Tulum

[Mallefiscent]

My son has wanted to go see Tulum, Mexico for a long time.  For his 30th birthday, I am considering taking him on a 7-night Western Caribbean cruise on Royal Caribbean's Liberty of the Seas, sailing on December 8, 2019.  We would be in the Cozumel port from 0700 to 1700.  I'm looking for opinions, advice, criticisms, better options . . .

[crewsweeper]

If RCCL offers an excursion to Tulum, go that way.  You can reach the ruins independently but using the public ferries and taxis or collectivos to get there can be a little tricky and potential delays.

 

The caveat with any tour while on a cruise is that you'll spend more time traveling to and from than at the ruins.  IMO, your best option to see Tulum is via a land based vacation staying in either Playa del Carmen or in Cancun.  And there are hotels near Tulum as well. You will then have ample time see the ruins at your leisure and also, if interested, take in the ruins at Coba which are much more substantial. 

[Mallefiscent]

Is there really enough to do to warrant a land based trip?  From what I have read, you can't really climb the ruins.  It seems like it is just a stop, take pictures and go thing.  Is there more to it?

[jean-lynd]

12 hours ago, Mallefiscent said:

Is there really enough to do to warrant a land based trip?  From what I have read, you can't really climb the ruins.  It seems like it is just a stop, take pictures and go thing.  Is there more to it?

You are correct.  The problem is that it takes about 2 hours to get there and 2 hours to get back so you are spending more time traveling then you are at the ruins.  Many people don't want to spend that much time traveling back and forth.  We are doing this excursion in February on our cruise on Allure of the Seas. It will be a long day but there isn't anything else we want to do in Cozumel so we decided to go for it.  I will try to remember to report back on how it was when we get back. I hope this helps!

[Mallefiscent]

Thank you.  I will talk to him and see what he thinks.  Looking forward to hearing about your trip.

[JohninDC]

The cruise line tours to Tulum from Coz usually include time at the ruins and then some time on the beach before heading back.

[Mallefiscent]

We aren't really big beach people.   I think that is part of the reason why I thought a land based vacation would be a waste. 

[jean-lynd]

21 hours ago, Mallefiscent said:

We aren't really big beach people.   I think that is part of the reason why I thought a land based vacation would be a waste. 

FYI - the one that we have booked does not include beach time.  It does include a stop in an area for shopping and restaurants.  We aren't really interested in shopping so we will probably just have a snack and maybe a drink before we catch the ferry back to the ship.  I hope this helps.

[Mallefiscent]

Let me know what you think of it.  :)

[HOSKI]

If you do Tulum from a cruise then only go with a ship excursion because it is a long way and too much chance of missing the ship.  As for a land vacation, yes there is a lot to do if you go on a land vacation in the area.  In 2018 while on a land vacation to Playa Del Carmen we took the Tulum tour and our biggest disappointment was that we didn't have more time to explore the ruins on our own after the guided tour and to visit the shops and such out at the entrance.  Tulum is a place I would rather do on a land based trip due to location.  You also can get a multi stop tour or a multi day tour if doing land based and experience more of Mexico.

[LUVINMYHUBS]

We went to Tulum back in February booked through NCCL. We had a great time and enjoyed it. It is absolutely beautiful looking over the cliffs at the site. A lot to see. Worth the trip. Bus ride 1 1/2 hrs, but informative and interesting tour guide tells you all about Mayan culture and points out landmarks along the way, so not wasted time by any means.

[jean-lynd]

On 12/26/2018 at 9:28 PM, Mallefiscent said:

Let me know what you think of it.  🙂

We thought it was worth doing. The ferry ride was about 45 minutes. We then walked to where the buses are. We road on the bus for 20 minutes. We stopped at a spot for restrooms and tequilla tasting. Then it was about 30 minutes to the ruins. Our guides provided a lot of information on the bus ride. We had to walk for about 10 minutes from the parking lot to the ruins. The guide was talking to us the entire time. We all had headsets so it was easy to hear him. We walked around the ruins for about 20 minutes with the guide and then we had about 30 minutes to wander around on our own. Then we walked back to the bus and the bus ride back to the pier. We then had about an hour to kill before heading back to the ferry. It was a long day but we thought it was worth it to see the ruins. I hope this helps!

[JohninDC]

Most of the Tulum tours I have seen offered included both a tour of the ruins and some beach time before heading back to the ferry to Cozumel.

[jean-lynd]

15 hours ago, JohninDC said:

Most of the Tulum tours I have seen offered included both a tour of the ruins and some beach time before heading back to the ferry to Cozumel.

Royal Caribbean offered 2 - one with beach time and one with shopping/restaurant time.  We went on the one with no beach time.

[notalandlover]

On 12/13/2018 at 12:16 AM, Mallefiscent said:

My son has wanted to go see Tulum, Mexico for a long time.  For his 30th birthday, I am considering taking him on a 7-night Western Caribbean cruise on Royal Caribbean's Liberty of the Seas, sailing on December 8, 2019.  We would be in the Cozumel port from 0700 to 1700.  I'm looking for opinions, advice, criticisms, better options . . .

  I used this company in December and all I can say is they were the best. The entire staff was very professional, the guide was  informative and the personal touch without being in the mob was amazing.   https://flycozumel.com/product/mayan-ruins-of-tulum-by-airplane/