Mexico Cruise Ports
Mexico is one of the world’s busiest nations when its it comes to cruise holiday, thanks in part to the great destinations on offer and to its great location.
Most countries only feature in one sea or ocean and therefore the itineraries calling in there are limited to same journey but when it comes to Mexico there is a wide range of options for those wanting to visit there.
The Pacific Ocean sits on the countries west coast and allows holidaymakers to cruise the Mexican Riviera, Pacific coastal trips up to the USA, Canada and Alaska and also journeys across to the islands of Hawaii.
It’s east coast sits on both the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico, both art of the Atlantic Ocean, which allows cruises to visit the country on journeys to the Caribbean, Barbados, and the USA.
Cruises To Mexico
Cruise Holidays To Mexico
The countries closeness to both the USA and to the Caribbean means that just about every major cruise lines offers a range of itineraries calling in there on everything from the cheapest and oldest ship to the largest and most luxurious.
Whatever your preference for a cruise holiday, the chances are that you can enjoy it on an Mexican cruise holiday itinerary.
Mexico Cruise Guide
This guide to cruise holidays in Mexico is ideal for those who have booked a cruise holiday visiting Mexico and who want to make the most of their trip there or it is for those who are still researching journeys in the region and are trying to decide whether Mexico is a place they would like to visit if so, which port(s).
Popular Ports In Mexico
As a nation with a huge coastline and a long seafaring history, Mexico has numerous ports and many of them are now capable of visiting onboard a cruise ship.
For the purposes of this guide, we are going to break them into 2 groups, Atlantic Coast ports and Pacific Coast ports.
Visitors are, of course, able to visit both coastlines on the same holiday as Mexican ports feature on Panama Canal journeys.
Puerto Vallarta differs from most Mexican ports as you dock in a huge natural bay and just a short walk from the towns cobbled streets.
Bahias de Huatulco offers a stunning port location in the foothills of the Sierra Madre del Sur mountains, and it is to the surrounding scenery that many head with a number of coffee plantations available to explore.
The port of Manzanillo is one of Mexico’s busiest seaports but it is mostly developed for container ships.
Located between Acapulco and Puerto Vallarta, the region is known for its great reefs and watersports but there is also a good range of excursions offered to visitors.
Mazatlan is a popular beach resort, thanks to its 8 mile long beach but if you prefer to explore the destinations you visit, the great news is that the city’s old town is just a short walk from the cruise dock.
The port of Chiapas is close to the Guatemala border and is one of the quieter Pacific Ocean cruise ports in the country.
There is little in the port’s vicinity for visitors but excursions to nearby Volcan Tacana and ancient ruins make for an interesting day ashore.
Cabo San Lucas is a major port in the Baja California Peninsula so as you would expect, the major attraction of the port is its nearby beautiful beaches and blue seas.
Cabo is one of Mexico’s leading tourist resorts and offers all you would expect from a beach holiday resort.
The city of Acapulco is known around the world as been Mexico main party resort and as a place for, mostly young Americans, visitors to let their hair down in the resorts many bars and nightclubs.
During the day, things are more relaxed, and guests can head to the beach for a day of sunbathing or making the most of the resort’s visitor attractions.
La Paz is a large city in Baja California and a popular port of call on the Mexican Riviere.
The beautiful coastline around La Paz is home to numerous inlets, bio-reserves and beaches that make for great places to snorkel or scuba dive.
The port city of Ixtapa-Zihuatanejo is one of Mexico’s more opulent beach resorts and it is the more luxurious cruise ships that tend to call in there to allow guests to make use of the resorts quieter and cleaner beaches.
Loreta is a small port town on the Gulf of California that offers access to the uninhabited island of Isla Carmen- one of Mexico’s best scuba diving destinations.
There are a few ruins and ancient caves found nearby for those wanting to explore some of the history of the region.
Puerto Costa Maya is one of Mexico’s busiest ports and offers the chance for visitors to visit nearby Mayan ruins, spend the day at the beach snorkeling in clear waters or exploring the Quintana Roo state.
The Gulf of Mexico port of Progreso is located close to the large city of Merida and offers a number of stunning beaches nearby.
Whilst not cruise related, the port is famed for having one of the biggest piers in the world as the waters there are very shallow.
The port of Ensenada, in the Baja California Sur state, is one of the most popular Pacific Coast ports of call for many cruise lines.
Located around 80 miles south of San Diego, the port offers a stopping off port for ships coming back from Hawaii and for ships heading further south around the Mexican Riviere.
Popular Cruise Lines
The majority of cruise lines offer itineraries that call into Mexico with Princess Cruises, Royal Caribbean, MSC Cruises, Norwegian Cruise Line, Carnival Cruise Line, Celebrity Cruises, Oceania Cruises, Virgin Voyages, Marella Cruises and Holland America Line offering the widest ranges of options.
Mexico
Location: North America
Capital City: Mexico City
Currency: Mexican Peso
Language: Spanish
Demonym(s): Mexican
Top Ports: Ensenada, Cozumel, Manzanillo, Cabo San Lucas
Mexico’s history can often be split into its ancient Mayan past and its post-Columbian period which was the period it became colonized by Spain and developed its own culture as a Spanish speaking and influenced independent nation.
Nowadays, Mexico is one of the largest and most populous nations on earth that offers lots for tourists to enjoy.
Its large cities, such as Mexico City, Monterrey and Guadalajara, offer all you would expect from a modern metropolis but they are difficult to visit on a cruise holiday where it is the countries wonderful beach resorts that take centre stage.
Some itineraries head specifically to the country to take advantage of its clear waters and sunny weather whist some stop off their on itineraries heading further afield to destinations such as the Caribbean or Hawaii.
No matter what type of itinerary you pick with a visit to Mexico, you have lots of options when it comes to cruise length, cruise lines and the ships you cruise on.
Best Time To Visit Mexico On A Cruise
Mexico is a year around cruise destination but if you are visiting the Atlantic Ocean side, the winter is arguably the best time to cruise, due to extra ships arriving from Europe to take advantage of the winter sun.
Unfortunately, some of that period is also part of the Caribbean hurricane season which runs from June to November, which makes December to March the best time to visit the Atlantic Coast.
The Pacific Coast offers a much longer peak period and with the Mexican Riviere most popular for those wanting to enjoy the breaches on offer, it is arguably May-July that is best to take advantage of the best weather but without the crowds of the school summer holidays.
Here at CruiseHols.co.uk we bring you all of the information you will ever need to choose the right cruise destination for you and your family.
Our destination guides include everything from ports to attractions and excursion to the positives and negatives of the destination.
Mexico Cruises From The UK
Mexico may seem like a far flung place that is too far away from the UK to visit without the need for a long haul flight but that isn’t the case.
There are a handful of cruises each year that head for a round trip to the Caribbean and back, which include stops in Mexican ports such as Cozumel.
These trips do of course come at a high cost, and you will need around a month or so to spare but if you want to visit the Pacific Coast, you will need more money and more time as if a trip becomes available, it will be on a World Cruise.
Mexico Cruises From Southampton
If you would like to head across the Atlantic and back on a cruise to Mexico, the vast majority of itineraries set sail from the UK’s leading cruise port in Southampton.
