Mexico or Carribean

[farmer joe]

We have cruised 2x to the Western Carribean, Belize, Cozamel and others. What can we expect differently weather, water, wave height, scenery. Thanks for anyones help, we can,t afford to cruise often so every good cruise counts.

[Ine]

This link on cruise-critics tells a lot about the Mexican Riviera

http://www.cruisecritic.com/ports/area.cfm?area=13

I noticed that prices mentioned are not correct anymore. Like buses in P. vallarta charge 5,5 Pesos each and taxi are a little more expensive then mentioned.

 

also http://www.wunderground.com gives information about weather.

Wintertime is in general nice and warm, but summer is often humid and very hot.

[lisa e]

I think it depends on what you plan on doing..I am all for trying someplace new..however if you spend alot of time in the water i much prefer the Carribean..The water is much calmer the visibility is better and it is warmer most of the year..We are divers and have done both..As far as shore tours that is something you would need to research each place has its own beauty. We now reside in San Diego and we are cruising on the Splendor in July..It makes since we are so close to the pier..Good Luck and happy Holidays..lisa

[farmer joe]

We love to snorkel so the warmer clearer calmer water would be a plus for the carribean Thanks for you help.

[smokyhillmom]

Of course, much of this response is personal preference, but here is my experience. Having cruised both the Caribbean and Mexico I would choose the Caribbean easily. We will never take a Mexico cruise again. Don't get me wrong, it was great as it was a cruise and I LOVE crusing, but so many things were different. We felt we could feel more motion from the ship (maybe becasue the Pacific has choppier water, or maybe just our cruise). The motion does not bother me, but my DH and DD were pretty sick some of the time. The water is not even close to as clear as the Caribbean. We did not snorkel as the water on that side just does not lend itself to it like the Caribbean. I have heard others who did snorkel, though many say it is nothing like the Caribbean. We also did not like the ports as much in Mexico. The beaches were fine, but not calm and crystal clear like the Caribbean. Our kids loved the waves though. That said, we went to Las Hadas in Manzanillo and the water was much more clam there, but still not clear. One thing I liked about Mexico is that is wasn't too hot. However, we were there in October and in the Caribbean in June/July, so different times if the year.

[Square]

I've done the Eastern and Western Caribbean cruises (Carnival) and I'm trying the Mexican Rivera (Princess) for the first time in a few weeks. I'll post back my 2 cents. I think I'll have a great time regardless and I'm looking forward to trying Mexico/Pacific. That being said, the Caribbean is beautiful so there really isn't a whole lot to improve on. I'd really like to do the Southern Caribbean but the cost was just too much once you add on the flight to San Juan. Maybe next time. I'll bookmark this thread and try to post something when I am back towards the end of January.

[j-9]

I have done the mex riveria, and didn't even bother to take my snorkel gear. I'm doing it again this year, because it is a fun cruise, just not for snorkeling, for us.

As a side note, I'm looking at caribbean cruises for 2011 and don't know which to choose - east or west, for good shore access snorkeling. Any advice is appreciated.

 

For fantastic snorkeling, try Hawaii! Did the NCLA cruise a couple of times and rented cars and snorkelled at each Island. Great for figuring out where you want to go for a land vacation as well.

[Sunny AZ Girl]

I love both the Caribbean & Mexican Riviera - but for different reasons. As others have said, the Caribbean is better for water activities, snorkeling, diving and beaches. However, the Mexican Riviera has an abundance of history and culture that is not as apparent in the Caribbean.

 

To enjoy the Pacific Mexican ports you must get away from the port area and EXPERIENCE the beauty of the Mexican culture. Mexico is not all about tacos and tequila (although that is fun, too).:) Go with a guide who LOVES his community and will show you why he is so proud. Mazatlan Frank in Mazatlan is one of the best guides I have ever experienced. He showed us Old Mazatlan area that is being restored and is gorgeous, the new progressive side of town and cultural aspects such as the Mercado - where locals shop everyday. That was a treat - nothing like the local grocery stores here! In addition a good local guide will take you to a good and clean restaurant where you can taste local cooking and not worry about getting sick. In PV we last went to a Mexican Fiesta and tequila tasting through the ship which was a lot of fun. Next time we will be going with Mazatlan Frank's partner in PV to see the city through his eyes.

 

Cabo is more tourist oriented and there are many things to do. That is the port where you can enjoy a day at the beach or do water activities without missing out on the culture offered at the other two ports on the typical 7 night MR cruise. There are wonderful resort areas that are fun to tour if you do not want to enjoy the beach and shopping is abundant. In the winter you can enjoy whale watching.

 

Keep in mind that if you choose the 7 night 3 port itinerary there are three days at sea (which I love), but the first and last sea days will be cool, especially in the winter months. So choose your ship accordingly. You will want to be on a ship that offers the amenities you would enjoy on those days. The water does tend to be choppier, but that is not a problem for us.

 

We are also limited on cruise time and money, so I can relate with you wanting every cruise to count! Since I am trying to experience something new on each and every cruise I would recommend you try something different this time around and do the Mexican Riviera if you enjoy seeing new things. As others said before, if water activites are more important to you then I would stick with the Caribbean.:cool:

 

Here is a link to my Webshots album on the Golden Princess when I went with my Mother almost two years ago:

http://travel.webshots.com/album/562311829vTFOQg

 

Here are our pictures from our tour of Cabo on the Radiance of the Seas a couple of months ago:

http://travel.webshots.com/album/574967067buicGI

 

I am anxious to go on the Mariner of the Seas with DH and our friends from the AZ Cruiser's thread to the MR in May!:D