1st time to Mexican Riviera...looking for tips on what to do...

[bapoigirl]

My husband & I will be on the Carnival Splendor in April. We have never gone to the Mexican Riviera and would love any advice on things to do as well as what to watch out for.

 

Will be in Cabo 2 days and 1 day in PV. Hubby is already booked on a sport fishing excursion in Cabo (that was how I got him to agree to this cruise!). We booked a hidden beach safari/snorkel/horseback riding/waterfall all day excursion in PV, but now are considering cancelling that and just hitting the town, especially after hearing about the robbery in PV, not sure we want to be out in the remote areas.

 

Any advice you all can give would be awesome!

[jmelnick]

In PV, if you just want to say in town check out Vallarta Eats (www.vallartaeats.com). We went on their Taco's and More tour and had a great time enjoying the local food. I highly recommend it.

[vinandsyl]

My husband & I will be on the Carnival Splendor in April. We have never gone to the Mexican Riviera and would love any advice on things to do as well as what to watch out for.

 

Will be in Cabo 2 days and 1 day in PV. Hubby is already booked on a sport fishing excursion in Cabo (that was how I got him to agree to this cruise!). We booked a hidden beach safari/snorkel/horseback riding/waterfall all day excursion in PV, but now are considering cancelling that and just hitting the town, especially after hearing about the robbery in PV, not sure we want to be out in the remote areas.

 

Any advice you all can give would be awesome!

we were on the Splendor in Feb the one in the news, we did the zip line tour with Los Veranos felt safe at all times. didn't know about incident till friday back on the ship. i book with them directly. also walk thru downtown area. were back on ship by 5ish change and went out to eat with a taxi driver he took us to neighborhood restaurant waited for us to finish drove us back to ship by 830ish or so. if you want i have his card you can call/email him. he's from Oregon speaks english my girlfriend speaks spanish. in town didn't see any issue's but like anything else just be careful. might want to double ck your tour i think they cxl some of the excursions in PV involving going in the jungle

[bapoigirl]

Thanks for the tips jmelnick and vinandsyl, I checked out Vallarta Eats-looks yummy and also double checked the excursion status on carnival, looks like it is still a go. I am too much of a coward to do the zip line, terrifed of heights, but looks like a lot of fun, maybe someday.

 

Friends are telling me we should stick with the excursion, things should be fine. This is an all day excursioin, won't be back to ship until 4 or so and then will probably just check out the marina area with shops then head back to the ship.

 

All this talk about dangers in Mexico just makes me a little nervous, but it's true this stuff happens everywhere! Thanks again! :)

[will.b.cruisin]

Hi Vinandsyl,

 

I have booked Los Veranos for myself and 2 teenage sons during spring break cruise on Splendor. We can't wait to go...was it as good as you thought?

Did you ask the tour bus to drop you off in town instead of going back to cruise ship first? What time did you get to town on return from zip line tour? I need to arrange a time to meet wife in town but was not sure when zipline bus would drop us off in town.

Thanks.

[MSN-Travelers]

Hi Vinandsyl,

 

I have booked Los Veranos for myself and 2 teenage sons during spring break cruise on Splendor. We can't wait to go...was it as good as you thought?

Did you ask the tour bus to drop you off in town instead of going back to cruise ship first? What time did you get to town on return from zip line tour? I need to arrange a time to meet wife in town but was not sure when zipline bus would drop us off in town.

Thanks.

 

What time slot are you doing Los Veranos? There are quite a few.

[will.b.cruisin]

MSN-Travelers - the time slot for Los Veranos is 11:15 at Collage Disco near marina. I think that we will be on site for zip lines at 11:45. Any ideas when we would then be dropped off in town. Thanks.

[MSN-Travelers]

MSN-Travelers - the time slot for Los Veranos is 11:15 at Collage Disco near marina. I think that we will be on site for zip lines at 11:45. Any ideas when we would then be dropped off in town. Thanks.

 

The 11:15 Collage pickup (don't expect a motorcoach style tour bus) will have you at the Los Veranos Canopy Tour office in time for a 11:45 departure to the actual excursion site.

 

Travel time each way to/from the excursion site is roughly 45 minutes. Ziplining is roughly 90 minutes. Add another 20-30 minutes for post-ziplining "stuff" at the excursion site. That's roughly 3.5 hours until your return to the Los Veranos office on Vallarta's south side (3:15). They were doing some road construction on Route 200, the road to the excursion site. This may be completed by the time you are in Vallarta. If not, expect the travel time to be an extra 15-30 minutes.

 

It has been my experience that most, but not all, shuttles take people back through the south side and downtown areas before heading back north to the port and beyond. Along the way, the driver has been willing to drop off passengers at other locations on request. If you parked your wife downtown or on the south side, you would likely be able to meet her around 3:30 or so.

 

The Collage Disco is to the north of the port. Not sure how you plan on getting there but for a couple buck more via city taxi you can go direct to the Office.

 

Do you have a meeting place figured out yet?

 

Enjoy!

[will.b.cruisin]

The 11:15 Collage pickup (don't expect a motorcoach style tour bus) will have you at the Los Veranos Canopy Tour office in time for a 11:45 departure to the actual excursion site.

 

Travel time each way to/from the excursion site is roughly 45 minutes. Ziplining is roughly 90 minutes. Add another 20-30 minutes for post-ziplining "stuff" at the excursion site. That's roughly 3.5 hours until your return to the Los Veranos office on Vallarta's south side (3:15). They were doing some road construction on Route 200, the road to the excursion site. This may be completed by the time you are in Vallarta. If not, expect the travel time to be an extra 15-30 minutes.

 

It has been my experience that most, but not all, shuttles take people back through the south side and downtown areas before heading back north to the port and beyond. Along the way, the driver has been willing to drop off passengers at other locations on request. If you parked your wife downtown or on the south side, you would likely be able to meet her around 3:30 or so.

 

The Collage Disco is to the north of the port. Not sure how you plan on getting there but for a couple buck more via city taxi you can go direct to the Office.

 

Do you have a meeting place figured out yet?

 

Enjoy!

 

Thanks for your information. The e ticket that I recieved by email said to meet the Collage Disco at 11:15. I didn`t know that I could go to the office instead, by taxi. I would assume that the taxi is faster and then we could avoid the shuttle or bus.

 

Wife and I have not figured out a meeting area yet but I was thinking of finding a shop (online map) along the Malecon to meet at. We are also considering just meeting back at the cruise ship and then going back into town together.

 

Just a side note, I sure have found alot of helpful information from reading your many other posts and comments on this forum. :)

[MSN-Travelers]

Thanks for your information. The e ticket that I recieved by email said to meet the Collage Disco at 11:15. I didn`t know that I could go to the office instead, by taxi. I would assume that the taxi is faster and then we could avoid the shuttle or bus.

 

Wife and I have not figured out a meeting area yet but I was thinking of finding a shop (online map) along the Malecon to meet at. We are also considering just meeting back at the cruise ship and then going back into town together.

 

Just a side note, I sure have found alot of helpful information from reading your many other posts and comments on this forum. :)

 

Los Veranos loves to give the illusion of extra value by offering a "free" shuttle to the actual tour office on the south side. You can walk to Collage Disco. There are areas along the way that have no sidewalks and you either play frogger on the main highway or walk through rubble strewn fields. Most people take a taxi from the port to Collage.

 

I raise the issue because some people are/were pressed for time and missed the shuttle. I always thought is was kinda silly for people to taxi north of the port only to ride a "free" shuttle back past the port on the way to the tour office.

 

A good meeting place would be the Cheeky Monkey (on the Malecon at the ladder sculpture), Starbucks (on the central square), Cafe Roma (on the Cuale River near the Flea Market) or the Sea Monkey (on the beach immediately south of the Cuale River Island).

 

Great maps here: http://www.vallartainfo.com/

 

Enjoy!

[will.b.cruisin]

Thanks again MSN-Travelers for helpful information

[mousey]

My husband & I will be on the Carnival Splendor in April. We have never gone to the Mexican Riviera and would love any advice on things to do as well as what to watch out for.

 

Will be in Cabo 2 days and 1 day in PV. Hubby is already booked on a sport fishing excursion in Cabo (that was how I got him to agree to this cruise!). We booked a hidden beach safari/snorkel/horseback riding/waterfall all day excursion in PV, but now are considering cancelling that and just hitting the town, especially after hearing about the robbery in PV, not sure we want to be out in the remote areas.

 

Any advice you all can give would be awesome!

 

Bapoigirl what week in April are you sailing? We are also thinking of doing the hidden beach safari/snorkel/horseback riding/waterfall excursion. Would like to know if you are going before us if you would mind coming back on to this thread and giving a review of the excursion. We are sailing on 3/8. Thanks!

 

Hope you have a great cruise and would love to see you give a review of the it when you return!:D

[vinandsyl]

Hi Vinandsyl,

 

I have booked Los Veranos for myself and 2 teenage sons during spring break cruise on Splendor. We can't wait to go...was it as good as you thought?

Did you ask the tour bus to drop you off in town instead of going back to cruise ship first? What time did you get to town on return from zip line tour? I need to arrange a time to meet wife in town but was not sure when zipline bus would drop us off in town.

Thanks.

we were done around 3ish give or take bus will take you back to office or down where docks are aways from the ships. we got off at the office walk around downtown, he told us to take blue back to the walmart ship is accross the street you see when you dock. its very safe the robbery was someplace else and not on the bus but in the jungle. have fun

[vinandsyl]

we were done around 3ish give or take bus will take you back to office or down where docks are aways from the ships. we got off at the office walk around downtown, he told us to take blue back to the walmart ship is accross the street you see when you dock. its very safe the robbery was someplace else and not on the bus but in the jungle. have fun

 

part 2 it was very interacting the guides keep you laughing the whole time..the will try to sell you pictures and a video we bought both if you talk with another person maybe go halves on the dvd my a copy just a fyi or buy ur own not very much i think around $40.

[bapoigirl]

Mousey - We are sailing 4/15, sounds like you will have already sailed. (did you mean to say you sail 4/8?) We are seriously considering cancelling that excursion due to the remote areas it takes you to and after what happened to the passengers getting robbed. If you go, please post your thoughts on it, thanks.

[AZ Karaoke Girl]

My recommendations:

Dolphins Swim in Cabo or whale watching or snorkeling with Pez Gato.

 

In Puerto Vallarta, we enjoyed the city tour with tequila tour. Took us on a tour of PV, saw the sanctuary & city hall too then went to the tequila factory/distillery. I personally wouldn't go into the jungle but that is just my opinion. Too much to enjoy elsewhere that might be safer although anything can happen anywhere including Long Beach. Ya just never know. One thing I personally don't do is carry my passport with me. I leave it in the safe locked up and have a photocopy of it with me in the event anything should happen, it might help the consulate get me back home. Passports are worth a lot of money in Mexico. I also don't carry a ton of cash on me.

[MSN-Travelers]

Mousey - We are sailing 4/15, sounds like you will have already sailed. (did you mean to say you sail 4/8?) We are seriously considering cancelling that excursion due to the remote areas it takes you to and after what happened to the passengers getting robbed. If you go, please post your thoughts on it, thanks.

 

If a tourist was robbed in the greater Orlando area, would you tell people it isn't safe to visit Disneyworld?

 

Take a look at a map. This excursion takes you to a series of locations on the south shore of Banderas Bay that can only be reached by water. You will spend most of your time on/in the water, on a beach or in a restaurant area. The horseback ride is the only time you would be "in the jungle" (in an area that can only be reached by water).

 

In the end, you must do what you feel is best for your family but you and your family are in greater danger traveling to/from the ship in your home port on this excursion.

 

And yes, only an idiot takes their passport off the ship in any port!

 

Enjoy!