'll be sure and write up a critique when we return and include the tours. Maybe that will give you some more info.

Mike

 

Thanks.I'll look for it. I am interested in the one that goes further south.

 

Yes ,Deb the 9 day is interesting,although there is about a 240.00 pp. price increase for one more port.

Do you know the weather for that time of year?

 

Can someone tell me when is the "off "season for the MR ?Thanks.

[mjbearit]

This is our first cruise, but my wife and I do vacation twice a year and we love to go to the Nat'l Parks and stuff. We never worry too much about "Off Season" we just look at the school calendars! Anytime school is in session you will have less people taking vacations just because of the kids being in school! We try and give quite a bit of leeway, like in the fall we will tend to wander out in Late Sept to early Oct and always find things to be pretty empty. Middle of May we find is another good time, but watch out for the end of May into June! We also try to avoid spring break. It's not a hard and fast rule or anything, but that seems to work really well for us.

[melika091900]

i would go for the 8 day on the spirit or 8 days on NCL star, after this year that ship will not do that anymore

and you get PV, cabo, acapulco, ixtapa

 

it doesnt get any better than that, ixtapa is our favorite port..

 

when are you traveling?

[tha sista]

Just off the carnival spirit 2 weeks ago. I really liked acapulco...could be because of our tour guide rosie diaz found here in the boards, however overall this was my least favorite cruise I have taken when looking at the ports of call. Ixtapa was ok, and Manzanillo is less than that. I do like mexico and its people, but when looking for things to do and see there just wasn't much. I loved the ship and the crew, and any cruise I go on I have a blast, but the itinerary was diappointing overall. I would go back to alcapulco for a land vacation for a week because it is that nice...

 

my two cents or pesos if you please

[lv2cruz]

Just off the carnival spirit 2 weeks ago. I really liked acapulco...could be because of our tour guide rosie diaz found here in the boards, however overall this was my least favorite cruise I have taken when looking at the ports of call. Ixtapa was ok, and Manzanillo is less than that. I do like mexico and its people, but when looking for things to do and see there just wasn't much. I loved the ship and the crew, and any cruise I go on I have a blast, but the itinerary was diappointing overall. I would go back to alcapulco for a land vacation for a week because it is that nice...

 

my two cents or pesos if you please

So with that being said and if you had to do it over again, what would you recommend for shore excursions at each port?Feedback on fellow cruisers as to what they did and liked? Thanks:)

[tha sista]

So with that being said and if you had to do it over again, what would you recommend for shore excursions at each port?Feedback on fellow cruisers as to what they did and liked? Thanks:)

 

Acapulco, I would use Rosie Diaz again in a heart beat.

 

Zihuatanejo/Ixtapa, The resort was nice, drinks and food were cheap and I didn't mind the relaxation. I didn't see from driving around much else around there. I didn't speak to other guests so I can't comment on other excursions. There were a large bunch from Carnival at the resort so there must be an excursion through the ship for that particular resort. I take that back...Las Gatas a beach you can see from the ship but need a water taxi to get to is at this port and I think alot of people did that. I didn't hear anything negative about it either. In fact, if I repeated this itinerary, this is probably what I would do the next time, just for the experience.

 

Manzanillo, Plan on being in a vehicle for a better portion of the day. This is a very industrial port and we had to drive I think close to an hour to get to a really cute city Colimas. In Colimas, there were shops, restaurant that was very good. Again, I didn't hear of any other excursions that people did. The crew don't even get off at this port.

 

I am sorry if I sound very negative. I don't mean to because I really enjoyed my cruise! I would sail on the spirit again in a heartbeat. Any day on a cruise ship is better than a day at work! I am just used to the caribbean where you can hire a driver and drive around making several stops for views, beaches, restaurants, bars, shops...This was just different! I am glad I experienced something other than the caribbean and that was the goal.

[lv2cruz]

Acapulco, I would use Rosie Diaz again in a heart beat.

 

Zihuatanejo/Ixtapa, The resort was nice, drinks and food were cheap and I didn't mind the relaxation. I didn't see from driving around much else around there. I didn't speak to other guests so I can't comment on other excursions. There were a large bunch from Carnival at the resort so there must be an excursion through the ship for that particular resort. I take that back...Las Gatas a beach you can see from the ship but need a water taxi to get to is at this port and I think alot of people did that. I didn't hear anything negative about it either. In fact, if I repeated this itinerary, this is probably what I would do the next time, just for the experience.

 

Manzanillo, Plan on being in a vehicle for a better portion of the day. This is a very industrial port and we had to drive I think close to an hour to get to a really cute city Colimas. In Colimas, there were shops, restaurant that was very good. Again, I didn't hear of any other excursions that people did. The crew don't even get off at this port.

 

I am sorry if I sound very negative. I don't mean to because I really enjoyed my cruise! I would sail on the spirit again in a heartbeat. Any day on a cruise ship is better than a day at work! I am just used to the caribbean where you can hire a driver and drive around making several stops for views, beaches, restaurants, bars, shops...This was just different! I am glad I experienced something other than the caribbean and that was the goal.

 

Thanks so much! One more question!! I have read pros and cons about the Rosie tour, what exactly do you do all day, what makes her stand out as opposed to another tour guide etc, again i really appreciate your feedback!

[Texas_firefighter]

i would go for the 8 day on the spirit or 8 days on NCL star, after this year that ship will not do that anymore

and you get PV, cabo, acapulco, ixtapa

 

it doesnt get any better than that, ixtapa is our favorite port..

 

when are you traveling?

 

We are not sure yet, I am taking all this in though.Thanks Girldoc, interesting . I can see that I need to do alot of research before deciding on this one.

[gulfwench]

Just returned from Carnival Spirit's Mexican Riviera cruise. It was great. The ship is one of the best and the food is really good. In Acapulco we used Maria (Pink Lady), Rosie is another pink lady. Would recommend Maria Very highly. She took us on a 4 (which turned into 5 hr.) tour of the highlights of the city and surrounding area. It was more than adequate. $25.00. There were 6 of us in an air conditioned Ford van. She came back and took us to the Cliff divers in the evening and to several other spots afterwards for great night views of the city - $10.00. I know I can't post her e-mail on this website but if anyone would like it, e-mail me at dbalcorn@verizon.net and I'll send it to you.

 

Zihu (short because I can't spel it!) was wonderful. We just shopped in the market, had lots of drinks (Rick's had a great guy playing guitar) and another place right on the water for margaritas (big ones) and food. Very good. Didn't bother to go to Ixtapa b/c it's too touristy for us.

 

Manzanillo I recommend the Colonial Tour with Carnival -- kind of pricey but you get to see a lot of the country, stop at 2 very neat towns (one for lunch was was fantastic) and get to see the volcanos and small pyramids. We enjoyed it even though it was 7 hours. 1 1/2 hrs. each way on an air conditioned bus -- very good roads.

 

I'm ready to pack up and do it again except for the jet lag this week!:eek:

[tigervixxxen]

Texas, I have done the 7 day one on the Pride and I am very close to booking the 8 day one on the Spirit. My advice to you is to book the Spirit because its an 8 day cruise and right now the price for it is outstanding, usually the 8 day cruises are a bit more, they are usually not offered as frequently as well. I also like that cruise because the ports of call are less common. A lot of other cruise lines do the PV, Mazatlan, Cabo one. I also like the idea of going further south and experiencing more of the tropical atmosphere. I too noticed the slight time differences on those cruises and I do not know why they do it that way. I'm leaning more toward the 12pm-1am cruise since its has longer times in port across the board and is slightly cheaper than the other one. But, the shore excursions are generally arranged for the ship thats in port so I'm sure it won't make much of a difference on whats offered. Another thing I looked at in the 8 day cruise is the days of the week it falls on. I need a Fri-Sat one or a Sun-Mon one to make my hubby's work schedule be ok. I can't do like a Tue-Wed one, that would cause my hubby to miss 2 weeks of work instead of one plus a day. So keep that in mind when you compare dates on the 8 day cruise.

[Texas_firefighter]

Texas, I have done the 7 day one on the Pride and I am very close to booking the 8 day one on the Spirit. My advice to you is to book the Spirit because its an 8 day cruise and right now the price for it is outstanding, usually the 8 day cruises are a bit more, they are usually not offered as frequently as well. I also like that cruise because the ports of call are less common. A lot of other cruise lines do the PV, Mazatlan, Cabo one. I also like the idea of going further south and experiencing more of the tropical atmosphere. I too noticed the slight time differences on those cruises and I do not know why they do it that way. I'm leaning more toward the 12pm-1am cruise since its has longer times in port across the board and is slightly cheaper than the other one. But, the shore excursions are generally arranged for the ship thats in port so I'm sure it won't make much of a difference on whats offered. Another thing I looked at in the 8 day cruise is the days of the week it falls on. I need a Fri-Sat one or a Sun-Mon one to make my hubby's work schedule be ok. I can't do like a Tue-Wed one, that would cause my hubby to miss 2 weeks of work instead of one plus a day. So keep that in mind when you compare dates on the 8 day cruise.

 

 

Thanks,I really didn't notice the departure days. I too,like the overall schedule of the 12pm-1am Accapulco itenerary. I like the fact that the day starts at 9am instead of 7am .We wouldn't feel so rushed to start the day. I sure can't complain about an extra day either ,on the 8 day itenerary .

[retiring soon]

Does Celebrity Mercury still do a 11 day from San Diego? I went on it 2 years ago & it went to Cabo, Mazatlan, PV, Acapulco ( 7 am -11 pm), Zihua/Ixtapa, Manzanillo then back to San Diego. It was great!

~Jo~ :)

[Chipster2]

We used Rosie last fall in ACA and I can't say enough good things about her. First she will design your tour around what you want to see and do.

Secondly, she is very knowledgeable and really seems to enjoy showing off her home (ACA). Very easy to contact and responds quickly. I would not hesitate to recommend her.

[KIDSMOM95]

Hi! We just came back from the NCL Star 8 day cruise with stops in Acapulco, Zihuantenejo, Puerto Vallarta and Cabo San Lucas. It was our second cruise and the first time we've been to Mexico.

 

Our favorite port was Acapulco and that was mostly due to our tour guide Ines, who is a "pink lady" like the famous Rosie. I can recommend Ines highly, she gave us a wonderful "insider's" tour that last as long as we wanted it to, and because of that we felt Acapulco was the only port we really got to see properly. There is is no comparison with the shore excursion we booked thru the cruise line in P.V., which was a mess. It ran long, all they wanted to do was drink Tequila, and we had to leave the tour before we even got to the Malecon and the nice places. All we did from 9:00 to 2:00 was drive out past some really ugly scenery (a federal prison was the highlight) to the Tequila Factory where I admit we did have a nice tour and lunch, but enough with the Tequila already! Anyhow, the tour guide arranged for a cab to take us back to the port, and told us the ride would $5 for the four of us as it was a few minutes away. When we got there the cabbie demanded $20 and said he didn't care what the guide told us. WHat a nightmare, it really soured me on PV! However I would highly recommend you get a massage at the Krystal Resort, it was the best one I ever had, 45 minutes for $30! Cuca was the girl I had but they are all good and you can use the pool or beach afterwards, the place is gorgeous.

 

I don't have much to recommend in Ziha or Cabo, although the former seemed kind of run down to me, the latter was our second favorite port. I am sure there is a lot more to Ziha than I saw, because I stayed near the dock. My husband and kids took the shore excursion to go zip-lining and they loved it. You hear a lot about zip-lining in PV but the one they did in Ziha was good and safe.

 

In Cabo we had lunch at the Marina Cafe, because I felt sorry for the poor guy who kept asking people to look at his menu. The place looked clean and all, I couldn't figure out why he had no customers. When we told him we wanted REAL mexican food, he went somewhere (the restaurant nextdoor maybe?) and came back with the most wonderful plate of authentic mexican food! Margarita's were 2 for $5, the whole bill with tip came to $30 so I recommend them too! We also took a water taxi out to the Arches, it was $40 for 7 of us so that was deal! The water was kind of rough but we got up close to a sea lion colony and he would have dropped us off at Lover's beach and come back for us but we were running out of time. That would be my biggest complaint about this cruise, we never seemed to have much time in port. 12 hours in Acapulco was the most, the rest was 7 or 8 hours.

 

I cannot give NCL a glowing recommendation, but i'd say it's 3 out of 5. Our only other experience was with Disney and I'd rate them a 4.5 out of 5. NCL is a budget cruise line and that's why we went with them. It annoys me when people complain...what do you want, Neiman Marcus at Walmart prices? You get what you pay for. It was good enough, and If they were the right price and had the itinerary I wanted, I'd go with them again. Just be prepared to have booze and bingo pushed on you every minute of the day.

 

But definetly get a Pink Lady tour in Acapulco, and if you can, get Ines she was wonderful...even brought a small gift for each of us, how nice is that?