Excursions to the Mayan Ruins

[don512]

Are all of the excursions to the various Mayan sites found in the western Carribean itineraries? We would like to visit one of the Mayan sites and were wondering if that limits us to this area.

[roohound]

I think your only other option would to be to do a Panama Canal cruise and hope it stops somewhere in Central America like Belize..other than that, all Mayan ruin excursions I know are on western Caribbean itineraries

[captainron]

Looking at the most recent Princess Brochure on the Panama, the closest you'll get to the east coast of Central America is Aruba and then you're into the "Canal".

I know for certain that western itineraries of Carnival and RCCL stop in Belize, Costa Maya and Cozumel (for Playa del Carmen) and shore excursions take you to a variety of ruin sites.

 

Ciao for now!!!

[seadrifter]

On our January Panama canal cruise we were able to visit both Tulum on the mainland near Cozumel, Mexico (which is an island off the coast), and Cahal Pech in Belize. Both sites were impressive Mayan ruins. Our Tulum excursion also allowed us to visit Xel Ha, which was well worth visiting. -G.

[jhannah]

Our Coral Princess Panama Canal cruise stopped in Cozumel, and we boated over to visit the Tulum site. It was fascinating. One note of interest ... if you are a regular blood donor they will defer you for one year if you visit the Yucatan Peninsula. It's listed as a malaria risk area.

[cherylandtk]

The Grand Princess winter itinerary is Western Caribbean and includes Costa Maya, Cozumel and Belize. This coming season is rumored to be her last doing this, however.

[JulieU89]

The Grand Princess winter itinerary is Western Caribbean and includes Costa Maya, Cozumel and Belize. This coming season is rumored to be her last doing this, however.

If you make it to Costa Maya, go see the Chacobben Ruins. They were discovered in 1997 and it is a nice tour. You'll only be on the bus for about an hour, you get a guided tour and there is little to no commercial offerings. Nice if you want 'Ruins-lite' as I called them. The whole tour is about 4 hours and the walking isn't very difficult (although there are some stairs, but their not very steep or difficult to climb).

You can see my pictures here:

http://share.shutterfly.com/osi.jsp?i=EeANWbJszbsWbG_A

 

Our friends had gone to Tulum and with my carsickness, they suggested that we not make that trip.

 

Have fun!

[argosy]

Just wanted to add that we also loved Chacchoben.

[mr green]

If you get the chance you MUST go to Chihen Itza! True you will have a total of six hours on the bus, [we had free beer], but it is worth it. In over a dozen cruises, this was by far my best visit. It entails some walking, but it is 'on the flat', and take lots of pictures. Normally I don't buy books when I travel but they have some nice little ones. To see this area is a chance in a lifetime! Go. john

[Druke I]

Reference Chicen Itza - we did it when it was still a flight on an old DC-3 (C-47) from Cozumel. Loved the ruins - but I'll never fly on a Mexican charter again. Plane and airstrips were in very poor condition.

 

The next year, with an HAL excursion, the plane did go down - with several killed, as I recall.

[MaryPoppinz]

I think it was 16 passengers/crew. That was awful.

 

Aerosaab will do private charters in their Cessna, if somebody's brave enough to try it. I tried to get my husband to do a flyover at Tulum with them but he said that he wasn't willing to entertain the notion of our last act together being plunged into the Caribbean from a tumbling airplane.

[cruisepest]

Have to agrre with Mr Green, Chitzen Itza (spelling?) is a once in a lifetime trip. I have pictures of my wife crawling up to the top of the pyramid of the sun. Sorry but it still makes me laugh. Tulum is like a shack compared to CI

[seastar2]

Any Mayan sites on the "Mexican Rivera" side of the penisulia?? I have been to Tulum and Chintiza Itza as well as some sites on Couzmel. :confused: