Mexico Cruise Review
The west coast of Mexico has been one of the fastest growth areas for cruising in recent years. Cruise Passenger looks at the options and destinations.
The boom in cruising the west coast of Mexico shows how dynamic geopolitical forces can be. Before September 11, 2001, cruise companies largely regarded this area as an area for some shoulder season - or relocation - cruises between the Alaskan and Caribbean seasons. Then American travellers became much more wary of flying - especially internationally - and cruises from US ports became much more popular. The ports of California were well located for home port departures and Los Angeles and, to a lesser extent, San Francisco and San Diego saw the rapid development of one-week voyages south of the border. The "Mexican Riviera" was born - largely as a cruise industry construct.
The season is year-round, but the tropical warmth of Mexico has much more attraction during the dismal depths of a US winter and so cruise schedules and frequencies are arranged accordingly. The starting point and the length of the voyage determine the itinerary. Most of them are round trips, so you are saved the hassle of organising how to get back to the departure port again. From Los Angeles, a voyage may start with a detour to the offshore Californian island of Catalina then proceed along the long Baja Peninsula to Cabo San Lucas at the southernmost tip. Adventure excursions may turn right here to go up into the Sea of Cortez looking for whales in season (between November and March). But most ships push straight across to Mazatlan on the main Mexican coast. From there, it's a series of hops to Puerto Vallarta, Ixtapa and, finally Acapulco. On a seven-night voyage you'll probably get three of these ports. Newer, faster ships can reach Acapulco on an eight-night cruise.
This coast was the beat of the 70s television series The Love Boat, but it has had a succession of civilisations from pre-Columbian to the Spanish conquistadors. There is real history beyond the new resort glitz.
Popular Ports
Catalina Island California
Observant visitors flying into Los Angeles from Australia may get their first view of Santa Catalina Island as their aircraft descends into LAX. The island covers about 200 square kilometres about 40 kilometres off the California coast ("26 miles across the sea" as the song says). It has a population of only 4000 residents, the great majority of whom live in the city of Avalon. Catalina's heyday was after the chewing gum tycoon William Wrigley Jr bought it in 1919 and poured millions into it. The most obvious feature from those days is the grand Casino, a beautiful Art Deco dance hall and theatre. Despite the name, it never hosted gambling but most of the film world's high society and many of the era's big bands came to visit and perform.
Cabo San Lucas Baja California
Baja California is a long finger of land that extends about 1200 kilometres south from San Diego, separating the Sea of Cortez (also called the Gulf of California) from the Pacific Ocean. It's a dusty desert landscape with some spectacular coastal scenery. Right at the southern tip is Cabo San Lucas, once a quiet fishing village but now a thriving resort town where it might seem like it is US student spring break year-round. The town itself is augmented by a corridor of resorts and golf courses stretching 17 kilometres northeast along the coast to San Jose del Cabo. The waters around Cabo offer some great snorkelling, particularly between June and November when the water clarity is best.
Mazatlan Mexico
The city of Mazatlan lies just south of the Tropic of Cancer and it's the largest working port on Mexico's west coast, with a huge shrimping fleet. It's also a rapidly developing resort city built on the reputation of its beaches and sport fishing. The town is sheltered by the Sierra Madre Mountains and the hills provide some great panoramas over the city and sea - particularly from El Faro, a lighthouse perched on high with 360-degree views. The centre of old Mazatlan is the Plaza Principal with the Palacio Municipal on one side and the cathedral on another. Mazatlan has a 16-kilometre seaside promenade leading past a string of good beaches to the north.
Puerto Vallarta Mexico
If you haven't been to Puerto Vallarta for a while it's unlikely you'll recognise the city.
It first came to international prominence when The Night of the Iguana starring Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton was filmed here. That triggered a lot of tourism investment and now the city is host to over two million visitors each year. What makes Puerto Vallarta different from other Mexican coastal resorts is the proximity of the jungle, so you really can swim on a tropical beach then take a short walk through the jungle to rinse off under a sparkling waterfall. Despite the surrounding resorts, the city itself has kept its old world charm, with cobblestone streets and sculptures all the way along the walkway around the bay.
Ixtapa Mexico
Though it's a long way behind the Mexican Caribbean resort of Cancun, Ixtapa is the Pacific coast equivalent. In the 1970s the Mexican tourism authority decided it would be a good idea to create a planned resort on the Pacific coast. Until then, Ixtapa had been a coconut plantation on a pretty beach. Nearby Zihuatanejo was a small fishing village. Today, Ixtapa is a ribbon development of resorts fronting the Bahia del Palmar and, less than 10 kilometres away, Zihuatanejo has also grown a lot but retains the atmosphere of a relaxed fishing town on a beautiful bay, albeit one with a lot of tourist activity.
Acapulco Mexico
The most popular of all Mexican resorts, Acapulco has achieved almost legendary status as one of the world's great resorts. For a while, it looked like the glory was faded beyond redemption but in recent years the beaches have been cleaned, the resorts refurbished and it could even be described as sophisticated. There is a real town of over a million people but it is a few minutes inland from the beaches and hotels that line the almost perfect crescent of Acapulco Bay. In fact, Acapulco consists of some 16 kilometres of bays and coves and beautiful golden sands. For many of us, the city is inextricably linked to cliff diving in Elvis' Fun in Acapulco - you can still see the men diving 40 metres into a shallow gorge each day.
Super Shore Excursions
The Mexican Riviera offers a host of geographic and unusual physical activities. From playing with dolphins or visiting a turtle sanctuary to watching the cliff divers of Acapulco, prepare to be amazed by the experiences on offer.
Land's End Boat Trip and Scenic Drive
The most distinctive natural feature near Cabo San Lucas is the rock arch right at the end of the Baja, where the Sea of Cortez meets the Pacific Ocean. This trip takes you there.
Cruise line: Royal Caribbean
Duration: 2.5 hours
Light and Sound Show with Night Drives
Impressive enough by day, watching the cliff divers of Acapulco plunge into the gloom is very exciting indeed. It's combined with a sound and light show projected onto the walls of the fort.
Cruise line: Norwegian Cruise Line
Duration: 2.5 hours
Jungle Canopy Adventure
If you are brave enough, this is the way to venture from Puerto Vallarta to see the Mexican jungle, as you zip over and through it on a flying fox. The safety aspects are taken care of and it certainly gives you an unusual perspective.
Cruise line: Princess Cruises
Duration: 5 hours
Dolphin Trainer for a Day
In Puerto Vallarta you have the opportunity to go to the Dolphin Adventure Center and work as a dolphin trainer. This includes learning the hand signals and working closely with the dolphins in and out of the water.
Cruise line: Crystal Cruises
Duration: 7 hours
Cuyutlan Turtle Experience
In Manzanillo, visit the El Tortugario turtle sanctuary and see the work that is being done to save these very large creatures. The trip includes an iguana and crocodile sanctuary - and a salt museum.
Cruise line: Holland America Line
Duration: 6.5 hours
Estuaries and Bird Watching Expedition
From Mazatlan, the cruise takes you along an estuary lined with mangroves where you may see osprey, brown pelicans, sea hawks and blue herons amongst other species. You also have lunch and time for a swim at a secluded beach.
Cruise line: Royal Caribbean
Duration: 6 hours
Pick of the Ships
Norwegian Star
Perfect for families, the Norwegian Star entered service in 2001 and operates along the Mexican Riviera between October and March. Designating its program as 'Freestyle', the Norwegian Cruise Line aims for an informal atmosphere. The dress code is relaxed, some of the shore excursions are quite adventurous and there is no fixed seating (or sittings) for dinner. It's a large ship of 92,000 tons, with a huge range of accommodation across 1122 cabins over 12 decks. The interior colour scheme is bright, there are lots of restaurants to choose from and, impressively, there are more deckchairs than passengers. Its most popular program is an eight-day cruise that sails from Los Angeles and goes straight to Acapulco before returning with stops at Ixtapa, Puerto Vallarta and Cabo San Lucas.
Ryndam
With its black hull and distinctive shape, the Ryndam and its three sister ships are easy to spot. One nice feature is a teak deck that runs right around the ship for an easy ocean promenade. But probably the most notable feature of the Ryndam's dcor is the impressive array of artworks displayed around the ship. The Ryndam is one of the new generation of Holland America Line vessels, launched in 1994 and tipping the scales at 55,451 tons. It can carry 1258 passengers. Between October and April it sails on regular 10-day voyages that not only visit the usual ports of the Mexican Riviera but also goes up into the Sea of Cortez and makes a few stops there. The itinerary starts in San Diego and takes in Puerto Vallarta, Mazatlan, Topolobampo (for Copper Canyon), Loreto on the Baja, Pichilinque and Cabo San Lucas.
Dawn Princess
The Dawn Princess undertakes many voyages from Los Angeles but for something really romantic, consider taking the 11-day voyage ex-San Francisco and beginning and ending your cruise sailing under the Golden Gate Bridge. The Dawn Princess is a ship of 77,500 tons that was launched in 1997. It's a very bright and airy ship with a lot of teak and glass to let in the sunlight. The interior of the ship has a warm dcor and both small and large public spaces to provide a more intimate feel than carrying some 2000 passengers would suggest. It has 975 cabins and over 400 of these have balconies. The sail plan for the 11-day voyage is two days at sea to and from San Francisco and stops at Mazatlan, Acapulco, Ixtapa, Puerto Vallarta and Cabo San Lucas.
Crystal Symphony
The Crystal Symphony is a beautiful ship, both inside and out, and its luxuriousness is reflected in the cost of the cruises. The 1000-passenger, 51,044-ton ship is certainly one of the more comfortable ways of cruising the Mexican Riviera. This is a beautiful vessel that was launched in Finland in 1995 and was recently voted one of the top two cruise ships in the world. The captain and officers are Norwegian and the crew represent some 40 nations. There's a Caesars Palace at Sea casino plus two pools and a lavish spa. The ship feels like there is a lot of space and it is very well run. Some 276 of the 480 cabins and suites have outside balconies. In December and the first few months of each year, the Crystal Symphony undertakes a few 7-day round trip cruises from Los Angeles to the Mexican Riviera. On March 4, 2007 it will sail to Cabo San Lucas, Puerto Vallarta and Mazatlan.
Carnival Pride
While Carnival Whisper operates out of San Diego, Carnival Pride sails from Carnival's terminal at Long Beach. Throughout the northern hemisphere winter it offers a seven-day return cruise to the Mexican Riviera. Carnival Pride is a large ship of almost 86,000 tons and carrying up to 2,500 passengers. One of the most impressive features of the ship is the enormous lobby that spans eight decks and is decorated with Renaissance art. In fact, art is a theme that runs throughout the ship - even with some challenging larger-than-life nudes. There are just 213 inside cabins and 849 outside ones and the great majority of these have balconies. From Long Beach, the ship takes two full sea days to reach Puerto Vallarta then comes back up through Mazatlan and Cabo San Lucas and then there's one more sea day back to Long Beach.
Vision of the Seas
Royal Caribbean's Vision of the Seas was launched in 1998 in France and has perhaps the nicest dcor of any Royal Caribbean vessel. It's a large ship of 78,491 tons with the capacity to carry almost 2500 passengers. In common with other vessels of the line, the Viking Crown Lounge is a multi-level nightclub. But there are quieter bars and much quieter places on the ship. There's a total of exactly 1000 cabins and 407 of these are interior cabins. In fact, there are 18 different cabin categories and even the most basic are bright and comfortable enough. From September until April, the Vision of the Seas operates a round -trip 7-night Mexican Riviera cruise from Los Angeles. It visits the ports of Cabo San Lucas, Mazatlan, and Puerto Vallarta.
Written by David McGonigal, Issue 27, Autumn 2007