Mexico Cruise

Archived Q&A and reviews ▼

Archived Q&A and Reviews

Questions

Disney or Carnival Cruise to Mexico

July 2011

We have three small girls and we would like to take a cruise to Mexico with them. Have you been on Disney or Carnival cruise lines and would you recommend them and why? The reviews I read about Disney were not very good but then I imagine the people who had a great time don't write reviews. Claudia

We went on a Disney cruise in the Caribbean with our two small kids and loved it. If you want to read reviews of Disney cruises from people who (in most cases) liked them, go here: http://land.allears.net/reviewpost/showcat.php?cat=73 Here is good info about Disney cruises: http://allears.net/cruise/cruise.htm http://www.castawayclub.com/ -Disney Lover

We took the Carnival cruise to Mexico (ship- Splendor) for spring break with our kids (6 & 2). We would not go again. My kids both didn't like the daycare. 6 year-old super-social girl who jumps into everything didn't want to go back after the first day. They played a game called 'mummy' where they wrap you up in TP. They said the youngest had to be the mummy, and when she said she didnt want to, she was told by the adult that then she could sit out. 2 year old seemed to have a love-hate relationship with it. Loved the trains & toys, but hated the rest. They don't allow parents to even walk in the play area to get kids used to it. He cried because they were making fruit loop necklaces and he was not allowed to eat the fruit loops. We didn't plan on using the daycare a lot, but a few hours alone would have been nice! The other BIG downside is that there is no kiddie pool. All the pools are 4 feet deep. There is a 'splash zone' play ground with water squirting everywhere, but it is on the top deck where it was too cold and windy most of the days at sea. Staff was friendly and the food/ restaurants were ok, but not stellar. All in all, we realized we had much more fun OFF the ship, and next time would rather just do an all-inclusive in Mexico at the beach! The not so fun ship

What to do at cruise ports in Mexico

June 2009

We're going on a Mexican Riviera cruise in August and will be stopping at Puerto Vallarta, Mazatlan, and Cabo San Lucas. I've been looking at the shore excursions and was wondering which ones might be fun for a 9 year old. I'd love just hanging out at the beach, but we've never been to any of these places so would love to do something adventerous. My son is excited about possibly swimming with dolphins. Has anyone done that in Mexico? Any other suggestions would be greatly appreciated. fun on cruise

Hi, We went on the same cruise several years ago. my son was 5 yrs old & my daughter was 10 yrs old. In Puerto Vallarta we went on a scenic tour of the old country town. It was great to share with the kids the way other people have to live in their countries without electricity, running water, roofs over head and dirt floors in their homes. It was a two hour tour on an air conditioned bus. Then we got in a taxi (I wouldn't recommend that, they drive very fast) and went to eat at an authentic Mexican restaurant down town, did some shopping with the local vendors. We found the best deals in Puerto Vallarta on souvenirs. Things get a little more expensive and not as much of a selection in Mazatlan and Cabo San Lucas. In Mazatlan we went on the beach party shore excursion. That was a blast. The beach party was held at a ***** resort with a swimming pool and buffet on the beach. The kids got to run up and down the beach with the clear blue ocean water and play in the white sand. My husband and I sat under an umbrella on the beach watching the children play. All the while different vendors tried to sell us home made jewelry. Now Cabo was tricky. You have to go a shore in a tender, so you spend a lot of time waiting in line. And there isn't anything at the tender dock. You have to either walk into town or take a bicycle taxi about 2 miles. Its also the port you're in for the shortest amount of time early in the morning. 7:00am -12:00pm I would recommend doing a snorkeling shore excursion in Cabo. The water is perfectly clear and warm. Nothing is really open in town other than the bars in the morning. The only place we found open in Cabo was burger king until about 10:00am. There really isn't any beach access in cabo either. Sharon

Mexican Riviera Cruise with 5-yr-old

February 2005

In May we will be guests on a cruise going to Mazatlan, Puerto Vallarta, Manzanillo and Cabo San Lucas. Can anyone recommend any good family activities for 2 parents and a 5-year-old in these ports - either through the cruise ship's shore excursions (Celebrity) if you're familiar with them, specifically, or just on our own while we're in town. Thanks! Valerie

I have a Mexican friend, Luis Jorge, who has an excursion business in and around Manzanillo. www.excursioneslujo.com I've done several of his trips as I have a condo down there. I'm also on the Manzanillo/San Pablo Sister Cities board and have gone with Excursiones Lujo on a trip to a turtle sanctuary that is part of our project. Sydney

Lucky you! They all have great swimming. I was just in Cabo with my 6 and 11 year old and there is a small beach about 10 miles east of town - Santa Maria - that has great snorkeling and easy swimming. If your 5 year old is nervous about snorkeling he/she can just put on goggles, stand in the water and look down and there are lots of colorful fish. You can also get a double sea kayak from there and take off - our 6 year old loved both activities.

In PV you can also get a sea kayak and get out to the rocks off the Banderas Bay and snorkel. A fun beach area and place to rent kayaks from is south of town, at Mismaloya (big family resort there - La Jolla de Mismaloya - that is very kid friendly). You can walk south of La Jolla de Mismaloya to one of the palapas on the beach and eat delicious fresh fish and have a (beer? Margarits? Pepsi lite?) and sit for as long as you like while your child plays in the sand. Also, you can take a trip into the ''jungle'' a few miles east from Mismaloya to this wonderful swim hole in the rocks where you can slide down the rocks into the water and/or use ropes (branches?) to jump in. They serve a good fish lunch as well. Two hours there is plenty. You could combine this with time on Mismaloya beach - unless you want to see the town, which is very nice.

PV's center of town is very lively, with lots of shops, music and a historic area. If you like to shop, there is good shopping with some stores that have good quality Mexican folk art. Just walking along the Malecon and looking at the sculptures and people is alot of fun.

Mazatlan has an active beach scene. When my son was 4 we rented a boogie board on the beach and he spent hours playing in the surf. You could also get horses and go along the beach (also available at more secluded beach areas around Mazatlan.) My daughter, since she has been 5, always gets her hair braided on the beach. She looks forward to this whenever we are in Mexico.

If you have more quesitons, feel free to email or call. Amy