Which ship is best for the Mexican Riviera?

[mlbcruiser]

We are thinking about sailing to the Mexican Riviera next spring, sometime between late Feb. and the first wk. of April. Though we have sailed on NCL in the past (several years ago, several yrs. apart), it's been a while. Most of the time we sail w/RCCL, but do Carnival and have done one smaller Princess ship as well (but it was one of the former Ren. ships in the So. Pacific so it wasn't REALLY an original Princess ship), and a couple of other lines. We like NCL's itinerary in the Mex. Riv. the best by far. Anyone care to comment on which line/ship they chose for the Mexican Riviera or have any other input that might help us decide? Stuff like how crowded w/spring breakers will it be on this itinerary and is that a dry or wet time to go? Thanks for any info! :)

[catmand]

Hi, the ships will all be packed to the gills (ha, a pun kind of) over spring break, always are. I would guess the 3-4 day cruise will be the worst in terms of crowds. Carnival just because ofit's "reputation" will get the most "kids".

We are just about to go on our second rip down there. I would love to give you a good answer but what type of cruise are you looking for? Do you like to party? are you looking for a real casual cruise ot ne that is fairly formal or one in between. What type of activities do you like, where do you live (for boarding info) how long do you want to go for? Things like that would help folks with their info to you. Right off the top of my head, without any information from you I would suggest the Daimond Princess out of LA, next spring she will just be 1 year old and is a beautiful ship.

[karfest]

We debated between taking the NCL Star and the Diamond Princess. We took a repositioning cruise from Acapulco to LA on the Dawn Princess that was fantastic. We ended up booking the Star for next March for these reasons.

 

-Better itinerary. 8 days vs 7, includes Acapulco and my favorite port, Zihuatenejo. We enjoyed Mazatlan but I didn't feel strongly about going back there.

-We are leaving on a Tuesday, which makes flying, hotels, etc. cheaper and easier for us.

-NCL was a little less expensive

-We are taking our kids, (20 & 17) and our high schooler will not miss as much school as it is during her spring break.

-Most college spring breaks are over by the end of March. According to those we talked to last year, students on cruises were not a problem, it was the ones who are in port- although during daylight hours they are pretty scarce! (this applies to both ships)

-We liked personal choice on Princess, but preffered freestyle on NCL because there were more restaurant choices.

-Of all these, I think itinerary was the main deciding factor.

 

The Diamond Princess is a newer, beautiful ship and we were very happy with our princess experience--maybe we'll take the Diamond next time! I think you would be happy with either choice. Our weather in April was sunny and 85- March should be about the same. The rainy season doesn't start until May-June.

 

I think making these decisions and planning is almost the best part of cruising:)

[mlbcruiser]

Well, out of l8 of them, I've never met a cruise I didn't like! To answer most of your questions, which are good ones, catmand. . . We are pretty flexible. Like a fun atmosphere and lively music, etc. However, though I drink some, my DH doesn't at all. We dance a little, mostly to fast stuff, and even like younger music (even some Rap) and also reggae, salsa, etc., but tend to "Watch" rather than partake (not my idea, but my DH's! LOL!). We are VERY used to spring break cruises and usually have been going around the 3rd wk. of March for several yrs. But not having that crowd is nice, too! Though we like Carnival o.k. and think they have really improved their product, the decor (a little bit overdone to me) of their ships and plain staterooms aren't our favorite. We love RCCL's decor and have sailed them the most. We have only sailed Princess's Tahitian Princess. So although we have sailed Princess, never a REAL Princess ship. (The TP was great. But too quiet for kids, for sure. That was definitely a destination cruise.) We have often sailed w/one of our kids and many times had her friends w/us. So kids don't really bother us. Generally, we sail large ships, but the TP was only 30 something tons and was fine. We found entertainment on both of our NCL cruises (though they were some time ago) to be outstanding. Cabins not my favorite, though. We enjoy the traditional dining but are willing to try the dine around thing. Might be fun - IF we can eat in the places we like (again, spring break can make or break that, I bet). We are "on the go" types. Love water sports; don't care about art auctions; wine tasting; napkin folding; etc., but love dance lessons and sunbathing! Like to get off the beaten path just a bit and see how the REAL locals live, etc. Enjoy talking to them as well. Have never done HAL (am a bit afraid it would be too "staid" for us, but maybe not) and would love to try Celebrity and a larger Princess ship. I have seen neat itineraries on Princess and other lines in MAY or Sept. for this itinerary, but we need either late Feb., March, or the lst wk. of April, so other than the Carnival Spirit, this ship looks like it's our only choice if we want Acapulco in the itinerary. In fact, we'd PREFER to take a newer Princess ship, but unless I'm mistaken, haven't found one w/that itinerary at that time of yr. Time? We can't cruise longer than 8, MAYBE 10, days at that time. L.A. is not a problem getting to. Our favorite places to cruise to have been: St. Thos (for St. John!!!!), San Juan, and St. Lucia but we love something about so many islands/places we have cruised to! Sometimes what is UNDER the water is the biggest draw. We have done E., W., So. caribbean and a one wk. mediterranean cruise, plus the Tahiti one. The competition for this Mexican Riviera itinerary was a 6 day cruise on Costa to Brazil. But the airfare would be so pricey, we don't think it's in the cards for our very next cruise. So, like you, karfest, the itinerary is probably the main reason we are looking at the Star! Glad to hear you enjoyed your past cruises to MX! If any of you think of anything else, please post! Thanks again! :)