c-leg5

That's my understanding as well.

 

Back in the old Fin and Flippers days, when you could only dock in Coxen Hole. It was a 5 minute walk to the small pier where their launch picked you up. But you had to make ressies so they would know you were coming. Cheaper then too. (~$35 pp IIRC)

 

If you are coming from Mahogany Bay, part of the cost is transportation related. But a large part of the cost is what gets shared with the crusie lines (50%+). Resort owners have found that in lots of cases the increase in customers is worth going the exclusive route as they net more $ too. Smaller excursions, like smaller boat snorkeling or sailing, though tend to find it not worth the hassle.

 

WE also did it in the old Fins and Flippers days - easy, convenient excursion to do on your own from Coxen Hole and PAYG for food and drink. Seems like a lot of money has been invested over the years and the island developed. Now the resort has to be booked exclusively through cruise line with more structure with regards scheduling.

I am also not understanding why you are not taking advantage of your admission to Chankanaab? I have not been there but it seems that most people find enough to do for the day. Since you say you like snorkeling, you have snorkeling right there, why would you want to look for somewhere else? With your time frame you are going to have very little time for relaxing or exploring after the dolphin experience. Have you read Mitsugirly's pictorial reviews of Chankanaab?

That said, I replied to your other thread about the ruins and timing. It would seem that would fit in, if that is what you want to do, so I am not understanding the problem there either. The ruins open at 8am, I believe, the return taxi fare plus waiting I think would cover about 3 hours total - you could negotiate picking up at pier, dropping off at Chankanaab and then you would only need return taxi from Chankanaab. This would give you some time before the Dolphin experience to explore.

Punta Sur sounds fantastic....how much to cab from Carnivals pier for a family of four?

 

 

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Prices from Puerta Maya

http://www.cozumelinsider.com/

(some Carnival ships dock downtown)

I am guessing this is a return rate which includes 2 hours ? waiting.

You would need to confirm and negotiate if you want different. There is an entrance fee to Punta Sur. You would need to arrange return transport since there will probably not be taxis waiting. We visited with a private driver that stayed with us.

PB is a large, popular, well run beach club with a nice beach, good facilities, and a huge pool. It attracts lots of visitors and the low admission fee ($2 chair rental) brings many who only want a couple of hours of beach time before or after other events.

 

I agree Paradise Beach has very nice facilities. Just FYI website now states facility fee is $3pp and water park is $15.

Thanks! How many hours would you roughly give for something like this? Whether doing a guided tour vs self-guided? Most of the excursion show 4-5 hours but if we're only visiting the ruins, will we really need that much time?

 

I would say 20-30 minutes each way travel depending on where you dock and 60-90 minutes at the ruins depending on how thoroughly you explore. It would not take very long to do the ruins round the main plaza area. If you follow the trails to the outlying sites, time would depend on how mobile you are. These time estimates are if you tour on your own. I have no idea how long it will take if you have a guide. Most of the groups with guides seemed very large and you wouldn't be able to self-pace.

 

Here is a link to some further reviews. http://travel.yahoo.com/p-travelguide-2804905-san_gervasio_cozumel-i. The descriptions are accurate but the prices have increased.

Anyone ever did this tour? We have a 3 and 10 year old and wondering if its suitable?

 

Not sure which cruiseline you are on or exactly which tour you are referring to. However a quick search came up with a Disney tour which visited ruins, tequila factory and probably El Cedral? For the price of that tour I would be inclined to look at the thread "hiring a driver got a day" and the ToursPlaza website. With a private driver you would be able to customize your day and change your plans if necessary with the little one. Personally I think the Disney tour would be a little much for the little one and that it would be a pity to miss out on some beach,or running around time, that you could add in with a private driver. Of course you could be looking at a totally different tour?

Friends and I will be stopping in Cozumel.

 

I was thinking of organizing the salsa' date=' salsa and margaritas excursion then we would hope in a cab to go to Playa Azul towards the north end of the island.

 

Salsa, salsa ends at 1.30 and the ship leaves Cozumel at 7pm...

 

My question is... Logistically speaking, is it worth it to keep heading north of the island for a beach or should we head more south towards the more popular beach clubs..

 

Also, if you have done either salsa, salsa or/Playa Azul, what was your experience?

 

Any feedback or suggestions would be greatly appreciated...

 

Lil' Baba[/quote']

I haven't done salsa salsa but I recently visited Buccanos beach club and I walked along the beach to Playa Azul. It seemed fine although much smaller than I imagined from photos I had seen. Previous email from Playa Azul had confirmed that with food and beverage consumption I could use bar, restaurant, pool and spa.

 

Just curious as to what you are actually looking for? You have all the facilities at Hotel Cozumel available to you after the salsa salsa, as far as I have read, which has a beach area, bar and pool.

Has anyone been to either of these? They seem to be the least expensive for the All Inclusive resorts that I've found, but haven't seen any reviews for them.

 

We will have kids ages 9,9, and 11. We want to be able to snorkel and swim.

 

Thanks!

 

We have been to both.

 

Unfortunately the search engine seems to be down on this forum but I have just written a review on El Cid

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showpost.php?p=41533718&postcount=4

 

 

We went to Allegro last year mainly because we had a toddler with us and they have a children's splash pool (not important to you, I know). They do have two other main pools and a large sandy beach. Sandy beach, by definition, means it is not good for serious snorkeling but some people do find thing of interest. The resort seemed fine to us but unfortunately the weather was not good so we were unable to take full advantage of the beach and facilities. Recent reports on Tripadvisor however do not seem to be so good.

 

I would also suggest you look at Buccanos if snorkeling and watersports are important and nice pool. Not AI if that matters. There is also a zip line which may interest kids, although zip line fanatics do not rate this one very highly, just suggesting as an added interest. I have a review here with a video link http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showpost.php?p=41523190&postcount=2

 

Any further specific questions I will try to answer.

What was the cost of the cab fare to Iberostar from the dock?

 

Depends which dock. Here is the link from International Pier

http://www.cozumelinsider.com/Taxiinternational?From=Transonczm

Website lists rates from other piers.

Hey all,

 

Just wondering, if we opt to visit San Gervaisio on our own and take a taxi there, are there tour guides onsite there who are waiting to give tours? Or do you absolutely need to arrange the tour ahead of time?

 

If there are onsite tour guides, are they all part of the same company and do they all charge the same fee (and what do they charge?)?

 

I've seen excursions that you can book but I think we might consider either finding a tour guide when we get there or trekking out there on our own and doing a tour adhoc (if they're available), or as a last resort just getting some reading and audio material to do a self-guided tour.

 

Any recommendations? Our cruise tenders at 8:30am so I'd anticipate getting to the site between 9:30-10am. We're trying to get to Chankanaab between 1-2pm for a dolphin excursion.

 

TIA

 

We have done the ruins quite easily on our own.

 

There was a 2x$4 charge pp (paid in two lots) for entry to the ruins, although I think someone reported recently that had gone up $1 or 2 but the search engine on this forum is down and I cannot find the post. The taxi will wait in a taxi waiting area for you until you are done. The taxi prices quoted at the pier are for round trip with 2 hours waiting I believe, confirm before you leave.

http://www.cozumelinsider.com/Taxiinternational?From=Transonczm

 

You will be given a printed hand out describing the ruins which you can follow on your own, or you can hire a guide. The ruins are very small (height-wise) but spread out over a large area if you wish to see all of them or you can just stay in the main plaza area. We just followed the map and guide ourselves. We enjoyed the jungle walk but bear in mind depending on time of year it can be wet or very hot - remember water and bug spray! This link gives you more information about guides and the opportunity to purchase a more detailed guide http://www.everythingcozumel.com/San-Gervasio-Guide/. I think I have also seen an audio tour to down load if you Google.

 

When considering time planning just remember to keep ship time vs local time, and time of year regarding time change in mind.

I think it all depends on what you are looking for from your day.

 

We have been to Cozumel numerous times both via cruise ship and for land vacations. We have been to El Cid a couple of times. It is conveniently located close to International and Puerta Maya Piers and therefore no transport is required. If you have a short port stop, don't want to take a taxi (for whatever reason), or are looking for a less intensive day because you have lengthy/expensive excursions in other ports it can be a very convenient option. They have a few "passes" available - facilities only including WI FI with a credit back towards food and drink, AI or "evening" which can be bought in the lobby. We have only purchased the facilities only and have found it very good value, when we have just wanted a few hours off the ship.

 

As previous poster said there is only a very small beach cove and a row of loungers on a leveled sandy area since the shoreline is rocky and popular with snorkelers. The view is mainly of the cruise ships at International Pier. There is a small swimming pool.

 

I would be unlikely to purchase an AI day pass to this resort because if I had the time available to make that purchase worthwhile I have many other options available on Cozumel, including Park Royal next door which offers the same convenience but in my opinion has nicer looking, more extensive facilities for a smaller price, last time I checked, although I don't think that includes WI FI if that is important. I have looked round Park Royal but haven't purchased a pass yet so my opinions are purely based on observation.

We are looking for a new beach for our cruise this June and I'm interested in what you all may know about Buccanos. Good place to spend the day? The pictures I've seen look amazing!

 

I have written a review here http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showpost.php?p=41523190&postcount=2

If you have any other questions I will try to answer.

We usually visit Playa Palancar when we are in Coz and want to try something different. Has anyone ever been to Buccanos or Playa Azul to use the beaches? What did you think about it?

 

We enjoy Palancar as well but on a recent land vacation we spent a nice afternoon at Buccanos for a change.

 

The beach front does not seem as long and open as Palancar and although there is a sandy access I think it is probably more rocky nearer to the shore for shore snorkeling. Also I believe there are some submerged artificial reefs in this area to re-establish marine life after the hurricane damage. I cannot confirm as I haven't snorkeled at either location but there were a lot of groups snorkeling. Also organized stand-up paddle boarding. It seemed like there were several organized excursions and more activities available. This link will give you a good overview of the facilities

There were also massages and tequila tasting available.

 

Although it seemed as though there was more available if you wanted it, we chose loungers to the right of the property in a quiet area with a palapa. We could see the ocean but not as open because there was small privacy hedge. There were loungers available on the beach front but they were in the usual rows and seemed busier. I appreciated the use of the pool, which isn't available at Palancar. We did not eat but restaurant seemed very popular. Restroom facilities were very good. I enjoyed the facilities, for a change, and would certainly visit again.

 

I walked along the beach to Playa Azul and it seemed quieter but much smaller than I imagined from photos I had seen.

 

The one downside to Buccanos seems to be the lack of consistency with information regarding day passes. There have been previous threads on here if you do a search. A day pass costs 100pesos (about$8) and is collected by a security officer before the parking area where the taxi will drop you off. According to the owner, officially, if you are a resident of the Island or staying at a hotel the ticket is exchanged for credit towards food and drink at the bar and therefore there is actually no fee. This is what we did without a problem. If you are visiting from a cruise ship there is a $10 charge which includes use of the facility as well as snorkel equipment. It appears this charge is not waived even if you have your own equipment, or don't want to snorkel. In reality there seem to be mixed reports on the charging procedure. This is why I walked the few minutes along the beach to check out Playa Azul in case we had a problem in the future after we had paid for a taxi from the pier.

 

Email from Playa Azul had confirmed that with food and beverage consumption I could use bar, restaurant, pool and spa. HTH.

Have been to Margarittaville, which is nice, but is there anything with a real pretty view in Cozumel?

 

Assuming from Margaritaville, you are docking downtown? As the previous poster said there are three piers which would give different options for "close to the pier".

 

Do you primarily want a restaurant, or bar? Do you require water access, or just a view of the water?

[quote name='Dreamer333']Princess offers the Adventure Park, Zipline, Snorkel & Beach. Their description is below. If anyone has done this (or anything similar), I'd really appreciate your feedback!

[COLOR="Black"][I]Your tour begins as you board a local taxi for the short drive to Adventure Park. Upon arriving, expert guides will outfit you in safety equipment including harness, helmet, and climbing shoes. Then it's off to play among the six spectacular man-made adventure towers. You'll soar through the air on a series of zip lines, cross between the towers on three levels of exciting suspension bridges, try a climbing route, and rappel off the highest climbing tower in Mexico while your friends and family cheer you on. Next you'll be provided with snorkel gear and guided into the aquamarine water.

This is one of the island's premier snorkeling areas with thousands of colorful fish and breathtaking underwater views accessible right off the beach. Feel free to purchase an icy cold beverage or delicious snack from the beachside bar and restaurant or simply lounge by the pool in the sun. You're welcome to stay and enjoy the facilities, private beach, pool and bar/restaurant for as long as you would like before taking a taxi back to the pier. Transportation will be available at regular intervals.[/I][/COLOR][/QUOTE]

I haven't done the actual excursion. I believe it is at Buccanos from the photos. We enjoy visiting the beach club independently. Most of the reviews I have read do not think much of the zip lining compared to other places. Here is a link which shows you the facilities [url]http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=0gDfgwh0J9Q&desktop_uri=%2Fwatch%3Fv%3D0gDfgwh0J9Q[/url]

We have been going to Palancar for several years and always had a great time because it was uncrowded....and wonderful. Now I've noticed that Carnival offers an excursion to a private home that sits just to the north side of Playa Palancar. We've always wondered about the house and never seen anyone there except some workers once. Has anyone been to Palancar very recently and noticed if it is more crowded due to this new excursion? Since the beach here is all one in the same, just hoping it hasn't gotten crowded.

 

We also enjoy going to Palancar because it is quiet. We have only ever stopped in for a drink while touring the island and haven't explored much beyond the immediate property.

 

Locals have confirmed to me that the property for the Carnival excursion is near to Palancar. New reports on CC suggest that Carnival has now started a second excursion and I am assuming they are using the two houses about half a mile north of Palancar. Even If they fill the 50 places total I can't see it affecting Palancar unless people walk down for diving or snorkeling since the people on the Carnival excursion will have AI. I would be more concerned about paying that price for the Carnival excursion and there now being twice as many people on that small beach area.

Hi all! I'm interested in booking with tours plaza. There will be 4 adults, but I'm worried we may be a bit cramped in the car. On their website they show a Jetta, which would be a snug fit. Has anyone had experience with this, or can report on their different vehicles? Thank you in advance for any info!

 

We have taken several tours with Tours Plaza with different size groups. A couple of times when it has just been for two of us we have requested and paid for a car but we have been allocated a van. It is possible to have 4 adults plus the driver in the car but I don't think it would be very comfortable. You may be lucky and get a van anyway but I wouldn't rely on it - last time we booked the car, we got a car!

Thanks everyone. I think I read somewhere that Tom of the Bar Hop may be the same Tom from Paradise Beach. Do you know if he the same guy?

 

Yes it is.

I don't know the name of it. I couldn't find a name anywhere on the building. However, it is on the North side of the main hwy that runs east and west. I think it is The second building on the west side past the lighthouse in town that says Quintana Roo on it. There is a little yellow building with glass walls that sits on the east side of the palapa which is the outside dining area. You walk down a nice brick ramp to the restaurant that runs parallel to the street. I attached a picture of the restaurant. There wasn't a name that I could find.

 

Thanks good to know that it is good for lunch. I know exactly where you mean. It does look like a nice place, unfortunately it was closed when we tried to go once - will have to try again! I don't know if all the buildings in that group belong to one facility but the first two after the lighthouse used to belong to Albertos for a while.

We just got off the Carnival Magic and we decided to just do a shopping day also. We've been to Cozumel many times, and decided to just relax a little this time. From our port, we caught a cab (yes they are safe) and told him to take us to the far side of the side of the city - which is about 2-4 blocks from the main city square. It cost the 2 of us $8 for the taxi. We walked the main street, around the square, and then back down the main street all the way back to our ship (it was probably about 4 miles for us - might be less from where your ship docks). We stopped at a cute little place on the beach side of the road to have a light lunch before getting back to our ships port.

 

Going into the real city of Cozumel to shop is a lot more fun than staying at your ship's pier to shop. You'll find better prices, see different things, and they are more willing to dicker with you on price (don't take anything for the first price they offer, and don't be afraid to walk away - they will follow you to the door and keep lowering the price).

 

Do you know where you stopped for lunch?

Sorry, International Pier (Freedom of the Seas).

 

Not a photo but current as far as I know unless they have gone up this year

http://www.cozumelinsider.com/TAXIINTERNATIONAL

Anyone have a picture of the Taxi Board (with costs)? Specifically looking for 5 people between the pier and Chakanaab.

 

Thanks

 

Which pier?

Is it possible to book this through the resort directly and cut out the cruise ship altogether? Anyone have any ideas on this? If so, please let me know of the resort company name if possible and/or website.

 

Any advice appreciated!!

 

According to the owners, or at least managers, it is only available to Carnival customers booked through Carnival.

Thanks. We are booked for TB on the 19th of March. Thanks for all your help. They said we could just pay when we get there, and they are supposed to pick us up at Mahogany. We were on a driver for the day tour when we went to Las Palmas, just killing time.Cannot say for sure why I was not very impressed by it..

 

Hope you enjoy TB, I wouldn't mind returning - certainly quiet and relaxing on the beach but some distance from the port. I was thinking of trying Palm Beach Resort next time we visit, which I believe is the turn off just before Turquoise Bay, but recent reports have me second guessing. We also enjoyed our day at Club Natale, (preferred the pool), but that also has a long bumpy access road off the main highway.

 

It seems like Las Palmas would be convenient in that it is just a short drive from the port ( we have passed it many times) but the thought of construction makes me question how quiet it would be. Was the sand very coarse at Las Palmas and is there a pool? Were you able able to just call in and PAYG without having to buy a day pass? I thought you had to buy a day pass or entrance fee but maybe we will just visit and continue elsewhere if it doesn't appeal to us. Sorry for so many questions but I am not getting any replies from the resort (not a good sign) and I haven't seen any recent first hand reports.

We went to Las Palmas for a bit last April, and in my opinion it is ok, but I like West Bay beach better except for constant vendors. We are trying Turquoise Bay Resort in March. It is $25 PP including transportation and should be very peaceful.[if you go there on your own there is no entrance fee or chair charge../SIZE]

 

http://www.turquoisebayresort.com/cruise-ship-beach-day.html

 

Thanks didn't realize you had been to las Palmas - I have never seen photos or review from you about it.

 

We have been to Turquoise Bay - I gave you links and info about it on an earlier thread!