CurlyQgrL

While recently traveling met a lovely gentleman whose wife is from Jamaica. We are doing a land trip and wanted to go to the Blue Hole. His advice was to go to the cruise port and hire a driver and agree in advance on a price of $100 for the day and driver will stay with you for the day. We are going in November so will let you know how that goes.

Hi Canada - our friends had called a few days ahead to confirm if they had availability. With any of these day pass resorts, just depends on their occupancy rate. Most won't offer them if they are at 80% or higher. Some resorts will only confirm that day. So was nice to be able to confirm ahead of time.

We were there in mid March, so I was concerned we would run into spring break but wasn't an issue. Maybe if your traveling during a holiday week... Easter, Christmas, New Years, or if spring break gets really busy. But this resort is a bit higher budget than spring breakers would normally choose, and not a big spring break destination (like Cancun is).

Highly recommend, I did a LOT of research.. mostly checking out pools. This one has everything from a beach, to one of the best pools, and a swim up bar! Only advice is to go as early as you can get off the ship and snag one of the lounge chairs overlooking the ocean.. just up from the beach so the vendors can't approach unless you wish to shop. These chairs were snagged early.. .tons of chairs around the pool.

Beware the sun is fierce in Mx and you can burn REALLY quickly even when it doesn't feel that hot. Sunscreen and some shade is your friend. Your pool waiter will position additional lounge chairs all you have to do is ask.

Also I recommend tipping a bit up front, always helps service if the pool is busy. So first time I get a drink, or an umbrella, I slip a $5 (also my approach at all inclusives that tips are normally included)....

ENJOY!

We wound up going to the Marriott, what an incredible value. Paid 680 pesos (about $35 depending on exchange rate) for a day pass and received a 580 peso (about $30) credit towards food/drinks at the pool. We went early and got lounge chairs on the front row facing the beach, with the pool to our right, and bar/restaurant and bathrooms behind us.

We ordered two drinks (STRONG did not need more LOL) each and we both ordered lunch, and a couple of cokes, and came out to about the 580 peso credit. So basically we paid $5 each for the day pass, and spent about $60 for two.  Great value, we spent about $70 for two people.

Beautiful resort, great pool, great service. Highly recommend! So glad we didn't spend the $118 for two at the Hilton, nor $150 for two at Secrets.

11 minutes ago, milolii said:

Hi guys checking back in.  We leave on Friday and will be in PV Monday, March 4.  I just emailed the Hilton again. Which resort will take a reservation 2 days in advance?  We return 3/9 so will try and post ASAP with updates.  

Awesome! We get there on 3/14.  I found we can email Secrets two days in advance which I like. So this is $16 more pp than Hilton, but this pool area looks a lot nicer and there is a swim up pool bar at Secrets. Hilton also has a ban on the bali beds, and I do not see any notation of that restriction with Secrets.. so for us it is worth the extra $ for the nicer pool with swim up bar and since a bit farther, probably less cruisers on day passes. Secrets is only 9 mins by taxi. Anyway, we have decided on Secrets. Looking forward to your review!

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g150793-d2336336-Reviews-Secrets_Vallarta_Bay_Puerto_Vallarta-Puerto_Vallarta.html

<<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 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.

This offers 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,

3 minutes ago, hobbyfarmer2 said:

We took the shorter tour without the volcano.  The roads were very good and not windy at all.  Our bus had seen better days though and the A.C. was leaking water from the overhead carry area in a couple of places.  The driver drove a bit fast for my liking as well but with no mishaps or close calls.  The country seemed very safe andvtge people were quite friendly.

Thanks, appreciate it! We have taken road trips in Mx, and CR in the past year and always find the people warm and friendly. Nicaragua also gets really good reviews, so looking forward to it. Granada gets great reviews... just unsure if I want to spend that much time on a bus.. LOL

On 1/30/2019 at 7:07 PM, hobbyfarmer2 said:

Just off the Coral Jan 21.  Nicaragua was lovely with zero problems and very nice people.  We took the Granada excursion.

Wondering how the road was up to Granada... area comes highly recommended but the 8 hour tour is pretty long with quite a drive.. just wondering how windy the roads are... debating between the Granada, Masaya shopping & volcano tour.. there is a shorter one that skips the volcano and is only about 6 hours.... decisions decisions.... though chillin in town, finding a bar and a beach sounds nice too. We have a long tour day before in Puentareas....

On 2/17/2019 at 10:11 PM, Relaxedfun said:

Was there last week on Coral Princess. Protests in Managua so no excursions there, but had wonderful experiences on a tour to Granada and Las Isletas.  Great sightings of rare birds  after a ride through the countryside.  Local people were welcoming and friendly to us.  We glimpsed a beautiful garden through the doorway of a business and a worker invited us in to experience the inner garden.  The two of us were walking alone, not with the big group.  Enjoy these nice people!.

Hey we are considering taking that tour from the Coral in a couple of weeks.. how was the road up there? Looking at doing the Masaya Volcano, Grenada tour... but it is like 8 hours! Not sure I want to go that far or be gone all day. There  are slightly shorter tours that do not include going to the masaya national park to see the volcano (6 hrs), but still goes to Grenada, lunch, shopping.

Debating about just doing a more chill beach day as we have a long tour the day before in Puntarenas. I sometimes get a bit motion sick on really windy roads if I'm in the back of the bus... though can take motion sick meds just in case.. any info would be greatly appreciated. It is nice that we would get priority to get off the ship, hear tendering in this port can take awhile.

Thanks,

Stacey : )

6 hours ago, CA_Cruzing said:

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 :-))

Well hello neighbor.. we are in Manteca so about 1 1/2 hrs away or so.... yes, you are in beautiful part of the state.

Love love love the mountains! Looking forward to hearing about your trip when you get back.

Thanks again, Stacey : )

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 also like that they will confirm two days ahead. The others it is pretty much just show up and see, with no reservations though I am sure you could email a couple of days ahead and get an idea of their occupancy but would be really nice to be able to confirm ahead of time especially since we will be there in mid March which is probably a busier time isn't that the start of spring break?

So we are thinking go early, have breakfast, chill by the pool, tropical drinks, maybe a later lunch before we head out...

Hilton is a better price than Secrets at $59 all inclusive but doesn't include the day beds and the pool underwhelms me, but if within walking distance could be a good option for those who want to stay closer to the ship and not take a cab though too bad they don't include those lovely day beds they have on the beach. Also mentioned no premium liquor, what exactly does that mean? No calling anything? Wonder on what alcohol is included... seems like Secrets has less restrictions and probably would be fewer people since cab required and not walking distance.

I think Secrets seems like a better value even though it is a bit more as those day beds can be very sweet. I'm liking those palapas on the beach too!

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

So sounds like you might get there first?

I have not gotten much done past couple of days, spent far too much time looking at pretty hotel pics! LOL  This is my current fav thread! LOL

Hilton pool pic included, do not see a swim up bar which is a con.

12 minutes ago, CA_Cruzing said:

@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.

 

 

My apologies for the confusion.. the $37 at the Marriott (650 pesos so an exchange rate of about 18.5 pesos to the dollar currently).. about $30 (550 pesos) of it is the credited back towards your food/drink at the pool only.

So the $37 INCLUDES a $30 credit towards food and drink, so technically your only paying about $7. Really comes down to how much you think you will eat and drink and what your cost would be. So if you think you might spend more than $68 pp then your right the Secrets is the better value. The nice thing about Secrets is you also wouldn't be limited to only the pool food, you could go to lunch at additional cafes.

Both have swim up bars! Both about :10 mins away, Secrets is south of the port, while Marriott is north.

Good point about going over what you spend at an all inclusive resort... going to take another look at Secrets.. especially since we don't have the Beverage package on this trip (missed Sip & Sail and $1,000 pp for a 15 day) so might be nice to have a day of all inclusive drinking.. LOL

For anyone interested here are some pics for Secrets from Trip Advisor:   https://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g150793-d2336336-Reviews-Secrets_Vallarta_Bay_Puerto_Vallarta-Puerto_Vallarta.html

lizette.gonzalez@hilton.com

Viviana.Ulloa2@marriotthotels.com

We will be returning in mid March, will post updates on what we wound up doing...

Thanks!

Stacey : )

Wow that seems really pricey. The one on Coral Princess is $79, imagine it is the same resort? Does anyone know which resort the PV Hotel ex goes to?

Best value and by far the prettiest pool (that I have found so far) is the Marriott for $37... and you get a credit back towards food/drink by the pool. This is not an all inclusive rate, but it costs about $7 plus taxi fare (about 10 mins) so your committing to spending $30.

By comparison the Hilton is $59... walking distance from the pier so you don't have to take a cab but pool area doesn't look as nice as the Marriott. I think I could have a pretty good day at the Marriott for that price paying for food & drinks.

The Hyatt has a very small pool, though looks like a really pretty beach in that little cove but for not much more you could go to the Hard Rock! Gorgeous resort, but a few years back was $100 all inclusive don't know what it is now but if I was going to spend that much I would go to HR.

The only benefit I can see by booking through the cruise is that if the hotels are at 80% capacity or higher, they do not allow the day passes. So if you are going during a busy season, would be worth going through the cruise. I have email addys for several hotels and plan on emailing just before our port day and see what their capacity is . If my top choice is booked, will have back ups to check. I think the only way I would do the cruise ship ex is if the resorts were at capacity and I couldn't do it on my own.

SO easy to grab a cab at the pier, and super easy to get a cab at the resort to return... no reason to get the ship involved. You can also then go when you want, return when you want... so if you want to hang out longer you would have that option, if you want to go into town and do some shopping first or before you head back to the ship, you have that option too.

Also check what the all inclusive rate includes, some do not include the day beds nor premium alcohol. I plan on fruity drinks by the pool and lunch so I don't really need the pricier all inclusive pass and for me its all about the pool. If your more of a beach person, check out all the beaches and compare which one you prefer.

Marriott Trip Advisor: https://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g150793-d152980-Reviews-Marriott_Puerto_Vallarta_Resort_Spa-Puerto_Vallarta.html

The pool at the Krystal was pretty small if I was looking at the right resort. Hard Rock is all inclusive but a 3 year old review says it is $100 and only if hotel not 80% full.

Came across this info on trip advisor for the Marriott. This looks like a great option if we decide to do this. Gorgeous pool, beach, about 10 mins taxi from port.

<<On our cruise to the Panama Canal we stopped at Puerto Vallarta and decided to get a day pass for the Marriott. We spent a wonderful day. The Marriott is not far from the cruise port, just a quick taxi ride away. The day pass was extremely reasonable, about $35 for the day which included $30 to spend at the resort. The pool area was large and very beautiful, and there is also a pretty white sand beach if you want more adventure. We enjoyed drinks by the pool; the bar staff was great. Lunch at their outdoor restaurant was delicious too, and again most of this was covered by our $60 joint credit. If we return to Puerto Vallarta for a longer visit, we definitely will stay at this Marriott.>>

http://www.vipmarriottpv.co/day-pass/

Okay web site is outdated... just got this email back so fast!

<<

Thank you for contacting us, it’s a pleasure assisting you with your special requests, the price per person is $650 pesos, includes a $550  pesos credit for food and beverage at the pool area.

In dollars around $37 for adults and for children around $10, the resort credit can only be used at the pool area for food and drinks, to visit other restaurants on the property you can pay directly.The day pass allows you to use the facilities of the pool area and also includes the use of a towel.

The hotel doesn't take reservations for Day passes, you can call us on the same day to check occupancy, day passes are available when occupancy is under the 80%>>

322- 226-0017  

mhrs.pvrmx.concierge@marriotthotels.com

- hotel reserves the right to suspend during blackout dates ect…

Thanks for the idea, we have been a bit undecided about PV.... this looks awesome!

Stacey : )

20 hours ago, milolii said:

 

Hi there,  so was this the Hilton Puerto Vallarta?  I have emailed them for a March.  It does look very nice.  And you were able yo just walk there?  Thanks 

Can you post the info from Secrets? Not sure what we are going to do yet, but this might be a good day for pool lounging since we have been to PV before as well. We will be there in March as well.

Can you post the info you find out from HIlton? I chatted with someone on their web site and they said there are no day passes available. Most likely put me on hold and called as they didn't have the info, so not 100% this is accurate. If you hear back from the hotel directly confirming that would be good. I will look around and see what other options there are.

Will let you know if I come across anything interesting.

Thanks! Stacey : )