I wasn’t sure about a Mexican Riviera cruise (or cruising at all). Here’s why I’m already planning my next cruise.

The Pacific coast of Mexico—the Mexican Riviera—appeals to me in a way that other parts of Central America don’t. I’m not sure why. Maybe it’s the colorful architecture or the fresh seafood. The margaritas certainly help. So, when I was invited to spend seven days on a Mexican Riviera cruise with Princess Cruises, I jumped at the chance.

I had another reason to go; I’d never been on a cruise. Usually, I prefer to spend a few days at a destination, immersing myself in what the area has to offer. The thought of spending only a few hours in port never really appealed to me. But I realized on this trip that I was missing the point.

My husband, Jerry, and I discussed future cruises within a few hours of embarkation.

Getting Ready for our Mexican Riviera Cruise

Before our Mexican Riviera cruise, we downloaded the Princess MedallionClass app, which allows you to make dinner reservations, book shore excursions, and view onboard activities. It also connects to your Medallion, a quarter-sized device you wear around your neck or wrist while on the ship. With the Medallion, you can board the ship without touching anything or anyone, order food and drinks on board without cash or cards, and enter your room without a key. You can even pay for souvenirs or meals at some shoreside retailers, as we did in Puerto Vallarta.

Less than 48 hours before we set sail, we also had to get a COVID test. In addition to up-to-date vaccinations, we needed a negative test to board, and we had to wear our masks inside the ship at all times unless we were in our room or eating and drinking. Because of that and the great lengths the crew went to keep the ship sanitized, we felt completely safe on our cruise.

At Sea on a Cruise

I was concerned I’d be bored on the ship since I don’t typically enjoy lounging by the pool, and the Majestic Princess doesn’t have go-karts, iFly skydiving, an escape room, or an ice bar. I was wrong. There was always something to do, from watching dolphins from our balcony to listening to live music in the evenings. One of our highlights was playing ping pong; we probably never would have done it on land, but we had a great time just goofing around.

The ship kicked off with a fountain display and live music. Photo by Teresa Bitler

Another highlight for me was the Lotus Spa. Following a 55-minute coconut poultice massage, I felt more relaxed than I had in months. Jerry and I also visited The Enclave, the spa’s thermal suite. In addition to its hydrotherapy pool with high-power jets massaging tired muscles, The Enclave features three steam rooms and heated stone beds. I was tempted to order lunch using the MedallionClass app (staff uses your Medallion to locate you and deliver your order) and spend the day there.

There seemed to be something always going on. As the ship left Los Angeles, we partied on the lido deck as live music played 80s favorites like “Footloose.” After dinner, we watched a cocktail-making demo at the Good Spirits at Sea Bar. We watched a presentation on how the ship navigated and another on life at sea, both presented by crew members. We also attended a mixer in the conservatory.

A balcony stateroom is necessary for afternoons spent sipping wine and watching the waves. Photo courtesy of Princess Cruises

Of course, the entertainment was top-notch. Jerry and I attended two shows—one featuring comedian A.J. Jamal and the other featuring magician Naathan Phan. Both were great, but if you can see Phan anywhere, including one of his many TV appearances, take it. And we spent several nights listening to the live music performed in The Piazza.

Mexican Riviera Cruise Shore Excursions

Leading up to our cruise, I lamented how little time we’d spend at each destination. I was eager to explore more than the approximately eight hours we’d be in port would allow. However, my perspective shifted once I spent some time on the ship. Excursions became an extension of the ship’s activities, as far as I was concerned, and I enjoyed the short time onshore.

Cabo San Lucas

We chose to take the whale-watching excursion while in Cabo. Since we had some time before the excursion left, we decided to have lunch first, randomly choosing a restaurant near the pier. It was probably the best meal of our trip—meaty shrimp deep-fried in a coconut batter and mango habañero ceviche. If you ever visit Cabo, don’t miss the fresh seafood.

On the water, we saw whales partially surface at least 20 times. There were repeats, like the momma and calf, that popped up multiple times, but regardless, we saw tail slaps and even a few leaps.

We saw at least 20 breaches like this during our whale-watching excursion. Photo by Teresa Bitler

The boat even stopped so we could take photos near The Arch, the distinctive stone landmark near the harbor’s entrance. Locally referred to as El Arco, the naturally occurring rock formation is a popular gathering spot for sea lions and tourists. Crew members passed out free margaritas, rum punch, soft drinks, and snacks along the way.

The Arch in Cabo San Lucas. Photo by Teresa Bitler

After disembarking, we didn’t want to return to the Majestic immediately. Instead, we chose another restaurant near the pier for drinks, chips, and people-watching. Although I wish we had more time, I had a great day in Cabo.

Mazatlán

In Mazatlán, we opted for the ceviche-making demonstration. It seemed to fit since the Mexican Riviera is known for its fresh fish. Unlike the whale-watching excursion, our ceviche excursion began as soon as we disembarked, so we followed our guide to our local transportation—red pickup trucks with benches in the back. We left and walked to the El Presidio Cocina de Mexico restaurant near Plaza Machado.

The Mexican Riveria boasts some of the best ceviche you’ll find anywhere. Photo by Teresa Bitler

I loved this restaurant. Most of the seating is in a spacious interior courtyard with exposed brick and canopy shade trees. After we took our seats, we had a tequila tasting followed by a lunch of three different ceviches. The demonstration was a little disappointing, however. We watched the sous chef combine pre-prepped ingredients, and we didn’t receive a copy of the recipe. I had hoped the excursion would be more of a cooking class, but the ceviche was delicious nonetheless.

We ordered chips and margaritas at the shops near the cruise terminal. I was always a little skeptical of the touristy places, but I must admit we enjoyed hanging here, listening to the DJ spin 80s music, even more than we did the ceviche making.

Puerto Vallarta

I knew a few hours’ visit could not do justice to Puerto Vallarta, so I suggested a trip to San Sebastián del Oeste instead of a city tour. This was our favorite excursion despite the winding, bumpy roads that gave me motion sickness. (And, yes, I did take a Dramamine tablet before we set out.)

Colorful streamers flutter above the Church of San Sebastián del Oeste entrance. Photo by Teresa Bitler

Just before we entered San Sebastián, we stopped at a coffee plantation. It was essentially a garden area where we could sample coffee and purchase some to bring home, which we did. From there, it was just a few minutes to the town center. Strings of red, ornately designed banners fluttered across the streets, and roses bloomed along the square’s edge. We dropped by the church and walked to a silversmith’s shop. That’s it. But I fell in love with the former mining town. It felt authentic.

On the way back, we had lunch at a raicillería. Similar to tequila and mezcal, raicilla is a spirit produced from agave. We sampled the distiller’s raicilla and tequila with our lunch of roasted vegetables, grilled beef, and fresh tortillas. Then we headed back to the ship.

The horno heats up to roast the pina (agave) for raicilla production. Photo by Teresa Bitler

Food and Drink on the Mexican Riviera Cruise

Ask almost anyone why they love cruising, and they will almost certainly mention the food. I can see why, from the fresh bread at every meal to lobster on the second formal night. During our 7-day cruise, we ate three nights at a specialty restaurant, two in the Allegro dining room, two in the Concerto dining room, and breakfasts and lunches at various dining spots. Here’s what we found.

Breakfast

We ate at Allegro our first morning, and honestly, I wasn’t too excited about my eggs Benedict. The hollandaise sauce had too much lemon, and the texture was off. So, the second morning, we decided to try the World Market. We ate every breakfast there after that. Not only were there plenty of choices, but the breakfasts were so good that later in the week, I took a chance on the eggs benedict there. I wasn’t disappointed. It was as perfect an eggs benedict as expected on a buffet line.

The Bistro Sur la Mer onboard the Majestic is one of many dining options. Photo courtesy of Princess Cruises

But eggs—benedict or otherwise—aren’t the only items on the buffet. One morning, I had a breakfast burrito. Another morning, Jerry opted for a made-to-order omelet with Spam. We ate bacon and corned beef hash every morning, and I couldn’t resist the smoothies—try the banana! I also really liked the international dishes on the breakfast buffet. My favorite was the Asian-style pork.

My only regret about dining at the Majestic is that we limited ourselves to breakfast at the World Market. Next time, I plan on trying it for lunch and dinner.

Lunch

We ate lunch on land during the three days we were in port. However, our favorite lunch spot on the ship was Alfredo’s Pizzeria. Although it had a limited pizza menu and was often backlogged at lunchtime, the crust had great flavor. And it was a fun place for people watching on The Piazza.

We ate lunch on the ship the other two days and grabbed something to eat on the lido deck. Jerry went for a burger both days, while I had a burger one day and wonton soup from Chopsticks Noodle Bar the next. I liked the soup, though the burger was okay, and I considered going back for seconds on the fries.

Wonton soup from Chopsticks Noodle Bar was a good lunch option. Photo by Teresa Bitler

This brings up a point I wanted to make. Yes, there is a lot of food, but the portions are usually small compared to what we typically get in the United States. For example, my fries were less than half of their small-size fast-food counterpart. And that’s a really good thing. You can try a lot of food, order a second entrée or two appetizers, and not feel overly stuffed.

The poached egg, creamed spinach, mushroom, and cheese appetizer at Bistro Sur La Mer was so good. Photo by Teresa Bitler

Dinner

The Allegro and Concerto dining rooms serve the same menus and look very similar. If you want a sit-down, fine dining experience, either will do the trick. The wait staff is exceptional, and the food won’t disappoint. My favorites were Caesar salad, French onion soup, and crème brûlée for dessert. Since I never made it upstairs to the World Market at dinnertime, even to see what the buffet offered, I can’t compare the menus at these dining areas to what is offered there.

However, if you have the budget, I think the specialty dining options, which cost $29.99 per person, top Allegro and Concerto. The Asian-themed Harmony serves a mix of American favorites like Kung Pao Chicken and unfamiliar ones like eggplant and roasted duck in a spicy plum sauce. Bistro Sur La Mer dazzles with French offerings. I highly recommend the lobster bisque with a puff pastry top over the bowl. Perhaps my favorite though was the Crown Grill, where I indulged in a New York strip steak and cobbler for dessert.

My favorite meal was a New York strip steak and cobbler from the Crown Grill. Photo by Teresa Bitler

Other Things to Know

Despite COVID, I felt completely safe on our Mexican Riviera cruise. I saw that Princess Cruises is taking its passengers’ health very seriously. I understand the reluctance to cruise right now, but the deals are great if you ever want to cruise. An inside cabin for our cruise currently costs $349 per person, plus drinks and excursions.

I also wanted to point out how amazing the staff on the Majestic was when we sailed. The first morning, I was surprised when Georgie, who maintained our room, enthusiastically called out to us by our names, “Mr. and Mrs. Bitler.” By the end of the cruise, it seemed perfectly normal that two crew members I had only met once before separately greeted me by name, asked if Jerry was sleeping in, and inquired about how we had spent the previous day at sea.

The Piazza is the heart of the ship. Photo by Teresa Bitler

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Feel at Home When You Cruise

More than anything, the experience opened me to the possibility of cruising again. I loved feeling like I mattered to the crew. Many could tell my name because of the Medallion, but Georgie, Ernesto, and Vinny saw me in passing. They didn’t have a digital device to remember my name. And we made friends with other passengers. I loved the sense of community onboard our Mexican Riviera cruise.

So, yes, I will be cruising again. When you decide it’s the right time to cruise—whether in Alaska or Mexico—let Wander help you plan your next cruise adventure.

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