Mexican Riviera Cruise???

[crusin'minnie]

We are planning a DCL vacation for 2008!!! This will be our 2nd cruise for our family and 1st for our BF family. We last cruised DCL in 2001 -4night on the Wonder. We promised ourselves that we would do the 7 night next time.

We have 3 kids and BFs have 3 kids. We really need to book over the summer. I was dismayed to find that there are no 7 night trips out of Canaveral during the summer, but now we are getting excited about the possibility of California. DH and I have been to DL, but the rest have not so that would be a treat.

I'm looking for feedback on the Riviera cruise. How are the ports? excursions? weather? Do you miss Castaway Cay? What are the differences bt. this cruise and the Carribean?


Thanks

 

[Anal Annie]

We did the West Coast cruise the last time - but we have not done the Caribbean (yet)! We truely had a great time, but we were disappointed in the weather. This type of question has been posted a couple of times already - you will find a mixed response. I think everybody enjoyed their trips - but some of us had cooler weather than what we expected.

We wanted to do another 7 n cruise next summer & were disappointed when they announced that they were taking the Magic back to the West Coast. The ports are OK but we would pick a diff. time of year to do that trip again. So we ended up booking a 4 n & a 3 n back-to-back on the Wonder in the same stateroom for next summer. We'll actually get 2 stops at Nassau and 3 stops to Castaway Cay - we keep hearing how great C.C. is so we're looking forward to seeing it!

 

[disneycruise_obessed]

i did the '05 mexican riveira cruise, and i did like it. I apparently was on the warmer cruise, beause it was really hot. my favorite port was cabo san lucas by far, unfortunatly i couldnt go in the water much because i had tripped over my suitcase the night before and injured my foot. puerto vallarta and mazatlan were also very beautiful. i enjoyed shopping for souvenirs in mazatlan better that puerto vallaarta, because the shopkeepers had a little more dignity, so they wouldnt be overly pushy to get you to buy something. puerto vallarta also had a very nice beach. we took a scenic tour there instead, which was very fun. i didnt really get a chance to do any of the shore excursions which was a bummer, but they all seemed very fun. have a great time on your cruise by the way

 

[pppiglet]

I loved the whole thing. It was my first cruise though so I had nothing to compare it with. Now in May will be my first time to Castaway Cay, so maybe after the cruise I can compare for you!

 

[JennyW]

I haven't been on any cruise yet, but we're booked on the May 25th Mexican Riviera Cruise on DCL. I think it would really depend on what you like in a destination. Personally, I hate hot weather and my idea of a beach trip is cool weather and searching for shells. I hate swimming in the ocean. So the thought of hanging out on a beach all day in the hot sun is boring and miserable to me. Thus, I'm looking forward to our Mexican cruise!

 

[CustardTart]

We're cruising the Mexican Riviera 08/10/08 and really looking forward to that different West Coast perspective! It'll be the first time our DS13 has cruised and he's v excited about the canopy zip-wire excursion in Puerto Vallarta plus it gives us a chance to add-on those fab West Coast cities as post-cruise destinations! Can't wait...

 

[Ct_TiggerFan]

Hi,

We will be on the Aug 3rd 08 Cruise.
We did the Aug 06 double dip, so this will be new to us too,
The fact its a Disney cruise makes it fun no matter where its cruising


Come aboard you will have a great time.

 

[llachance]

My husband, myself, my mom and step-dad will be traveling again. We went on the Mexican trip when the Magic was here before and I have since gone on Carnival's Pride on the same trip.

I found that it was actually a little warmer in November (Pride trip) then in July 05 when we traveled. The water was much warmer in Puerto Vallerta. That said no matter what time of year you sail coming north to California will be cooler then the caribbean. The pacific is colder year round! We wore sweaters for the last sea day but it was certainly manageable.

In Puerto Vallarta my daughter and I went on the Zip Line tour and had a blast. Carnival had a jeep trip that ended at the beach and it was wonderful. We also did an ATV trip with Carnival.

In Mazatlan my daughter and I did a beach trip. It was fun for my daughter. When we were in Mazatlan with the Pride we just took a taxi into town. Didn't do beach time and I suspect we won't even get off the ship next year.

In Cabo, with Disney we walked down town and hung out at the beach. I thought the water was too cold to swim in but couldn't get my daughter out. With Carnival we went snorkeling (November and I got in the water) and did some whale watching (they were just starting to come in for the winter at this point). It was lots of fun.

We are looking forward to our next Disney adventure. There is something to be said for Castaway Cay but I did not miss stopping there. Since my husband and step-father haven't been there at all they still don't know what they are missing and for now we will keep it that way. What I like about the Mexican Riviera trip the most is the fact that I can drive down to the port and get on the ship. When flying to Florida from California you have to plan a day and a half to get there and it certainly cuts into vacation time.!

 

[CustardTart]

My husband, myself, my mom and step-dad will be traveling again...

Hi there! It would be great if you could come and join our cruise meet thread...
http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1352404

 

[only1mouse]

We went in Aug of 05 and loved it. It was our first Cruise. The weather was warm, and often too hot when at port (we're from the NW where we rarely have days over 90). We didn't get off the ship in Mazatlan, however really enjoyed ourselves at PV and CSL. We did not do any excursions, but on our next cruise we are planning to do at least one. We had never been to any of the ports and just exploring was enough for us.

 

[birkner]

I sailed with my 10 year old GD on the 6/11/05 cruise which was a 7 day cruise. I had booked it on 6/8/05 after me TA found a cancellation for me.

GD and I were in a Category 6 cabin which set me back $5,256.16 (without airfare as I had two free airline tickets on Southwest).

Since I have been to Disneyland more times than I can count since 1955 and she goes at least twice a year we skipped Disneyland. We flew into Lax on Saturday morning and took a limo to the boat.

Weather the first two days was much cooler than from Port Canaveral but we were so busy with activities that we were not bothered. Weather in port was very pleasant warm but not too humid.

In Puerto Vallerta my GD and I swam with the Dolphins at the Dolphin Adventure.

http://www.dolphin-adventure.com/

In Mazatlán, we rode horses, had lunch and swam at the Hacienda de las Moras which is 30 minutes northeast of Mazatlán, a deserted agave ranchhouse and tequila distillery has been transformed into a tasteful, tranquil guest ranch. The 3,000-acre ranch is a refuge for both humans and animals, from miniature horses to exotic pure-white peacocks. A small white chapel sits atop a slight ridge overlooking the property, with the Sierra Madres rising in the background. The original stables, hacienda, and tequila-factory buildings have been completely renovated with attention to detail, and several new casitas are filled with classic Mexican touches.

http://www.lasmoras.com/english.htm

In Cabo San Lucas. we had beach day and lunch buffet at the Hotel Finisterra which is a short distance from the famous El Arco rock formation and walking distance from downtown Cabo.

http://www.finisterra.com/htdocs/index.html

Itinerary was as follows:
Sat 06/11/2005 Los Angeles, California 05:00 PM
Sun 06/12/2005 At Sea
Mon 06/13/2005 At Sea
Tue 06/14/2005 Puerto Vallarta, Mexico 07:00 AM 05:30 PM
Wed 06/15/2005 Mazatlán, Mexico 07:00 AM 08:00 PM
Thu 06/16/2005 Cabo San Lucas, Mexico 06:00 AM 04:00 PM
Fri 06/17/2005 At Sea
Sat 06/18/2005 Los Angeles, California 08:30 AM

Hope this answers your questions.

 

[crusin'minnie]

Thank you all for the input!!

We thought about a back to back 3/4 night Wonder in the Carribean, but it was a good deal more expensive, so we have decided to go with the Mexican Rivera cruise on May 25th.

I suppose we will roll the dice with the weather, but I am excited about the different ports! My husband says he is going to feel like he is on the Love Boat because these are the same ports they went to.

I am truly happy to be back on the cruise board!!! I have not been able to bring myself to look at it much since our last cruise in 2001. Yippee!!!

We make our deposit tomorrow. Ouch.