Las Caletas day at the beach

[CarolandNate]

We are booked for the Discovery Family Las Caletas Private Beach Getaway at Puerto Vallarta on our Princess Panama Canal cruise in December. knowing that local companies are actually running these excursions, I found one on Vallarta Adventures that sounded exactly like the getaway.  Except for the price, but in a good sense.  Through the ship, it's $104pp, while through PA, it is $139pp.  Yet everything else is the same.

 

Does anyone know for sure if it is VA running the Princess excursion?  Has anyone done it?  We want to do one beach day in our trip and do some activities around a beach and PV sounded like the best bet for that.  I like that you travel an hour by cat to the beach, stay for about four hours and then travel back an hour.  That all of the activities seem self contained in one area means no wasted time traveling from place to place. 

 

We like to kayak  and do  some around rivers and lakes at home.  I realize this is ocean (lagoon), but it is something we want to do.  Haven't snorkeled in 40 years, so that should be interesting.  I assume those are things where one has to sign up and when the equipment is available, off you go.  I am am guessing that the demos and hikes are also sign up and likely available at certain times during the day.  And I hear that the food is non stop. 

 

I would appreciate hearing from anyone who has done this one as to how they liked it.

[Roatanfans]

We are also doing this excursion on our Holiday cruise.  Double check to see if the tour is offered on your day- I saw something in a video claiming that cruise ship excursions were the only way to do this from a ship- so check with the tour operator before booking!

[canadianbear]

Not positive VA does the Princess one but we’ve done it twice when we cruised on HAL and it was VA.   It’s a great excursion which included lunch.  Lots of things to do free or you can do pay ones as well.  

[Ine]

VA will not accept your reservation if you are on a cruiseship. This due to the contract with the companies. Also if booked by the ship your tour will be within the hours the ship is in Vallarta.

[disneyochem]

I have done this trip twice—both times through the cruise line.  It is a fun trip.  We were served juices and snacks on the way to the beach and had some fun entertainment on the way back.

 

yes, you may rent and/or use equipment once you get there.  I snorkeled both times—not the best spot but fun never the less.  As I recalled the food did have start times—got there around 10 and had to wait about an hour until the buffet was put out.  Drinks were flowing as soon as we got there.  We walked to chairs the furthest from the dock—past the water sport shed.  Most people tended to stop closer to food and dock.  We tipped the wait person so we always had a pretty constant flow of drinks!

 

i enjoy this place and it is a beautiful journey to the resort.  One thing:  it is not like a Caribbean beach though!

Edited September 3, 2019 by disneyochem

[MSN-Travelers]

Hola,

 

Have done the Las Caletas day excursion 14 times since 2000.  The site and available activities continues to expand and improve with each passing year.  To recap the previous information . . .

 

Vallarta Adventures is the exclusive operator for Las Caletas.  They are under contract with the cruise industry and under the terms of the contract, they are not allowed to sell excursions directly to cruise ship passengers.  You must book through the cruise line.  Even if you go online and find a third party excursion broker offering this excursion, you must book with the ship. (Essentially, the cruise lines book all the spaces in advance and release on-sold space 24-48 hours in advance for resort hotel guests.)

 

Continental finger food with juice & coffee on the trip from the port to Las Caletas. They don't want you drunk on arrival.

 

A pretty good buffet for lunch.  You can watch them prepare all the food.

 

Non-powered water gear is available, to include snorkeling equipment, free of charge. I believe they will ask you to leave either a driver's license or your cruise card when you check out the gear.  You can use the gear independently or as part of an organized group activity.

 

Everything is included except trinkets sold in the onsite store.  They have an additive cost Massage operation at Las Caletas and will attempt to sell Massage services on the boat trip to Las Caletas. I seem to recall that they will also have a videographer/photographer on the boat who will try to sell a CD/DVD with pictures/video taken during your stay. We haven't been there for two years so other methods to extract $$ from your wallet may exist.

 

Key staff introductions will be made during the trip to Caletas. They will introduce the Captain as the most important person on the boat.  Don't be fooled . . . the bar tender is the most important person on the boat!

 

Open bar while at Las Caletas and on the return trip to the port.  Drink selection is limited and I believe they only had one brand of beer. Don't expect to get a Key Lime Martini or a Brandy Manhattan.  They normally have large tubs of iced bottle water out for self-help service.

 

Las Caletas staff will have tip baskets out as you leave the site.  The boats crew will also have tip buckets out on your return to the port.  Both are very passive effort and they are happy with anything you might have to offer.

 

Enjoy!!

Edited September 9, 2019 by MSN-Travelers

[flutprop]

We will have our 11yo son with us on our trip in November.  Do the kids and teens areas go by wrist bands to segregate the kids? He looks about 13 or 14 and would love the older kids area if he were allowed in, but if not we will just have to take him again.

I think the age cut off is 12, so he would be exactly one week shy of that on our upcoming cruise.