Baja Peninsula & Sea of Cortez Princess Cruise- any info to share?

Just received my 'destination collection' book today and on Page 72, the Baja Peninsula & Sea of Cortez 10 day cruise caught my eye. It sails Feb 18 and Oct 4 in 2019.

We had been looking at the 7 day Mexican Riviera Cruise, but this 10 day one also looks very interesting. It begins and ends at Los Angeles and visits the ports of Cabo San Lucas, Loreto, Puerto Vallarta, and La Paz.

Has anyone taken this cruise? Does anyone have info or comments to share?

My wife and I took this cruise a few years ago and loved it. We've done the traditional Mexican Riviera many times, and liked how this went to some different ports. We especially enjoyed Loreto. It's a very laid back, authentic Mexican town. Very different from Cabo San Lucas. La Paz was nice too, but it's a larger city and the cruise port is quite a ways from town. If you're interested, I have a link to the photos I took on that trip below in my signature.

We took this cruise about a year and a half ago and loved, loved, loved it! We, too, liked walking thru Loreto, as well as riding the bus into old PV and walking on the malecon after visiting the craft booths. Cabo was fun, as we walked to a great little outdoor bar & had a fantastic margarita, then paid just a few dollars for a boat ride out to Los Arcos. The BEST thing we did, though, was snorkeling with the whale sharks in LaPaz (on a private excursion). We've snorkeled a lot, but this was one of the most amazing things and not super expensive. They picked us up right by the ship, took us by boat to their office in LaPaz to get ready, then returned us right next to the ship again when the trip was over.

We took this cruise about a year and a half ago and loved, loved, loved it! We, too, liked walking thru Loreto, as well as riding the bus into old PV and walking on the malecon after visiting the craft booths. Cabo was fun, as we walked to a great little outdoor bar & had a fantastic margarita, then paid just a few dollars for a boat ride out to Los Arcos. The BEST thing we did, though, was snorkeling with the whale sharks in LaPaz (on a private excursion). We've snorkeled a lot, but this was one of the most amazing things and not super expensive. They picked us up right by the ship, took us by boat to their office in LaPaz to get ready, then returned us right next to the ship again when the trip was over.

Another vote for the 10 day cruise! We are also booked for the Feb. 18 cruise as Loreto is absolutely our favorite Mexican town!!

Just received my 'destination collection' book today and on Page 72, the Baja Peninsula & Sea of Cortez 10 day cruise caught my eye. It sails Feb 18 and Oct 4 in 2019.

 

We had been looking at the 7 day Mexican Riviera Cruise, but this 10 day one also looks very interesting. It begins and ends at Los Angeles and visits the ports of Cabo San Lucas, Loreto, Puerto Vallarta, and La Paz.

 

Has anyone taken this cruise? Does anyone have info or comments to share?

We did this cruise about a year ago. Just great. Not a lot of activities available in those ports, but they are beautiful.

We had Captain "Bye-Bye". He turned the ship into the biggest whale-watching tour available. If there were whales anywhere "nearby", he headed for them.

Just received my 'destination collection' book today and on Page 72, the Baja Peninsula & Sea of Cortez 10 day cruise caught my eye. It sails Feb 18 and Oct 4 in 2019.

 

We had been looking at the 7 day Mexican Riviera Cruise, but this 10 day one also looks very interesting. It begins and ends at Los Angeles and visits the ports of Cabo San Lucas, Loreto, Puerto Vallarta, and La Paz.

 

Has anyone taken this cruise? Does anyone have info or comments to share?

Another positive vote. We took this cruise in 2015. Nice ports. Loreto was a great port. You can walk into a really nice town. In Puerto Vallarta we took a taxi to the malecon which is a nice boardwalk area. Cabo is nice. You have to take a shuttle to get into laPaz. The day we were there a celebration was going on and the traffic was all jammed up, shuttles were delayed. We skipped the town.

We have been to Loreto and if you enjoy the beach and swimming in the Sea of Cortez, be aware the water is very cold. Down to 61 degrees sometimes.

We also much prefer the 10 day itinerary to the 7 day one that only includes Mazatlan, PV and Cabo. As others have stated, we love Loreto ... such a charming port with very friendly residents. We just explored the town on our own there.

In La Paz, we've gone into town before but probably wouldn't bother to do that again. Instead, there was a kayaking trip that we booked from the ship in the opposite direction of town. Now, that is my suggestion for La Paz. What a beautiful place and the water was the turquoise color you'd expect from being in Thailand. We kayaked through the mangroves and to a little beach on the other side of the bay where we could all take a swim. I do have to say, it was pretty strenuous when kayaking back to the meeting place. The guides, 20 year old males, were not very sympathetic to the physical abilities of some of the guests. But, we all made it and it was a fantastic trip ... so much better than sitting on a non air-conditioned bus for nearly an hour getting there and then a very huge long line to catch the bus back to the port.

There were also a lot of little stands set up at the port with not your normal hawking of wares ... and some unique items to boot.

The other ports .... been there, done that ... but I do like to walk down to the Krystal in PV (10 min walk from the cruise ship pier) and get a massage at their spa.

We have done an itinerary that included La Paz and Loretto twice. The first was the inaugural 10 day cruise on the Grand out of San Francisco and the second was the 14 day 50th Anniversary Cruise out of San Pedro.

Loretto is a tender port but a fairly short ride. Locals provide guides to make sure you get to the main town. Both times there were several groups of dancers and a Mariachi band performing in the main square.

The dock for La Paz is at an industrial port about a 45 minute ride from town. The first cruise we rode the shuttle into town. La Paz has a larger population than Cabo. DW had a shopping opportunity at a very nice jewelry store. Time was short as sailaway was at 1:00p.m. and the wait for the return shuttle was long and in the sun over half the time. Second time we just stayed at the port. There are many craft stalls and a bar set up. DW got to practice her bartering skills and that stop was much less expensive.

For us, PV is a stop for coffee with free internet at the Starbucks in the mall and at Walmart for anything else we might need.

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Just received my 'destination collection' book today and on Page 72, the Baja Peninsula & Sea of Cortez 10 day cruise caught my eye. It sails Feb 18 and Oct 4 in 2019.

 

We had been looking at the 7 day Mexican Riviera Cruise, but this 10 day one also looks very interesting. It begins and ends at Los Angeles and visits the ports of Cabo San Lucas, Loreto, Puerto Vallarta, and La Paz.

 

Has anyone taken this cruise? Does anyone have info or comments to share?

My husband and I have taken this cruise twice, from both San Francisco and LA. These are all great ports with the best activities involving the beautiful beaches, water sports, boating, kayaking, swimming, and snorkeling.

If you go on the October cruise, the water is still very warm to swim and snorkel. If you go on the Feb cruise, it’s much cooler, but it’s a great time of year for whale watching.

We loved Loreto so much that we opted to return for a two week stay. When the cruise ships arrive, towns people turn out for a celebration in the main square. There are good restaurants and great shopping for ceramics. On our first cruise there, we took an excursion via speed boat to Coronado’s Island for snorkeling and hiking. The second time, we went with a local tour company to see the San Javier Mission, which is in a beautiful spot in the mountains outside town.

In La Paz, we rented sea kayaks and paddled across the bay. In Cabo, we had a beach day at one of the resorts. In Puerto Vallarta, we met expat friends for a terrific lunch and stroll along the Malecon.

We have taken both the 7 day and the 10 day. Another vote for the 10 day hands down,

Good morning, Thank you all for your replies! This cruise looks like something we have to put on our list. We have stayed in the Los Cabos area and loved its quiet ambience (at least the area where we were!). Loreto looks very appealing! The cruise also has a number of sea days in which we love to rest and relax and unplug from the world!

I love reading all of your wonderful comments about the Mexican Riveria and Baja Peninsula. I wonder if what I read in the news about tourist being mugged / kidnapped and or caught in a cartel crossfire are just a anomaly and not the norm.

I love reading all of your wonderful comments about the Mexican Riveria and Baja Peninsula. I wonder if what I read in the news about tourist being mugged / kidnapped and or caught in a cartel crossfire are just a anomaly and not the norm.

I read the same reports of tourists being robbed, beaten, kidnapped in the USA. Crime is everywhere. You just need to be as alert when vacationing as you are when you are at home.

You'd be surprised how many people think "I'm on vacation, no one's going to bother me."

We took this cruise last November. Four more thumbs up.

Like most of the previous posters, I thought that La Paz and Loreto were the highlights. Yes, there is a 45-minute bus ride from the dock into town, but I found that trip to be enjoyable.

I know that the cool Cruise Critic kids don't book Princess excursions, but I do. In Loreto the "Mexican Fiesta" is outstanding. They bury local clams in the sand and set a bonfire over them. There are singers and folk dancers. There is a pinata. The clams are just part of an excellent meal--including grilled sea bass along with chicken, a very tasty vegetable dish, standard rice and beans and tortillas, and, I'm sure, some other things that I just don't recall. It's a bit funny that a few people at out table (who were, obviously, knowledgeable in all Mexican cuisines) felt the the meal really wasn't "authentic." The other funny thing was that the lady sitting across from me kept going back for more clams for our table. All I had to do was reach over to the plate and grab more. She and I were the only ones really chowing down on these. So, between the two of us, we put down a couple dozen of them.

Oh, and I, personally, loved the fact that there is no WalMart, or Costco, or Starbucks in La Paz or Loreto. It does preserve the charm of these towns. It is obvious that American tourists are important to the local economies. So, I'm sure that will not last long.

Don’t waste your time going to the reptile farm in La Paz. Very dissappointing

I love reading all of your wonderful comments about the Mexican Riveria and Baja Peninsula. I wonder if what I read in the news about tourist being mugged / kidnapped and or caught in a cartel crossfire are just a anomaly and not the norm.

I live about a 2 hour drive south of La Paz on the Sea of Cortez.

Crime here is not like what is reported on the news in the USA. YES we have crime here, just like any other part of the world. Just seems like crimes here are somewhat sensationalized. I am a senior citizen, travel by myself, and have never felt ill at ease. I watch my surroundings. I was born and raised in the States and lived there until a few years ago. I watch the evening news from the States, CBS, NBC, ABC, CNN and feel less safe in the States. Just got back from the States a few weeks ago.

Come and visit Mexico, you may just enjoy every minute. :););)

You have my vote for this 10 day as well! It is nice to go somewhere other than the Mexican Riviera. Loreto and La Paz were both great stops.

We did this one in April 2016 out of LA on the Ruby and loved it!

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we did this in April. I like this cruise very much and have done it 3 times and will do it again. Love the whale shark tour and snorkeling. This last time we used a private company.

We have also done the 10 day cruise. Of all the cruises I've done it's my very favorite. We had stayed in Loreto for 2 weeks many years ago and it was nice to see it was still as nice as we remembered.