Hello guys, just began looking at going on a cruise with my wife(mid 20's both of us) we want a calm, quiet, relax, memorable cruis. I had my eyes on the Mex Riviera 7nt cruise and am reading a lot about anything related to it.
I have so many questions that I dont know where to start...but here are a few, and sorry if they are dumb or redundant quest.

1-As i have read on many sites, is this cruise geared toward an older crowd? We are young, but dont behave like any, but would like to at least be one of the many young couples, dont want to stand out and look really weird by being the only mid-20's couple on board.

2-Wanted to know what was included and what was NOT included and extra charge was involved.
-24-7 room service for anything included?
-non-alcohol drinks throughout the whole trip?
-entertainment rooms/places & others similar?
-open bar for non-alcohol drinks?
-dress attire required on those casual and format nights? is this enforeced, as I want a real vacation and dont want to dress nice and tight, just relaxed dress for all 7 days.
-breakfast, lunch, dinner seatting: we would like to sit just together as a couple with not table-mates as we would like to enjoy our time together as much as possible. Doesnt matter if buffet or the other dinner style.
-Theres food 24-7 via roomservice?extra charge? in case we miss the dinner times for whatever reason.
-spa and relax rooms, I dont know how many of these there are, but which are free and which require extra charge?
-Casino slot tournament: sounds like fun, anyone who tried it willing to explain a little further from beg to end how that works.
etc.....and many more question...

P.S. If anyone who has AIM or MSN and is willing to give their screen name to further clear questions off my head about this trip, I would greatly appreciate it.

thanks
Ben

<<1-As i have read on many sites, is this cruise geared toward an older crowd?>>

You should be OK. The older crowd likes longer cruises and the Mexican Riviera tends to draw a younger group. One never knows however, as each passenger load is different from the last.

<<2-Wanted to know what was included and what was NOT included and extra charge was involved.
Your fare includes your accommodations, dining, entertainment and so on. -24-7 room service for anything included?>>

Yes it is. However, I would suggest that you tip the servers bringing it to your cabins.

<<-non-alcohol drinks throughout the whole trip?>>

Yes, and no. If you want juice, coffee, tea etc. it is available all day and night. However, you will pay for non-alcoholic drinks, soft drinks and such.

<<-entertainment rooms/places & others similar?>>

All of the entertainment is included in your fare. That includes the productions hows and all of the lounges.

<<-open bar for non-alcohol drinks?>>

That is going to cost you if they are specialty drinks like a "virgin Bahama Mama".

<<-dress attire required on those casual and format nights? is this enforeced, as I want a real vacation and dont want to dress nice and tight, just relaxed dress for all 7 days.>>

HAL tends to be a bit more formal than other lines, so you are looking at two formal nights on your cruise. If you chose not to dress, you will limit your choices to either the buffet or room service as the dress code may be enforced in the restaurant. It has been some time since my last HAL cruise so this may have changed.

<<-breakfast, lunch, dinner seatting: we would like to sit just together as a couple with not table-mates as we would like to enjoy our time together as much as possible. Doesnt matter if buffet or the other dinner style.>>

See the Maitre D' as soon as you board to make this request. Also, have your travel agent go to bat for you right now.

<<-Theres food 24-7 via roomservice?extra charge? in case we miss the dinner times for whatever reason.>>

Again, yes there is. But you should remember to tip the servers that bring you your meals/snacks.

<<-spa and relax rooms, I dont know how many of these there are, but which are free and which require extra charge?>>

The spa is going to cost you extra, but there are several Jacuzzis to enjoy that are free to use.

<<-Casino slot tournament: sounds like fun, anyone who tried it willing to explain a little further from beg to end how that works.
etc.....and many more question...>>

Sorry, I am not a gambler, but I think you simply pay to enter and then yank the slots. No real money is involved other than your entrance fee. The person with the highest amount on their slot wins when it is over. I could be wrong though.

Have a great cruise!

Tom

Hello Tom, I have to give you a million thanks for answering my questions in small detail, that gave me a better idea and easier choice on selecting this trip.

For sure I will be posting more questions as they come to mind.
Tom, have you been on the Oosterdam to Mexican Riviera? This is the one I will be taking, I tried to edit my post to metion my cruise and trip but was not able to.

No I have not sailed on the Oosterdam, but have sailed on her sister ship the Zuiderdam. Also, I have done the Mexican Riviera a good number of times. Let me know if you have more questions.

Tom

Did you do any tours at each port? Los Cabos, Mazatlan, Puerto Vallarta?
I am going in Feb. so maybe some excursions are not avail.
Any tips for excursions would be great or just tips on where to go or what to do to make it worthwhile at each port.

-Ben

Hello,

When you are in Cabo you can go on a boat trip around the arches for about $8.00 a person, and you can walk around the town on your own. In Mazatlan you can use public transportation and see quite a lot of the city for about $6 to 8.00 per person and when you are in Puerto Vallarta, you can take a cab ride into the city and back to the ship. The cost is about $10 or so each way for two persons if not less, and you can walk on the Malecon (waterfront walk way for free).

Have a great time,

Fred

Hey Fred, thanks for the tips.
I heard in one of those ports, there's a cliff diving "show", which one is that and how do I go about getting there?

On another port, I believe theres an excursion where you go on boat, then a cave, have mex bbq, and then beach, etc...anyone know detials on this one?

Thanks
Ben

Just as a 'warning', HAL does have a reputation of being a more formal line for an older crowd. With that being said, as Tom pointed out, this itinerary does generally attract younger people. It also depends when you are going - if it's during school breaks there's a greater chance of there being a younger crowd.

Personally I would love to try HAL, older crowd or not (we are in our early 30s) because I've heard the room appointments and food are excellent.

Do be prepared (regardless of where or which line you cruise with) to spend money on the extras. That shore excursion you mentionned is likely from the ship and those tend to be pricier than those you can do on your own, as Fred outlined.

Remember to carry singles and fives. You will find in Mexico that most often no one can/will give you change.....

Hi Ben.
February 2005 my husband & I went went on this exact cruise you're looking into, and we had a great time! We too wanted a relaxing, peaceful time, which is why we choose Holland. Yes, they do seem to have a reputation for being geared toward the older crowd, but they're starting to shake this image. And with this newer ship, they've accomplishing it wonderfully. On last year's cruise the diversity of the crowd was younger than on previous ships we'd been on with Holland. They had an Oosterdam "american idol" competition too, which was alot of fun. Let's see if I can answer a few more of your questions.

Extra charges: Shore excursions are extra of course, but most we've done have been worth the money. Alcoholic beverages are extra, as are sodas & speciality coffees. Spas, massage, things along this line, are extra. No open bar on non-alcohol drinks, but they do have soda cards you can buy, at a pretty reasonable price I understand. I can't remember the price because we usually just drank water.
Room service: Yes, anytime you want, and it's no charge. We've only used it one time (unfortunately), and you can order whatever you want. We ordered breakfast, and when it came it was even still hot. There was everything we'd ordered, and plenty of it.
Not sure what you mean by entertainment room/places & other similar???
Dress Attire: We never saw them, but I've heard they really discourage and frown on jeans in the MAIN DINING ROOM during dinner. On this particular cruise, on the formal nights about 1/3 were really dressed up, the rest more relaxed wear, but we never saw jeans.
Breakfast, lunch dinner seating: Breakfast - hmmm room service sounds like a great option for quiet alone time. Also the main dining room serves breakfast, ordered off menu, and is less hectic and quieter. Just tell them you'd like to be seated at a table for two (which we did a couple times), and they'll accommodate. Breakfast is also served in the Lido (buffet style), and you can easily sit by yourself, because there are tables for two. Lunch - same place, same way in the Lido.
Casino slot tournament: Did get into this, but my husband sure enjoyed the roulette wheel, and his winnings ended up paying for all our shore excursions, and a little extra. My game was bingo, which I'd never played before in my life, but I figured, what the heck, why not. I won the first time I played ($140).

Hope this has helped answer some of your questions. Wish I would have found this site before we went on our first cruise; would have really helped getting answers from "real people", instead of the cruise line.
Bottom line - go for it. You'll have a great time! This is a fun ship. My husband & I are going on the sister ship to it (Westerdam) in about a month from now (Eastern Carribean). Ready to go already!