We cruised that itinerary on Princess in Jan 03. If you'd like to read our three port reports (Mazatlan, Puerto Vallarta & Cabo San Lucas), you'll get a flavor of the Mexican Riviera. www.dianaball.net/Star_Princess_Cruise_Report_2003.htm

The best online resource for current cruise information is Cruise Critic: http://www.cruisecritic.com/ Check out the articles, ship reviews and free discussion boards (the Celebrity forum and the Ports of Call>Mexican Riviera forum).

We have cruised quite a bit and were with Celebrity this summer. IMO, among the mass market cruise ship lines, there are several lines which offer a fairly comparable, "traditional" cruise experience, each with its own strengths/weaknesses: Royal Caribbean, Princess, Celebrity and Holland America. Loyalists will tout one line over the others, glossing over those pesky details, and detractors will focus on one of those details, e.g., food or service or entertainment, to the exclusion of other details in denouncing an entire cruise line! You simply have to sort out those shades and variations on the same theme as you read reviews, or just pick the one that meets the majority of your requirements, go with an open mind and enjoy whatever happens!

Take this fun "test" to see what cruise line "they" think is a good fit for you. By going through the process, you will identify what factors are most important to you. http://www.02cruise.com/LineSearch/index.asp

Good luck in your research and planning! Diana Ball near Houston, TX