Embarkation and Debarkation: Arrival and departure on the Vision of the Seas were somewhat orderly and fairly quick, though debarkation was more confusing. Customs in Los Angeles was fairly painless on reentry. The ship handled the process fairly well, though.
Ports of Call: As this is my third Mexican Riviera cruise (with different lines each time), I've noticed radical increases in cost of food and entertainment at each port. Still, it's not horrible. In Cabo, expect obnoxious tendering but nice beaches and copious shopping. Mazatlan is an enjoyable port and its Golden Zone features great beaches and decent resorts for relaxation, but this is hampered by the long taxi ride to get there and the endless line of peddlers attempting to sell trinkets, killing all opportunity to relax on the beach. In a two hour beach stay, expect to be approached by literally at least fifty enterprising merchants. Vallarta is far and away the most beautiful town, but also the most expensive. The jungle outpost Canopia El Eden is enjoyable, but is becoming exponentially more expensive to visit (total cost of visit and zip lines on first cruise in 2002: $30... total cost on this last cruise, $120).
Cuisine: The Vision featured very good food in its main dining area, though service was spotty at times. Our waiters were courteous and kind and did their best, but often messed up orders. Dinner regularly took at least two hours nightly, as we regularly sat for at least 30 minutes between courses on a nightly basis. It could have been worse, yes, but it still felt very slow when wait staff were not as attentive as they could have been. Prepare to relax. The Windjammer cafe had typical cruise buffet fare: most times seeming reheated and poorly prepared, but now and then well prepared and delicious. There are no other dining options of note.