Which port to skip. Mahogany Bay or Costa Maya

[angela12345]

Darn, missed the cutoff time limit for editing. Here is what I had typed ...

 

Edit: it is called Blue Kay. It is right next to Señor Frogs. Taxi was $2 pp and open air bus/trolley was $3 pp, if I remember correctly. Mitsugirly's review of this place starts at post # 462 and goes thru post # 538 in this thread ...

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?p=44909914&highlight=blue+kay

.

Edited April 16, 2016 by angela12345

[RoscoeJames]

We have been to Roatan a few times with the last trip visiting LFK which was amazing except the food and beverage service could have been better. Our last cruise took us to Costa Maya for the first time and went to Maya Chan. Food and service was awesome. Beach wasn't the greatest but we had a very relaxing day.

[Cruisegirl6]

Costa Maya we staying on the ship thank goodness the ship leaves at 2pm

Cozumel boring, not nice beaches to us (we live in Florida) so Ponchos for some mexican food

Belitz our most horrid port ever, we stay on the ship!!!!

By the way never go out past the metal gates into the city area lesson learned here

Mahogany Bay its ok, has small private beach near ship, just ok beach, we are going for a late lunch/early dinner to Gio's, they known for their king crabs, lobster cocktails, conch ceviche, etc.

http://www.giosroatan.com/menu/

[chewap]

We have never been to either port but wanted to stay on board to enjoy the ship, when there are less people, on one of these days. Of the two, which should I skip? :confused::confused:

 

I you are a beach person both ports are excellent. Was at Mahogany Beach last Oct. It is set up like a Private Island w/o BBQ. On the Carnival Glory that I was on, they did not publicize that there is a beach 4 Blocks south of the Dock, therefore 50% of the passengers did not know about it. Carnival wanted to sell tours instead of telling about the beach.

Costa Maya has an outstanding protected beach 5 minute taxi ride ($3/pp north of the dock. Many Restaurants and cheap beer for $1/ bottle.

[lady_cruiser]

We love Mahogany Bay. There is even a ski type chair lift that you can take for a nominal fee. Here are three photos I took on our recent Carnival cruise this past February.

 

One is the Welcome Sign where the majority of the people stop to have their pictures taken in the front of it. Another is the fountain in the center of the shopping center (that's my sister, Emily, in the photo) and the third is the pathway that leads to the beach.

 

 

[nae418]

Carnival was finishing off the Mahogany Bay area when we were lasted there, so I don't remember much, that may have been the island we went zip lining on.

 

I did not care for Costa Maya at all!

 

 

Happy Sailing

[Elmo31]

I like both ports.....but if you really wanted to skip one I would pick costa maya. Please remember that sometimes due to winds the ship cannot dock at mahogany bay. That would give you another sea day. You wouldn't have many island adventures then if you skipped costa maya and mahogany bay.

[Cruisegirl6]

Ok so now I so hoping the winds will be so much that we won't dock and have another sea day!!

[RuthlessBoss]

Costa Maya we staying on the ship thank goodness the ship leaves at 2pm

Cozumel boring, not nice beaches to us (we live in Florida) so Ponchos for some mexican food

Belitz our most horrid port ever, we stay on the ship!!!!

By the way never go out past the metal gates into the city area lesson learned here

Mahogany Bay its ok, has small private beach near ship, just ok beach, we are going for a late lunch/early dinner to Gio's, they known for their king crabs, lobster cocktails, conch ceviche, etc.

http://www.giosroatan.com/menu/

 

All the ports are interesting to most cruisers in various ways and need to experience them, that's why people book cruises. It's disappointing to miss a port they've never laid eyes on just to have a sea day. If a port is less than exciting, there are excursions to go on to get a taste of a Caribbean island, it's beaches, trees, local eateries and shopping. That's a whole change to visualize to take back home where none of this exists.

[Cruisegirl6]

Shopping, honestly, we have so very much more shopping here in the USA than on a tiny island don't you think? If you say for jewelry for instance, some items are in fact less costly there than here in America... we have purchased in the past some gold items, to find that they contain other metals and were not pure 14 kt. gold and we went to reputable places such as Imperial Jewelers and Diamonds International...for this reason, we prefer purchasing jewelry on the ship, my other half has given me many gifts from the jewelry store on the ship all pure and still a better price than at home and we are very happy with Carnivals jewelry store. As far as purchasing Rolex, yes we have purchased watches in the Caymans at Rolex to find they have a much better wider selection and are definitely cheaper so yes, some shopping I can understand in the caribbean but a lot I can say not worth it and most of the souvenirs are just pure garbage (sorry for being blunt but being honest)...for instance many of those wood artifacts, if you look good on the bottom it say made in china or somewhere else, most items are not authentically made on the island, but I not saying all pieces are that way....I guess I don't work and I can go shopping in stores or online 24/7 if I want, so I just can't understand shopping when on vacation, its just me.

 

I live in Florida and I have beaches and beautiful tropical trees and all types of palm trees, so you have a point there since the majority of the USA is not located on beaches, and do understand what you talking about.

 

On our first southern caribbean cruise the ship went to Aruba, well, we did find ourselves going for a two week vacation just three months later and going every year now, so I guess cruises also gives people a taste whether they want to go on a land based trip there or not...but if you don't actually stay on land, your only on the island for a handful of hours and you just don't get the entire true experience of that island.

 

I guess going back to the OP's question I would suggest Roatan being the best island but Belitz for Cave Tubing, diving, snorkeling, all water sports.

Edited April 18, 2016 by lyndamr

[kelly11]

Another vote for costa maya, got off the ship once, shopped, got back on within an hour, nothing much to do there for us, we have stayed on the ship there the last 3 times we ended up there.

 

Loved Roatan, we took a private tour of the island, went zip lining and got to play with monkeys, as well as stopping for a great lunch and some beach time, awesome place!

[tbmrt]

Darn, missed the cutoff time limit for editing. Here is what I had typed ...

 

Edit: it is called Blue Kay. It is right next to Señor Frogs. Taxi was $2 pp and open air bus/trolley was $3 pp, if I remember correctly. Mitsugirly's review of this place starts at post # 462 and goes thru post # 538 in this thread ...

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?p=44909914&highlight=blue+kay

.

 

We had a great time there. (Only bad thing was their Pina Colada - yuck!) Food delicious, nice atmosphere, nice to stroll down the malecon also.

 

Loved Bodden's tours in Roatan years ago also.

 

First time at Mahogany Bay or if we get ambitious, may try LFK

[makeda]

would not skip either