Caribbean vs. Mexican Riviera - which to choose??

[honeymoon06]

My husband and I went on a 10 night caribbean cruise on the Emerald Princess last year. We loved it. The sunshine! The caribbean atmosphere! The beautiful islands!

 

We are looking at booking the same trip for April next year, with a few days also in Fort Lauderdale.

 

OR....we could do something different. A 10 night Mexican Riviera cruise on the Star Princess (visiting Acapulco, Cabo San Lucas, Puerto Vallarta and Ixtapa) plus a few days in San Francisco.

 

Has anyone been on either/both of these cruises? How does the Mexican Riviera compare to the Caribbean? Is it as beautiful? Does it have the same great atmosphere?

 

We both love snorkelling.....is the Mexican Riviera good for excursions like this?

 

Any advice would be much appreciated.

[cruise2relax]

We have done many Caribbean cruises on Princess and have done the mexican riviera twice (7 day not 10 day). The two trips are very different IMHO. Both are good. We grow tired of the Caribbean from time to time and want something different. The ports in Mexico tend to be slightly depressed (save for Cabo), but there are a lot of very fun and different excursions. Snorkling is available but have not done it. The weather is great in April though. The best part of cruising down the mexican riviera both times was watching the schools of dolphins right of the balcony swimming and jumping next to the ship and the whales breaching the water.

[Stevesan]

The Mexican Riviera snorkeling is inferior and the State Department has recently issued a Travel Alert for visitors to Mexico.

 

http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/pa/pa_3028.html

[TorontoTL]

I've done both cruises and have enjoyed both immensely. Mexico is very different from the Caribbean and as a result it can be quite interesting. As far as the travel warning goes, the areas of risk tend to be the border towns and not the major tourist destinations that are on the cruises. Try Mexico, it is good to see something different. Also, I find that the Mexico cruises tend to get discounted more than the Caribbean cruises.

[pokey's mom]

We have done both as well. Mexico is quite beautiful,:p although I don't care for Mexico ,( because of the people trying to sell you something at every turn:(). I do have to say we enjoyed the trip, we sometimes get tired of the islands and look for something different. You will enjoy the Mexican Riviera if you choose to travel there. Enjoy whatever you decide !!!:D

[gbadge]

I live on the west coast and would not go to Mexico at this time, There have been Kidnapings of Americans and the violance is out of control in Mexico.

[TonyFred]

I have done both and much prefer the Caribbean. I am glad we got to experience the Mexican Riviera, but once was enough. I could go to the Caribbean over and over again. The water is so much prettier as are the ports.

[ginagirl]

I have done both and much prefer the Caribbean. I am glad we got to experience the Mexican Riviera, but once was enough. I could go to the Caribbean over and over again. The water is so much prettier as are the ports.

I agree with your evaluation wholeheartedly. And we have cruise both areas frequently. Give me the Caribbean!!!

[TonyFred]

I agree with your evaluation wholeheartedly. And we have cruise both areas frequently. Give me the Caribbean!!!

 

 

Wow! A woman who agrees with me! Someone call Ripley's!

(just kidding, but I am glad we are in agreement...we have 13 inches of snow in West Tennessee right now, but my mind is in the Caribbean!)

[JPRLHR]

We had done the Caribbean numerous times both by cruise and land based so last time decided to try the Mexican Riviera. We enjoyed the few hours we had in Cabo but weren't impressed at all by PV or Mazatlan. When it comes to scenery, beaches and water there's no comparison and we thought the buzz on ship was missing too.

[sunsetme]

the caribbean wins! the weather is better, the water much better, the beaches are better. Mexico is OK but not great, the pacific shores do not compare to the Caribbean.

[ginagirl]

Wow! A woman who agrees with me! Someone call Ripley's!

(just kidding, but I am glad we are in agreement...we have 13 inches of snow in West Tennessee right now, but my mind is in the Caribbean!)

So sorry to hear about your recent snowstorm. But we live in Arizona, where the temperature will be in the 80's today, and I STILL miss the Caribbean!!!! We have been to Hawaii many times and just recently did the South Pacific, which definitely WAS beautiful. However, my heart is still based in the Caribbean.:)

[TonyFred]

So sorry to hear about your recent snowstorm. But we live in Arizona, where the temperature will be in the 80's today, and I STILL miss the Caribbean!!!! We have been to Hawaii many times and just recently did the South Pacific, which definitely WAS beautiful. However, my heart is still based in the Caribbean.:)

 

 

Same here. We have cruised many different places, including Hawaii, but for some reason the Caribbean feels like home.

[SingerEsq]

I would do a Mexican Riviera cruise again ... I just wouldn't get off the ship.:eek:

 

Caveat: Cabo is great. Better to fly there and spend 3-4 days, though.

[partybarbie]

I have sailed both itineraries many times. The snorkeling in the Caribbean is far superior to the Mexican Riviera. The water is warmer, cleaner, and has more fish and things to see.

 

Have you been to the Western Caribbean? That itinerary stops in Mexico and is a nice change from the Eastern Caribbean. One of my favorites is the repositioning cruise (through the Panama Canal) from Fort Lauderdale to San Francisco. This cruise will give you a "little bit of everything" and you could still spend a couple of days in San Francisco.

[ginagirl]

Same here. We have cruised many different places, including Hawaii, but for some reason the Caribbean feels like home.

Strange, isn't it? My hubby said if I have lived in a previous life, I must have been a pirate who sailed the Caribbean back in the day! :D

 

Just imagine how gorgeous and pristine it was back then....:)

[Lobez]

We have done both cruises, although the Mexican Riveria was a 7 day on the Dawn to Cabo, Puerto Vallarta and Mazatlan. My kids loved the beaches, although I thought the beaches in Cabo were too crowded and dangerous with the water taxis coming right through the bathers onto the beach. I agree with the statement about the buzz on the ship. The Caribbean cruises seemed to have a more exiting atmosphere. We also traveled from the East cost on the first week of November during daylight savings and experienced several time changes throughout the week. It was a little tough on the kids.

We enjoyed the Mexican cruise and would do it again if the deal is there.

[MarkMichaels]

I would do Mexico again, but not in the spring. Last March the water was freezing, very uncomfortable to stay in for long, especially up by Cabo. The water will be warmer in late summer/fall which would make that cruise more enjoyable.

 

If you like snorkeling like you say, the Caribbean wins hands down, plus the water being easily 10 degrees warmer makes a huge difference.

 

Mark

[gertz]

If there weren't so many ships in the Caribbean and if it wasn't such a hassle with air Caribbean would be the choice hands down.

There are and it is.:eek:

Jack

for the

[Sailfish]

We live in Northern CA, so I am very familiar with this cruise, and although we realy enjoy it, like others have said, it's a different experience.

 

First and foremost, think about what you like to do on shore when on a cruise. If your idea of the perfect cruise includes great beaches, warm clear water in which to snorkel, you may be disappointed. As certified scuba divers, we have had to resign to the fact that the diving and snorkeling is pretty crummy in the Pacific compared to the Caribbean.

 

But the experience topside makes up for the lack water related activities we typically engage in the Caribbean. Growing up in Southern CA, the beaches along the Pacific coast of Mexico are similar and actually pretty nice, but they don't have the kind of sand you see in the Caribbean. There is a lot to see and do on the water (just not below it), but the beaches are a far cry from those we are used to on the east coast, and water visibility is pretty minimal, so diving and snorkeling is out.

 

The best tours include stuff like whale watching in late winter, deep sea fishing, zip lining, party boat tours on the water, and shopping. We love the Caribbean, but a cruise departing from CA is so much more convenient not to mention less expensive. The trip down the Pacific cost can be a little cool, and the ride up can be a little rough no matter the time of year. We get the most fog and overcast in June along the coast, so any cruise to the Mexican Riviera can possibly be a tad chilly out on the deck the first and last days at sea. There are exceptions, of course.

 

It's always fun to do different things, so I say go and find out for yourself! Even if you come back and decide this was not the cruise for you, at least you will have seen that part of Mexico, and a cruise is definitely the best (and probably the safest) way to see it!

 

Good luck!

[Genessa]

I have sailed both itineraries many times. The snorkeling in the Caribbean is far superior to the Mexican Riviera. The water is warmer, cleaner, and has more fish and things to see.

 

Have you been to the Western Caribbean? That itinerary stops in Mexico and is a nice change from the Eastern Caribbean. One of my favorites is the repositioning cruise (through the Panama Canal) from Fort Lauderdale to San Francisco. This cruise will give you a "little bit of everything" and you could still spend a couple of days in San Francisco.

 

I agree 100%. We have done many Caribbean cruises and did the same repositioning cruise. It was the end of April, very beginning of May.

 

I wouldn't do the Mexican Riviera part again, unless someone I love plans and really, really wants to. The water was slightly uncomfortably cold. Not freezing cold, but not enjoyably warm. We "ran" into many "itchy" things in the water, too. Not quite sure what they were, but it was one more thing to worry about. The beaches were serviceable, not beautiful. This, despite doing 3 of our fav excursions - snorkeling with Vallarta Tours (thru Princess) - the tour group was excellent (in Puerto Vallarta) and in Cabo, dh went deep sea fishing and I went scuba diving.

 

Acapulco we didn't like at all. The cliff diving is better on tv. No dirty, smelly rivulets running down the streets.

[Auntiejo]

We've taken several cruises to both. Because we live in LA we tend to be quick to take a Mexico cruise because its so easy to hop on the ship and not have to fly. If we get a great deal last minute it almost feels like a free vacation...

 

But if you don't live in LA and you're just comparing the two - Caribbean wins hands down. There's aboslutely no comparison. Better snorkeling, the beaches are more beautiful, and, depending on the ports you visit, often times there's less poverty than in Mexico.

 

If you've never been to Mexico its worth visiting once, but there's so much to see in the Caribbean - west, east, south - we love it all and highly recommend it. If I had to fly either way I would choose the Caribbean every time.

[davidnsteph]

We have cruised to the Caribbean 8 times and to the Mexican Riviera once. Both have much to offer. Since we live in the southeastern US, the Caribbean is easier to get to. For repeat cruisers, the Caribbean probably has more to offer.

 

The Caribbean islands are incredibly diverse, some like a desert, others like a rainforest. The relaxed attitude is also a plus. The aroma of coconuts and spices is always a pick-me-up. We never tire of going there.

 

The Mexican Riviera is also a great place. Sure, the vendors are pushy. But the Spanish colonial towns in the Sierra Madre are lovely, as are the rock formations in Cabo San Lucas. The beaches and resorts around Acapulco are pleasant, and the Day of the Dead tradition is an interesting cultural aspect. The Mexican Riviera is worth seeing, probably more than once, but we think the Caribbean is more diverse and interesting.

 

DavidnSteph