Sapphire
Believe it or not, there is more to Mexico than Cancun.
The idea of going to America’s Ibiza didn’t appeal to me (I am in my 30s now) but going to Mexico always had, so when my wife found a great deal on a cruise along the Pacific Coast we packed our cases and enjoyed a week of luxury.
A cruise may not be to everyone’s taste but we were pretty open to the idea and certainly weren’t disappointed.
Boarding the Sapphire Princess at the Port of Los Angeles was very daunting.
The ship is an impressive 288 metres long, 41 metres wide, 62 metres tall and weighs in at a 115,875 tonnes. More importantly there are several restaurants and just as many bars which sell an abundance of superb cocktails – just what any sea dog needs.
There is also plenty to do on board including shows, a casino, Nintendo Wii competitions, shuffleboard, dance classes and much, much more – although a sun bed, book and iPod was more than enough to keep me occupied while on the ocean waves.
After two days at sea we arrived at our first port of call, Puerto Vallarta, a once small and remote agricultural village until Richard Burton arrived to film ‘The Night of the Iguana’ with Elizabeth Taylor in tow.
The pair fell in love with the village and built Casa Kimberley on the hillside and since then the town has developed but still maintains the beauty that first attracted Dick and Liz.
The town boasts a stunning cathedral as well as numerous statues dedicated to the sea and every 15 minutes a group of what can only be described as crazy men climb up a tower and then swing down head first towards the ground. But we were in Puerto Vallarta for another reason… tequila. We visited Hacienda Doòa Engracia, a tequila factory about ten minutes out of town which provides a quick runthrough of how the drink is made before the real business of tasting begins. Mexicans, as we learnt, don’t use salt and lemon as they are only there to disguise the taste of bad tequila.
There are also three types of tequila: Blanco – ‘you drink that with your friends’ said our guide, Reposado – ‘you drink that with your family’, and Aòejo – ‘you drink that all by yourself’.
After quite a few samples we left quite happy with a little extra weight destined for our cases.
Following another night at sea we arrived at our next destination Mazatlan, one of the most popular resorts in all of Mexico. The city is very easy to get around on foot, but you do find yourself being ushered towards jewellery stores by the street hawkers.
That said, there are plenty of other good shops and traditional bars to occupy your time and if you can drag yourself away then there is a stunning old town which offers plenty of sight-seeing away from the beaten track.
Our third and final stop was Cabo San Lucas which was great for me as it is the supposed location of the Eagles’ hit song ‘Hotel California’.
My wife loved it as the old tarts from Sex and the City went there in the film.
Graced by the spectacular rocks of Arcos, Cabo San Lucas is a stunning resort with clear-blue waters and white sandy beaches.
Arcos
We picked up a glass-bottom sea taxi for $10 each and headed around the coastline to have a closer look at Arcos, Lovers Beach, aquatic life and the numerous sea lions which sunbathe on the rocks.
Cabo San Lucas truly was a little piece of paradise.
Back on the boat it was formal night and for some reason a dinner suit and cocktail dress makes everyone more talkative and I have to say that it was great getting to know a disability discrimination judge from LA, Marie Osmond’s former hairdresser who now resides in Utah, a couple from Blackpool who have lived in Canada for the last 15 years and we also bumped into my aunt’s old neighbours which was a bit of a surprise.
But that was nowhere near as surprising as being invited onto the Bridge of the ship by our new chum the Captain to see exactly how the vessel is operated.
We received a fascinating insight into how the liner sails, which flags are on-board (my favourite being the British pub lunch flag) and we even resisted the temptation to push any buttons or turn the wheel.
All-in-all the cruise was an amazing adventure and an excellent taster of what Mexico is like. There is plenty to occupy the time while at sea (like trying to walk along the boat when the sea is a bit choppy, it’s like being a bit tipsy) and the staff go above and beyond to make sure that you have a great time – which of course you do.
For more information about Princess Cruises visit
www.princess.com.