Sherman's Travel

Summer in Mexico is hot, and the deals are even hotter. At Hotel Riu Emerald Bay in Mazatlan, on the Pacific coast of Mexico, rates start at $73 per person, per night, from May 1 to June 22, 2012 and from August 18 to October 29, 2012. But the best part: you don’t have to hire a babysitter for the kids: they’re free!

In addition to free stays for kids, guests also get special rates on a round of golf at the Estrella del Mar Golf & Beach Resort. Hotel Riu Emerald Bay is a four-star, all-inclusive, oceanfront resort, complete with three fresh water swimming pools, spa, gym, shows and live music, and numerous beach and aquatic activities like volleyball, windsurfing, and kayaking. In addition to several buffet stations, there are Asian, Italian, and Mexican restaurants, too.

To book this deal, visit the Hotel Riu Emerald Bay website.

Be sure to check out our Mexico destination guide before you go, and use our Travel Search price comparison tool to book the best deals on flights.

Need a relaxing spring vacation by the beach with the option to sail, windsurf, golf, or just play in the sand? What about a place where the whole family can have a good time? Book a 4-night, all inclusive stay at the Riu Emerald Bay in Mazatlan, Mexico before April 15 and get all of those options in just one place. For just $500 per person, receive airfare, accommodations, meals and more! In addition, kids 12 and under stay free with two paying adults.

THE VALUE: This deal includes air taxes which can cost an additional $123.

THE CATCH: This price is only available when leaving from Los Angeles. Other departure cities are available, but at higher prices. In addition,  prices were accurate at the time of this post but may prices may fluctuate. Book soon to reserve this rate.

THE DETAILS: To book click here or call 1-877-433-4378 before April 15;

WE’VE GOT MORE: Sign up to receive more editor-vetted deals with our Top 25 Newsletter.

Looking for more vacation ideas with the family? Check out our  Family vacation Blog.

Searching for a fun Mexican beach resort away from the typical tourist meccas? The new Las Villas Hotel and Spa offers an affordable seaside option with plenty of room to stretch out on a private 3-mile beach. Opened June 5, the hotel’s 71 rooms and 21 villas provide such luxe touches as private verandahs and marble and granite bathrooms. Best of all is the price – an oceanfront room can be had for $140/night.

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Discounts on group travel are typically only available to parties of 10 or more, but unless you’re going to Cancun for Spring Break or you’re a B-List celebrity, this can be a difficult task to wrangle. That’s why Holland America’s 9-night cruise through the Gulf of California is such a great deal. Starting from $599 (originally $1,099) per person for the first two passengers and $199 each for the third and fourth (that averages out to only $399 per person), this bargain totals a savings of $2800!
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Instead of emptying out your wallet to take the family to Mexico this winter, scavenge for the treasures of the Mexican Riviera when you stay at Ocean Breeze Hotel, located in tropical Mazatlan (also known as the “Pearl of the Pacific”). Featuring great nightly rates of just $99 (originally $137/night) from January 4 through March 27, the Ocean Breeze also prepares a daily, complimentary, continental breakfast. But act soon, the booking window expires January 30.
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Cruising to Mexico has traditionally been more expensive than similar Caribbean sailings, but now that Mexico’s tourism has taken a hit, we are seeing remarkably low rates in the Mexican Riviera. Rates are dropping on major cruise lines across the board, but our top pick is this fall sailing on the new Carnival Splendor from just $359, which translates to an impressive 78% off rack rates.

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First by land, now by sea – the swine flu has caused numerous cruise lines to temporarily suspend calls at Mexican ports. Princess, Norwegian, Royal Caribbean, Holland America, and Carnival have all announced that they will be being rerouting their ships, or adding additional days at sea to itineraries with ports of call in Mexico.

A handful of these cruises were only scheduled to call in Mexico, meaning the cruise lines are going to have their hand’s full keeping passengers satisfied after they were set on enjoying an ice-cold Margarita on a tropical beach. (The cruise directors better hope the bartender on board makes a mean Margarita.) In the case of the Carnival Splendor, instead of sailing to Mazatlan, Cabo San Lucas, and Puerto Vallarta the cruise is now making only one call in San Francisco.

To make amends, Carnival is allowing cruisers who do not wish to accept the alternative ports of call the option of taking the cruise at a later date.  Princess is offering passengers that were booked on one of the three cruises that were sailing exclusively to Mexico 50% off a future cruise fare. Should all cruise lines be following this example? The Swine Flu outbreak is obviously beyond their control, but yet for many people this was their time off work, and they were expecting the cruise line’s to deliver the vacation they had purchased.

Should cruise lines offer compensation for rerouted  itineraries? What do you think?

The city of Long Beach, California celebrated the debut of the Carnival Splendor’s 7-night itineraries to the Mexican Riviera, further establishing the cruise line’s presence on the West Coast and creating an estimated $14 million for the city of Long Beach. The 3,006-passenger ship is Carnival’s newest, and will depart each Sunday to Puerto Vallarta, Mazatlan, and Cabo San Lucas. 

The Splendor moving in to the area marks the fourth Carnival ship now available to cruisers sailing from California, and together the ships are expected to carry a record of 620,000 passengers annually. To celebrate the new arrival, the cruise line performed an $8 million facelift to the Long Beach cruise terminal, including improvements in the passenger waiting areas, and a new VIP lounge.

The new vessel offers vacationers an extensive array of onboard amenities and activities throughout its 13 decks. One of the most talked about features on the Splendor is the two-level 21,000-square foot health spa – Carnival’s largest – and a 5,500-square-foot children’s play area. The ship also provides 22 lounges and bars, a movie theater, and a 24-hour pizzeria.

To learn more about the Carnival Splendor, visit their website at Carnival.com