Last Chance Mexico aboard Mariner of the Seas

Mariner of the Seas at anchor in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico.

Photo © 2010 Aaron Saunders

If you're looking to experience the Mexican Riviera aboard Mariner of the Seas - or any Royal Caribbean ship, for that matter - the clock is ticking.

As of January 2011, both ship and line are pulling out, headed for the warmth and higher revenues of the Caribbean and Mediterranean.

While the week-long cruises out of Los Angeles were undoubtedly popular, the problem was a question of revenue.  The ship may have been at-capacity, but with stiff competition on the route the result was such that the line felt it couldn't command the fares a ship the size of Mariner needed to operate.

 Mariner of the Seas towers over Puerto Vallarta.

Photo © 2010 Aaron Saunders

Unlike the Caribbean - which offers numerous possible ports of call and itineraries from a vast array of turnaround ports, the Mexican Riviera consists of three major ports: Cabo San Lucas, Mazatlan and Puerto Vallarta.  Others, such as Acapulco, simply aren't reachable on a week-long cruise from Californian waters.

The end result is that each cruise line is forced to offer the same basic itinerary, leaving passengers to choose their cruise based purely on the ship operating it, or, in the case of many travellers, the cheapest voyage.

Nighttime aboard Mariner of the Seas in Puerto Vallarta.

Photo © 2010 Aaron Saunders 

With the Caribbean market heating up again, and the European cruise market positively exploding on a year-round basis, the decision was an easy one: pull Mariner of the Seas from the West Coast and redeploy her.  

So why should you get in on these last few months of Mexican Riviera sailings?  After January, it's anyone's guess as to when Royal Caribbean will even consider returning to the region, and when it does, it's highly unlikely it will deploy a Voyager-class ship on the run like Mariner of the Seas.  Therefore, it truly will be the end of an era for West Coast cruising, and one which will be remembered for its brevity: Mariner only arrived in these waters in February, 2009 - making her entire tenure in the region less than two years.  

To get in on these final sailings, visit Royal Caribbean's website and join Mariner on one of her November, December or early January sailings.