12 day Sea of Cortez advice

[BJzink]

We have done the 7 day Mexican Rivera Cruise on the Zaandam last Feb, and really enjoyed it. Has anyone else done the 12 day Sea of Cortez? We'd like to know if the extra 5 days and more ports are worth almost 3 times the cruise fare ($599 vs. $1600 for inside cabin). This cruise is on the Statendam, similar size ship and age from what I can read. We do like the smaller more elegant ships, so this is not a deterrent. Any feedback would be helpful. Thanks.

[CowPrincess]

We've done the 10 day Sea of Cortez. We have enormous pre-cruise travel expenses, so for us any 7-day trip is seldom "worth" the investment in hotels, airfare, etc. whereas the longer cruise is better value when we consider all the turmoil and cost of our travel to and from the embarkation port ;)

 

We like the off-the-beaten-path ports that we get to visit on the Sea of Cortez itin. Much less touristy, way more "real Mexico". Have been considering doing it again, on the 12 day sailing, but the Cdn dollar vs US dollar is not encouraging us to spend right now :D

 

The 4 Sea of Cortez ports are a bit of a culture shock to some people, be aware of that. We didn't see much in the way of "glitz" in Topo, Guaymas or Loreto. La Paz is heading towards "glitz" but hasn't quite gotten there, thank goodness ;)

 

Can't comment on the Statendam, but have been on the Ryndam multiple times and like the size (as you noted, similar to the Zaandam in size).

 

IMHO and only an opinion, the price of the interior cabins may come down. So you could book, watch prices, request a re-faring if appropriate, pre-final-payment.

[reefisher]

We have done the 7 day Mexican Rivera Cruise on the Zaandam last Feb, and really enjoyed it. Has anyone else done the 12 day Sea of Cortez? We'd like to know if the extra 5 days and more ports are worth almost 3 times the cruise fare ($599 vs. $1600 for inside cabin). This cruise is on the Statendam, similar size ship and age from what I can read. We do like the smaller more elegant ships, so this is not a deterrent. Any feedback would be helpful. Thanks.

 

If you are talking about the cruises up into the Sea of Cortez, they are some of my favs. Although the ports are small they have some real character. Lorteto seems to be a favorite for many folks. Topolabampo is okay if you want to take the Copper Canyon tour otherwise it is just an industrial port. Having said that I do like the beach excursion but it is not always good weather and only runs then. Los Mochis is good for one visit, it is a real Mexican bustling mid sized town. I enjoy La Paz or Playa Tecolote when at Pichelinque. But the real charm of the Sea of Cortez is the incredible feeling of serenity and nature in all of it's abundance.

[DAllenTCY]

Loreto is worth it......my favorite of all Mexican cruise ports.

David

Edited January 21, 2014 by DAllenTCY

[SJSULIBRARIAN]

We have done 10 and 11 day Sea of Cortez cruises on the Ryndam and Zandam and loved them. The small towns of Guaymas and Loreto are interesting in that they are quiet and as I envision Mexico used to be before the commercialization. If you don't do Copper Canyon in Topo, (we never have as I think it is too long a day and a lot of transport to the Canyon where you only get a few hours - others love it), there are a few tours that do the mangroves and the waters nearby - being a commercial port, there is nothing there. And this past December according to Jeff's blog, Topo was canceled. If you haven't seen La Paz, it is nice. The only thing that keeps us from doing this cruise in December 2014 is the two days in Puerto Vallarta having been there more times than I can count.

 

As to whether it is worth the cost, I could not say. I think only you would know that.

[Loreto]

We have done 3 10 day Sea of Cortez Cruises ( thus my screen name Loreto) and each one was wonderful! You will love the "real" Mexico!:)

 

Karen

[Rosethorn40]

I have wanted to do this cruise for several years and actually had it booked for Spring 2010, but cancelled to take a 14-day to Hawaii instead (Got a great deal and DH really, really wanted to go to Hawaii).

 

Then they were not doing it for a few years I guess due to safety concerns, and interest. It seems as it gets closer to sail date the price does drop. It did in the past, but then since they are only doing one sailing maybe it won't. It's a bit of a gamble. It's still early so I would think the price would drop some. Just keep an eye on it, and if the price does drop to a price you are happy with snag a cabin.

 

I am considering this cruise for our 10th anniversary next December. It will all depend on the travel fund :)

[Krazy Kruizers]

When HAL offered the 10 day Sea of Cortez and 10 day Mexican Riviera cruises -- then known as back-to-back -- we did them a couple of times and loved them.

Loved Loreto, La Paz, etc. We liked the idea that the ports were small and not over run by a ton of ships.

For us to travel across the country for just a 12 day cruise -- hotels, air, etc., - it is not worth it.

[PatsyAnne]

We took a ship's tour from Topolobampo - Land of Zorro & Native Culture. It was an enjoyable day that I think included a slow raft trip, a delicious lunch, and some dancers. It was the only organized tour we took on that cruise, and we were all (4 of us) glad we had. Loreto was one of our favorite stops.

[HALFans]

The additional, lesser visited ports are well worth the additional fare IMHO...

 

We did the 'Best of Topolobampo' ship tour which we loved... we even got to see an actor dressed as Zorro who danced with each of the ladies on our tour. The provided lunch was phenomenal! BTW - the tour description is not kidding when they recommend insect repellent, very important for the 'river walk' portion of the tour.

 

As others have said, Loreto is a favored stop on this itinerary. I wish we could remember the name of the restaurant... we had a huge seafood lunch for two that included lobster, crab, fish, clams, oysters, etc... all for less than $50 I think.

[Krazy Kruizers]

I had forgotten about Topolobampo -- another great port.

Quite a few people on our ship did the Copper Canyon tour -- a very long day. I knew we couldn't handle that.

[RJ2002]

We did the Sea of Cortez on the Ryndam and liked it very much. Would be hard for me to say if it would be worth it for you, but for us, it certainly was.

 

The unique ports are so very different from stops like Cabo and PV. We did the Copper Canyon train, and it was one of the highlights for us.

[smileycruiser2007]

I did the 10-day Sea of Cortez, and just loved the whole experience. Loreto is a charming place to stop, and also on a snorkel-dive trip we saw sea lions, flying rays, and blue-footed boobies. The mountains so close to the sea..One of my favorite cruises ever, on the Ryndam, and have been on Statendam too. Did not go to Copper Canyon myself. Some people really liked it, and some thought it was way too much effort for the time there. :)

[RJ2002]

I did the 10-day Sea of Cortez, and just loved the whole experience. Loreto is a charming place to stop, and also on a snorkel-dive trip we saw sea lions, flying rays, and blue-footed boobies. The mountains so close to the sea..One of my favorite cruises ever, on the Ryndam, and have been on Statendam too. Did not go to Copper Canyon myself. Some people really liked it, and some thought it was way too much effort for the time there. :)

 

Yes, the Copper Canyon train excursion is a long day. You will leave early morning, and return late afternoon/early evening. We enjoyed it because we love train travel and viewing the scenery. The villages and people you will see are unlike anything we'd ever experienced in Mexico.

[BJzink]

We have done the 7 day Mexican Rivera Cruise on the Zaandam last Feb, and really enjoyed it. Has anyone else done the 12 day Sea of Cortez? We'd like to know if the extra 5 days and more ports are worth almost 3 times the cruise fare ($599 vs. $1600 for inside cabin). This cruise is on the Statendam, similar size ship and age from what I can read. We do like the smaller more elegant ships, so this is not a deterrent. Any feedback would be helpful. Thanks.

Thanks for your informative comments. We do like looking for smaller, less developed Mexican towns. We have been all over Mexico in resort cities, small inland towns (to see the Monarch butterflies) on a small tour bus, an RV tour down the Gulf coast, and using rental cars to "get out of town". Unfortunately, these are no longer a safe option, so we wanted to get opinion about the ports on this cruise. We can drive to San Diego in 3 hours, so travel cost is pretty negligable. I think the advice to keep watching the fares, and get serious about whether we want to go about 4 months ahead of time is what we will do. Thanks again.

[Krazy Kruizers]

Yes, the Copper Canyon train excursion is a long day. You will leave early morning, and return late afternoon/early evening. We enjoyed it because we love train travel and viewing the scenery. The villages and people you will see are unlike anything we'd ever experienced in Mexico.

 

 

Both times we were in Topolobampo -- those taking the Copper Canyon tour were having breakfast early.

This is a write up of the tour -- I am surprised your's ended so early.

The tour can handle 330 people. Breakfast was served from 3 - 4 AM in the Lido for those who went on the tour. Then everyone gathered in the Veermer Lounge at 4:30 and waited until 5:30 when they boarded their buses. Each person was given a card that indicated their bus number, train seat assignment, and what time they were to eat at the summit. It is about a 2 hour bus ride to the train station - the buses were given a police escort through Los Mochis so as to avoid lights and traffic. Once on the train everyone got a box breakfast. There were 2 shifts for lunch at the summit. And everyone was given a box snack on the train on the way back to the buses. Some said the food was definitely not HAL's - the overall rating - typical Mexican food. Everyone was back on the ship by 11 PM. So in order to eat between 3 and 4 AM you had to be up by at least 2:30. For those passengers - a long day - 20 and 1/2 hours!!!

[RJ2002]

Both times we were in Topolobampo -- those taking the Copper Canyon tour were having breakfast early.

This is a write up of the tour -- I am surprised your's ended so early.

The tour can handle 330 people. Breakfast was served from 3 - 4 AM in the Lido for those who went on the tour. Then everyone gathered in the Veermer Lounge at 4:30 and waited until 5:30 when they boarded their buses. Each person was given a card that indicated their bus number, train seat assignment, and what time they were to eat at the summit. It is about a 2 hour bus ride to the train station - the buses were given a police escort through Los Mochis so as to avoid lights and traffic. Once on the train everyone got a box breakfast. There were 2 shifts for lunch at the summit. And everyone was given a box snack on the train on the way back to the buses. Some said the food was definitely not HAL's - the overall rating - typical Mexican food. Everyone was back on the ship by 11 PM. So in order to eat between 3 and 4 AM you had to be up by at least 2:30. For those passengers - a long day - 20 and 1/2 hours!!!

 

Thinking back, I guess it was evening. It is definitely a long day, that I do remember!

[TiogaCruiser]

Is there a significant amount of scenic cruising on this one?