We've become accustomed to cruise lines clearing out of Southern California for the summer. If you want to cruise roundtrip to Hawaii from L.A. or San Diego, you have to wait until the fall, and this year we are left with our two stalwarts from Long Beach for Mexican cruises.
Carnival Paradise continues to alternate Friday through Monday cruises to Ensenada with Monday through Friday cruises to Ensenada and Catalina. In the summer months, demand swells to almost double winter pricing on these popular escapes, but I just saw a Pack-n-Go special for 7/22 departure that starts at just $279 per person, plus about $40 tax. If you've never done one of these weekenders, you should really try it. You'll be amazed how much vacation you get in three nights away from home.
What can you do in Ensenada besides go to Papas & Beer? A special treat is Wine Country Tour. You'll be surprised to find these terrific wineries in the rolling hills outside Ensenada have great wine and lovely grounds. The bullring draped in bougainvillia makes a great backdrop for photos.
If you're not a wine afficionado, there are many other options from horseback riding to 4 wheeling in Jeeps to visiting the remarkable coast by La Bufadora.
Carnival Splendor continues its 7-night Mexican Riviera cruise, and the substitution of two days in Cabo plus one in Puerto Vallarta remains the order of the day. A few criminal incidents in Mazatlan have pushed cruise lines away.
In fact, when Disney and Princess return in the fall, they will not call on Mazatlan either. In addition, Princess has decided to replace Puerto Vallarta with Ensenada. Princess will also use that same ship for wine country cruises and Hawaii cruises, so she won't have too many Mexican Riviera cruises anyway.
Other lines like Norwegian and Royal Caribbean have ditched the Mexican Riviera altogether, so this year we will have fewer ships than in many years. Carnival will bring back Spirit, which will be alternating five night trips to Cabo (2 days there) with 9 night cruises to the Mexican Riviera from Los Angeles instead of San Diego to fill part of the gap.
San Diego is the odd-man out, with only Holland America making it their home port for the school months. Oosterdam still is scheduled to do the traditional ports of Cabo, Puerto Vallarta and Mazatlan, but keep in mind that they are owned by the same company that owns Carnival and Princess.
A real delight is the 11-night itinerary on Zaandam, which if it goes as scheduled will visit Puerto Vallarta, Manzanillo, Acapulco, Huatulco, Zihuatenejo and Cabo San Lucas. With the way cruise lines have been running from Mexico, you better visit these ports while a ship still goes.
By the way, regardless of the length of cruise you select, be sure to enjoy Southern California before and after your cruise. Trump National Golf Course in Rancho Palos Verdes, for example, is a world class spot to stretch your vacation.
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