roothy123 Posted January 6, 2012 #1 Share Posted January 6, 2012 I will post this in the Ports of Call section as well, but in case any Mayan Mystique cruisers are reading, here's my question: If you visited either Lamanai ruins (Belize) or Kohunlich ruins (Costa Maya) or both, did you feel it was worthwhile? Better yet, if you visited both, which did you like better? Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lard Greystoke Posted January 7, 2012 #2 Share Posted January 7, 2012 I've visited Lamanai. It's in a rather remote site which involves both road and river travel, about 90 min total. Several structures, one or two of which are climbable, in a jungle setting along a lagoon with cohune palms and howler monkeys. I thought it was worthwhile. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mura Posted January 7, 2012 #3 Share Posted January 7, 2012 I have been reluctant to chime in because while we have visited a number of Mayan sites, they haven't been on cruises. But they have always been fascinating. My real objection to trying to see Mayan sites from a cruise is that it takes too much time getting there for you to really see anything. If the situation is such that the drive time isn't that much and you have most of the day there, that is something else. And perhaps if it's not that large a site. For example, when we went to Tikal we stayed there for three nights. Our best visits took place when the day tourists had left. I have seen cruise itineraries that fly passengers in from whatever port which just doesn't give you enough time to enjoy the site. (IMO) There are some places that really require a land visit unless you really are more interested in a short "let's see what's here" kind of visit. I put the Normandy Beaches from Le Havre in that category as well! If anyone does a search on my posts, you will see that I consistently argue against trying to see Berlin from the Baltic ports, Paris from Le Havre, etc. I don't know the specifics of your cruise so I'm not trying to deter you. But if the site is a large one, and the travel time is extensive ... then I personally would argue against doing it. JMO! Mura P.S. The name Lamanai didn't immediately ring a bell but then I thought that we had been there, and when I checked my diary, yes we were. But we went to Lamanai on a land trip to Belize in 1995 (from Crooked Tree, a bird refuge in Belize) and my diary indicates were were somewhat disappointed because at the time it was largely unexcavated. We had a nice day but it was also extremely hot, and my notes indicate maybe that was part of the reason for our disappointment! There were no provisions for food at the site back then but luckily for us, we'd brought some sandwiches along. So my contributions about Lamanai are probably very much outdated and no longer applicable ... But my recollections ARE that if you do this visit from a cruise port, you'll have time to see what you want to see. If you have an option for a trip to Tikal or one of the major sites, I would -- as usual -- try to dissuade you! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billie5 Posted January 7, 2012 #4 Share Posted January 7, 2012 That is all very well and good, but hardly helpful to someone who does not have the opportunity of a land visit and, like OP, wants information on the visits which are possible. I could equally well argue that without spending a year or so in a country (and I have done that in a number), any short term visit really does not tell you much about a country! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Floridiana Posted January 7, 2012 #5 Share Posted January 7, 2012 We booked the Mayan Mystique cruise on the Riviera in December 2012. Photos do not really give a good impression of what the differences are between the various Mayan ruins. I have never seen any before and am struggling to decide. This cruise is meant to give a first impression of several Mayan cities. Belize: Altun Ha or Lamanai Guatemala: Tikal or Copan (both by air) Cozumel: San Gervasio, Chichinitza or Tulum At the moment, I am tending towards Chachoben (Costa Maya), Tikal, and Lamanai. I would appreciate input from people who have seen these ruins and why they would ecommend one over the other. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mura Posted January 7, 2012 #6 Share Posted January 7, 2012 That is all very well and good, but hardly helpful to someone who does not have the opportunity of a land visit and, like OP, wants information on the visits which are possible. I could equally well argue that without spending a year or so in a country (and I have done that in a number), any short term visit really does not tell you much about a country! And I wouldn't argue with you on that point either. You're absolutely right. In point of fact, we probably spent as much time at Lamanai as any group from a cruise ship would do, and way back when we did there really wasn't that much to see. (We did come by boat but it sure wasn't a cruise ship!) I'm not arguing that my 1995 experience is going to be repeated now. I would hope (and expect) that there is more to see and so there now than there was more than 15 years ago. But I will continue to argue that visiting a place like Tikal (which is not what we are discussing here, I realize that) from a cruise ship is a waste of time and money. As for Floridiana's questions: I haven't been to all these places, but we did visit Altun Ha and Lamanai on our 1995 trip. I much preferred Altun Ha. There was much more to see. (It's not a vast place either, however ... or at least it wasn't then, but much more had been excavated and we found it very interesting.) You've seen by arguments about not trying to see Tikal in such a short visit; I assume Copan is the same. Tikal is a vast site. It takes a while just to walk into the center of it from the entrance. I would save my money. Now, if you want to see it to say you have and you don't mind spending a lot of money on the tour, by all means. You'll still see some wonderful things. Chichinitza was marvelous when we were there -- another land trip. It's from a later period than Tikal, is a good size but not as large as Tikal. I don't know how long it takes you to get there from the port but you should be able to have a worthwhile visit. I haven'et been to San Gervasio or Tulum. Neighbors who we met at Chicinitza who had rented a car did go to Tulum and my vague recollection is that they didn't think it was worth the drive, but I may well be wrong. It was a long time ago. Mura Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Benita Posted January 7, 2012 #7 Share Posted January 7, 2012 We have been to Tulum a couple of times. There are some problems with going there, however. You need to take a 45 minute ferry ride from Cozumel to Playa del Carmen, which is on the mainland (Cozumel is an island). I have yet to take that ferry without getting seasick, as has many of my fellow passengers on the ferry. Once you reach Playa del Carmen, it takes between 1 and 2 hours by bus just to get to Tulum. It is an interesting site and I would heartily recommend it if the ship would tender off Playa del Carmen, as they used to do, but would probably skip the trip from Cozumel. On some cruises that go to Cozumel, the cruise lines have airplane or helicopter offerings to Chitzen Itza. I would love to see it, but it seems there is never enough interest and the flights get cancelled. We are taking this cruise on Feb. 22, 2013, so am starting to gather info, as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Floridiana Posted January 7, 2012 #8 Share Posted January 7, 2012 I checked the ship's excursions again. So far they are very limited on the Marina's Mayan Mystique but changes are announced this year. The Tikal and Copan excursions are extremely expensive, but we will very likely not travel there over land. The question still remains whether it's worth shelling out the money compared to seeing other Mayan ruins which are closer to the coast. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare LHT28 Posted January 7, 2012 #9 Share Posted January 7, 2012 The Tikal and Copan excursions are extremely expensive, but we will very likely not travel there over land. The question still remains whether it's worth shelling out the money compared to seeing other Mayan ruins which are closer to the coast. I would think that is a personal decision If you think you may never get there another way it could be worth the price only you can decide Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rheasue38 Posted January 7, 2012 #10 Share Posted January 7, 2012 Hi! Benita, we are sailing on this cruise this week. I'll review the cruise after we return. Let me know if you have any questions. Rhea Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wendy The Wanderer Posted January 7, 2012 #11 Share Posted January 7, 2012 We've been to Lamanai twice and enjoyed it immensely. There is a lot to see, not sure what was there in 1995, but you I'm sure you can read the history of the excavation online somewhere. Yes, there is a bus ride which is boring, then a boat ride which is very enjoyable, albeit windy at times. Wear a hat with a strap, or restrain long hair by some means. We saw lots of wildlife. Both our trips included lunch, which was nice, although fairly plain. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Traveling Library Posted January 7, 2012 #12 Share Posted January 7, 2012 We've been to Lamanai and I would highly recommend the trip. Yes it is long (1 hour bus & 1 hour river boat ride each way) but the site is worth it. Most of Lamanai is unexcavated which made it interesting. Our trip also involved lunch, chicken & rice. While we were on site it rained. I bought a t-shirt at the boat dock and was the only dry person on the bus ride home. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Benita Posted January 8, 2012 #13 Share Posted January 8, 2012 Hi Rhea - have a great cruise. I am looking forward to your review. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
roothy123 Posted January 11, 2012 Author #14 Share Posted January 11, 2012 I am also looking forward to hearing what Rhea has to say about the cruise. I will be going in 5 weeks, and am struggling to decide what to do or see. Floridiana - The excursions for your cruise may not be posted for a while, but you can probably at least get an idea of what's likely to be offered by looking at the excursions for a cruise this year (for example, Feb. 26). There are a LOT listed, although I would guess that a few may get canceled if people don't sign up for them. Also, there are a lot of water sports/snorkeling/scuba excursions (typical for the Caribbean!!) and if you're not interested much in those (and I'm not), that will reduce the list of possibles a bit. When I want to find more info on what's available at a site, I google the photo/image section of Google or a photo site like pbase.com and see what other people have photographed, and how (while on a cruise or not). If you have time to do that, it might be helpful. Also, if you are looking for independent tours, it appears that Go with Gus and Happy Fish are two operators in one of the ports we visit that are used by a lot of cruise critic readers. I have signed up for the Roll Call for my cruise, and while only 10 or 15 people have "checked in," that has been helpful in seeing what other people have found on their own, or are planning to do. The Lamanai excursion seems popular, along with the Go with Gus and Happy Fish tours - which are similar to Oceania offerings! I am personally NOT planning to spend the big bucks, and long travels, to see Tikal. As Mura recognizes, some things are best done while NOT on a cruise ship! I like cruising because it's easy and you see a lot, but one of my biggest memories was spending the night at Mont St. Michel. After the day-trippers are gone, it is magical! From what I've been reading, mostly in guide books, San Gervasio is pretty limited, and I would think that if you see Lamanai or Kohulich (Costa Maya - Oceania offers an excursion), I believe with huge face figures, you would be disappointed with San Gervasio. I posted my original question in the Ports of Call section, and got a few slightly scary responses about renting a car and going anywhere in Belize. I don't know if that's reason to bag renting a car to go to Altun Ha and around, or if people are speaking about isolated experiences that don't need to concern me too much. However, at this point I am just leaning towards taking the ship's excursion to Lamanai - 8 hrs, $125, or possibly the excursion that goes to Altun Ha. It's kind of a shame, though, as Belize seems to have a lot of great places in the interior. Maybe I'll just have to go back some day! I am still looking for input as to which place is more interesting, especially for a photographer: Lamanai or Kohunlich. Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
roothy123 Posted January 11, 2012 Author #15 Share Posted January 11, 2012 Go with Gus and Happy Fish are companies in Santo Tomas, Guatemala, in case anyone is interested in what to do in that port. It looks like both companies' tours are similar, and also very similar to what Oceania is offering. I didn't mean to imply that Oceania offers an excursion to Altun Ha - they do not, at least for the 2012 season. Also, some people may interpret what I wrote to mean that both Lamanai and Kohunlich are in Costa Maya. They are not. The former is in Belize and the latter in Costa Maya! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hondorner Posted January 11, 2012 #16 Share Posted January 11, 2012 ...I bought a t-shirt at the boat dock...[Lamanai] As I recall, the t-shirts are custom designed by the native vendor at the shack where they are sold and are unique and beautiful. I don't usually buy t-shirts, but we each got one and proudly wear them. The trip is absolutely worthwhile. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mura Posted January 11, 2012 #17 Share Posted January 11, 2012 Too bad this vendor wasn't around when we visited way back when! I am a big t-shirt purchaser ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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