bobnsofi

$8 each way to take a taxi to Casa Isabel in PV at 5pm local time (typically 4pm ships time). 2/1 drinks and the most beautiful view and ambiance.

In Old Town, same distance as most of the other places suggested

the sunset and ambiance is amazing

the ship ports behind the high rises in the distant upper center of pic

1st day at sea = Nice = 50/50

!!! days 2-6 = nice, sunny, calm = 90% !!!

Last Day at sea = Nice = 40% or less, as you are heading into the wind and against the seas

1. contacted karmina palace spa which is near las hadas and arranged a massage on the day you are in port....for example for 2 or 3 hours after you figure you will disembark....save emails for verification of costs..

Last time we were in Manzanillo... Karima Palace wanted $$ ($75pp)

How much did you pay?... just to get in the front door? ($75pp)

a massage too... $$$

Last time we did Audiencia Beach, we got a snorkel tour, lunch, drinks, snacks, chairs, umbrellas... and a lively visual feast of activity for WAY UNDER $75pp

I would budget $250pp for a great day at Karima Palace

For the frugal minded, Audencia, $100pp all day max would rock your socks off, including a massage, food, drink, boat tours (banana & snorkel), and cab both ways

Tesoro is the hotel in center of PIC Audiencia beach, Karima Palace in upper right

Karima Palace Golf Course, upper middle

If ya wanna do what 90% of the cruise passengers do, and really go cheap and easy, walk the boring cruise pier Malacon area for FREE, and get a picture with the Big Blue Sail Fish

(cruisers, in general, dislike Manzanillo)

Playa Audencia, and stop by Las Hadas (southeast on the map below)

option 2: take a cruise tour

option 3: walk the boring Malacon Boardwalk at the NEW CRUISE PIER

option 4: there is no option 4 without big $$$

From our point of view... beach chairs on the Medano sand can been rented endlessly

From out point of view... Pool side seating... is best negotiated... upon arrival

Typically dolphins are BOOKED when the cruise ships port. The Pirate Ship is a BIG favorite in PV for kids. Krystal Resort is a cheaper nearby option in PV.

Cabo, we would likely attempt to crash the nearby Finisterra Pool area with... cash tips and a big smile... if we ported in Cabo with young kids

Finisterra Pool area

PV is FAR more artsy and varied. Head down to the old town gallery areas. Near galleria Dante'. Ask around. Walk around a bit. Custom glass beads you will find

This area and glass shop also. If you sniff around a bit. You will be amazed by PV's custom art

The El Cid welcomes Cruise Passengers with open arms. Walk right in. Pick any spot, at a pool, or on the beach. Enjoy!

If you want transportation, food and drink for free, stop in at the cruise terminal time share booth, negotiate as short a time share presentation as possible, and get it all for FREE

We suggest just dropping in, no wasted time and unpleasant anxiety in time share presentation hassles.

Cabo is harsh desert climate (no vineyard grape growing nearby). Walking distance from cruise tender pier is all foot traffic tourist shopping oriented. There are many alcohol purchase shops... all small and foot traffic tourist oriented. The Cabo region is a young spread out area of mega resorts and ginormous time shares... mega resort visitors frequent large retail areas to "stock up"... like the ones near Walmart and Costco (not within cruise ship walking distance). That said, Cabo near the tender pier is a drinking village, and you will have no problem finding wine within walking distance.

Most Popular for cruisers

(1) Walk around the beautiful Marina

(2) Walk around the beautiful Marina and into the surrounding area (like Cabo Wabo Bar)

(3a) Walk around the beautiful Marina and into the surrounding area (like Cabo Wabo Bar) and also take a water taxi to Medano Beach

(3b) Walk around the beautiful Marina and into the surrounding area (like Cabo Wabo Bar) and also take a water taxi to Lovers Beach.

(4) Take a water oriented tour (ships tour or private)

or do what we do... Get on the 1st tender... immediately take a water taxi over to Pueblo Bonito on Medano Beach ($3 pp)... rent a car from the Avis desk (prior cheap reservation - KB5 location)... Visit Todos Santos and/or Los Cabos and/or Walmart and/or Costco on Cabo's fantastic roadways... make it back in time to visit Medano Beach for a bit of the Mango Deck Show... then take a water taxi back over to the beautiful marina for a walk to see all your fellow cruisers Tequila stagger back to the tender pier.

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Our cruise will be stopping in Mazatlan... spend some time at a resort... Something with a swimmable beach and a nice pool would be ideal.

!!! WOW !!!

After all these years... and all the posts... no one mentions... the one... the Mazatlan supreme beach and pool resort for cruisers...

~`EL CID`~

??? HELLO ???

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Ensenada has very similar weather to here in San Diego (50 miles south of San Diego). Typically it is cloudy and less warm at the beach in the mornings, and usually warms up nicely with beautiful sunshine mid-day to late afternoon (at least beautiful sunshine, even in winter). Seems best to suggest a shopping tour early, and once (and if) the sun peaks out, head to Estero Beach, if ya want to do a nice afternoon water front resort (20 min south of the cruise pier). Thinking a bit on the topic, there are no other similar nearby alternatives. Estero Beach is a resort at the end of a peninsula with no resort neighbors and no public beach access, so the privacy and lack of vendors would be a real plus. Most of us SoCal's have not been visiting the area, due to the scare and a 2-3 hour border wait to get back. We were very surprised to find Ensenada doing very well, new roads, new building, clean. Cruisers always ask about Resorts in our Mexican Riviera, and certainly, Estero Beach seems the best choice to fill the bill in Ensenada.

the best area CUSTOM store we have found is Fausto Pollanco

Their main store is within walking distance of the pier in Ensenada. We have not been there in years. It is mainly a furniture store, but it also has loads of small custom items,

here is a short video we a year or 2 ago made of the one in Rosarito (30 miles north). The ensenada main store is much larger. Great custom shop for gifts and WOW sights

out of SoCal, (1) Crown Princess or (2) Carnival MIracle

Have not been there in 10+ years, but back in the day, it was a nice location, nice ambiance, nice pool area (20+ min. drive south of the cruise pier). My guess is that it is still nice, and that they would welcome your day visit, no pass needed, pay as you go for food and drinks

Was searching for adventure on the high seas and Norwegian is porting in Acapulco, with the Sun running three 11 day r/t's out of San Diego this fall, and is porting in Ixtapa? (not Zihua?), and adding many stops on their Panama Canal route !!! YIPPEE !!!

Cape Liberty end - Fly out ??? EWR or LGA ???

Hi all,

transition final destination porting 11/10/14 (monday).

Cape Liberty, Bayonne, NJ

Should we fly out of ??? EWR or LGA ???

!!! THANKS IN ADVANCE !!!

and next season, a step up from the Veendam and the Star

The Crown Princess is also porting in Mazatlan

!!! YIPPEE !!!

!!! Thanks for all your Replies !!!

!!! EXTREMELY INFORMATIVE !!!

We did not think of the SHORT DAYLIGHT & SHUTTERED PORTS

and EPIC STORMY SEAS => !!! Shiver Me Timbers !!!

Maybe a better idea is to wait till the last moment to book this one

Benefit from some ??? ACCURATE REGIONAL WEATHER FORECASTING ???

!!! THANKS AGAIN... PRICELESS INFORMATION !!!

Hi All,

In our neck of the cruise woods (Mexican Riviera), Route/Days/Port Duration is SUPER IMPORTANT to us

We have been wanting to cruise out of NYC for years, and have a deposit on the Carnival Splendor 09/13/14 (we have been on this PINK ship before)

??? Why are there so few cruises that do this route... nasty weather ???

??? Why does Splendor do this run in the Fall... changing leaf colors ???

??? We will be in NYC anyway on 09/20/14, and thought we would cruise also... perhaps an alternative plan ???

??? What would you local experts suggest for mid September in the NYC area ???

!!! Thanks in Advance !!!

Hi All,

In our neck of the cruise woods (Mexican Riviera), Route/Days/Port Duration is SUPER IMPORTANT to us

We have been wanting to cruise Alaska for years, and have a deposit on the Norwegian Pearl 09/21/14

Other than the obvious=> Last Cruise of the Season => !!! FREEZING !!!

??? How do you all Alaska Pros like the cruise Route/Days/Port Duration below ???

??? Does the Norwegian Pearl have to Tender while others Pier ???

??? In the affordable range, what Ship do you all like this Season ???

!!! Thanks in Advance !!!

Ok, ending our 1st Alaska cruise 9/28/14 in Vancouver

Want to fly out of Seattle

a few days later?

or right away?

So.

Ferry rides with an overnight stopover in Victoria?

Bus to Seattle right away?

other options?

What do we 1st timers opt for? and how?

thanks in advance!

Ok, ending our 1st Alaska cruise 9/28/14 in Vancouver

Want to fly out of Seattle

a few days later?

or right away?

So.

Ferry rides with an overnight stopover in Victoria?

Bus to Seattle right away?

other options?

What do we 1st timers opt for? and how?

thanks in advance!

Is this essentially correct? One gets off the Ship in Manzanillo, then you must take a SHUTTLE bus to a nicer area, where you will find the various Tours, Guides, congregated.?? Locomotiveman TOM

No, for many MANY years the cruise ships ported in a ship yard, with a shuttle bus to the Malacon area

Now there is a cruise pier right in the Malacon area (near the giant metal sailfish statue)

What ship are you porting in Mazanillo on?

We would love to return to Manzanillo, but very VERY few ships port there anymore

If you are walking the Malecon, when you get to the bridge that crosses over Rio Cuale, you could walk down the steps to Isla Cuale (an island in the middle of the river).

We were there last week. One of the Isla Cuale shop vendors pointed up into the trees at an iguana. Ask any of the flea market vendors on Isla Cuale, they will trip over themselves to spot one for an 11 yr old boy. He should also love the jungle ambiance flea market.

Last week, we also did the zip lines ($65 per person) and saw a kudamundi sitting in a tree, only a few feet away in the jungle. If you ask the zip line company, they will drop you off at Isle Cuale at the end (once off the ship, ask in the cruise terminal for the $65 zip line tour with the donkey ride at the end).

We ported for 2 days off Carnival last week and did the nice free walking tour on the 2nd day and saw the Iguana on Isla Cuale (the walking tour was 2 hours long - an 11 yr old might get bored)

Free walking tour => http://pvangels.com/news/1850/get-acquainted-with-puerto-vallartas-historic-downtown-with-free-tourist-tours

kudamundi