We had a great time on our Mexican Riviera cruise Feb 14-21, 2009 on the Oosterdam. We had a 9am flight from Minneapolis on Northwest the day of our cruise. Some people like to come in the night before just to be safe but we've never had any trouble flying in the morning of the cruise. Just be sure to purchase travel insurance and book a direct flight. We boarded the ship before noon with no fuss, no long lines. We had some lunch on the Lido deck, stopped off at our cabin (inside stateroom 6134), then left the ship and took a $6 cab ride to Ralph's grocery to buy wine. We bought 4 bottles but I regretted not buying more. Each bottle yields 2 glasses of wine each and we easily consumed a bottle per day at quite a savings and better quality than available from the ship's bars. We walked back to the ship, it was a very pleasant mile or so. I was very impressed with San Diego, what I saw of it from the airport and pier. The airport is 2 miles from the pier, with the city wrapping all around the bay. Everything is scenic and convenient. There are lots of activities in this area. I want to go back and spend some time there.

Our inside stateroom was comfortable and spacious. Deck 6 is not a handy location, but on the bright side I had to climb or descend at least 3 flights of stairs to get anywhere and I enjoyed the workout. My wife used the elevators and usually beat me to our destination, but not always. Our deck 6 cabin was a guaranteed cabin and I was upgraded. Next time I'll pick my own cabin as I don't feel I was really upgraded at all. Despite the economy, this ship was full so I suppose there was nothing available for upgrading. In general the food was excellent, both in the Lido and the dining room. The entertainment on the ship was good. I was surprised and disappointed to find there was no orchestra or jazz band aboard. There was an excellent string quartet that we enjoyed before dinner on several nights. HAL employs bar staff from the Philippines and restaurant staff from Indonesia. They are all delightful, friendly people and I make a point to try to remember a few names. They did better than I did at this. Kadek always greeted me with a smile and "Good morning Mr. Tom!" in the Lido before breakfast while I had coffee and read. Rey in the aft outdoor bar area did the same all week. One day he announced "Mr. Tom, Mrs. Jean has been looking for you all morning!"

The first two sea days were chilly, highs in the 60's, but coming from Minnesota it was great. This cruise was all about whale watching for me. The second sea day was actually the highlight of the cruise. The Oosterdam exits the fast lane on the way south and early in the morning enters Bahia Magdalena, or Magdalene Bay, a whale sanctuary and breeding area. It was an amazing couple of hours. Whales were everywhere. I saw more whales in this bay than on all 3 of my Alaskan cruises combined. I felt sorry for the Sapphire Princess, they had been with us on the way south and they just kept going past this very special place. Amazingly, this side trip was not known to me when I booked the cruise. Why Holland America keeps it such a secret I will never know. I hope they offer this itinerary again next whale season (January thru March). I could see a few small boats coming from shore with groups of whale watchers who were able to get very close to the whales. I'm hoping to spend a few days there myself some day. Read more