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Pick a Carnival -- Party on the Elation

© By Rita Cook

Carnival's Elation appealed to me immediately because she cruises from my home of Los Angeles, CA. Every week she sails the waters of the Mexican Riveria from Puerto Vallarta to Cabo San Lucas and ports in between.

She's a party boat, Carnival Cruise Lines is a party line, so expect to be constantly entertained with singles parties, rum swizzle parties and night life that keeps going into the wee morning hours.

Ship Life

You won't have time to meet everybody unless you really get around, there are 2,052 passengers on board. If you're just interested in some down time you can do that too because there's plenty of nooks to read and a spa where you can get everything from a facial to a cellulite treatment.

During the days you're at sea, dinners are served at both 6:00 and 8:15 p.m. Normally, you meet new people at your table and sit with them during every meal in the dining room. The food is excellent, designed around a theme such as Mexican, Italian or Chinese, to name a few.

The cabin steward will clean your room twice a day, the second time pulling back the covers for you. Relax and watch a movie if you're not up to partying in the evenings or check out the nightly live entertainment in the showroom.

Ports of Call

There were three ports of call during the cruise, the first one was Puerto Vallarta. Puerto Vallarta is a wonderful 78 to 86 degrees so spending the day means sheer pleasure. There's a variety of walking tours as well as snorkeling, sunbathing and swimming. Hollywood must have known a thing or two about this Mexican resort because "Night of the Iguana," "Revenge" and "Predator" where all shot here.

Mazatlan is about 20 miles below the Tropic of Cancer and located on a peninsula surrounded by cliffs and beaches. It's an old town where locals still fish and catch Marlin up to 750 pounds.

Again, the weather is pleasant and the ship excursions will take you on hikes, tours and shopping jaunts. Don't miss the young divers dive from rocks that are 30 to 50 feet above the water.

Last port of call is a newer resort town called Cabo San Lucas. Rock musician Sammy Hagar made Cabo famous with his Cabo Wabo club. Cabo still seems to be unspoiled and its landscape is quite different than the earlier ports.

The ship offers several excursions including boat tour and whale watching. Every year from December through mid-April the Humpbacks, Greys and Blue Whales migrate from the Alaskan waters to this area to mate and give birth.

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