While millions of tourists flock to Mexico every year by land and air, the country has also become the world’s top cruise destination, with cruises becoming more popular and lifestyle specific every year.
According to recent statistics released by Mexico’s Tourism Secretariat (Sectur), some 6.5 million passengers arrived to Mexico’s ports in 2005. The most popular port is by far on the island of Cozumel, located just south of Cancun in the Mexican Caribbean. According to Mexico’s Communications and Transportation Secretariat, 754 ships arrived to Cozumel in the first ten months of 2006, carrying some 1.5 million passengers. The second most popular port is Costa Maya on the Mexican Caribbean, which received 263 ships, carrying more than 500,000 in the first ten months of 2006.
Mexico boasts two dozen port cities. Apart from Cozumel and Cabo San Lucas, Ensenada, Puerto Vallarta and Mazatlan are the most popular ports along the Pacific coast, while Costa Maya in Quintana Roo State and Puerto Progreso in Yucatan State are the most popular on the Caribbean side. In addition to being bustling metropolises in their own right, offering the best in shopping, cultural activities and cuisine to the traveler, most ports are also located just a stone’s throw from the country’s leading archaeological treasures and other attractions. Part of the popularity of cruises can also be attributed to the traveling public’s desire to experience more destinations in one vacation, with most cruises offering stops in at least three or four different destinations.
According to Sectur, in the past two decades the number of cruise ships stopping in Mexican ports has increased dramatically, with most major cruise lines now serving the Gulf, Central Pacific and Caribbean, having incorporated these popular destinations into their itineraries. In 2005, the Mexican government invested more than US $7 million in the development of the Port of Chiapas, Mexico’s newest cruise destination. The port welcomed its first passenger vessel in February 2006.
As the number of cruise passengers increases, the demand for a variety of services and themes have also increased, what the cruise industry often refers to as lifestyle cruises.
Below are just some samples of new cruise offerings:
Sun salutations
The Radisson Seven Seas hosts several lifestyle cruises, among them a yoga cruise from Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, to Cozumel, featuring Michael Lechonczak and Robin Whitney Levine, a New York City-based husband and wife yoga team, who will bring the art and science of yoga to guests of the luxurious 700-guest Seven Seas Mariner. Their daily onboard program will offer a variety of options for men and women, yoga beginners and experts of all ages. Classes on meditation and aromatherapy will round out the mix.
Food & wine
The Radisson Seven Seas also offers a special Food & Wine spotlight cruise on the Mariner in March. The cruise, which sails from Los Angeles and stops in Cabo San Lucas, Acapulco and Huatulco in Oaxaca, features a Cordon Bleu cooking school and Sonoma Valley wines. Max McCalman, chef formageur from New York’s Picholine Restaurant will provide expert tips, instruction and 24/7 wine tasting.
Mickey on board
Disney Cruise Line is also increasing its presence to Mexico, offering a variety of cruises to Mexico including calls to Cozumel on the Caribbean side, as well as calls to Cabo San Lucas, Mazatlan and Puerto Vallarta on the Pacific side. Disney offers special programs for children, teens and as well as adults, offering something for the entire family. The Disney Magic ship to Mexico’s western ports has been enhanced by a 24-by14 foot jumbo LED screen for poolside movies and an expanded fitness and spa center for adults.
Low carbs and smart kids
Carnival’s Fun Ships will make more than 1,100 calls to Mexican ports in 2005, with Mexico being by far the most popular destination for Carnival. Carnival has also diversified its offerings by adding low carb meals to its menus and expanding its kids programs to focus on art, music, science, reading and physical fitness.
Gay travel
Atlantis (www.atlantisevents.com) is one of the largest gay travel tour operators offering cruise packages to Mexico. The Mexican Riviera cruise is one of the most popular, offering five Mexican destinations in eight days on the new Radiance of the Seas ship. Rated by Conde Nast Traveler’s Readers’ Choice as one of the best ships in the world, Radiance of the Seas offers among its many amenities a rock-climbing wall, two pools and an African-themed solarium complete with 17-foot high stone elephants and waterfalls. In Mexico, the ship will visit Ixtapa, Puerto Vallarta, Mazatlan and Cabo San
Lucas.
Clothing optional
For au naturel travelers, Bare Necessities offers a variety of clothing-optional cruises. And nudetravel.com also offers clothing optional packages including information on nudist resorts in Mexico.
Blind cruises
Damar Travel at 800-999-6101 offers cruises for the blind to Mexico.
Below are some of the many cruise lines that dock in Mexican ports as part of their regular routes:
Carnival Cruise Lines, Crystal Cruises, Disney Cruises, Holland America Line, Norwegian Cruise Lines, Princess, Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises, Radisson Seven Seas Cruises, P&O Cruises
About the Mexico Tourism Board
The Mexico Tourism Board (MTB) brings together the resources of federal and state governments, municipalities and private companies to promote Mexico’s tourism attractions and destinations internationally. Created in 1999, the MTB is Mexico’s tourism promotion agency, and its participants include members of both the private and public sectors. The MTB has offices throughout North America, Europe, Asia and Latin America.
My first experience going on a cruise. I was a little nervous going because it is not necessarily my style of travel. The fact that I had only six or eight hours on each island drove me nuts. However, it still exceeded my expectations, and I just promised myself to come back to the islands that called to me to spend the proper time getting to know them. So here is our first port.
While millions of tourists flock to Mexico every year by land and air, the country has also become the worldâ??s top cruise destination, with cruises becoming more popular and lifestyle specific every year.
According to recent statistics released by Mexicoâ??s Tourism Secretariat (Sectur), some 6.5 million passengers arrived to Mexicoâ??s ports in 2005. The most popular port is by far on the island of Cozumel, located just south of Cancun in the Mexican Caribbean. According to Mexicoâ??s Communications and Transportation Secretariat, 754 ships arrived to Cozumel in the first ten months of 2006, carrying some 1.5 million passengers. The second most popular port is Costa Maya on the Mexican Caribbean, which received 263 ships, carrying more than 500,000 in the first ten months of 2006.
Mexico boasts two dozen port cities. Apart from Cozumel and Cabo San Lucas, Ensenada, Puerto Vallarta and Mazatlan are the most popular ports along the Pacific coast, while Costa Maya in Quintana Roo State and Puerto Progreso in Yucatan State are the most popular on the Caribbean side. In addition to being bustling metropolises in their own right, offering the best in shopping, cultural activities and cuisine to the traveler, most ports are also located just a stoneâ??s throw from the countryâ??s leading archaeological treasures and other attractions. Part of the popularity of cruises can also be attributed to the traveling publicâ??s desire to experience more destinations in one vacation, with most cruises offering stops in at least three or four different destinations.
According to Sectur, in the past two decades the number of cruise ships stopping in Mexican ports has increased dramatically, with most major cruise lines now serving the Gulf, Central Pacific and Caribbean, having incorporated these popular destinations into their itineraries. In 2005, the Mexican government invested more than US $7 million in the development of the Port of Chiapas, Mexicoâ??s newest cruise destination. The port welcomed its first passenger vessel in February 2006.
As the number of cruise passengers increases, the demand for a variety of services and themes have also increased, what the cruise industry often refers to as lifestyle cruises.
Below are just some samples of new cruise offerings:
Sun salutations
The Radisson Seven Seas hosts several lifestyle cruises, among them a yoga cruise from Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, to Cozumel, featuring Michael Lechonczak and Robin Whitney Levine, a New York City-based husband and wife yoga team, who will bring the art and science of yoga to guests of the luxurious 700-guest Seven Seas Mariner. Their daily onboard program will offer a variety of options for men and women, yoga beginners and experts of all ages. Classes on meditation and aromatherapy will round out the mix.
Food & wine
The Radisson Seven Seas also offers a special Food & Wine spotlight cruise on the Mariner in March. The cruise, which sails from Los Angeles and stops in Cabo San Lucas, Acapulco and Huatulco in Oaxaca, features a Cordon Bleu cooking school and Sonoma Valley wines. Max McCalman, chef formageur from New Yorkâ??s Picholine Restaurant will provide expert tips, instruction and 24/7 wine tasting.
Mickey on board
Disney Cruise Line is also increasing its presence to Mexico, offering a variety of cruises to Mexico including calls to Cozumel on the Caribbean side, as well as calls to Cabo San Lucas, Mazatlan and Puerto Vallarta on the Pacific side. Disney offers special programs for children, teens and as well as adults, offering something for the entire family. The Disney Magic ship to Mexicoâ??s western ports has been enhanced by a 24-by14 foot jumbo LED screen for poolside movies and an expanded fitness and spa center for adults.
Low carbs and smart kids
Carnivalâ??s Fun Ships will make more than 1,100 calls to Mexican ports in 2005, with Mexico being by far the most popular destination for Carnival. Carnival has also diversified its offerings by adding low carb meals to its menus and expanding its kids programs to focus on art, music, science, reading and physical fitness.
Gay travel
Atlantis (www.atlantisevents.com) is one of the largest gay travel tour operators offering cruise packages to Mexico. The Mexican Riviera cruise is one of the most popular, offering five Mexican destinations in eight days on the new Radiance of the Seas ship. Rated by Conde Nast Travelerâ??s Readersâ?? Choice as one of the best ships in the world, Radiance of the Seas offers among its many amenities a rock-climbing wall, two pools and an African-themed solarium complete with 17-foot high stone elephants and waterfalls. In Mexico, the ship will visit Ixtapa, Puerto Vallarta, Mazatlan and Cabo San
Lucas.
Clothing optional
For au naturel travelers, Bare Necessities offers a variety of clothing-optional cruises. And nudetravel.com also offers clothing optional packages including information on nudist resorts in Mexico.
Blind cruises
Damar Travel at 800-999-6101 offers cruises for the blind to Mexico.
Below are some of the many cruise lines that dock in Mexican ports as part of their regular routes:
Carnival Cruise Lines, Crystal Cruises, Disney Cruises, Holland America Line, Norwegian Cruise Lines, Princess, Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises, Radisson Seven Seas Cruises, P&O Cruises
About the Mexico Tourism Board
The Mexico Tourism Board (MTB) brings together the resources of federal and state governments, municipalities and private companies to promote Mexico’s tourism attractions and destinations internationally. Created in 1999, the MTB is Mexicoâ??s tourism promotion agency, and its participants include members of both the private and public sectors. The MTB has offices throughout North America, Europe, Asia and Latin America.
Puerto Vallarta, Mexico has become one of the most popular tourist resort destinations in the world. Because Vallarta is located along the Mexican Riviera on the Pacific Ocean, a substantial portion of these tourists arrive by boat; the majority in large cruise ships, however many come in their private yachts.
Ten years ago, a cruise ship would arrive in Vallarta every other day. At certain times during the “high season” of November through May when the average temperature is 73°F with virtually no chance of rain, cruise ships would arrive two days in a row.
Five years ago, the popularity of cruising and specifically cruising to the Mexican Riviera, reached a point where you could find a cruise liner at the Puerto Vallarta Marine Terminal almost every day, and sometimes, a second cruise liner anchored in Banderas Bay. Passengers from the anchored ship were then shuttled to shore by small tenders.
Two years ago, you could count on at least one cruise ship every day in Vallarta and often find another one or two ships anchored in the bay. The traffic was so heavy at the Marine Terminal that the authorities in Vallarta started construction on the new Maritime Terminal.
Construction of the new Maritime Terminal in Puerto Vallarta was completed in early 2007, thus tripling the cruise passenger capacity. Today, you’ll usually see at least two cruise ships docked at the Maritime Terminal and frequently three. Cruising to Vallarta has become so popular that there are times during the “high season” when a fourth ship has to anchor in the bay! With an average of close to 2,000 passengers per ship, this results in anywhere from 4,000 to 8,000 tourists arriving daily by cruise ship.
(As a side note of interest, the Puerto Vallarta International Airport was recently quadrupled in size in order to accommodate the flights that are arriving and departing all day, everyday.)
Now that we have a feel for the volume of cruising tourists arriving daily in Vallarta by commercial cruise liners, let’s consider those arriving by private yachts.
Ten years ago, Puerto Vallarta was the home to a beautiful 400 slip Marina for private yachts ranging in size from 30ft to well over 100ft. There was also a marina in Nuevo Vallarta with 380 slips for smaller boats up to 30ft long.
Due to the recent demand for additional slips, larger slips, and yachting related services, a number of significant new marina construction projects have been undertaken; some of which have been completed, some currently under construction, and some still in the planning stages.
For example, the beautiful Nuevo Vallarta Marina now has nearly 250 slips for yachts ranging from 30ft to 120ft long. The modern $50 million Marina Riviera Nayarit, located in La Cruz de Huanacaxtle, is approximately 40% complete with nearly 400 berths for yachts ranging from 30ft to 400ft. Fonatur, Mexico’s National Tourism Development Trust, has planned a 150 slip marina in their Phase 1 development program just north of Punta de Mita. These marinas will increase the moorage capacity from 400 to well over 1,200 private yachts, thereby tripling the total volume of tourists privately cruising to Vallarta.
Okay, now that we have a feel for the growth of the Vallarta area and the volume of tourists cruising to Vallarta, let’s explore just what happens to these tourists as they arrive in Paradise.
As the tourists disembark from the commercial cruise liners or their private yachts, they are first greeted by the friendly faces of English speaking Mexicans. Because the local economy is based solely on tourism, almost everyone is now speaking some degree of English and therefore communication is never an obstacle in Vallarta. Friendly faces as revealed in the Conde Nast survey of its readers, where Vallarta was voted the friendliest resort destination in the world.
Of all things, those arriving by cruise ships first see a Sam’s Club, a Mega Wal-Mart, and a huge new modern shopping center; probably not what they would expect to see in a sleepy little Mexican fishing village! They soon discover that Vallarta is no longer sleepy or little, in that its population has exploded to 350,000 inhabitants and is projected to reach 600,000 by the year 2015.
Unfortunately, those arriving by cruise ships are generally allowed only about eight hours in town before the ship cruises out on its journey to the next Mexican Riviera port. While in town, they are given many options in the way of city activities and tours. Some opt to play golf on any of the seven magnificent courses; others might want to take a four hour deep sea fishing trip or play tennis on any of the hundreds of tennis courts. Some take jungle safaris, ATV trips through the Sierra Madre Mountains, or go whale watching, snorkeling, or swimming with the dolphins Those less ambitious tourists take sight seeing bus tours through the city and then into the fine neighborhoods where the multi-million dollar haciendas and villas are nestled among the hillsides overlooking Banderas Bay.
The majority of these cruisers merely catch one of the thousands of taxis and head into town for a day of strolling along the Malecon by the beach, shopping the many boutique stores, or dining in any of the hundreds of fine restaurants.
Regardless of what the cruisers do during their short stay in Vallarta, they are all treated with dignity, respect, and friendliness and therefore are eager to return for a longer visit the next time. The taste of Vallarta is so addictive, that in all probability, their next visit will be by air and will last for a week or longer.
Those that come in their private yachts generally stay for longer periods of time. In fact, the quality of life is so great in Vallarta, that many of those fortunate individuals, who could afford to live anywhere in the world, have just docked their yachts in Vallarta and made this their winter residence. After all, Mexico was recently ranked the top retirement destination in the world by International Living Magazine and Puerto Vallarta is considered by many to be the most desirable city in Mexico for retirement.
To sum it up; what happens when tourists cruise to Vallarta is that they often become so infatuated by the climate, the scenery of mountains and ocean, the people, the cleanliness, the safety, the available activities, and the overall quality of life, that they either return as soon as possible or they just stay, joining the other 50,000 North Americans that have made Puerto Vallarta their retirement home in Paradise.
The final week of July and agugust is seeing increased cruise activity for Cozumel real estate. Cozumelâ??s economy is based mostly in cruise tourism.  While the swine flu travel advisory brought a complete halt to cruise activity in Cozumel, the number of arrivals has been increasing steadily since that time.
Friday, July 24th, already saw healthier numbers with three cruises arriving on that day. Two cruises arrived to Puerta Maya pier; the Carnival Valor arrived at 6:30 am, and left at 4 pm; the Carnival Conquest arrived at 9 am, staying until 6 pm. One cruise, Freedom of the Seas, also arrived to the SSA pier. The estimated total of passengers was between 7,000 and 9,000.
During the last week of July, the well-known â??Disney Magicâ? with a capacity of 2500 passengers arrived â?? one of 16 cruise ships which the island was scheduled to welcome that week. Disney Magic arrived at Punta Langosta, being the first cruise to arrive at this pier in two weeks. Although the cruise is the only one scheduled for this week, it brought a significant amount of activity, and economic movement, to the shopping area near the wharf and downtown while it was here.
A more consistent arrival of cruises to the island means a stronger economic situation for Cozumel real estate. Keep in touch with the TOPMexicoRealEstate  NETWORK, “Your Expert    Property-Finders,” to get information related to Cozumel and the Cozumel real estate market.
TOPMexicoRealEstate NETWORK;  Mexico’s Leading Network of Specialists for Finding and Purchasing Mexican Properties Safely
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