goober87

Been a few years since I've been on Splendor--we've been on the Miracle on recent Mexican Riviera cruises. I know Splendor doesn't have an Alchemy bar, but does she have anything close? Maybe the El Mojito Wine Bar? (from the use of Mojito in the title, i am hoping the bar serves more than wine.). I'll miss the cocktails at Alchemy (and the Red Frog pub)..

"Have you ever not liked your table mates?"

Yes. I sail with my in-laws.

I wouldn't hesitate to book the Splendor. As one poster said/implied, it's the Mexican Riviera, any ship is a good one.

We are back on the Splendor for a mid-Feb cruise. Been on the Miracle for same cruise the last few years (the in-laws drag me kicking and screaming. :cool:). So my comments are somewhat based on that ship..

LOVE

- The Tandoor station on Lido. Might be the best "Lido" lunch food on any ship I have ever been on.

- The rotisserie area...now it's apparently a BBQ station, but it's above the regular Lido. Love it not so much for the food but for the seating. Being upstairs takes you out of the chaos.

- Pool side movies.

- Deck 5 Walkway goes alongside the casino, not right thought it (I am neither a gambler, nor smoker).

Will miss (from miracle):

- Aft Serenity Area. Splendor's are along the forward sides. So it seems windier and no dedicated pool. And you have to be strategic and think about which side the sun is on. It is quieter than the Miracle's. Sometimes the Serenity on Splendor was more like Spring Break in Daytona.

- Mixology bar. Yum.

Someone mentioned the odd layout. The one thing I could not get over on the Splendor was deck three. Since the galley is between the Black and Gold Pearl dining rooms, you couldn't go all the way through Deck 3. To get to your table on at the black pearl on deck 3 required going up and around and down if you happen to be on deck 3.

I've seen some postive reviews of the BBQ elsewhere on the boards. Looking forward to trying it in a few weeks. Haven't been on the Splendor for a couple of years--been on Miracle to Mexican Riviera the last few.

What I loved about the Rotisserie was not so much the food, but the fact it was upstairs, out of the chaos of the the rest of the lido. Made for quiet, calmer dining and a great place in the evenings for family gathering and game playing.

In all three ports, low-key beaches are very accessible.

Mazatlan:

Stone Island. Beach is flat and surf usually small and easy. To get there, go out of the port area, take a left, walk 100 yards to the water taxi dock. Take the taxi across the quay (fun ride for small children), go up and over the small hill and you are there. Continue walking to reach restaurants and lounge chairs. Lety's is our favorite.

Cabo:

Playa Empacadora/Playa Publica Cabo San Lucas. Public beach to the left of the marina. We call it the "No Se Vende" beach b/c there is a large abandoned building on the hill above the beach with "No Se Vende" (No For Sale) painted on it. As you walk out of the tender port, make an immediate left. This will take you along side the Mercado (which might interest your 2 year old). The sidewalk will veer right at the small boat ramp and turn into Finestera. Finnestera will dead end at Blvd Paseo del la Marina. Make a left and follow the blvd around to where it dead ends into the beach. 10 minute walk tops. As you walk along the Blvd., the fenced area to your right looks a bit sketchy, but don't worry. Beach surf is just a bit heavier here than Stone Island, and the wake of boats can kick things up. But boat watching can be fun and if the tide is low, the rocks to the right side of the beach can reveal some sea creatures. We go here every time in Cabo (and will again in Feb).

PV: If you are on Carnival, there is an accessible beach within 3 min walk of the ship. Just cross the parking lot of the dock toward the ocean corner of the hotel, pass along the fence and you are there. Surf is the biggest of the three beaches. If you are on another cruise line, the destination is the same, but the walk is farther (have to walk from the other side of the port).

I can highly recommend Vallarta Food Tours. Done it twice and was not disappointed. http://vallartafoodtours.com/

Take a taxi to the meeting point.

Note: Double check ships time and local time to make sure you aren't late for your tour. Local time has been 1 hr ahead on Carnival ships.

Walking tours start at 10:30 LOCAL time (very important to verify ship arrival time vs local time). So you are done by 1:30 or 2.

Tour meets in a plaza in the old part of town and ends at a confectioner on the north side of the malecon bridge. From there either head to the beach there it the one back by the dock.

HIGHLY recommend doing a food tour via Vallarta Food Tours. http://vallartafoodtours.com We've done it twice and have NOT been disappointed.

Food is authentic and delicious. Guide is really informative and, for some of the tour, you get taken through the older part of town. Some neat shops to go back and peruse at.

There will still be time to stroll the Malecon after your belly is full. :D

Did a search on this and didn't quite the detail I was looking for.

We are heading back to the Mexican Riviera on Carnival in Feb. My eldest son is now 18 but still in high school. He had a great time in O2 last year but I think he is timed out due to age. Correct?

Are there any specific social activities for 18-20 year olds?

Not that he is a "clubber" but are clubs restricted to 21 and older after certain times?

I think he is ok for the adult comedy shows, but we usually skip those. Not that we are prudes, but adding an F-bomb in every sentence does not make something funny.

I know he is legal to drink in Mexico, but obviously not on the boat. And assume he can gamble at sea. He can blow all of his college money and learn a good lesson on "the house always wins."

Anything else I should be thinking of?

Thanks!

Will have to give Splendor props for the Dive In movies, the Rotisserie (not so much the food, but the the upper level space is better in the evenings--more secluded) and the Tandoor (OMG!). But the layout, flow, single MDR vs two (which exacerbates the flow problem), and the front-and-flanking-sides-of-ship Serenity area are all negatives for me.

Miracle wins in my mind.

Ditto.

Turn left out of the port, walk straight until you hit the water taxi stand. Go across the quay. Walk to Lety's. Plop down, have drinks, eat coconut shrimp, play in the easy surf and enjoy.

The walk along the street and the initial walk on the beach may seem a bit "sketch" (my kids' words), but don't worry. Forge on and enjoy.

Been on both the Miracle and Splendor, never the Fascination. Overall I like Miracle more. Better layout, better location of Serenity deck. I like the indian/mediteranean option and second level of lido dining on the Splendor (quieter in evening for family game playing), but I felt like the layout left me bumping into walls. Miracle would be my choice. Don't mind the decor or the age of some things.

Our group of 14-18 (depending on the year), has done the Mexican Riviera multiple times. The combo of Mazatlan, PV and Cabo is a favorite. Caribbean can be the bomb, but those three Mexican ports are very accessible and fun.

Our family had a phone and app issue even without Daylight Savings time changes. Glad to hear I wasn't the only one going crazy. Next time i'll bring a watch.

I can highly recommend doing a food tour in PV. We've done Vallarta Food Tours twice. vallartafoodtours.com Highly recommend. Vallarta eats looks good too. vallartaeats.com

Great way to see and eat the town!

Second comments about just walking Cabo and seeing downtown Mazatlan then heading to Stone Island. Shack up at Lety's.

It's been a few years since I've been on the Splendor (the decor descriptions are coming back to me after reading above). Overall, I like the Miracle more (esp. the location/layout of the Serenity, single MDR rather than two rooms separated by the galley which makes transit between levels a pain. ).

But there are some things to like about the Splendor. In particular, our crew (of 18), LOVED the indian/mediterranean station at the back of the lido. Also, the lido dining area has a second level that is less trafficked in the evening b/c food is not served there. Its a great place for playing games.

The Mexican Riveria has worked well for us--so much so that we;ve done it 7 times in the past 10 years. The three possible stops (Cabo, PV and Mazatlan) are very accessible and don't require spending $$ to see or do anything. All three have easily accessible beaches from port and getting to town in each one is a cinch.

People can easily do their own thing so you don't have to plan for the whole crew.

My lesson learned for such a big group are to make your plans on the ship and in port and do them without worrying about anyone else. Let people know what you are doing, and then go. Don't try to coordinate plans for everyone. If you do try to be the coordinator, what should be a relaxing vacation can turn into a logistical nightmare and sap the energy out of you. Have nearly strangled a few in-laws.

Maybe try to pick a spot to meet late in the day for buckets of beers and chips and salsa (can recommend Karlitos Cantina in cabo on the marina, and in PV we meet at the Cantina at the port), but other than that, go on your own. Send folks to the Mexican Riviera board on Cruise Critic and let them do their own homework.

The stories I could tell......

When on board, turn your phone on Airplane mode and then turn on Wi-fi to connect to the Carnival wi-fi. This will keep you off cell data. If it makes you feel better, you can disable data Roaming in your phone settings (Settings>Cellular>Cellular Data)

Note..Wifi will supercede the cell network. So if you have a Roaming plan and want to use it on the ship while in port, you will need to turn off your Carnival Wifi since it blocks all access except to the app functionality. Although when you do switch on cellular/roaming, that's when the whole ship vs. local vs. phone time craziness starts since the phone autoconnects to the GPS-determined time zone unless you force it to a timeszone).

App texting worked fine. My son used it to communicate with other teens on board he met through 02 Club. My wife and I did not have the plan, although looking back it might have been worth the $5 each. We do different things on board, so it would have made it easier to connect. And I could have harassed my son about being late for his curfew (twice). :halo:

We have a family of 16-18 (depending on the year) that has done the Mexican Riviera in Feb 7 of the last 10 years. The weather has varied, but is usually good.

The first sea day has generally been good for us. This year, a little up and down b/c of the unusual weather pattern that we have had in California.

Cabo was on the cooler side this year 75 and the water a bit cooler too. However, on the second day on Medano Beach, the water seemed to be more calm than usual. On the first day, we always go to the public beach to the left of the Marina--accessed by foot. The water is generally warmer and calmer here. Kids love it.

PV was perfect temperature this year for most of our crew. About 82F. Not too hot. although it has been hotter. There is a beach accessible by foot from the boat. Just cross the parking lot at the dock toward the beach and there is a passage along the fence next to the hotel. Water was good here too. Kids always enjoy it.

If you can manage to get a week where the itinerary stops in Mazatlan, I would recommend it. From the port, there is a short walk to a water taxi across the quay that puts you on Stone Island. Walk 300 yards or so and saddle up at Lety's. The beach is flat and the water/surf really easy.

Coming back on the last two sea days (especially the second) can be cool and breezy. But never choppy that I recall.

I think the Carnival Cruise on the Riviera is perfect for kids. Port activities (either shopping or beaches) are really accessible. The kids in our crew (now range from 9-17) have enjoyed the clubs and activities on the boat.

Tabascos and beyond (south) is not bad. Water taxis may only want to drop you at Mango Deck, but just walk 200 yards south and you'll be good.

On our Feb cruise we parked at the Bank of America lot at Long Beach Blvd and East Broadway (entrance on E broadway). $70 for the week. Cash only.

Then took an Uber to the boat and back. Very easy to get. $5 each way.

There used to be a great, cheap lot at Ocean btw pine and pacific, but now there is a big building going up.

#4 seems a little OCD, people make way to much of the "ship time" The only time that time changes is on shorexcusions and the folks on shore know exactly what time they are on and the ship is on.

I would agree with you, except there seemed to be some glitch with the relationship between ship time, phone time, the app time (and when the app time updated itself to ship time). And the problem was different on my phone, where I tried to manually reset time, than my wife's that auto-updated depending on the port. Woke up an hour too early for Stretch class one day and then an hour late the last sea day of the cruise.

We tried to go around the problem by setting a timer instead, but we couldn't do the math right. Must have been a result of a few too many at the Alchemy Bar.

This could totally be operator error, but it was confounding.

I used the app on the miracle. Really like it, except for 4 shortcomings:

1) The kids' club itineraries need to be on it too, not just Fun Times so we could remember their stuff.

2) Would have liked to have the daily menus on there so we could decide about dinner.

3) Updating the time in the app is slow. When you open the app, you have to give it a moment to reset itself if there are time changes And sometimes you have to move around in the app (or close and restart) to get it to do it. This is especially a problem in the mexican riviera where there are time changes and differences in ship vs. port time vs. cell phone time. And for that latter problem I wish the app had....

4) ...An alarm clock set to ship time. Can't tell you how confused our family got with setting alarms (and the kid's curfews) on our phones and the changing ship time and the time zones our phones were attached to. Long story...but it would be great for the app to have an alarm clock or rely or do it the old fashion way and wear a watch.:o

And the 220 has a US outlet in it. One of our kids discovered this.

Despite the fact that we joked that it was some folks who partied too much, according to my sons, it was a child with a suspected appendicitis.

The next day the captain she the patient was doing fine.

Not a fan of live music--of any kind---in the Serenity. What's the point of calling it the "Serenity" if its not "serene"?

I am on the Miracle next week. Will see what it's like.

We've been on the Miracle several times to Mexico (and are back on in TWO DAYS!!). She's a good ship. The layout is great. You'll have lots of good viewing places for Alaska. I have enjoyed the MDR food (and we are foodies). The Lido can be good on most days and spotty on others--no different than any other ship. Just need to "shop around," try a little of everything and, realize that, somedays, a large green salad can be just what the stomach ordered. :-) Serenity area being at the back of the boat is great.

I have a few complaints, but they are small in the scheme of things. I would love a quieter section in the Lido (like the upstairs of the Splendor). I would like the indian/mediterranean station (again, like on Splendor). Not a fan of the sports bar--smoking allowed and layout/seating is no bueno.