Celebrity Cozumel: Tulum Ruins, which tour?

[CruisingGatorGirl]

We think it would be a good idea to book an excursion with X for Cozumel since people have reported that if waters a rough, the ferry cannot get back?

 

Has anyone done a Celebrity excursion for Tulum ruins, if so, pros/cons, would you recommend it? Is it a guided tour?

 

The 2 we are looking at are:

 

Tulum Mayan Ruins Express, CZ02, Cozumel, Mexico

 

Approx. Duration:

6 hour(s) 30 minute(s)

 

*Current Price:

Starting from: 101.00 Adult (USD)

 

 

 

 

OR

 

 

Tulum Ruins & Beach Break, CZH5, Cozumel, Mexico

 

Approx. Duration:

8 hour(s)

 

*Current Price:

Starting from: 112.00 Adult (USD)

 

 

Thanks in advance!

[nursebob]

We did the Tulum Ruins in April 2013, we did a private tour rather than using Celebrity. We were not interested in the beach. If you like I can send you the company we went through, they picked up at the port and went by private van to the ruins, the tour guide was excellant and explained everthing in detail.

Thanks:)

[Cinziaeye]

I was in Cancun last week and took a van from the resort to Tulum. There were two military drug checkpoints that had traffic slowed to a crawl and delayed us by over an hour. Both were south of the ferry. Apparently, they have really increased the number of checkpoints and the frequency, so I would not take a private tour!

[Turtles06]

OP: With the caveat that I haven't done either of these Celebrity tours, I have been to Tulum with an NCL tour from Cozumel, and I wanted to offer the perspective that it's a really long day and it's hard to imagine combining the tour of the ruins with a break at a beach club (the second of the options). I wouldn't want anything to short change the time at the ruins. I realize the second tour is longer, but query how much the beach break takes away from the ruins. Just my two cents. (I'm a big fan of private shore excursions, but given that a visit to Tulum from Cozumel requires not only a ferry to the mainland but also a long bus ride, in each direction, there's a great deal that can go wrong. It may be a good place to take a ship-sponsored tour.)

 

Tulum is quite beautiful; it's the only Mayan city built along the water, so the entire setting is quite spectacular as well.

 

 

 

(photos by turtles06)

[deelastcre]

I did the Tulum Tour with Royal, not Celebrity. It was a difficult day, but the views from there made it all worthwhile. We were late returning, I was happy that I booked a cruise line excursion. The waters in October were rough. Everyone on the long ferry ride was ill. When we boarded, they passed out barf bags and 95% onboard that day used them. I was sick from smelling the bags alone. We boarded a bus and stopped at a store where a clerk gave everyone meds for seasickness if we made a purchase. The trip back home was okay, because we had our meds. If you choose this tour, wear your patch or make sure that you take your meds for seasickness before you board the ferry.

[CruisingGatorGirl]

Thank you everyone!

 

I did the Tulum Tour with Royal, not Celebrity. It was a difficult day, but the views from there made it all worthwhile. We were late returning, I was happy that I booked a cruise line excursion. The waters in October were rough. Everyone on the long ferry ride was ill. When we boarded, they passed out barf bags and 95% onboard that day used them. I was sick from smelling the bags alone. We boarded a bus and stopped at a store where a clerk gave everyone meds for seasickness if we made a purchase. The trip back home was okay, because we had our meds. If you choose this tour, wear your patch or make sure that you take your meds for seasickness before you board the ferry.

 

Thank you! If you don't mind, I have a couple questions: was there a guide? Did you do the beach portion too? Are there windows on the ferry or a place to get fresh air?

[deelastcre]

Thank you everyone!

 

 

 

Thank you! If you don't mind, I have a couple questions: was there a guide? Did you do the beach portion too? Are there windows on the ferry or a place to get fresh air?

There was no beach day involved. The dropped us off for a few minutes to shop after the tour. It was so windy and bumpy that day that i don't remember if they had a place for you to sit outside. We had a guide that was very good.

[fleckle]

We usually prefer to take independent tours, but we chose the Celebrity excursion from Cozumel to the Tulum ruins, just for peace of mind.

 

We were unfamiliar with the area and had concerns about the combination of ferry ride + bus ride both ways. At this location we did not see an easy way to catch up with the ship at the next port, should we miss it, so the ship's excursion seemed like a logical choice for us.

 

Our excursion consisted of a very nice guided tour at the ruins, followed by free time on our own at the ruins, and then a second stop for a restaurant lunch + beach time afterwards.

They gave us good quality audio head sets to use at the ruins, which were great as we did not need to stay close to the guide to hear what he was saying.

 

Be sure to take a water bottle for the ruins. There was no concession stand or vendor of any kind and you really need something to drink there.

 

The ferry ride can be rough so take seasickness precautions if you need them. There were also a few people who got sick on our ferry ride, but most did not. I took some meclizine right before leaving the ship, wore my seabands on the ferry, and felt fine the entire time.

For anyone here who may be new to Celebrity, meclizine is available at Guest Relations on Celebrity ships. Just ask for it.

[panoramaofthepast]

Thank you everyone!

 

 

 

Thank you! If you don't mind, I have a couple questions: was there a guide? Did you do the beach portion too? Are there windows on the ferry or a place to get fresh air?

There is no place to sit outside and there are no windows, unless things have improved over the last couple of years. It is a miserable ride on the best of days!!!

[fleckle]

There is no place to sit outside and there are no windows, unless things have improved over the last couple of years. It is a miserable ride on the best of days!!!

The ferry that we were on had windows, but no place to sit outside.

 

It would have been a lot better if they used a boat with an outdoor deck, but maybe they were afraid that someone would get bounced overboard in the rough waters.

 

Our ferry had only a small area where one could stand outside and they did not allow passengers to ride outside at all (I asked), although some of the crew did.

 

[CruisinCadie]

We did the Tulum Ruins Express. It was an extremely long ride to the ruins, with a short shopping/pit stop. After the rest stop, we were given little personal speakers so we could hear and talk to the guide. He took us around the site and pointed out some of the highlights, and then we had time to explore on our own. There was also a shopping area by the parking lot outside the ruins. Celebrity had a deal with the large jewelry store to use their restrooms. Although it wasn't mentioned in the tour description, we were given box lunches for the return trip. I don't know how they could possibly add a beach break onto the excursion.

 

The ferry ride was very choppy going to the mainland, but very smooth going back. There are windows, so you can see out.

 

By the time we got back to the island, we didn't have time to explore downtown Cozumel. There were taxis lined up to take us back to the ship. There was a small shopping area at the port, and we were able to stock up on Mexican vanilla there.

 

As an alternative to the long trip to Tulum, there are also ruins on the island. DD and her BF had scheduled a snorkeling trip, which was cancelled due to rough water. Instead, they hired a local tour operator at the port, and said the ruins, though not as extensive as the ones on the mainland, were very interesting and the guide was great.

 

Hope this helps.

Kathy

[handsome_jay]

To the OP, please consider the lunch break with beach tour via Celebrity. The private beach is amazing. The lunch is meh, but perfectly edible.

[stratixman]

Tulum without question. Most incredible piece of real estate you can ever visualize. There is a reason Tulum is on almost every travel calendar. Jaw dropping. The calendars don't lie but the reality is that it is even better in person. Tulum, IMO, one amazing place.

[TMLAalum]

We did this excursion in 12/11. It was a long day that began with a rough crossing resulting in several very seasick pax on the ferry. Not fun to listen to! I felt we didn't have enough time in Tulum and it was very hot and crowded. Luckily, our bus driver knew to hustle us back aboard so that our group was the 1st at the restaurant for lunch- later busloads had to search for room at a table. The beach was nice- but I was disappointed because I had in my head that we'd be at the beach below Tulum.

 

In Belize we did another Mayan ruin tour with Celeb to Xunantunich. I enjoyed this much more than Tulum because we were in a smaller group and able to climb these ruins. Lunch was a highlight because there was a group of children celebrating Christmas with a Belizean Santa at the restaurant too.

 

Celebrity offers a tour to the Coba ruins, which are climbable, from Cozumel that has some unique features. Check it out!

The Mystery of the Mayan Civilization CZR2.

[nursebob]

When we did the private tour we did not have to take the fairy over, we were pick up at the port and drove the entire way.:)

[TMLAalum]

When we did the private tour we did not have to take the fairy over, we were pick up at the port and drove the entire way.:)

 

It must have been a fairy that drove you from the island of Cozumel all the way to the mainland:D;)!

 

There is a mainland port stop which is probably where you were driven from....