What are the best cruise lines for a Mexican cruise?

Question

My husband and parents want to take a cruise next Spring to Mexico (out of either LA or San Diego). We have been looking into different cruise lines and would like to hear opinions on what the best cruise line for adults is. We would prefer to not be on a party boat or a boat full of kids. My hubby and I are early 30's and my parents mid 50's.

I also have questions about gratuities. I read somewhere that Carnival charges $40 a day per person for gratuities and that just seems ridiculously high to me. I can't see spending over $500 in gratuities alone after for my husband and I. Is that correct? Are gratuity charges that high? We aren't that big of drinkers but will like a cocktail now and then, so how much does a drink cost? What would you say is the average tab when the cruise is over? Any info from past cruisers will really help :)

Answer 1

I think a Holland America ship would be a great fit.  We went on the Zuiderdam and the Westerdam several years ago and they were great.   the food was fantastic and the lido deck (anytime buffet) had really great food too.  The ship has lots of functions going on all during the day that thin the crowds out so you never run into gobs and gobs of people.  they had a fantastic Chocolate extravaganza one night complete with ice carvings it was great. As for drink prices they are the same as you would find on land in any restaurant.  They add the 15% gratuity which is fine by me cause I have never left so little for a tip.  As for the other gratuity you heard about.  It is 10.00 per day per person.  This covers your room steward, and wait staff in dining room.  You will get such unbelievable service you will know it is a bargain.  for the 4 of you you will be looking at 70.00 per person or the 7 days so it's 280.00 collectivly.  It sounds like a lot sure but just wait..The staff goes out of their way to make you happy. You ask them for something they say OK!  You really do get spoiled and then you come home and --- well it's back to the same ol' lousy service.

Answer 2

Ive been on 7 cruises, most with Carnival. tipping is pretty much the same across the board (Carnival, Princess and RCL)  and frankly pretty darn reasonable when you start breaking it down. You pay $10 a day per person, The money goes to the room steward who cleans and freshens the room 3 or more times a day, the waitstaff who bend over backwards to serve you dinner 7 nights a week ( add up what you would pay for tips and 7 nights at a fine dining restaurant).

You will pay for drinks pretty much what you pay on land, depending on what you drink. a beer is around $4.50, mixed drinks $5-$7 depending, and there are daily drink specials. If you drink wine with dinner I recommend purchasing the bottle, they will cork it and serve it to you the next evening.

Our tab for 2 people on a 7 day cruise, with alcohol and a $300 art purchase was $800. We have spent more...and less depending on whether we pre-purchase our excursions, which we usually do. We also usually buy at least 4-6 bottles of duty free alcohol, so that is a large part of our expenses.

We just back from a 7 day Mexican Rivera out of Long Beach, and it was one of our favorite trips. We loved the boat, the Pride, and enjoyed the stops the boat made.

You should have a great time whatever you choose, you can also check out cruisecritic.com for other answers

Answer 3

If you don't want the party boat, then don't go on carnival, lots of kids, lots of noise. I prefer Princess as it is far more sophisticated and classy. The food is great, the cabins and perfect, as well as the staff and entertainment. A cocktail will be between $4 to $7 dollars each, plus they charge if you have soda. Tea, coffee(except special coffee), milk are all free in the buffet area and dinning room. Expect to may $10 a day per person for gratuities which on Princess is automatically put on your bill. Everything you buy on the ship including shore excursions is put on your bill. You can expect to have a final bill of around $600 or so if you say do 2 shore excursions and have 1 or 2 drinks a day. of course that can go up or down depending on your drinking and what you may buy on the ship. The Mexican Riviera is a fun, relaxing cruise, but when you get off the ship, don't buy any of the garbage they sell on the street. Go into the stores for your gifts and be willing to bargain on everything you buy. Mexicans expect you to bargain with them.

Answer 4

Well, I am only 13, but I have been on 3 cruises and probably 4 this summer-2 Royal Caribean, and those are the best, but if you are looking for a line with not that many kids, don't go of RC. I have also been on Holland America. I didn't like that as well becuase there were too many old people and it wasn't as fun and upbeat as RC. So, I would reccomend going on Holland America, as much as I like Royal Caribbean. That is if you don't want that many kids or families.

Answer 5

Gratuities are basically the same on all but the high end luxury lines or for passengers staying in suites.  Most lines (including Carnival) suggest $10 per day per person from people staying in a normal cabin.  For those in suites this can go up to $12 or $14 per person per day.

Drinks are about $7 to $8 per drink.

An average tab varies because of the number of drinks, the number of photographs purchased, the number of shore excursions and the amount of souvenirs purchased.  My tabs (I have been on nine cruises) vary from $50 per day to $150 per day, depending on the above variables.  

As to which cruise line to pick, given what you posted, I would recommend either Princess out of Los Angeles or Holland America Line (HAL) out of San Diego.  I don't think Celebrity is offering any cruises from the west coast to Mexico this season, but if it is, I could also recommend Celebrity.  

Another possible choice, if you want the extra luxury (and are willing to pay for it) is Crystal.  Crystal offers a limited number of cruises from  Los Angeles to the Mexican Riviera.  However, Crystal is expensive.

Carnival, Royal Caribbean and Norwegian, all leave from Los Angeles and all are family friendly.  If you are trying to avoid kids, stay away from these lines.  Even with Princess or HAL you want to make sure you avoid the major school holidays (Christmas, Easter and summer).

Answer 6

well first carnival charges 10.00 a day pp and you can adjust that amount up or down . if you want to avoid the kids take a 7 or 8 day cruise...cost too much to bring kids and young party types .. took the Spirit out of San Diego great cruise.. drinks are about 6 or 7 dollars..most people seem to think about 100.00  a day but , you can get buy on a lot less if you want..also if you book shore trips before you go you pay when you book it, so that changes your total bill...