c-leg5

Thanks that looks nice! I am surprised no one has mentioned this before.

I see you also went to Sanchos in Cozumel. It would have been a very different experience but it is good to have days at a different pace.

Thanks I didn’t realize there had been that much progress. I had asked about it recently but didn’t get the impression it was that far along. There were big plans originally.

Glad set dining works for you now. It is fine if you are happy with eating at 5/5.30pm and the same time every night. For us that cuts into our afternoon too much and is too much of a rush. If we had to opt for a set dining it would probably be the later time although that wouldn’t be our preference either. We are “middle of the road” folks so MTD still works reasonably well for us I think main problems are those people that want “early” but not as early as set dining. Those are the people that have to wait. Also many of them try to circumvent the system which just compounds the problem. I have no idea why Royal have messed up so badly a system that used to work fine. I have no idea why they can’t have an allocated area for MTD with dedicated staff. I think the idea of doubling up MDR and MTD is disruptive to both types of diners and the waitstaff and leads to problems like you encountered. I understand initially it was a staffing and experience problem. I think they have had time to rectify those issues.

Sorry you didn’t get to try-out and update us on Malecon21. It used to be our go-to place.

Where is there a swim up bar near Coxen hole? Is this new? I haven’t seen any reviews to suggest they had progressed with the port developments that were planned pre-Covid or did you take transport from the port?

I would have thought a word with your concierge/ genie prior to, or at the beginning of, sailing could have easily taken care of this. I presume they only call you once? Is this one particular ship that you sail regularly or does it happen on different ships? It really doesn’t make sense and something I would communicate early on if it happens regularly. In a suite I would have thought you would have had plenty of lines of communication open to avoid this if you find it happens regularly.

Why if you don’t have a reservation? We have done MTD from almost the beginning. If we have made a reservation and then decide to do WJ, or specialty, we have always let the MTD desk know previously out of courtesy to release the table until 2022 on Adventure when it seemed to cause more problems than it was worth. We gave up telling them on several cruises as they seemed unable to handle the information. If you don’t have a reservation I don’t understand why they would be checking.

I have been visiting Roatan for 15+ years by cruise ship before Coxen Hole port was developed the first time let alone several refurbishments. I have never had the warm fuzzy feeling that many people on this board have repeatedly expressed. However we have taken multiple private tours over the years west, east, north and have never felt unsafe as such, and have had some enjoyable days. The warning that you post is primarily for mainland Honduras which is a whole other issue, although I see Roatan is included in the shaded area. Crime and violence on Roatan is not fundamentally against tourists it is between local entities, primarily politicians and between business owners. Follow some of the local news reports over the years and you will understand. There is a deep underlying problem but again with normal precautions chances are high, as a tourist you will be fine during daylight hours. That is not to say there haven’t been incidents over the years where tourists have been targeted (including cruise ship visitors) but I haven’t read any recent events (although I don’t follow as closely as I used to). For first time visitors there are several reputable tour operators which you reserve for the day. These offer convenient and good value tours. My main complaint with Roatan regarding transport is they don’t have a regulated taxi service. Point to point service is expensive and unreliable once you have done tours and now merely need transport from A to B and back.

No

A day pass and hotel room for the day are two different types of passes. I am not sure if Cozumel hotels have day rooms. If having to book a hotel for the night this is difficult on a cruise ship as check-in and check-out times are not generally favorable. Higher end hotels like Cozumel Palace and Intercontinental may. i would check several brokers for day pass prices and when you have narrowed it down contact hotel directly for a price. I find the prices and included amenities, or times, change from vendor to vendor. Resort-for-a-day tends to be higher usually and adds a surcharge.

We saw big crowds of people waiting for the Royal shuttle when we had booked Galveston express and there didn’t seem to be much seating. At least we had a timed departure. I think they ran every hour.

Not easy or convenient from Tremont or Harbor House like the old terminals is probably what you have read.

If you aren’t looking to sightsee or restaurants in Galveston I would definitely stay by the airport for less hassle and multiple transport transfers. Marriott is simplest but more pricy but other off-site hotels have shuttles to and from or you can Uber direct from hotel next day. We generally drive day of but have stayed occasionally the night before in Galveston. I am not a big fan of Galveston so unless there is something particular you want to do I personally would go for the cheapest most convenient option.

I would stay by the airport at a hotel with airport shuttLe and take one of several shuttle options directly to the port next day BUT I suppose the big question is how late in the day do you arrive and do you want to do anything particularly in Galveston.

That was why I said probably. You would have to assess what the port load is for Cozumel for the day and size of ships. I don’t think the site that breaks down which pier for which ship shows information for next month yet. I can see other HAL ships docking at puerta Maya on it this month but you may be correct because the other site I usually use for ship docking does show Punta Langosta. Unfortunately CC is so tied up in moderating which links can be quoted these days it is very difficult to share information. Last time I recommended it for relevant information I received a warning. It is a shame because I have received a lot of good information from others over the years. perhaps you can check with a roll call from an earlier sailing? Sorry I can’t be more help.

Probably Puerta maya

I agree it is nothing new. It has been occurring more often in the last few years and there have been numerous discussions on here about it previously regarding different excursions. It is probably due to insurance restrictions. People have often been able to book independently where the restrictions are different, or ignored.

There have been age limits on many excursions for a number of years and this has been discussed regularly on these boards. obviously you haven’t chosen one of these tours previously so you haven’t noticed. It is usually an insurance restriction which some people have been able to override/ignore by booking direct with vendor.

I agree AI is rarely of value to us, especially as we used to like to walk the length of the malecon and bar hop along the way but even if we stay in one place for a few hours and back to the ship we don’t need to eat much when there is so much food on the ship. we are more likely to do AI if we are staying in a condo on a land visit. We have only made inquiries once a couple of years ago about booking in advance and was told it was package only unless “they had room on the day” at Blue Reef which is why we have never been. We became regulars at Malecon21 which purportedly had better bathrooms. How are the bathrooms at the new location and is the food cooked on site? Interesting to hear the offshore nets extend that far I thought they would stop at Macho’s Bar.

Glad it worked out. I wasn’t aware you could book a la carte in advance. I thought that was only a space available on the day choice. Is this something new with this location? It is certainly something that is needed in Mahahual like it used to be. So was it protected by the baffles from sargassum?

Didn’t you already ask this

How does this help you if you are in a suite?

Which beach do you end up at?

I would temper expectations and probably snorkel from shore on Cozumel and by boat in Costa Maya. Main locations on Cozumel all listed and described in this thread - Money Bar, Chankanaab, Sky Reef, as well as Playa Corona, Buccanos, La Monina. Be aware that most snorkeling in Cozumel is drift snorkeling so be aware of currents. Many people get in at one location and out at another. Currents are predominantly one direction at different locations but can alter and I feel it is safest to check with locals on the day. Reefs in Costa maya generally shallower but can be some distance from the shore depending on location.