The Return of Mazatlan?

Numerous sources this week are reporting on Princess Cruises decision to start tentatively resuming calls to Mazatlan, Mexico in 2012-2013. The Mexican port was scrapped earlier this year after rising drug violence prompted every major line operating in the Mexican Riviera to reconsider their itineraries in the area.

Mazatlan's El Centro Church in the Centro Historico district. Photo © Aaron Saunders

In the case of Princess, they also dropped calls at nearby Puerto Vallarta, leaving cruisers to grapple with emaciated weeklong sailings that include two days in Cabo San Lucas and a single call in Ensenada.  The two-day stint in Cabo would be of interest to some, but is mitigated by the fact that tender service doesn’t continue through the night.

The near-total collapse of the Mexican Riviera as a viable cruise destination has been ongoing for some time now.  At one time, Carnival, Celebrity, Holland America, Norwegian Cruise Line, Princess and Royal Caribbean all offered regular departures from convenient West Coast ports like San Francisco, Los Angeles and San Diego to the warmth of Pacific Mexico.  Today, only Carnival, Holland America, and Princess remain, and even then, Carnival remains the only year-round player, operating the hip, funky Carnival Splendor on weeklong runs out of Long Beach.

Sunset along Puerto Vallarta's Malecon. The popular Mexican resort town was also on the chopping block this year. Photo © Aaron Saunders

In Royal Caribbean’s case, the highly-popular Mariner of the Seas was removed earlier this year when the line revealed that while the ship sailed full on a regular basis, it did so at an unsustainable price point.  Both Princess and Holland America have apparently felt the pinch as well, opting to send Sapphire Princess and Oosterdam respectively on alternating runs to Hawaii instead of maintaining a full Mexican Riviera season.

Mariner of the Seas at anchor off Cabo San Lucas, Mexico in 2010. Royal Caribbean pulled out of the region earlier this year after it revealed it simply wasn't profitable. Photo © Aaron Saunders

For myself, I’ve enjoyed many cruises to the Mexican Riviera and have never felt the least bit unsafe in any port.  Being based on the West Coast, it’s always been vastly more affordable to fly down to Los Angeles than to endure the marathon that is flying to Florida; a process that often takes as long (and costs as much) as flying to Europe.

But times change, and as it stands now, confidence in this pleasant, attractive and friendly area of the world is sadly missing.  I’d love to see it return to its former heyday, with multiple sailings on multiple ships departing each week.

Only time will tell if this first tentative move by Princess is a sign of better things to come.

For those still interested in sailing the Mexican Riviera, Carnival, Holland America and Princess offer regular departures to the region this winter and Carnival Splendor sails there year-round.  Check out our complete, deck-by-deck Carnival Splendor tour here.