There's no denying that the Mexican Riviera is better by cruise ship.
Miracle?
Why yes, Carnival Miracle will cruise to the Mexican Riviera weekly all summer.
If you want a fun vacation, catch a Miracle cruise from Long Beach year round. Fantastic entertainment is the hallmark of Carnival, but you may be surprised to discover the food is also great. The comfortable staterooms on Carnival are a bit larger than the industry standard, and going to a balcony or suite enhances the experience, often without busting your budget.
However, what if you want something truly MARVELOUS?
If you've never taken a small, upscale ship because you insist on cruising close to home in California you'll have the perfect opportunity in 2016-7.
The 14-night Christmas/New Years cruise on Oceania Sirena would be hard to top. It's a rare opportunity to visit Acapulco and Manzanillo along with traditional favorites of the region. Pre-Christmas and Post-New Year's 10-nighters give you the opportunity to experience Oceania for less than holiday peak pricing.
The cat's meow for upscale Californians would be Oceania Sirena's 31-night voyage down the Mexican Riviera, through the Panama Canal, trans-Atlantic to the best of the other Riviera, ending in Rome, Italy, where you arrive sans jetlag.
Come February, Azamara Quest will sashay into San Diego on a unique 14-night cruise starting in Costa Rica, delving into Central America before continuing through the Mexican Riviera.
You'll have another opportunity for Quest, roundtrip from San Diego on a terrific 12-night voyage that further stretches your perception of the Mexican Riviera with ports in Topolobampo, La Paz, Guaymas and Loreto book-ended by more familiar ports Mazatlan and Cabo San Lucas.
These Azamara and Oceania ships have undergone extensive refurbishments to make great ships even more marvelous, but in case the Billy Crystal's "You Look Marvelous" video gave you the wrong impression, country club casual is the dress code and atmosphere on both Oceania and Azamara.
If you want that more traditional dressy feel, 6-star Crystal Serenity will make a 14-night Mexican Riviera cruise on May 10 among a few other great offerings from Los Angeles, and she'll also include some of the special ports featured on Azamara Quest.
Obviously, these smaller upscale ships demand higher prices than mainstream ships, but if you can afford them, they're well worth it.
On the other hand, if you just want a full cruise to sunny ports, you can find a wonderful time on any Mexican Riviera cruise. As I write this, Norwegian Jewel is promoting some bargains for last minute deals, and they'll be back in the fall after summering in Alaska.
By the way, if you want an upscale experience on a mainstream cruise, going with a suite gives you essentially a ship within a ship experience, where you can visit the big city for entertainment and return to your private enclave for R&R. Norwegian's forte is the Suite life.
Princess pioneered Mexican Riviera Cruises and in December, 2015, celebrated its 50-year Anniversary cruising the region. Come fall, Ruby, Crown and Star Princess will return to Los Angeles for another season devoted to Southern California travelers, while Grand Princess cruises from San Francisco.
There are a few special departures on Princess, like Star's 10-night sojourn on November 10 that adds La Paz, Loreto and San Diego to more traditional Mexican Riviera ports of Cabo, Puerto Vallarta and Mazatlan.
Princess seems to be abandoning for the most part short cruises to Ensenada (although there will be a half dozen or so), surrendering that niche to Carnival Inspiration and Imagination, which have proven to be champions at these low cost intro cruises.
While 3 and 4 night cruises give you the chance to squeeze a week's worth of fun into a short cruise, keep in mind that these are seldom the best ships in the fleet, and even better ships have to contend with the wear and tear of a full ship full of passengers with non-stop energy.
If you'd like a less crowded, more upscale feel on a large cruise ship that's less budget-busting than small premium ships, consider Holland America Westerdam, a beautiful ship that cruises the Mexican Riviera from San Diego from fall to spring.
So, are you ready for life on the Riviera?
Converting from tofu, that is.
(If that makes absolutely no sense to you, then please disregard the terrible pun.)
If you want a fun vacation, catch a Miracle cruise from Long Beach year round. Fantastic entertainment is the hallmark of Carnival, but you may be surprised to discover the food is also great. The comfortable staterooms on Carnival are a bit larger than the industry standard, and going to a balcony or suite enhances the experience, often without busting your budget.
However, what if you want something truly MARVELOUS?
If you've never taken a small, upscale ship because you insist on cruising close to home in California you'll have the perfect opportunity in 2016-7.
The 14-night Christmas/New Years cruise on Oceania Sirena would be hard to top. It's a rare opportunity to visit Acapulco and Manzanillo along with traditional favorites of the region. Pre-Christmas and Post-New Year's 10-nighters give you the opportunity to experience Oceania for less than holiday peak pricing.
The cat's meow for upscale Californians would be Oceania Sirena's 31-night voyage down the Mexican Riviera, through the Panama Canal, trans-Atlantic to the best of the other Riviera, ending in Rome, Italy, where you arrive sans jetlag.
Come February, Azamara Quest will sashay into San Diego on a unique 14-night cruise starting in Costa Rica, delving into Central America before continuing through the Mexican Riviera.
These Azamara and Oceania ships have undergone extensive refurbishments to make great ships even more marvelous, but in case the Billy Crystal's "You Look Marvelous" video gave you the wrong impression, country club casual is the dress code and atmosphere on both Oceania and Azamara.If you want that more traditional dressy feel, 6-star Crystal Serenity will make a 14-night Mexican Riviera cruise on May 10 among a few other great offerings from Los Angeles, and she'll also include some of the special ports featured on Azamara Quest.
Obviously, these smaller upscale ships demand higher prices than mainstream ships, but if you can afford them, they're well worth it.
On the other hand, if you just want a full cruise to sunny ports, you can find a wonderful time on any Mexican Riviera cruise. As I write this, Norwegian Jewel is promoting some bargains for last minute deals, and they'll be back in the fall after summering in Alaska.
By the way, if you want an upscale experience on a mainstream cruise, going with a suite gives you essentially a ship within a ship experience, where you can visit the big city for entertainment and return to your private enclave for R&R. Norwegian's forte is the Suite life.
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| My Dad on a Mexican Riviera cruise he took a few decades ago. |
There are a few special departures on Princess, like Star's 10-night sojourn on November 10 that adds La Paz, Loreto and San Diego to more traditional Mexican Riviera ports of Cabo, Puerto Vallarta and Mazatlan.
Princess seems to be abandoning for the most part short cruises to Ensenada (although there will be a half dozen or so), surrendering that niche to Carnival Inspiration and Imagination, which have proven to be champions at these low cost intro cruises.
While 3 and 4 night cruises give you the chance to squeeze a week's worth of fun into a short cruise, keep in mind that these are seldom the best ships in the fleet, and even better ships have to contend with the wear and tear of a full ship full of passengers with non-stop energy.
If you'd like a less crowded, more upscale feel on a large cruise ship that's less budget-busting than small premium ships, consider Holland America Westerdam, a beautiful ship that cruises the Mexican Riviera from San Diego from fall to spring.
So, are you ready for life on the Riviera?
Converting from tofu, that is.
(If that makes absolutely no sense to you, then please disregard the terrible pun.)
1 comment:
A cruise is all about taking a relaxed vacation and doing things at your own pace.
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