Explore Mexico's most popular honeymoon destinations on a cruise south of the border.
By: Donna HeiderstadtThe 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).
