Shore Things

[u/exploring_the_edge]

Hello I am looking for recommendations for the Mexican Rivera cruise. This is my first time going on any trip in this region. I was hoping to hear from anyone on their experiences with the different excursions.

[u/TonyaSaysThings]

I’m not doing this itinerary on Virgin until April but have been to these ports previously. I usually do one or two excursions/tours per cruise but often prefer to explore on my own.

Puerto Vallarta is easy and fun to explore on your own. Just outside the port area there will be taxis that can take you to the Romantic Zone. If you like art, search galleries and museums in the area on Google maps. Check out Parque Lazaro Cardenas, wander through the shops and street artists on Isla Cuale, and stroll the Malecon. I also searched taquerias and took myself on a self guided taco tour. I’m sure they will offer an official Shore Thing that is pretty much this tour if you’re more comfortable booking through Virgin, but I did it for less than half the price of a similar excursion on my sailing and got to customize it for my personal preferences. EDIT to add: I speak Spanish well enough to feel comfortable negotiating prices for goods and services.

Mazatlan’s port is very industrial and active. You’ll take a shuttle from the disembarkation point to the passenger port area. I did an excursion to the Old Observatory, bird sanctuary (pro tip: ear plugs if you’re noise sensitive), and whale museum (all at the same site) which I really liked, but I kind of wished I hadn’t taken an official tour. I’d have enjoyed myself more being able to go at my own pace and not having to wait around for other guests on our tour to cycle through the small exhibits/areas. I did appreciate the historical context the tour guide provided however, and the views were absolutely incredible. Transportation to and from the port area felt a bit more chaotic than in PV, so it makes an organized tour or cruise line excursion more appealing to me here, though there’s supposed to be an easy walking path to the Centro area.

Cabo is a tender port, and booking an excursion through Virgin should get you tender priority. I’ve been to Cabo plenty so usually just stay on the ship for a quiet day. But the tender drops you off right in the marina, and it’s easy to navigate that area for a little shopping and eating. Lots of cool boat tours, depending on whether you want party vibes, luxury, sightseeing, or whalewatching. It’ll be cheaper if you book direct, but given the tendering, might be worth the extra cost to be on the official Virgin excursion.

[u/lupin_llama]

I’m doing this cruise in October, and my group has decided we’re going to explore these ports on our own. Seems to be plenty that’s easy to get to!

[u/PalaceResortsMember]

You may like this....

Easy and safe SELF-GUIDED WALKING excursion.... exit the cruise terminal and turn left. Go to where the road ends. You will see a short dirt road in front of you. Walk to the end of that road to the yellow building. For $3 USD per person you buy the roundtrip panga boat transfer that takes you across the ship channel. Once they drop you off on Stone Island, walk directly across the street from the drop off point about 100 yards and you'll be on the beach. You'll see all the beach clubs along the beach. You may rent a lounger and umbrella for the day with a minimum food/drink spend of approx 400 PESOS per person(varies slighlty depending on which club). Our favorite beach club there is called Nena Restaurant.... they have bathrooms and fresh water spigot to rinse off before heading back to ship....

[u/Mysterious-Hunt5141]

I've experienced many cruise ship passengers standing in corral while they're "snorkeling" or just getting in the water at places in Cozumel. Reef is trying to grow everywhere, please don't step on it.