Celebrity Chichen Itza by Air - Cozumel

I am considering this Celebrity shore excursion as a gift for my husband. Has anyone taken this excursion? Could you provide a quick review? Thank you!

Have not done it yet but it's booked for our Jan 29th cruise on Reflection. It was suggested that it is pricier but you avoid the 45 minute often rough ferry ride and long bus trip to site and back.

I would love to hear about your experience after your return!

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We didn’t do a tour through Celebrity but though these guys.

https://book.thisiscozumel.com/en/pa...za-tour-by-air

Flying is the best way to go! The flight there and back was about 45 minutes. We got to see the site from the air and we got to the site ahead of the crowds. We had a long private tour in an almost empty site and we left soon after the buses started to arrive. The biggest bonus was there was no long bus and ferry ride home, we were back in Cozumel by around 3 pm.

The tour operator chartered the plane through a local airline. The two pilots were very good. We had our own private taxi to from the airport to the site and back arranged by the tour operator.

DO IT! It's worth every penny. :D

I am considering this Celebrity shore excursion as a gift for my husband. Has anyone taken this excursion? Could you provide a quick review? Thank you!

How much is this excursion? We were going to go by ferry and bus but ended up on a different ship/itinerary.

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You will love this tour, best by air that by sea and land.

The Castle

The stadium for the ball game

The observatory

The Chac Moll

And the Jaguar

We didn’t do a tour through Celebrity but though these guys.

 

https://book.thisiscozumel.com/en/pa...za-tour-by-air

 

Flying is the best way to go! The flight there and back was about 45 minutes. We got to see the site from the air and we got to the site ahead of the crowds. We had a long private tour in an almost empty site and we left soon after the buses started to arrive. The biggest bonus was there was no long bus and ferry ride home, we were back in Cozumel by around 3 pm.

 

The tour operator chartered the plane through a local airline. The two pilots were very good. We had our own private taxi to from the airport to the site and back arranged by the tour operator.

DO IT! It's worth every penny. :D

I have considered going with another operator, but I am scared of doing a non-Celebrity excursion for a destination this far from the port. I am afraid of something happening and being left behind!:o

How much is this excursion? We were going to go by ferry and bus but ended up on a different ship/itinerary.

 

 

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It is very pricey. More than $400 per person, but we do have some onboard credit.

What kind of plane is used for these tours? How many passengers do they hold?

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What kind of plane is used for these tours? How many passengers do they hold?

 

 

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Whatever you do, make sure you go through a reputable air operator. We were at a resort and there were two options. We did the land via bus and our friends did the air. Plane had mechanical problems which caused a delay on the way back. Not a problem for them as we were at a hotel but if on a cruise.....??? Check out the company.

Whatever you do, make sure you go through a reputable air operator. We were at a resort and there were two options. We did the land via bus and our friends did the air. Plane had mechanical problems which caused a delay on the way back. Not a problem for them as we were at a hotel but if on a cruise.....??? Check out the company.

Sounds like a reason to get the ship’s excursion... to guarantee the ship will wait if there is a delay due to mechanical problems.

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Whatever you do, make sure you go through a reputable air operator. We were at a resort and there were two options. We did the land via bus and our friends did the air. Plane had mechanical problems which caused a delay on the way back. Not a problem for them as we were at a hotel but if on a cruise.....??? Check out the company.

Name? Plan to do this in January or February on my B2B2B2B2B2B2B.

I think it is a sound idea to go through the cruise sponsored excursion. Our bus developed a flat tire on the way back. No spare on the bus. Two other busses stopped and between the 3, they located a lug wrench, jack, and tire. It was very interesting to witness the chaos. This excursion was sponsored by the hotel.

I have considered going with another operator, but I am scared of doing a non-Celebrity excursion for a destination this far from the port. I am afraid of something happening and being left behind!:o

Hey if the ship leaves without you tell the pilots to find the ship. Those planes fly faster than a cruise ship sails. And when you find it, just strap on a parachute and ................ :D :D

You are wise to take the cruise's excursion if dropping in from the sky is not your cup of tea. ;)

BTW, you can't climb up the castle anymore. A tourist fell down the stairs and died a few years ago so they stopped access to the stairs.

What kind of plane is used for these tours? How many passengers do they hold?

 

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Ours was a twin engine six-seater, two pilots and four passenger seats. We were the only passengers on the plane for our tour.

Ours was a twin engine six-seater, two pilots and four passenger seats. We were the only passengers on the plane for our tour.

Do multiple plane loads of passengers combine into one tour of the site or is each plane load a separate tour?

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You will love this tour, best by air that by sea and land.

The Castle

 

 

 

How old are these pictures? You have not been able to climb El Castillo for years.

You will love this tour, best by air that by sea and land.

The Castle

 

 

 

How old are these pictures? You have not been able to climb El Castillo for years.

 

August 14, 2001 at 1 PM with a Sony Cybershot

Do multiple plane loads of passengers combine into one tour of the site or is each plane load a separate tour?

 

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I don't think so. We had the plane to ourselves, a private taxi to the site and our own private tour guide in the site. It was nice to tour an almost deserted site before all the busloads of tourists from Cozumel and Cancun showed up.

My husband and I did this excursion through Celebrity on Dec. 20th. We had 4 other passengers (6 total + 1 pilot). It was a tiny plane with a propeller on this nose and 8 tightly packed passenger seats. It was only a 45 minute flight and the scenery was amazing. Our tour guide met us at the airport and rode with us in the taxi to Chichen Itza. We did not combine with any other groups so it was just the 6 of us plus the tour guide. This allowed us to ask a lot of questions and get a more personalized tour. The tour also included a buffet lunch at the hotel by the site. Overall, it was worth every penny to only have a 45 minute flight and a small personallized tour.

The only cons about the trip were the following:

1. The plane seats offered almost no leg room. I’m 5’4” and had to angel my legs so they were in the aisle. The amount of leg room you have is probably dependent on the plane you end up flying on.

2. After landing in Chichen Itza, the seat in front of me broke. The gentleman sitting in it fell over with the seat. He was ok, and the pilot fixed the seat for our return.

3. It was cloudy on the way back and we had a lot of turbulence. I sat in a different seat and it wobbled side to side which made the tubulance (for me) even worse. My husband thought I was going to break his hand because I was holding it so tightly.

Anyways, despite the above cons I highly recommend this excursion. Just know the plane may not be on par with what you are used to and there may be a lot of turbulence.

Here is a photo of the plane we flew on:

Here’s a photo of the observatory in Old Chichen Itza:

Thank you so much for your wonderful review! It sounds like a perfect day -- except for the tiny plane and the turbulence, both of which I must admit give me pause and a wee bit of anxiety. It is still a very strong consideration for us, though, so I really appreciate you taking the time to share your experience.

My wife and I returned yesterday from the Celebrity Reflection and did this tour on December 31, 2017. This review is a little long given our history of trying to get there and wanting to provide an accurate review.

Background:

We had been trying to see Chichen Itza for a number ofyears. Two years ago, we were signed up to do a tour through the Silhouette by bus, but the bus tour was cancelled, while other tours (through Celebrity Journeys) did go.

In January 2017, when I started looking at this cruise, I downloaded the shore excursion guide, and only the bus tour was available. When I booked the cruise in the middle of 2017, the shore excursion guide and celebrity's website only listed a bus tour. After booking, I did look into the private journeys options. The only option provided was an 8-hour private tour for $330 per person that still involved 3 plus hours of travel by ferry and then "private vehicle." That tour would have provided about 2 hours at Chichen Itza. We decided against the private journeys tour and booked the regular bus tour.

When I saw this thread mention a tour of Chichen Itza by air, I looked at the tour options available online and this tour was not listed for our cruise. However, I called Celebrity and was told it was available and it was 6.5 hours total with about 1.5 hours travel time each way. I was told that the flight was about 45 minutes, there would be 2.5 hours at Chichen Itza (compared to just 1 hour with the tour by bus) and then lunch at a restaurant (rather than a boxed lunch on the bus). We switched from the bus tour to this tour as it would provide more time at Chichen Itza and would be more relaxing for New Year’s Eve that night.

In talking to others on our tour, it appears that the tour was available at some point early on, then cancelled and then became available to reserve again. If you are interested, and this tour doesn’t show up, you may want to call Celebrity to see if it is available.

Tour Description:

Note: I pulled this from the January 29, 2017 Reflection Shore Excursion Book (I will add the description that was in the shore guide provided on the boat tonight):

Journey to Chichen Itza, the ancient Mayan archeological site, on this once-in-a-lifetime private flight over the Yucatán Peninsula. Hop aboard our private Cessna for a thrilling flight over the Yucatán Peninsula. As you soar over the ancient archeological site of Chichen Itza, admiring the massive pyramid from above, learn about Mayan culture and history. Then, on the ground, meet our certified guide for a tour through the incredible Chichen Itza archeological ruin, an UNESCO World Heritage Site. Visit the massive Kukulkan pyramid, “El Castillo.” In its height, Chichen Itza was one of the largest cities of the Mayan civilization. After your tour, you'll enjoy free time to explore this Wonder of the World on your own. Then, travel to a local restaurant where you'll savor Mayan and Mexican delicacies, followed by areturn flight to your ship.

Highlights:

·Board our private Cessna for aonce-in-a-lifetime flight over the magnificent Yucatán Peninsula and Chichen Itza archeological site.

·Learn about Mayan culture during your incredible and exclusive flight.

·Meet your certified guide and explore the Chichen Itza archeological site, visiting Kukulkan pyramid, “El Castillo.”

·Explore Chichen Itza on your own and discover asite celebrated as one of the 7 Wonders of the World.

·Savor an authentic lunch at a local restaurant where you'll sample Mexican and Mayan dishes.

Our Tour:

A couple of days into our cruise and a few days before Cozumel and our tour of Chichen Itza, we received a letter in our stateroom with new tickets for the tour. Our tour was pushed back from a 10:15 a.m. meeting time to a 12:00 noon meeting time with a 12:15 departure. The letter indicated that this change was due to “operational” issues. I went to the Shore Excursion desk to try to get more information. I was told that the company running the tours operates 2 aircraft (there was some confusion as to whether it was helicopters or airplanes), but one of those planes required maintenance, so they would only be running one airplane. To do so, they would take one group up, then return with the aircraft to take us. I was assured that we would still have the full tour, including 2.5 hours at Chichen Itza and still have lunch at a restaurant. We would just be getting back at around 6:30 or 7 rather than earlier. I was told that they selected who to switch to the later group based on sign-up date. I was told there were 8 people in the first group and 9 in my group. Although I asked them to let me know if there were cancellations and something opened up in the first group, there were none so we couldn’t switch. Some different explanations of what happened and how groups were chosen were given to some of the other people on this tour.

The tour is run by “Explora.” When we arrived, we were told that, although our tickets indicated a meeting time of 12:00 and departure at 12:15, our meeting time was 12:15 and departure at 12:30. The 9 of us got in a cab and before going to the airport, we were given a “tour” of some of the hotels. During this, we passed the airport twice. I was fairly sure (and it was confirmed at the end) that this was to buy some time for our airplane to return.

When we got to the airport, our pilot and plane were ready. The plane wasa 10-seat plane. One of the 9 of us, sat in the "co-pilot" seat each direction with the pilot being the 10th. There was 1 seat on each side of a narrow aisle. There is very little leg room – the first row has a lot more leg room than the others. After take-off, the cruise ships were off the right hand-side (I was on the wrong side L). Due to some clouds, the ride was a little choppy, but not too bad. Shortly before landing, you could see El Castillo at Chichen Itza off to the right hand side in the distance, but not much else due to the distance. The flight took about 45 minutes.

After landing, we met our guide and drove a short distance to Chichen Itza. Upon arriving, the first group was ready to return to the airport. Once at Chichen Itza, we spent about 1 hour 50 minutes to 2 hours with our guide touring Chichen Itza. During that time, we saw (and learned about): (i) El Castillo, (ii) the Platform of the Jaguars and Eagles, (iii) Temple of Jaguars, (iv) the Great Ball Court, (v) Platform of Venus, (vi) Temple of Warriors, (vii) Group of One Thousand Columns. We also saw the observatory from a distance (as noted below). We did not visit or see the cenotes or any of the other many buildings that are in the direction of the Observator or any others at Chichen Itza. It was fairly crowded when we got there, but was emptying out well before we finished our tour.

After the tour, lunch, at the hotel that is next to the ruins, was included (tips for service not included). We were given about 35 minutes for lunch. It was a buffet lunch that included many choices including multiple Mexican, Mayan, vegetarian and even “American” options. Lunch included 1 bottled water, soda or beer. The lunch was very good.

After lunch, we saw the Observatory from a distance (from the hotel steps). But we could only see what was above the trees. This was also visible at the start of the tour which was the same location. We then returned to the airport and flew back (about 45 minutes flying time). The trip back was very smooth. Cruise ships were on the right side of the plane, but due to some fog/hazy conditions and the sun setting, pictures were difficult. When we returned, we went straight to the Reflection which took about 15-20 minutes. We arrived back right at 7 p.m. (all-aboard time).

Overall Impressions:

After two hours in the heat, a break for a very late lunch was nice. Another 30 minutes would also have been nice, but I don’t know that 30 minutes would have given time to go see the parts of Chichen Itza that it looks like we didn’t get to. We probably would have just spent a little more time around the Temple of Warriors and the Columns. I don’t know how much could have been seen with only an hour from the bus tour. I think it would have felt very rushed. This tour is considerably more expensive than the bus tour, but I think you get a tour that doesn’t feel rushed.

I would have liked more time to see the parts that we apparently missed, but I don’t think 2.5 hours is enough to see everything, unless you rush through it all. The only way I can think to have more time would be a “private journeys” by airplane that builds in more time. But without 8 people, that would likely bevery expensive. It could also be done on itineraries where the ship is in Cozumel from 10 to 7 like ours was. Many ships leave earlier and aren’t there as long.

Despite the "problems" and anything negative above, I enjoyed this tour a lot and would definitely recommend it to anyone considering going to Chichen Itza. Chichen Itza is beautiful and you need as much time as possible there. It seemed like all 9 people on our tour really enjoyed the tour and liked that we had less travel time and more time at the ruins.

If you have any questions, please let me know.