San Diego Mexican Riviera

[Mekka]

Is HAL backing out of the Mexican Riviera trips from San Diego? They had substantially increased their frequency during the last 2 years, but there is almost nothing scheduled next year. Am I missing something?

[Roz]

I'm sailing Feb. 4, 2018 from San Diego.

 

Roz

[Mekka]

They are running the January/February schedule (I'm on one of those as well), but there doesn't seem to be anything after that. For the fall 2018 and spring 2019 season, it looks like they have repositioned the Oosterdam & Westerdam. Do they have something else in mind or are they abandoning the market?

[CruiserBruce]

Fall 2018-Winter 2019 hasn't been fully released yet. It is trickling out...probably finished in the next week or two .

[57redbird]

Does HAL ever do the Sea of Cortez? We've done the Riviera twice but would love to do the Baja portion.

[taxmantoo]

Does HAL ever do the Sea of Cortez? We've done the Riviera twice but would love to do the Baja portion.

We did it on the Oosterdam in April 2011 and I really cannot recall seeing it offered much or often after that. It was 10 nights and the Baja portion included stops in Guaymas, Topolobampo and Loreto.

[OlsSalt]

Does HAL ever do the Sea of Cortez? We've done the Riviera twice but would love to do the Baja portion.

 

Every once in a while one of the smaller ships, probably on re-positioning itinerary -- has included going deeper into the Sea of Cortez - agree this is a great cruise. You have to keep your eyes open to these extended itinerary possibilities. Hope they do more. But the weekly routes do stick mainly to Cabo. PV and Mazatlan.

[VennDiagram]

We did it on the Oosterdam in April 2011 and I really cannot recall seeing it offered much or often after that. It was 10 nights and the Baja portion included stops in Guaymas, Topolobampo and Loreto.

 

We did Sea of Cortez in late 2013. We watch, and hope, because we would love to do another one.

[OlsSalt]

Crystal and Azamara offer some Sea of Cortez options right now.

 

We did Crystal Sea of Cortez a few years back, when others were cancelling the Mexican Riviera due to the drug turf wars at that time. The Crystal ship was about half full, as they also faced many cancellations which led to Crystal offering fire sale prices for a RT out of San Pedro - it was a great cruise and obviously no incidents in this area since the grisly drug crime was happening in Acapulco at that time. Might want to see what they are offering.

[dag144]

Princess has a very nice 10 day cruise. Begins at San Pedro. First stop is San Diego which is a very nice place to stop. Then Cabo, La Paz, Loreto, and PV. Sea days after San Diego and Loreto, with two sea days after PV. Seem to be the best itinerary for the price and line available currently. I've done it three times

[OlsSalt]

Princess has a very nice 10 day cruise. Begins at San Pedro. First stop is San Diego which is a very nice place to stop. Then Cabo, La Paz, Loreto, and PV. Sea days after San Diego and Loreto, with two sea days after PV. Seem to be the best itinerary for the price and line available currently. I've done it three times

 

HAL needs to get back competing with all these other cruise line Sea of Cortez itinerary offers. The interest is there and as air travel gets more onerous all of us west coasters like the idea of not having to fly to a embarkation port. It is a leisurely itinerary that can be done over and over again - far more interesting to us than the Caribbean - not as over and artificially developed.

[57redbird]

Princess has a very nice 10 day cruise. Begins at San Pedro. First stop is San Diego which is a very nice place to stop. Then Cabo, La Paz, Loreto, and PV. Sea days after San Diego and Loreto, with two sea days after PV. Seem to be the best itinerary for the price and line available currently. I've done it three times

 

I'm looking at that one but I'd really like to stay loyal to HAL.

[VennDiagram]

Princess has a very nice 10 day cruise. Begins at San Pedro. First stop is San Diego which is a very nice place to stop. Then Cabo, La Paz, Loreto, and PV. Sea days after San Diego and Loreto, with two sea days after PV. Seem to be the best itinerary for the price and line available currently. I've done it three times

 

Thanks! We will have a look at that. :)

[frankc98376]

HAL sent out this press release in May. Evidently have changed their mind about 2 ships in Mexico as looks like Westerdam is only doing a couple of 7 night Mexico but several 15 night trans-canal cruises

 

https://www.hollandamerica.com/news/NewsRelease.action?newsReleaseId=1462&showHeader=true&showFooter=true

[pcur]

Princess has a very nice 10 day cruise. Begins at San Pedro. First stop is San Diego which is a very nice place to stop. Then Cabo, La Paz, Loreto, and PV. Sea days after San Diego and Loreto, with two sea days after PV. Seem to be the best itinerary for the price and line available currently. I've done it three times

 

I agree. We loved our 10 day Princess Mexican cruise, and loved the Sea of Cortez ports.

[swedish weave]

I.haven't heard any recent updates on the cruise port being developed at Rocky Point.

One of the early releases said HAL was going to have a ship there when it opened.

Has anyone gotten any recent info?

[Roz]

What/where is Rocky Point?

 

Roz

[swedish weave]

What/where is Rocky Point?

 

Roz

 

Rocky Point is in the Northern part of the Sea of Cortez. It is officially named Puerto Penasco.

[Roz]

Thanks, Swedish. Never heard of it.

 

Roz

[slidergirl]

It's a Gulf getaway for people in Arizona. I never heard of it until I had a place in N. Scottsdale.

[Marianne]

We Arizonans just drive down to Rocky Point (Puerto Penasco) from the Phoenix area. Many folks have condos or rent a place for a week or something like that. I've heard they are building a cruise ship port there, but nothing truly factual yet. :halo::cool::):halo:

Marianne

[swedish weave]

If you Google Puerto Penasco cruise terminal, you will see several articles from 2013 to current. It appears that some of the money has disappeared and the current administration is trying to get the project going again.

 

Some of the work has already been done.

[igraf]

I am not seeing the point in cruising up to Puerto Penasco as I live in San Diego. All that cruising just to end up a few miles from Arizona! I would prefer to remain down in the tropics on a Mexican cruise.

 

igraf

 

 

 

If you Google Puerto Penasco cruise terminal, you will see several articles from 2013 to current. It appears that some of the money has disappeared and the current administration is trying to get the project going again.

 

Some of the work has already been done.

[rapata]

We spent 6 weeks in an RV park right next to the new cruise port in Puerto Penasco aka. Rocky Point....this winter. Construction has been stalled for over a year and no signs of it starting up again any time soon so dont hold your breath for this to become a reality. They have built part of the seawall and there are pilings way out beyond the current construction

 

[OlsSalt]

We spent 6 weeks in an RV park right next to the new cruise port in Puerto Penasco aka. Rocky Point....this winter. Construction has been stalled for over a year and no signs of it starting up again any time soon so dont hold your breath for this to become a reality. They have built part of the seawall and there are pilings way out beyond the current construction

 

 

Reminds me of the very, very, very long dock they built in the remote Huatulco port, but at least they finished it. Necessity met function. Tried to suggest this to the PTB in my So Calif home town which is an occasional tender port and they just laughed.

 

BTW: "The World" just showed up here for a few days stay - the residents at sea ship with a few hundred passengers in their own condo suite cabins.