4 Nights Pacific Coastal Cruise

An Unforgettable Cruise on the Discovery Princess

I hardly ever write reviews, but after reading some mixed opinions about the Discovery Princess, I felt compelled to share our experience. My partner and I had an amazing week on the Discovery Princess. This was our 30th cruise, we are platinum on Princess, and we've sailed with Royal Caribbean, Carnival, Norwegian, and Renaissance. This was our first Princess cruise in over ten years. We sailed from March 1 to March 8, 2025, on the Discovery Princess from San Pedro, California, to the Mexican Riviera, stopping in Cabo San Lucas, Mazatlán, and Puerto Vallarta. We drove from our home in California's Central Valley the morning of the cruise and arrived at the terminal at 11:00 AM. Despite a very long line of people outside the terminal, we were on the ship by noon. By 1:00 PM, we were thrilled to find our luggage already in our cabin (mini-suite - Deck 10). The cabin was perfect for us with plenty of storage and more than enough space. The overall embarkation experience for us could not have gone smoother. The port personnel, security officers, porters, and everyone else we came into contact with were friendly and always returned our hellos and our smiles. We had the Princess Plus package, and I think for us it was worth it. The only time we had to wait for a drink was in the casino, but other than that, we never waited more than a few minutes for a beverage. After our first meal at the buffet, we ended up returning for every subsequent meal. We didn’t plan to do that, but the food was outstanding, offering so many different options. From American and Mexican to Indian, Filipino, and various Asian cuisines, the selection was so impressive. The quality surpassed any buffet we've ever experienced. At every meal, the crew always offered us something to drink, always with a smile. We did not have to get our own beverages once. The views and the ambiance of the buffet made dining there even more enjoyable. The Discovery Princess is a beautiful ship with warm, soothing colors. It is clean and still feels new. There were so many different Actitives we enjoyed participating in. We had fun in the casino, participated in many trivia games and game shows, we enjoyed the production shows, and we danced in the Vista Lounge every night until after 2:00 AM. The staff everywhere were fantastic and made our trip even better and more memorable. We found ourselves walking and waiting for elevators a lot. The ship is huge and holds a lot of passengers. I recommend taking the stairs if it all possible. One of the reasons we enjoy cruising so much is the opportunity to meet people from all over. We always try and make it a point at every activity we attend (trivia, dancing, production shows, etc.) to say hello to our “neighbors” and strike up a conversation. The Discovery was no different; we met some amazing people that we sat with and visited with throughout the entire week. We enjoyed our port days. We stayed on the ship in Cabo and Mazatlán, enjoying the peace and quiet, and did a beach resort excursion in Puerto Vallarta, which was a lot of fun. Embarkation and disembarkation could not have been easier. It took us just an hour to get on the ship from the moment we arrived at the port, and on the last day, when we heard the announcement at 6:55 AM that disembarkation had begun, we were off the ship, through customs, and to our car by 7:20 AM. It took less than 25 minutes to disembark. It was incredible. Overall, this cruise was amazing, and we couldn't have asked for a better week. We highly recommend the Discovery Princess and can't wait for our next Princess Cruise.

Love this cruise

This ship and the itinerary are perfect for a week long cruise. The ship is huge and spacious, the decor and amenities are modern and in excellent condition. The food venues are very good and everyone on the staff is friendly and welcoming. We really enjoyed the 80’s themed trivia and dance party and the entertainment staff were fantastic. We ate at The Catch on embarkation day and it was so good we actually to photos of our food to remember it. The buffet and dining room food was excellent with a lot of variety. Getting on and off at ports was quick and easy. There was a very long line to board in LA but it moved along and anyone with mobility issues was accommodated separately with their party to board without waiting outside. The new mocktails are a nice option. The daily crafts were a fun challenge. The pools were all really nice and we never had much trouble finding a lounge chair. No complaints!

Enjoyed Our Mexican Cruise on Discovery Princess

My wife and I (both 66) enjoyed our Mexican cruise on the Discovery Princess, our first on this large class. The ship was in excellent shape for being two years old and never seemed crowded except in the buffets and getting an elevator usually took some time. We flew into LAX in the morning, took an Opoli ($46) to the port, and got in the long line after checking our luggage. After getting through security and verifying our medallion, we were on the ship about noon. I immediately went to the Sanctuary only to find the week all booked except for lounge chairs on two port days. I reserved chairs for the morning of the Puerto Vallarta stop. Then we went to Gigi's for our first casual lunch included with our Plus package, the other being lunch at Ocean Terrace Sushi. Both were very good but the line at the latter can be long due to its small capacity. At 1 p.m. we went to our cabin, a premium deluxe balcony on Caribe deck. Two weeks before departure we were told our upgrade bid for a mini-suite was denied but were offered an upgrade from a deluxe balcony on the back side of Marina deck for $50. So glad we got this, as the location was likely quieter and the balcony twice as big, a square rather than a rectangle. There was some television noise from the cabin next to us one night. We mainly ate breakfast and lunch in the buffet and dinner in the main dining room (Ketchikan MDR). The buffet is huge and a bit confusing, with offerings doubled along the length. Seats and beverages were hard to obtain. The MDR service was variable, with drinks taking awhile to get. As with our dinner in Rudi's, the fish and seafood were often overcooked and even dry. The pizza at the Slice and offerings at the International Cafe were always good. I often got a latte at 7 a.m. at the bar by the Live! theater where there was never a line. We had done this cruise years earlier and have stayed at resorts at the three stops, so were not interested in tours. At Cabo, we got tickets at 10:40 a.m. for the tender but was at lunch in the MDR when our number was called, so caught one later when we were ready. We just walked around a little in the chaos on shore then returned to the ship. In Mazatlan we walked the blue line to the theater then to the cathedral and big indoor market, taking a pulmonia back to the ship for $8. In Puerto Vallarta I walked to the large Chedraui grocery store nearby and bought tequila for $12. Our Sanctuary morning was great, as we were the only ones for quite awhile. By 11:30 a.m. only 10 people were there. We enjoyed drinks, edamame, and sesame tuna salad and the hot tub. Princess needs to change its policy on this nice space as goes nearly empty. Reservations should not be taken for all week by one party and a no-show charge should be implemented. But Princess is getting full revenue from this space as it is, so I doubt the policy will change soon. During the week we went to two outdoor hot tubs with only us in them and there seemed an abundance of chairs by the pools. I went to two of the shows in the theater but left soon after as I'm not interested in musicals, especially when it was the same singers the second time. We did enjoy the comedians and trivia shows but wish there were some alternatives such as magicians, etc. We were disappointed to see that the Wake Show seems recorded far in advance and lacks any information of value. This cruise, our first in several years, featured more upcharging, including in the MDR. With the Plus package we usually had about six drinks each a day but only one premium dessert all week--mango gelato and not the huge sundaes. This, along with the included gratuity for staff and two casual meals we had, seemed to be a good decision. The ship encountered some turbulence the last night but otherwise the trip was very calm. Disembarkation, getting our luggage, and customs went fast, and we were at the airport by 9 a.m. after taking a cab for $65. Like anywhere, there were some rude people (attempting to get in the elevators before everyone exited) and there are lots of scooters, so bring some patience and realize there are 3,666 or more passengers aboard. It's not easy taking care of so many people, but the staff did a great job and we appreciate the service we received. We'll be back on this ship next March when it sails to Fiji. Be sure to check out the Facebook groups on various Princess topics!