Ellaleah

I will be visiting these 2 places as well as Roatan in December.  Although we would keep to bottled water, do we need to worry about the ice in drinks or salad as the lettuce would be washed with the water?  Thank you.

I’m going in December with Rony’s.  I have had the reservation for almost 4 years as my first cruise was canceled.  Rony’s was nice enough to transfer my deposit to the new cruise.  I read several reviews and all good.

I have SWA and Amazon.  Neither has it.

I did 15 days on Princess to Hawaii 1/22.  There were a lot of free movies to chose from.

Just curious.  Was this a week cruise or a shorter one?

Just now, tw67 said:

If you look under digital offers they do have them there.  I have no idea why under travel they didn't show up.

Thank u!

Are all the Carnival gfs gone for now or might this be an error as I just looked and there were no travel gfs?

I have read on the board that you can use iMessage with iPhones even if you don’t buy any Wi-Fi.  Is that correct?

6 hours ago, mz-s said:

Glad this method works out for you. It is a good way to save some money. Since I book with a TA generally, I can only use Carnival gift cards onboard and I don't usually spend enough to make it worth the effort.

I use a Big Box TA and I can use Carnival Gift Cards,

3 hours ago, c-leg5 said:

OK this is Costa Maya board but I assume you do mean Cozumel?

 

I haven’t been but I can answer more fully if you repost on Cozumel board.

3 hours ago, c-leg5 said:

OK this is Costa Maya board but I assume you do mean Cozumel?

 

I haven’t been but I can answer more fully if you repost on Cozumel board.

Yes, ty

1 hour ago, c-leg5 said:

ou got off light then! I am assuming that was in the summer.
 

Of course it really depends on the size of the ships more than anything.

Edited 1 hour ago by c-leg5

I will be on the Celebration that stops there on 12/29/22.

4 hours ago, c-leg5 said:

If it works like other places we have been it will just be an up-front charge that they will then deduct food and drinks (alcoholic/non) from. Like a non-refundable pre-payment. It is to ensure a minimum payment to offset use of loungers, bathrooms, facilities etc. It is to discourage  people from ordering one coke and usurping a lounger for several hours. Anything consumed over that will be charged at the end. In our experience, the prepayment is generally taken from the total check (ie not pp) but that is not necessarily a given.

I am not sure if you have noticed the menus also on the website? We are not big eaters at lunchtime on a cruise ship day and $25 pp food would be a lot for us at a beach bar but sometimes you have to consider the facility too. I agree with @lifes-a-beachKrazy Lobster is cheaper and food and service are good but it is busy and huge. Whilst there are some loungers, we only ended up with a table and chairs and it wasn’t as relaxing as I like.

Thanks again for your input. We have never been to Cozumel before so I have been trying to weed through the info to find a beach place for the afternoon after tours plaza or at the end.  I had never a heard of the Island a beach a club.  Have you been there and how does that compare?

1 hour ago, timbom said:

They keep on reducing things like this and blame it on staffing shortage but never reduce tips that pay for this staff. 

 

Think all of us should reduce our tips due to staff shortage,

No, sounds like a bad plan!

2 hours ago, c-leg5 said:

Yes that is the package we would take but surely you will want water or something to drink?

Yes, but being that we aren’t big alcohol drinkers, I thought we would be better off just ordering drinks.

2 hours ago, tetleytea said:

We just did Rony's on Roatan and it was in our top 2 favorite tours on our 14-day Caribbean cruise.  I have the exact driver's contact info and email if anyone wants it (it was not Rony).  He helped me fumble my way through my Spanish, and told me several Spanish words.  

I have Rony’s booked for New Year’s Eve day.  I’d be interested in who your guide was.  Thank you!

10 hours ago, lifes-a-beach said:

C-legs is on point.  Here’s the YaYa website page showing the different packages.  
 

https://www.yayabeachclub.com/bookings 

 

My wife says they got the deluxe no alcohol package and it was good.  Krazy Lobster doesn’t have the packages.  You can just get a table or lounge chairs and PAYG.  Their food was good and service was excellent as well.  It was very crowded the time we were there.  That may be the case at any of the beach clubs on any given day.  
 

Edit to say they made reservations the day before from the ship.

Edited 10 hours ago by lifes-a-beach

How does the ala carte pkg work? With no alcohol?  Can you order $25.00 worth of food per person.  Thank you

39 minutes ago, mitsugirly said:

Oh, I forgot to add the link to Cozumel .... CLICK HERE

Ty very much for reminding me to look at this again.  I will be in Cozumel along with 8 other ships on the same day. I have two 20 year olds and a 13 year old that would like to Snorkle.  We are going with tours plaza, but I thought I would make our last stop.  Let me know what you think our best beach choices.  I don’t want AI as we are not drinkers.  Thanks for the info!

2 hours ago, c-leg5 said:

 

OK I replied earlier but it went into the CC dark hole!

 

The ruins on Cozumel are “interesting” and a nice walk but definitely not “must-do” - I would save that for Costa Maya.

 

There are two main chocolate locations - Kaokao (original chocolate factory off transversal) and Mayan Cacao (built later, more touristy, near Playa Mia). I have done the factory tour at  Kaokao where you actually make the chocolate from scratch, when we were staying on the island. It was interesting but took about 2 hours if I remember correctly and I think would be a long time out of your tour time, paying for your driver. I think they also do a shorter “viewing”. I haven’t been to the chocolate place on Roatan. 

 

Other “informative” visits you may consider - Mayan Bee Sanctuary or Pueblo del Maiz. I haven’t been to either of these yet but would like to take my grandkids.

 

I am not a snorkeling expert and will defer to @mitsugirly blog. She has intensive photo reviews of most snorkeling locations on Cozumel. She also has reviews of many beach clubs.The PP wanted a sandy beach therefore not suitable for snorkeling so my comment regarding taxis referred to cost of taxi back from Palancar or Morena due to distance vs paying the driver you already have to wait. 

 

It is easy and safe enough to get dropped off at any location south of the piers as far south as Palancar to get a taxi back but price increases. Money Bar is closest to the piers and taxis wait across the road. 

 

Palancar snorkeling would be by boat I believe. I have read good reviews of snorkeling from Punta Sur but you have to be quite a good swimmer and go out a distance, best with a guide. Punta Sur requires an entrance fee to the park and is best as a prime destination for the day, good beach bar, snorkeling, lagoon ride, lighthouse for views - not much time to add on other activities. It is not easy to get a passing taxi back from the east side or Punta Sur. You need to pay and  keep your driver waiting in that area. 

 

Snorkeling locations south of piers usually include Sky Reef, Playa Corona or Money Bar.There are also snorkeling areas north of town which @mitsugirly has reviewed although I don’t remember her going to Hemingways, or La Monina. We have seen many locals snorkel there when we have stopped for a drink. No cover charge at the places I have mentioned as long as you buy a snack or drink.

 

Happy Hour:

Sky Reef 12-3

Money Bar 5-7

La Monina 12-5

 

Just remember you can’t do everything Cozumel has to offer in a day. Be sure to outline with your driver what your priorities are before you leave so you have a time plan. I have mentioned many places so you can check out their websites.
 

We have toured with Gerry (and some of his other drivers) many times - tell him and Eduardo,  cleg5 says

I am very appreciative of all this information.  I have been reading about Cozumel  for a few years as our first cruise was canceled.  Still you have mentioned snorkeling spots and Pueblo Del Maiz, which I have yet to hear about.  Thank you very much.  Anyone else have input about the best places to Snorkle from the shore?  Has anyone been to Pueblo Del Maiz?

22 hours ago, c-leg5 said:

 

OK if you have a driver for the day I would take the lead from him as to sargassum situation and beach suggestion on a given day.

 

If you want to finish at a beach:

 

If you do a clockwise tour of the island the best  option for a PAYG, sandy beach is probably Palancar (tables and chairs free loungers/umbrellas extra) although I haven’t been in a while and I don’t know how the storm that reduced a lot of the beach at Occidental affected it. 

 

If you go anticlockwise round, Punta Morena would be good. Actual ocean “swimming “ is not recommended on the east side due to currents and undertow although the “best beaches” are on the east side, providing it isn’t sargassum season. However, there are some safer locations on the east side that your driver can direct you to where you can dip in the sea and cool off, if it is sargassum free. I am not sure if Punta Sur is in your tour plans but that has a good beach.

 

There are no sandy beaches within walking distance of any of the piers. There are places with sandy, man-made areas. You could do your tour and ask to be dropped off at a beach and taxi back to the port but IMO you would be better to just pay the driver an extra hour ($20) and have him wait. It would cost you at least $25 for a separate taxi from Palancar and more from Punta Morena, if you can even find a waiting taxi there. The only place I would consider getting dropped off and a separate taxi would be Money Bar and that is not a sandy beach but loungers on a man-made sandy area, predominately for snorkeling. Other possible places to end up would be Sanchos or Paradise Beach IF you can get PAYG which seems to be a problem presently. 

 

Not sure where you plan to tour but we have used Toursplaza many times and enjoyed several tours of the island.

This is very helpful information for my tour as I have booked Tours Plaza.  I’m planning maybe 5 hours.  It is our first trip to Cozumel and you seem to know it so well.  Should we bother to see the ruins if we have that planned in Costa Maya?  Is the chocolate factory pretty much the same as the one in Roatan.  I will be traveling with two 20 year olds and a 13 year old.  They like snorkeling.  I was thinking about being dropped off at one of the beaches as our last stop if we did only 3 hours.  I guess, after reading  your comments, I would only trust the Money Bar to get a taxi.  Do you have any advice about “must see or do” activities?  Are Palancar and Punts del Sur a much better snoklinh experience from the shore?  
thank you for your comments and anymore that you might add.

1 hour ago, Joebucks said:

 

There is no specific scenario that makes tipping more important. It can be found on the website where the wages go to. Dining team is your dining team. Whether they serve you in the dining room, by the pool, or at the buffet. You are eating food served by them. Perhaps your point was more personalized MDR service can result in more cash tips. That is a drop in the bucket. 

In the days if traditional dining only, I would tip cash on the last night.  That is what makes leaving your tips in place even more important now as you don’t have the same servers nightly.

With Anytime Dining it is even more important that you don’t remove tips. I always tip extra to my cabin attendant and when I have had the same wait staff.  Sure, I could opt out and there’s nothing they could do about it.  I would know though.  If you can afford to cruise that $ will be much more meaningful to them than you.  As far as the idea that “how do we know they get any of the $,” that  sounds like someone who is looking to rationalize cheapness!

36 minutes ago, ChattTenn said:

Carnival and other lines hire a bunch of cheap labors and we (cruisers) are paying wages for their peoples and they call it as tips.  

And that is what all Casinos do everywhere as well as many restaurants!  It’s part of the fare and you should plan on it that way.

The cruise lines charge so much more for pretty much the same excursion.  I would book outside and go with your friends.  I have barely done any excursions through the cruise lines.  I sailed to Hawaii on Princess 1/22 and booked all excursions thru the cruise line.  They use the same tour companies.  I felt very ripped off and vowed not to book excursions through the cruise lines.

It will be my first and maybe only trip to Cozumel.  Should I expect 9 ships to make it super crowded?  I’m thinking that places like Mr Sanchos and Paradise Beach could be ridiculously crowded.  Would it be wise to have reservations or a tour planned?

On 11/2/2021 at 12:46 PM, Grannygirl21 said:

On 11/2/2021 at 5:31 AM, 8esther8 said:

 

Off topic but we are cruising Dec 27 too.  I was discussing with my PVP and he said I will have to take the covid test Saturday (which is Christmas) or Sunday (the day we are driving to the port).  Have you thought about what you plan to do to get the covid test?

I, too, am sailing 12/27 on the Celebration.  If we are up to date with vaccines, we can take the test 12/24 which is 3 days before we sail.