Mexico Cruises with Holland America
October 27, 2005
Whoever said that three's a crowd obviously wasn't talking about Holland America Line's Mexico cruises. Because when Holland America Line adds a third ship to their Mexican Riviera and Sea of Cortez itineraries for 2007, three will definitely make good company, indeed. Experience Holland America Line on one of many Mexico cruises south of the border on the ms Oosterdam, ms Zaandam, or the ms Ryndam. Mexico cruises with Holland America are filled with an abundance of wildlife, the privacy of quiet afternoons, starlit skies, and city-lit coasts.
Choose from 28 Mexican Riviera cruises on the resplendent 1,848-passenger ms Oosterdam. Departing every Saturday from January 6th to April 21st, and then from September 29th to December 15th, the seven-day sailings will take guests to Cabo San Lucas, Mazatlan, and Puerto Vallarta. Get in some whale watching, Mayan temple exploring, or spicy food eating.
Or, take a 10-day Sea of Cortez voyage with Holland America Line; the 1,258-passeger ms Ryndam offers 7 cruises between February 21st to April 22nd and four Mexico cruises between October 11th to November 10th. Puerto Vallarta, Mazatlan, Topolobampo, and Loreto will be your ports of call; the latter two are exclusive HAL stops.
Finally, the 10-day Mexico Cruises to the Riviera takes place on both the Zaandam and the Ryndam, and stop at Manzanillo, Acapulco, Zihuatanejo & Ixtapa, Puerto Vallarta, Mazatlan, and Cab San Lucas. The1,432-passenger Zaandam and the Ryndam give guests the chance to enjoy all those amazing ports of call, as well as the finest onboard atmospheres you'll find on any cruise ship.
In all, guests can chose from 42 Mexico cruises in 2007, ten more than in 2006. During those cruises ports of call like Mazatlan will capture guests' imagination and excitement. With a history dating back hundreds of years prior to Europeans setting foot in the New World, Mazatlan has developed into a booming resort town with lots of modern attractions. Still, while evidence of its modernity is hard to miss (golf courses and glamorous hotels reign supreme here), there are still many chances to learn about its storied past while on one of Holland America's Mexico cruises.
Puerto Vallarta is another port city at which Holland America Cruise Line stops. It's the second-most visited spot in Mexico (after Cancun, which is currently in a precarious state of affairs because of Hurricane Wilma), and it has golden beaches and green jungles on either side. It's small-town charm and big resort excitement in one crunchy tortilla shell.
Of course, before you even set foot in Mexico or even on the ship, you absolutely must explore the city that many call the most beautiful in America, San Diego, California. With a near perfect climate year round and postcard-worthy scenery from every point of view, "America's Finest City" is well worth visiting before you step aboard your HAL ship.
Check out the world-famous San Diego Zoo, where primates, big cats, big bears, panda cubs, and more are all on display. For a "safari out" experience, travel 35 miles north of the San Diego Zoo to the Wild Animal Park, where you'll feel as if you are in the middle of an African wilderness; cheetahs, elephants, colorful lorikeets, and many other species of animals roam free in this huge space of land and water.
Or, take a tour of the city. Balboa Park, the large area where the Zoo is located, actually has lots of restaurants, museums, and eye-catching architecture all around. Speaking of architecture, check out the neighborhoods from the late 19th and early 20th centuries that hug San Diego Bay. Whether by foot or trolley car, San Diego is a pleasure to navigate, offering something to everyone in every direction.
It seems like 2007 is going to be a great year for Holland America Cruise Line. But if you're wondering why we're bringing up 2007 when we haven't even hit 2006 yet, it's because these cruises fill up more quickly than you might imagine. If you've ever seen the sun melt in to the ocean off the Mexican coast, you'll understand why. People interested in HAL cruises to the Mexican Riviera or the Sea or Cortez would do well to book their cruise as soon as possible.
