The Discovery Princess Cruise will make you feel like a guest of royalty. With stellar service onboard, live entertainment, and exquisite dining, this vacation was unlike any other - mainly because it was my first cruise. My Great Uncle (Khalo) Naim and his lovely wife In generously invited us on a trip we’ll never forget. The ship took us to three different stops in Mexico - Puerto Vallarta, Mazatlán, and Los Cabos. We shared many laughs and memories while out at sea that I will cherish forever.
The travel group
Here we are, docked in Cabo San Lucas. From left to right: my mom, Aunty Rim, Khalo Naim, In, and me!
Mode of transportation
We boarded the Discovery Cruise on Saturday, January 7th from the San Pedro Port in Los Angeles, CA. Be sure to print out your luggage tags prior to arriving to save yourself time. Since you’ll be traveling outside of the US, bring your passport as it’s required. We were greeted onboard with champagne and mandatory safety training videos. For motion sickness prevention, we put a medical patch behind our ears. Warning: there are side effects to this medication, which I unfortunately experienced. Be sure to properly assess if this is right for you before applying it to the skin. Dramamine made for good backup when the boat got choppy!
The Princess Cruise
It’s hard to put into words just how magnificent the ship is. The sheer size of it makes you feel like you’re in a hotel rather than a boat. It’s only until you go to the ship’s deck that you are really reminded that you are on the sea. The boat had a casino, dining hall, restaurants, spa, boutiques, theater, and plaza. Every day, there was a live band that would perform for the guests. Onboard, there was a group of passengers that were professional ballroom dancers. We had a lot of fun getting to watch them dance along so passionately to the music.
Live entertainment
Aside from the cruise ship’s band, every evening, there were two show times in the theater. Our favorite was the theatrical vocal group Rock Opera. We enjoyed solo performances from talented musicians on some of the evenings.
Dinners
Following the show, we would eat to our heart's delight for dinner. There were two formal nights on the ship, which meant guests were to dress to impress. We met some wonderful dining staff members that we befriended on the trip. Special shoutouts to Michael and Tatiana!
Sunsets on the ship
One of my favorite parts of the day included sunset watching from my balcony. Living on a boat for a week meant I got to witness colorful sunsets like this. This trip came at the perfect time, as it was both the new year and an escape from my reality. I was a part of the mass layoffs from Facebook (Meta) in November 2022, and job searching full-time was proving to be very challenging in the current economy. I am so grateful to have had this time to live in the moment and be reminded of what life is all about - family, love, and that there’s a great big world out there to explore.
The Pool Deck
The top floor of the ship had 3 large swimming pools, jacuzzis, unlimited ice cream, mini golf, and a track. There was an enormous flat screen TV on the pool deck that played movies and music throughout the day.
Puerto Vallarta
After three days out at sea, we arrived to our first stop of the Mexican Riviera Cruise - Puerto Vallarta. The cruise offers a number of different excursions for guests. I recommend booking these on your first or second day of the cruise because they fill up quickly. In booked us an excursion to a stunning resort. We woke up bright and early to exit the cruise and board a smaller boat towards Las Caletas.
Las Caletas
The tropical hideaway had a lot to offer its guests. With the perfect combination of ocean and jungle, we really enjoyed every second spent in this paradise. The excursion offered a welcome meal and lunch.
Wildlife
The resort had a variety of wildlife to interact with, including sting rays, sea lions, and monkeys. The highlight of the trip was feeding the flamingos lunch straight from my hand. Flamingos are my favorite animal in the world, so getting to be so close to them was a very special experience. These flamingos had such a vibrant color to them!
On our way to the restroom was a bridge that had over 20 parrots. The birds were all beautiful colors made of green, red, blue, and yellow. With this being my second visit to Puerto Vallarta, I can’t recommend it enough!
Mazatlán
The following day, we stopped in the city of Mazatlán. We had a salsa making and salsa dancing class booked at Hotel Emporio Mazatlán. Upon arrival, we put on aprons and a chef’s hat to make it all official and ensure no spillages on our clothes.
We had unlimited margaritas to sip on as we made salsa from scratch. On the menu, we made guacamole, salsa verde, red salsa, and a sweet salsa. They all turned out great! Following the cooking class, the staff cleared the tables and we all learned how to salsa dance. For the remainder of our time, we walked along the beach and laid pool side, enjoying the view.
Los Cabos
The final destination in Mexico was Cabo San Lucas. I have always wanted to see its famous arches. We found an impromptu tour guide to take us and other cruise goers to see the giant rocks up close.
We passed by the famous Lover’s Beach. Unfortunately, we didn’t get to stop at the beach shore, but it’s something to do for the next time I visit.
The second part of the excursion included spending time on a beach. We enjoyed tacos, piña coladas, and chips under shady umbrellas. If you are wanting to purchase beach essentials or souvenirs, there are many locals who are selling merchandise.
Following our day in Cabo, it was time to board back onto our ship and make the nearly 3 day journey back to LA. As we left Mexico, we spotted herds of dolphins and whales!
My first experience on a cruise ship was made so enjoyable and special because of the people I was with. Spending quality, uninterrupted time with my family was a rare treat and blessing. A sincere thank you to my Khalo and In for the trip of a lifetime. I will always hold these memories close to my heart. From the endless activities on the boat to the tropical paradises in Mexico, I loved getting to travel to new places. Being on the Discovery Princess Cruise gave me the chance to visit multiple cities in one trip.