The honeymoon — it’s a trip of a lifetime and you want to see as many places as possible. But after a year plus of planning and prepping for the wedding, the idea of packing, unpacking and repacking is less than appealing. Enter a cruise, which gives you the opportunity to stop at multiple ports while giving you a single vacation home base, plus loads of entertainment and dining options in one spot. And while the Caribbean is a perennially popular region for cruising, Mexico is quickly becoming a number-one destination via the seas. These Mexican itineraries are romantic and have an added spice of life factor. Here, our favorite ships and stops.
Photo courtesy of Crystal Cruises
Mexican Riviera
With fabled resort towns Puerto Vallarta and Mazatlan as well as chic and sunny Cabo San Lucas as ports of call, these itineraries mix old-school charm with water-based activities such as whale watching, sport fishing and parasailing.
Crown Princess, Sapphire Princess: Sailing from January to April out of Los Angeles, both the 3,080-passenger Crown Princess and the 2,670-passenger Sapphire Princess embark on seven-night Mexican Riviera cruises visiting Ensenada, Cabo San Lucas and Puerto Vallarta. While Crown Princess is a bit larger and features The Sanctuary, an on-deck relaxation area designed for adults only, both ships offer similar amenities — chief among them for the romance-minded are The Lotus Spa, Sabatini’s Italian specialty restaurant, and the privacy of dining alfresco on your balcony (stateroom rates start at $699 per person for a seven-night sailing; princess.com).
Norwegian Star: Also sailing from L.A., the 2,348-passenger Norwegian Star heads out on seven-night Mexican Riviera itineraries calling on Cabo San Lucas, Mazatlan and Puerto Vallarta. True to Norwegian’s "Freestyle Cruising" motto, the ship offers lots of options, including 14 different eateries (five of them included in the cruise fare and nine specialty restaurants, from Japanese sushi to Brazilian churrascaria, for an extra fee) as well as nine bars, including a bier garten and a champagne lounge (stateroom rates start at $629 per person for a seven-night sailing; ncl.com).
Cozumel
This charming island located just south of Cancun is a laid-back tropical playground offering excellent snorkeling and diving, jungle-clad Mayan ruins dedicated to Ixchel, goddess of fertility, and the charming town of San Pedro. Many cruises that stop in Cozumel also call on other fun ports such as Florida’s Key West, Jamaica and Grand Cayman.
Liberty of the Seas, Oasis of the Seas, Allure of the Seas: If you’re short on time or budget, but love jungle-meets-reef adventure, consider a four-night getaway from Fort Lauderdale to Cozumel on the 3,634-passenger Liberty of the Seas. The newly renovated Royal Caribbean ship sails this itinerary from November to April and features more than a dozen restaurants, 22 bars and lounges, 10 whirlpools, a 3D theater, rock-climbing wall and ice-skating rink. Or if you have a full week and love the 24/7 vibe of Las Vegas, sail the world’s biggest ships, the 5,400-passenger Oasis of the Seas and Allure of the Seas. Both sail seven-night Western Caribbean cruises year-round from Fort Lauderdale, with calls on Labadee (Royal Caribbean’s private island), Jamaica and Cozumel.
You’ll sample three islands and have plenty of time onboard to enjoy the ship’s seven "neighborhoods," 25 restaurants (14 included in the fare and 11, such as Rita’s Cantina serving Mexican cuisine, at an additional fee), four pools and 10 hot tubs, plus such amenities as FlowRider surf simulators and the Broadway musicals Chicago and Hairspray (stateroom rates start at $384 per person for a four-night sailing; royalcaribbean.com).
Photo courtesy of Royal Caribbean International
Carnival Breeze: Another affordable fun-in-the-sun itinerary is a six-night cruise on 3,690-passenger Carnival Breeze. The line’s newest and most pop-culture-centric ship, it sails from Miami to Jamaica, Grand Cayman and Cozumel. Carnival Breeze features 16 restaurants and bars (some eateries requiring a surcharge), among them Guy’s Burger Joint (by Food Network star Guy Fieri), the RedFrog Rum Bar and the BlueIguana Tequila Bar, as well as the Punchliner Comedy Club presented by funny man George Lopez (stateroom rates start at $379 per person for a six-night sailing; carnival.com).
Photos courtesy of Carnival Cruise Line
Next: Cruises to Costa Maya, Cozumel and Central America ►
Costa Maya, Cozumel and Central America
Choose a cruise that skims Mexico’s Caribbean coast with port calls at Costa Maya and Cozumel (as well as visits to Belize and Honduras on some itineraries) and you’ll get the ideal combo of culture and tropical adventure.
Caribbean Princess: It’s a Mexico and Central America sampler aboard the 3,082-passenger Caribbean Princess, sailing seven nights from January to April from Houston to Cozumel, Roatan Island in Honduras and Belize City. The ship offers a mix of traditional and specialty dining in more than a dozen restaurants and bars (including Vines Bar for wine tasting), Movies Under the Stars, the adults-only Sanctuary relaxation area and, if you book a balcony stateroom, minisuite or suite, romantic on-balcony dining (stateroom rates start at $599 per person for seven-night sailings; princess.com).
Photo courtesy of Princess Cruises
Norwegian Jewel, Norwegian Dawn: Norwegian offers coastal Mexico and Central America exploration from a pair of its colorfully hulled ships. October to April, book onto the 2,376-passenger Norwegian Jewel for a seven-night cruise from New Orleans to Cozumel, Belize City, Roatan and Costa Maya. Onboard enjoy the flexibility of "Freestyle Cruising" with 16 dining options (six included in the fare), 13 bars and six hot tubs. Or sail from Tampa on a similar seven-night itinerary on the 2,224-passenger Norwegian Dawn, which has 14 dining options (six included in fare), 12 bars (sake to champagne) and a variety of entertainment venues (stateroom rates start at $489 per person for seven-night sailings; ncl.com).
Next: Cruises to Panama Canal and Mexico ►
Panama Canal and Mexico
While larger ships tend to have set seasonal itineraries in ports designed to accommodate their bulk, small- and mid-sized luxury vessels (carrying 300 to 1,000 passengers) have the freedom to change up itineraries pretty much every week. Each year, several lines head for both Mexico’s Caribbean or Pacific ports by sailing via the Panama Canal.
Azamara Quest: From January to March 2014, 694-passenger Azamara Quest offers a trio of 12- and 14-night "Route of the Americas" and "Sea of Cortez" itineraries, two with a Panama Canal crossing, calling on 11 Mexico ports on the Pacific, such as Cabo San Lucas, Huatulco and Puerto Vallarta. Like its sister ship, Azamara Journey, couple-centric Quest offers an elegant country club ambience, fine dining and inclusive wines and spirits at six restaurants and four bars, plus a spacious spa and fitness center (stateroom rates start at $3,599 per person for 12-night sailings; azamaraclubcruises.com).
Crystal Serenity, Crystal Symphony: Crystal Serenity, a 1,070-passenger recently refurbished luxury ship, offers contemporary decor as well as fine dining and inclusive wine and spirits in eight restaurants (including Silk Road by Nobu Matsuhisa) as it sails an 11-night "Caribbean Sunrise" itinerary (Nov. 30, 2014) with a Panama Canal transit that visits Costa Maya and Cozumel as well as Costa Rica, Honduras, Belize and Key West. Sister ship, the 922-passenger Crystal Symphony, has a 13-night "Sea to Shining Sea" Panama Canal crossing (Oct 15, 2014) that calls on Zihuatanejo/Ixtapa and Cabo San Lucas as well as Miami, Grand Cayman, Cartagena and San Diego (stateroom rates start at $4,225 per person for 11-night sailings; crystalcruises.com).
Photo courtesy of Crystal Cruises