Where have AAA Member Appreciation Cruises been all my life? Until sailing to the Mexican Riviera aboard Holland America Line’s Oosterdam, I’d never taken one. Now, I’m reluctant to cruise any other way.

My husband, Paul Lasley, and I were guest speakers on this AAA Member Appreciation Cruise, traveling with some 230 readers of Westways, Texas Journey, and New Mexico Journey magazines. The experience was a revelation.

On a AAA Member Appreciation Cruise, cruise hosts accompany the group and make sure things run smoothly. If problems arise, they run interference for you with the cruise staff. Our cruise hosts, Phil and Rita Brown, were amazing. The cheery Southern California couple has hosted more cruises, than Holland America has served baked Alaskas, I think, and nothing fazes them. They manned a Hospitality Table each day of the cruise, answering questions and solving any problems that came up.

You also get lots of extras, such as cocktail parties and special presentations with the likes of, well, us. As Westways’ TravelSmart columnists, Paul and I shared our insights into “Discovering the Real Mexico” and showed members “How to Travel With Only Carryons.” And when you’re a member of a AAA Member Appreciation group, you get special gifts. Neat things—like nifty tote bags with water bottles and travel-size sunblock—would sometimes miraculously appear in our cabin at turndown.

All these benefits were in addition to the normal shipboard offerings, which were extensive. The food, for example, was plentiful and varied. In addition to dining in the two-deck-high main dining room, passengers could eat, buffet-style, in the Lido restaurant, which offered an array of roast meats, fresh vegetables, salads and desserts. In the morning, you could choose from a variety of eggs Benedict—with spinach or smoked salmon, for example—and at lunch, Holland America’s signature bread pudding with vanilla sauce was always available.

In the evening, a portion of the Lido becomes Canaletto, an Italian restaurant. We dined there one night on lasagna that was so delicate it reminded us of classic lasagna we’d eaten in Bologna. Another night, we dined in the Pinnacle Grill, the ship’s specialty restaurant (which has a $20 per person service charge). In an elegant room, with backlit art works evocative of Rembrandt’s Night Watch, we sipped rich, intensely flavored lobster bisque and ate aged New York strip steak that was perfectly cooked and delicious.

We also enjoyed the ship’s entertainment. A classical guitarist named Taylor Brown played each evening in the Crow’s Nest, the observation lounge at the top and front of the ship, and the Adagio Strings played classical melodies in the Explorer’s Lounge. A musical production called Garage Band was full of energy and some great dancing, but our favorite show of the cruise was the production presented late one night by members of the Indonesian crew. When two young women performed a Balinese dance, it seemed as though a couple of ancient wall paintings had come to vibrant life. And a group of about 20 men presented a Monkey Dance, part of the Ramayana, the great Hindu epic chronicling a conflict between good and evil. The group’s earnestness and sense of commitment overshadowed any lack of professionalism.

The Oosterdam sailed roundtrip from San Diego, calling at Mazatlán, Puerto Vallarta, and Cabo San Lucas. For us, the only disappointing port was Cabo. The setting at Baja California’s tip is glorious—bright sunlight, deep blue water turning to turquoise at the shore’s edge, where golden sand beaches meet granite outcroppings. But when Paul and I took the tender ashore, commercialism assaulted us: restaurants geared to gringos, shops selling tacky souvenirs, and vendors hawking glass-bottom boat tours, parasailing excursions, and sport-fishing trips. For a price, you could have your photo taken with a live iguana. The port’s saving grace was the view of Los Arcos, the granite arches that have become the classic Baja image, as the ship sailed by.

The cruise’s three days at sea, however, more than made up for one disappointing port. Each Daily Program offered myriad choices—from wine tastings to trivia contests to dance classes. I took advantage of the ship’s well-equipped gym to work out and take some fitness classes (some, like aerobics and stretching, are offered for free; others, like Pilates and yoga, have a $12 fee).

Between these activities and our presentations, we didn’t have much time to do what Paul most enjoys on a cruise—sitting in a deck chair and looking at the ocean. On the last afternoon of the cruise, though, we did just that. The Oosterdam has a broad teak promenade deck that, unlike many modern cruise ships, goes all the way around the ship. And it has old-fashioned wooden deck chairs with cushions. We relaxed in two of those deck chairs and gazed at the ocean. When the sun was about to set, we got up and walked to the railing. As if on cue, two whale spouts appeared not far off the ship’s starboard side. Then the sun turned brilliant red and sank in to the sea.

As we look back on the cruise, moments like that stand out. As do the people we met. Most of all, we enjoyed meeting other AAA members who were part of the group. “A lot of the same people come back on Member Appreciation Cruises,” said Rita, when we chatted with her and Phil one afternoon in the Crow’s Nest. “You get to know them, and you look forward to seeing them again.” We look forward to sailing with Rita and Phil again—and to our next AAA Member Appreciation Cruise.

Have you taken a AAA Member Appreciation Cruise? Tell us about it. And hear more about our Mexican Riviera Cruise aboard Holland America’s Oosterdam by tuning in to our podcasts at www.OnTravel.com.