bobnsofi

Oops... almost forgot... you asked for "reasonable, low cost"

best bet on that... head to PV's Metamorphosis... go 1-2 blocks north... you will find massages for $20/hr, rather than Metamorphosis highly rated $40+/hr

Cabo is not known for massages. That said, massages are everywhere tourists are in Mexico.

PV is known for massages

A top rated one in an area worth a stroll is below

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g150793-d1222182-Reviews-Metamorphosis_Day_Spa-Puerto_Vallarta.html

Mazatlan has a terrific cruise terminal, and if memory serves, free wi-fi, and with its rebirth this season, likely fast, and as in all terrific cruise terminals... por un dólar o dos más... speedy broad band

Short Answer... Cruise Card

We take Passports, Health Ins Cards, and Credit Cards ashore... everytime

??? CAUSE... WHAT IF ???

tenders in cabo typically run continuously. if you are 2 days porting in cabo, your ship will leave at night and return the following day. you could overnight in cabo or Todos Santos. your choice. most stay on board. Todos Santos is less than 1 hr drive from cabo

walmart in pv, walk over, credit card gobs of vanilla and tequila items, return and stow in ship. best bargain mex vanilla items achieved in less than 1 hr

then pick up nick nack small qty vanilla and tequila items elsewhere and compare

Bucerias is picturesque and has a very small malacon area with minimal convenient improved retail shopping (all curios stands), yet would be a distant boring hot bus ride. For us it is better to rent a car in the cruise port for $50 and see lots more (grand nueva vallarta and the sea side area north of Bucerias, then back to WOW old town south of the cruise pier and its fantastic custom and varied shopping)

pv zip line

parasail cabo

or

pv zip line & parasail

cabo - something else

The cruise terminal is lovely and has some spa services

The ship ports in an older industrial area near old town with lotsa locals shopping...

thus no "decent spa near" for "a bit leery"

on the other hand... lotsa locals shopping = lotsa inexpensive spa services... locals style

it's the "bit leery" that steers to the lovely cruise terminal

Then wrap it up with a visit to stone island

maybe try a $20 horse ride on the beach

Take a water taxi back and walk (or taxi) the 1/4 mile to the cruise terminal

Then relax in the cruise terminal

Start off at the Playa Bruha (end of beach on left)

Then heading back south, tour around the Marina (from left to right)

Then Stop by El Cid and see the Islands, Beach play, pool areas, and greet many of your fellow cruisers

Then stop at a Playa Norte beach front Palapa for a fish taco

Then mix it up with the locals at the old town market and cathedral

at the end of your stroll through the cruise terminal, there is a motor court

directly to the right is the out gate, it will be mobbed with folks

walk past all this mayhem to the AUTO IN GATE.

stop, relax

send your best negotiator out the in gate

go for $20 +/- per hour, try for a kind looking elderly driver (like the one pictured)

Have the Pulmonías driver take you to the Playa Bruha (10 miles north, cool drink on the beach), and then work your way back, stop by El Cid (high 5 your fellow cruiser's and check out the beach play/view, then briefly see the Golden zone shopping, then tour Old Town, then have him drop you off near the ship at the Stone Island Ferry (pay him off & enjoy a stone island visit).

You have now see many MANY beautiful Mazatlan sights

we have done exactly this, many times

have fun

Bruha => http://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g150792-d1077950-Reviews-Mr_Lionso_Playa_Bruja-Mazatlan_Pacific_Coast.html

Bruha on left, Stone Island and cruise terminal on right

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Some folks just love to hike this port to old town at 1/2 mile away

the golden zone's gotta be 5 miles away

Most find a Pulmonías Taxi (go out the in terminal in gate and bargain for $20 per hour... or per ride... they are everywhere)

Around how much do the ATV's or horses cost to rent?

Our experience is a horse can be rode for 1+ hours for $20, and ATV is more $35

Question regarding Caribelle Batik. I have read about the number of items that can be purchased there. But do they sell the Batik fabric by the yards. I sew and would love to have several yards of batik to make dresses.

We were just there, a tourist stop with a small colorful expensive store. It did not seem like wholesale bulk yardage would be an option. A woman similar to below does the waxing before dying demonstration as you walk in. Interesting to see. A simple, yet very colorful, pair of shorts was $50. We saw nothing hanging and drying as pictured below. All items appeared to be made elsewhere (a historical plantation site with a small colorful store)

Below is a pic of Medano

At the bottom center is the Marina (cruise ship tender drop off)

Most everyone takes a water taxi to Medano ($4 + $3 return pp)

The party zone is the blue beach awnings in the center of the pic

Tobascos is in the very upper TOP OF PIC beach area of the pic (where the concrete drive turn around circle is).

The Good and Bad of the Tabascos area.

The good is CHEAP food and drink and LOTS TO LOOK AT

The bad is vendors, most cruisers HATE the vendors

They are relentless - at least 1 per minute all day long will approach you

A quick confident "Gracias, NO"... GOOD IDEA

Trying to ignore a vendor... BAD IDEA

If you are a rookie, look around at how the well tanned do it, and copy them

As you can see in the picture, there are many resorts on Medano.

Most have vendor free beach areas

If we were travelling as a well dressed Couple, we might consider walking right into any of these resort beach areas like we own the place, walking right up to the beach bar, that is usually up near the pool, and order a cool drink (! TIP !). Ask to see a lunch menu. Ask the bar staff if it would be ok to stick around for a few more cool drinks. TIP FREELY. Before you know it, you are accepted guests in a vendor free area of a beautiful resort (Mexicans love to go with the flow... with generous smiling respectful blend in cruisers).

Another option is to have the water taxi drop you off before (BELOW) the BLUE BEACH AWNINGS IN THE CENTER OF THE PIC

This area has far less vendors, is very quiet, not nearly as much to see, and is resort food and drink only ($$$) a $5 beer would be average, and of course, almost no partying atmosphere

and if you don't like it there, you can always walk up past the party zone more towards Tobascos.

Visiting a Resort Reception Desk and asking to buy a day pass is not such a good idea... blending in and tipping freely is a good idea

The Medano Party Problem is over rated

Medano is a huge beach with a small party area

Tobascos is near the south end of things, very little party there

The Mango Deck and Office are 1/4 mile north (middle of party)

The sand on Medano is Unpleasant to walk in (deep large coarse grains); thus drunk partiers mostly stay put

Almost no one swims at Medano Beach

That said, there are lots of vendors, beach chairs and a beautiful bay to gaze at

checked a random arrive sample in 01/15, and ALL DO NOT arrive as early as Independence of the Seas, but at 6:15 walk off, I'm sure 4 giant ships were already pier'd up (high seas and wind could likely delay that substantially).

The way it worked was very orderly. After customs, a walk immediately outside the terminal is a staging area for bus transfers. We walked left from there, for several 100 feet, and that's where the van's were (2 of them). There were no taxi's visible in that area. They must have been nearby, and it was dark.

Seems to me for planning, FLL airport can be reached a minimum 1.25 hours after scheduled docking time (.75 hrs for walk off after arrival time, .5 hours for customs and van ride, as you can be nearly 1st in the customs line).

Unless you are on a transition (or 1st of the season) cruise... seems to me 3 hours after scheduled arrival time for plane liftoff is a safe bet at FLL, in most cases.

We also don't like to push it, but in this case, we needed to be home asap, and it worked out fine

Hi all,

We searched this and found nothing.

After a cruise returning to Fort Lauderdale, we wanted to take an early flight home. As you all know, flights before noon on end of cruise day are typically considered tight for us cruisers.

Well this is how it went (we just did this... yesterday)

We called the cruise line and they said that the ship ports at the end of the cruise at 5:30am.

We called the cruise line many times in the weeks before the cruise on this topic and most cruise line customer service reps were saying flights before 11am were risky. NOT SO!

Once on the ship, the guest services desk said we could walk off at 6:15am. At 6:10am we were allowed to walk off. They have large 8 person FLL airport transfer vans waiting for $11pp. We were at FLL airport at 6:45am. We could have made an 8am flight.

Hope this helps those who follow

Cabo is a harsh windy desert climate located in the middle of the pacific ocean, with shear drop off deep ocean water; not a calm shallow tropical location.

Very few people SUP, or even swim... rather... almost no one swims.

Lots of people fish for deep water giant marlin.

Medano Beach is a very large beach with a small party area. The 50 yd morning walk from Tobascos water taxi drop off to Pueblo Bonito Rosa would likely not see any partying, only a steep coarse (hard to walk on) sandy beach with lots of vendors, and then a beautiful Pueblo Bonito Rosa pool area stroll to the Avis Booth in the Lobby Entry.

A water taxi ride with a resort stroll to Avis would be memories for a lifetime. Then 6 of you could be dropped off near the tender at the end.

Most folks are hesitant to rent a car and drive in Mexico. We are not hesitant to do so.

Cabo is a favorite port, a young city with nice highways, and an extremely beautiful ship anchor ambiance

you could also send someone ahead to rent from Avis and drive back around to near the tender pier, if ya wanna save water taxi $ for 7.

All the car rental places in Cabo are a far Far FAR walk from the cruise pier on the busy ugly main street, and the Pueblo Bonito Rosa lobby and walk thru the pool area is NICE

Rent a car at Avis Pueblo Bonito Rosa (location Avis KB6 - quick, east, fast - water taxi to it on Medano Beach).

Make an Avis reservation online cheap, call Avis to change the location to KB6.

Get on the 1st tender early (figure out how). There are many ways to do this.

Get on a water taxi to Medano Beach. Tobascos beach drop off is the closet to Pueblo Bonito Rosa

The Bad News... everytime we pass Chileno beach, no one is there, and it is not a place to spend the whole day (marginal snorkel in Cabo).

The Good News... STOP BY at Chileno beach and THEN SEE ALL THE GREAT OTHER SIGHTS

Thank you. Great picture.

Does the El Cid El Morro sell day passes?

Guess they call the main El Cid, Castilla Beach

They welcome Cruisers with open arms

With a large group, we would charter a van in the cruise terminal (easy). (or outside the cruise terminal much cheaper). Have the best negotiator in your group Walk out the "In Gate" and make it happen (the "Out Gate" is mobbed).

Show up at El Cid asap.

Pay as you go

Option B STEP'N IT UP: rent a car at Avis Pueblo Bonito Rosa (location Avis KB6 - quick, east, fast - water taxi to it on Medano Beach).

If Option B is for you, make an Avis reservation online cheap, call Avis to change the location to KB6.

Get off on 1st tender early (figure out how). There are many ways to do this.

Cabo: Take water taxi over to Medano Beach ($3 + $1 pp) ($3pp back). Walk Medano Beach. Stop in at a resort or a lively bar. Beach Play (jet ski, para-sail)

take water taxi back to cruise pier. walk marina boardwalk and surrounding area. Stop in at Cabo Wabo, and have a taco and cool drink at adjacent Ripps. Walk back to the marina boardwalk and enjoy a waterfront cafe and people watch, slowly meandering your way back to the tender pier. Wait until the tender line is short, and at the last moment take one of the last tender's back to the ship.

Option B STEP'N IT UP: rent a car at Avis Pueblo Bonito Rosa (location Avis KB6 - quick, east, fast - water taxi to it on Medano Beach). Visit Los Cabos, and also tour up to Todos Santos (Eagles Hotel California), stop by Punta Cerrtios on the way back for a cool drink and a self guided hotel tour (WOW)

Punta Cerritos short video we made

Punta Cerritos Hotel View