CA_Cruzing

12 minutes ago, beachbum53 said:

Why would anyone with good common sense post their address on FB, or any social media site? That's just asking for trouble. Sure, you can post your real. But if you've only posted your name, and maybe the state you live in, that's not enough to prompt someone to plan "nefarious activities". (example): "Hi! I'm Tommy Jefferson. I live in Pennsylvania." There are probably a lot of Tommy Jeffersons living in Pennsylvania. With no more information than that, what are the odds that the average criminal would be able to figure out where Tommy lives?

give me a few simple clues to who you are and i can track you down pretty quickly via the internet.

i don't need your address. i just need you name and city you live in/near. from there the web is full of resources to mine your data and location.

you clearly have no idea how much info is public and on the web.

FB is an open book to trouble. do as you wish. that's on you.

FB is great for Roll Calls.

Unknown people get to know your real name, address and the exact dates you'll be away from home.

It's perfect for planning nefarious activities.

-signed, off FB for 3.5+ years and never going back there. WasteBook is more like it.

When is your cruise date?

We are on the Splendor March 9 which is when USA moves to DST and Mexico does NOT. 

So ignore Coevan as he’s clueless to what time local tours leave versus ship time. 

Contact your tour operator and ask them what local time their tour meetup is. 

And if you’re doing a Cabo excursion get FTTF if you’re not D or P. 

Maybe this will help? 

This one is on my list. I couldn't convince my family to join me so it's on my bucket list for my eventual trip back to Cabo (after this one coming in March which we'll be whale watching, not cooking).

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g152515-d2180486-Reviews-Casa_de_Colores_School_of_Traditional_Mexican_Cooking-Cabo_San_Lucas_Los_Cabos_Ba.html

I spoke with Donna, the owner, and from all my reading she runs a great class.

Splendor was built in 2006-2008 and set sail in 2008.

Vista is the newest Vista class ships and Dream, Dream class, came right before Vista class.

Splendor won't have all the bells and whistles as Dream and Vista ships but she has plenty to offer and the spa is one of its best parts.

There are videos on YouTube so you can see the water slide in advance AND the Splendor too. I'd suggest watching those video reviews.

Splendor's pools have a retractable opening which is nice if you're cruising in cooler months versus summer. The MR itinerary is a great set of ports, depending on which ones and which season you're cruising. There's lots to do in each port and MX is a great place to visit (we've done 3 MR cruises since 2008 and this March will be our 4th).

The Panorama is coming to Long Beach this December 2019 which is a Vista class ship.

We've sailed Splendor before on MR cruises and are about to sail her again this March.

What are you looking for specifically so people can better address your concerns?

We're looking forward to our MR Splendor cruise and we last cruised Vista twice since Nov 2017 so if that helps allay your concerns, we've had zero concerns sailing Splendor again after cruising Vista twice and most recently (once with and once w/o children, 14 and 18 at time of July 2018 cruise).

16 hours ago, CurlyQgrL said:

Yes you are correct in PV on the 14th, be there the day after!

 

Awww too bad, just miss meeting you! 

 

Look forward to hearing what what you choose!

I'll do my best to post/reply when at whichever resort we wind up in. Hope you have a great trip as your cruise sounds like a lot of fun with great ports too!

FYI, we're in NorCal too. About 23 miles out of Sacramento up Hwy 50 (the best part of the region :-))

Cava de Oro, Extra Anejo.

We usually buy this at Casa Tequila in the marina mall in Cabo (Puerto Paraiso). They offer free tastings at Casa Tequila so you can dial in a tequila that meets your own standards for flavor and finish and their prices were the least expensive from my experience walking around the marina.

Be warned, really good tequila isn't cheap, but you get what you pay for if you're seeking a sipping tequila to enjoy.

2 hours ago, CurlyQgrL said:

What day will you be there? We will be in PV on 3/19 on the Coral Princess, heading north from the canal.

are you sure about the 19th? research shows 14th.... https://www.cruisecritic.com/cruiseto/cruiseitineraries.cfm?cl=28&shipID=278&startDate=2019-03

Stacey, we hit Cabo on 11 Mar, Mazatlan 12 Mar and PV 13 Mar. I'll try to post an update from the resort we wind up.

Milolii, looking forward to your update on your choice.

Thank you all for your help and input. This has been a great group effort to boil down choices to some good ones.

Detailed reply from Secrets on the AI day pass:

The Day Pass includes food in all the restaurants, alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages, the use of the facilities (beach, pool, sun beds, towels), unfortunately I can not confirm availability until 2 days before your arrival.

Looks like this could be a good value for the drinks alone and the food selection is wide and not limited to pool-only service.

@CurlyQgrL, I'm leaning towards Marriott and Secrets. I'm awaiting a reply from Secrets to determine what "is" included in their rate (food, alcohol, loungers, etc.)

I'm also a Marriott Rewards member so I'll contact Marriott directly to see if there's any benefits or guarantees I can securee through that relationship.

I've done PV resorts in the past where you get a credit for bar/food and we wound up going over the initial day pass fee. For us, the cost of Secrets, if the AI is actually AI, the value makes sense as $75 pp is my maximum exposure.

If we pay $37 to Marriott and have to spend an additional $30 each for drinks then we're basically at $75 pp for Secrets which IMO has a great pool/beach setup.

If you're willing, can you share the email addresses for each resort you've engaged with? I'd like to have 3 options in my plans and I'm sure one of the 3 will work for my needs.

I did just email Hotel RIU to see if they offer a day pass. I was reading through TripAdvisor, like you, and they have a really nice hotel, pool and facilities.

Question, when is your MR trip?

Thank you for all your legwork and replies. It's appreciated greatly.

Doing some research on Carnival's website and it appears Carnival's day resort (one of the shore-ex) is the Hyatt Ziva (Exclusive Resort Getaway is how Carnival lists this shore-ex).

For $95USD for 5 hours (1 hour of which is travel time) this pricing seems ridiculous.

Any comments from previous cruisers who've day-passed at this property?

From Secrets in PV:

Thank you for contacting us in regards to your upcoming visit to our beautiful city. Yes, our resort welcomes guests through the purchase of a Day or Night  Pass depending on availability. I recommend you send an email 2 days before your visit to confirm availability.

Day Pass at Secrets Vallarta Bay is of $75.00 USD per adult and it is good from 9 am to -5 pm. Anything after 6:00 pm is considered a night pass.

The night pass fee is $75.00 USD Secrets; good from 18:00pm to 1:00am.

Both passes offer you access to all common areas, shows, pools and towels as well as food and drinks are included during the established hours.

ID is requited for registration. Please be prepared to leave it with our staff at the front desk at time of payment. 

Please do not hesitate to contact us for any further questions or concerns.

Sincerely,

2 hours ago, rnr4thatsme said:

Is it possible to just get off the ship in Cabo and book a whale watching excursion on site without reserving ahead? 

It’s possible but boat capacity is limited. We’re using WWC in Cabo. 

Consider each cruise ship is 2500-3500 people and without an advance reservation you’re taking a risk. The better rated whale watching boats will likely be all booked. 

You can can check to see how many cruises will be in port with you and decide from there. There are websites that will show you how many and which cruise ships will be in any port on a specific day. 

https://www.cruisetimetables.com/

Thank you, Ine.

We prefer to not book through the cruise line and prefer to strike out on our own.

We emailed Secrets in PV and have their pricing/info. Seeking additional data from anyone's past experiences or recommendations.

Nuevo Vallarta looks nice but we know nothing about the hotels up there. Would like to get more replies and feedback to this post if possible.

Wife and I are on MR cruise 3-9-19 and we are seeking a great resort for the day experience in PV. 

Looking for good food, drink, pools and beach likely at an AI resort. 

Please post and and share your experiences and recommendations. 

This is our 4th MR cruise and we’ve spent many trips shopping and enjoying Old Town. So we’re seeking to relax and enjoy a casual day at a resort. 

Thanks in in advance for your help, input and recommendations. 

Depends when you’re sailing. I asked a similar question recently as our cruise is during USA DST time changes which do NOT coincide with MX DST time changes on the calendar. (9Mar2019, Splendor). 

1 hour ago, Elaine5715 said:

If they allow you to switch, odds are is there will be a cost.

Not necessarily true. I cruised with my wife and we were booked by Carnival into a 4-person balcony. This was 10 months prior to sail date. 

Once final payment date hit, more cabins freed up and we moved our cabin to a better location on the same deck and same room class. We never paid more for being 2 in a 4 and we’re not charged anything to change cabins within the same class (8c). 

Call Carnival or your TA to inquire about your move. Your cruise date is before  high season so your boat might not be under capacity pressure. 

Good of luck and enjoy your cruise!

Depends how much you like to spend and if you’re doing private shore-ex instead of Carnival shore-ex. 

We we usually bring around $1000 or so depending on what we have planned (tequila shopping, excursions, taxis, food and onboard gambling) and we usually come home with change. 

It really depends on how you like to spend/buy and vacation. Right now the Peso is 0.50 to $1USD. https://www.google.com/search?q=peso+to+usd&rlz=1C9BKJA_enUS775US775&oq=peso+to+usd&aqs=chrome..69i57.3899j0j7&hl=en-US&sourceid=chrome-mobile&ie=UTF-8

Know your exchange rates so you don’t overpay in USD. 

And if if you’re in Cabo, it’s whale watching season. Check out WWC in Cabo for their tours. Cash discount of 15%. Well worth the deal paying cash. 

https://cruiseradio.net/carnival-cruise-line-signs-internet-boosting-contract/

“In a move that should help Carnival Cruise Line’s passengers stay better connected while at sea, the cruise line signed a new contract with a company which is looking to improve internet service for both guests and the ships on which they sail.”

This is encouraging news and long overdue. 

There are hotels that you can pay to park at in lieu of terminal parking. 

Personally, I’ve parked at both hotel and terminal and found terminal parking more convenient for both embarkation and disembarkation. It’s covered and we had zero security issues. 

Hope this helps. Enjoy your cruise!

On 12/18/2018 at 11:39 AM, JaniceB said:

I have San Fran on my bucket list and to cruise from their would be great.  

budget a few days to explore SF. totally worth it, sans the homeless problem they now have. and if you have extra time, plan a day trip to Napa or Sonoma too.

27 minutes ago, coevan said:

I promise, they will know. This is what they do for a living several hundred times a year. My son was a Capt. in St.Thomas for years, taking cruise passengers snorkeling. They know when you arrive, if you are docking late, when you depart, when boarding is probably as much as the guests, relax. They don't have guests, they don't make any money.

I agree with your thoughts. However I am trying to decide, do I book the 11A excursion or 1230P? If I book the 11A, we will be done by 130P which leaves enough time to do two other to-do’s in Cabo. This is my challenge. 

Research shows:

Los Angels is GMT-8

Cabo is GMT-7 (mountain time zone)

PST moves to PDT on Sunday March 10 2019 (+1 hour)

MST moves to MDT on Sunday April 7 2019 (+1 hour)

So on Mar 11 2019 we should be on the same time as Cabo if the ship does observe PDT. Hopefully the boat doesn’t change times due to this small overlap of PDT and MST. 

Still seeking a definitive answer if someone actually knows. Thx. 

12 minutes ago, coevan said:

 

 

 

Your shore excursion people are well aware of the times. They will most likely notify you as to the time to meet, nothing to worry about. 

We’re doing a private shore ex so knowing the answer to my question is important. 

If if anyone knows exactly the time change, you’re reply would be greatly appreciated. 

Ill also research this myself. I was hoping CC peeps would come to the rescue here.