Delightful trip to Mexican Riviera!

Item: Royal Princess
Rating: 4.6
Author: BradleyG

Royal Princess Cruise Review to Mexico

BradleyG

Contributor Level: Purser

Cruises: 7+ cruises

Reviews: 3

Helpful Votes: 108

Overall rating:

4.6 out of 5

7 Night Mexican Riviera (Los Angeles Roundtrip)

Sail date: April 20, 2019

Ship: Royal Princess

Cabin type: Balcony

Traveled as: Couple

Reviewed: 5 years ago

Review summary

Our first time to these destinations, and we weren't disappointed! Especially enjoyed Puerto Vallarta. The Royal is a wonderful ship, and we look forward to our next voyage on her or another Princess ship.

Embarkation

5 out of 5

Minimal wait in priority boarding lounge, and was onboard by 11:30 ready for lunch!

Ship experiences

Food and Dining

4 out of 5

Specialty dining in Sabatini's was outstanding - we went twice! The food in the MDR was up to Princess standards, but frankly, the service was a bit lacking based on prior experiences. The attentiveness to detail just wasn't there - simple things like offering ground pepper on salads or refreshing wine - but it was off from prior cruises.

Onboard Activities

5 out of 5

We didn't do a lot of activities - we like to just relax - but we did very much enjoy the balloon drop dance party! It was an absolute blast, and all ages took part and had a great time.

Entertainment

4 out of 5

Most of the shows we attended were very good, but the volume level in Princess Theatre was way over the top for production shows! Volume is very subjective, but we've been to many Broadway productions and other venues, and it was way more than necessary. Take earplugs if this is a concern for you.

Service and Staff

5 out of 5

Generally the service and staff attitude was outstanding all the way around.

Ship Quality

4 out of 5

Spotless. The only complaint here was the lack of staff oversight to ensure guests in the buffet used the washing stations. Too many people blast right by and don't use the provided sinks and sanitizer. It only takes a few seconds, and potentially saves other passengers from food-borne contamination.

Cabin / Stateroom

5 out of 5

This mini-suite was very comfortable, especially the bed! This particular cabin was right below one end of the Sea-walk, so it has a slightly more extended overhang than some balcony cabins. It also had ample space in the bathroom.

Ship tip

The new MedallionNet is wonderful if you get an Internet package or have complementary minutes. Performance is very good.

Thumbs up

Ports of call

San Pedro (Los Angeles), California

5 out of 5

We stayed at a nearby Best Western, which had a complementary shuttle to the cruise terminal.

Thumbs Up 2

Cabo San Lucas, Mexico Did not visit port

Not interested in this particular port - too much like where we are from - the desert!

Thumbs Up 0

Mazatlan, Mexico

4 out of 5

We stuck to the city, and enjoyed a resort beach area. Lots of people, but plenty of space to spread out too.

Thumbs Up 3

Puerto Vallarta, Mexico

5 out of 5

This was our first time to this port, and we really enjoyed the "Hidden Mexico" excursion through Vallarta Adventures. Got to see some more rural and interesting sights away from the main city area.

Thumbs Up 3

Disembarkation

3 out of 5

Got off the ship much earlier than expected, but that was compensated for by long lines at Customs and no Global Entry expedited line.

Traveler Photos

3 Comments

piperg 5 years ago

Did the mini suites have a curtain you can pull to block off the sofa area from the bed area?

Thumbs Up 0

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Travelgirl27 5 years ago

People just need to learn to wash their hands and dry them properly. Hand sanitizer doesn’t wash anything...

Thumbs Up 0

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Travelgirl27 5 years ago

I wash my hands before I go to the buffet, so don’t assume all people are coming in with dirty hands. I refuse to use hand sanitizer...part of the problem with all the superbugs these days. I try to get past those people as fast as I can. Thanks for the review...we are doing Sky Princess next March and cannot wait to experience what Princess has to offer.

Thumbs Up 0

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Other reviews of this sailing

Perfect time on Princess' Royal Class ship with Medallion Class experience

The best in a long time, food was excellent