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 Travel & Outdoors | March 2007 
Catching Mexican Waves
 Chris Tinkler - The Sunday Times
| | The Mexican way ... excursions during the cruise include a trek through the Sierra Madre mountains and swimming with dolphins. |
Want a room with a view? What about a room with an ever-changing view, including a dozen of the most stunning sights you will cast your eyes on, across 2000km of land and sea?
Welcome to one of the delights of cruising. Not having cruised before, I boarded Holland America Line's gigantic MS Oosterdam in San Diego for a seven-day Mexican Riviera expedition.
Was I about to step on to a giant floating retirement village? I need not have worried.
With more than 1800 guests on the Oosterdam – at the luxury end of the cruise ship range – there were voyagers of all ages and backgrounds.
And with a private balcony, 11 sprawling decks, two pools, countless bars and restaurants, basketball court, casino, cinema, theatre hall, gym, internet centre, nightclub and even a sewing club, it's possible to mix with as many or as few people and do as little or as much as preferred.
The entertainment acts were occasionally brilliant, often average and occasionally dire, but always fun.
But the thing that struck me, more than on any other trip I have been on, was the infectiously happy atmosphere. And that's no surprise.
Passengers eat like royalty and as often as they like.
Perpetually smiling cabin staff clean the cabin to perfection almost every time it's vacated.
All that passengers have to do is kick back, soak in the sun and enjoy themselves.
Best of all, after a couple of days lapping up a life of seafaring luxury, the adventure begins.
Momentarily annoyed by my 8am alarm on day three, I rubbed my eyes and pulled back the curtains to unveil one of the most majestic scenes in the world.
As I had enjoyed another deep sleep, my hotel had sailed into Cabo San Lucas, at the tip of Mexico's 1600km Baja California Peninsula.
Staring out at the sea lions on the spectacular El Arco rock formation and the picture-book Lover's Beach – a 100m strip of glistening white sand separating the gently lapping, deep blue Sea of Cortez and the rumbling Pacific Ocean – I couldn't help but smile again.
A perfect day of snorkelling, sipping beer on a catamaran and making new friends was polished off with another five-course culinary extravaganza back on board, a few more drinks and an amusing Elton John tribute act.
Day four I woke up to Mazatlan, explored the bustling streets and markets of its historic hub, fired up a jet ski off another pristine beach, then witnessed a stunning sunset from the ship's aft deck.
And on day five the sun rose in picturesque Puerto Vallarta, where I hung on to the fins of a dolphin for the ride of a lifetime before taking in the rich sights and sounds that have attracted millions of tourists since Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor discovered it and put it on the map.
Mexican excursions I could not fit in included a Tarzan-style trek through the Sierra Madre mountain rainforest's treetops and waterfalls; dune-buggying through its dusty foothills; watching Totonac Indians descend a 30m pole on ropes and scuba diving with sharks.
Then it was back to sea, with nothing to do but spoil ourselves rotten for a couple more days.
I recommend everyone gives cruising a try at least once. |
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