Puerto Vallarta Port Time

[CozGurl]

I feel like 12:00-7:00 is a weird port time. We are water people and I'm having trouble finding an afternoon water excursion like snorkeling or just sailing. Is it too early to look for October? Maybe I'm not looking in the right place? 

 

Any suggestions? 

[Hlitner]

That is a pretty short port day and you are probably wise to stick to the excursions offered by your ship...if you want to take an excursion.   Most local tours (not intended for cruisers) for snorkeling or just sailing do leave earlier in the day.    Also keep in mind that one of our major tour providers, Vallarta Adventures, does not generally sell tours directly to those on cruise ships.

 

If you change your mind and decide to simply spend your time exploring Puerto Vallarta (and perhaps spending some time at one of the beaches) you could do this on your own.  A taxi from the port to the center of town would take about 15 minutes (1 way).  The port is about 3 miles from the northern part of "Centro" or the main part of time.

 

Hank

[Mike45LC]

One thing to keep in mind is that your port visit might NOT really be 12 to 7.  Princess has this annoying habit of NOT adjusting ship time to port time in PV, so that the ship's noon is really 1:00 p.m.  local time.  I do not think you are on Princess (not with a noon to 7 pm port call), but for making any shore excursion plans, you need to know the local times.

 

I got messed up by this once in my younger and less experienced days, and wasted about $150 US by missing my tour.  The advertised 10:00 a.m. arrival time was really 11:00 a.m., so booking an 11:00 a.m. tour was not good.

 

[CozGurl]

Thank you both. We really like to be out on the water and we're really disappointed in the water offerings in PV. 

 

What else should we do? Just walk around? Beach? Ugh. 

[Mike45LC]

My usual advice for PV:  take a mini-van from the port to "the Malecon", which is Mexican for the walk along the shore.  The vans have a fixed per-person charge, with a sign posting the price.   It might have been $10 pp, but I am not sure anymore.  

 

There is a fixed drop-off point at Hotel Rosita.  Walk along the Malecon as far as you like, shopping and viewing.   When you get tired, take a cab back to the ship -- agree upon the price before you get in the cab.  

 

On one side of the Malecon are stores, bars, restaurants/cafes.  On the other side is the Bay.  Lots of tourist stores.  Amazing sand castles/carvings on the beach.  Sculptures above the beach.  

 

If you get to the river, there is a pedestrian bridge.  Flea market on the island in the middle of the river.

 

I visit the Cathedral every trip.  It is along the Malecon, a block or two uphill.  

[MSN-Travelers]

On 6/1/2022 at 5:43 PM, CozGurl said:

Thank you both. We really like to be out on the water and we're really disappointed in the water offerings in PV. 

 

What else should we do? Just walk around? Beach? Ugh. 

 

Sadly, the Bliss's time in Vallarta isn't supported by any water based excursions offered by NCL or other excursion providers.  You will be in port the 1st Wednesday in November.  What type of activity do you enjoy? 

 

[Ashland]

On 6/1/2022 at 4:06 PM, Mike45LC said:

My usual advice for PV:  take a mini-van from the port to "the Malecon", which is Mexican for the walk along the shore.  The vans have a fixed per-person charge, with a sign posting the price.   It might have been $10 pp, but I am not sure anymore.  

 

There is a fixed drop-off point at Hotel Rosita.  Walk along the Malecon as far as you like, shopping and viewing.   When you get tired, take a cab back to the ship -- agree upon the price before you get in the cab.  

 

On one side of the Malecon are stores, bars, restaurants/cafes.  On the other side is the Bay.  Lots of tourist stores.  Amazing sand castles/carvings on the beach.  Sculptures above the beach.  

 

If you get to the river, there is a pedestrian bridge.  Flea market on the island in the middle of the river.

 

I visit the Cathedral every trip.  It is along the Malecon, a block or two uphill.  

We were just in PV mid January and the shuttle from the port to the Malecon was $4.00pp as was the taxi we took back to the ship...actually we had him drop us off at Walmart which was just across the street from where our RCI Navigator was docked.

 

Sorry if you paid $10.00pp that was a rip off.

[MSN-Travelers]

On 6/5/2022 at 1:08 AM, Ashland said:

We were just in PV mid January and the shuttle from the port to the Malecon was $4.00pp as was the taxi we took back to the ship...actually we had him drop us off at Walmart which was just across the street from where our RCI Navigator was docked.

 

Sorry if you paid $10.00pp that was a rip off.

Ground Transportation - This does not include Uber or city busses.

 

Two major taxi services in Vallarta, City & Federal.  

 

Federal taxis operate from the Port and Airport properties. They take passengers away but can't bring people back.  They often charge per person and in US dollars.  They are typically white or off-white van size vehicles. There should be a taxi stand inside the port that will list the rate to popular destinations.

 

City taxis operate throughout Puerto Vallarta.  They are typically small 4-door sedans but some drivers are using minivans.  Typically they are yellow but I have seen a few that are also white.  Pre-pandemic, there was nearly a thousand city taxis out there so finding one is pretty easy.  City taxis charge per cab ride with up to four passengers in a sedan size taxi.  They are supposed to charge in Pesos.  Rates are ESTABLISHED on a zone basis. Rates from point-to-point are posted in the lobby of every resort/hotel.

You can pay in US dollars but do not expect a favorable exchange rate if you do.  A zone boundary exists at the river separating downtown from the Southside (old town/romantic zone). You can save a few bucks by walking from the Southside into downtown.

 

ALL taxis drivers will try to take advantage of a tourist fresh off the ship who doesn't know how things are supposed to work.  

 

ENJOY! . . . 

Edited June 6, 2022 by MSN-Travelers

[Mike45LC]

On 6/4/2022 at 11:08 PM, Ashland said:

We were just in PV mid January and the shuttle from the port to the Malecon was $4.00pp as was the taxi we took back to the ship...actually we had him drop us off at Walmart which was just across the street from where our RCI Navigator was docked.

 

Sorry if you paid $10.00pp that was a rip off.

I paid whatever the pre-printed posted rate was.  It could have been $4, but I have no recollection!   I know that the rates are higher for the federally licensed taxis, but that is OK.  I get in a van at the first taxi station by the ship.  I know I can save a few dollars by walking outside of the port, but I take the most convenient taxi.  I look for a van is mostly filled already so I don't have to wait as long.