Xcaret excursion

[Bjsmom5528]

we are sailing march 31st Royal Caribbean Allure of the Seas; we are researching all the options for shore excursions

and considering the Xcaret Natural Adventure Park for our Cozumel stop.  Has anyone ever done this excursion? its a long day 8:30am-4:30pm and wondering if you need to spend the entire tour with a guide or can you venture off on your own while in the park to ensure you get to see the things that are of interest to you.   any thoughts or input is appreciated. thanks  

[mailmama]

Have done this excursion 4 times since 1999. Our family thinks it is fantastic. It improves every time we go there. You are on your own once you arrive at Xcaret. There are a lot of things to do and not enough time so decide before you go what you want to see. A must do is the river- a gently floating "river" that takes you in and out of cave (not as scary as that sounds) from one area of the park to another. They will transport your personal things in a locked bag and when you get out of the river, you will collect your bag. They have a jaguar island, bat area, butterfly area and recreations of mayan ruins. It is right on the ocean so there is a beach area there also. Don't forget the turtle, manatee and shark exhibit areas too. The park is clean, well staffed and lots of fun. The only draw back is there is a ferry ride over and then a 15 minutes bus trip to the park which takes up part of your day. You will have on a life jacket in the gently moving river and it's easy for even little children to do this!

[Bjsmom5528]

That sounds fantastic- the gently flowing river sounds like fun; we knew it was going to be a bit of a drive there and back so our big concern was that we could pick our own places to explore in the park And not be limited to a tour guides itinerary.   I appreciate your feedback & recommendations- thank you so much

[SelectSys]

Just curious how long the transfer to the park takes?  Does the ferry go right to the park or do you first go to Playa del Carmen?

[Bjsmom5528]

My understanding is You go to playa del Carmen and  From there you get the bus that takes you to the park; I think the ferry ride is 45 minutes plus the bus to The park maybe another 15 minutes? Someone can correct me if I’m wrong 

[mailmama]

The ferry for this excursion docks right near the cruise ship. A short walk to end of pier and you board the ferry which will speed you over to Playa del Carmen. From that pier, it's a short walk through shopping/port area to board the bus to take you to Xcaret. There will be a guide at entrance to the park who will explain all about the park but just pick up a map at entrance and read the signs posted for where you want to go. Just keep an eye on the time because you will meet at the entrance again for the bus ride back to pier. Look at the website to Xcaret and decide in advance the sights you want to see. Must do is the river ride....

[Bjsmom5528]

That’s awesome - thanks so much for all the info. I think it’ll be a fabulous excursion 

[HOSKI]

We haven't been in years but it is amazing.  You'll wish you had two days there.  We do land vacations in Mexico and plan to go when we can stay for the evening show.  It's expensive so we are waiting till our youngest can handle it better.  Your family will love it.

[Bjsmom5528]

My hubby & I spent a week in playa Del Carmen about 12 years ago and absolutely loved it; we did all the adventures we could such as zip lining, swimming in cenotes, pyramid climbing, etc but ran out of time to see Xcaret. Looking forward to finally getting there - it’s just the 2 of us as we became empty nesters this year. Our adult kids are jealous, lol

[footballmp]

We look for a cruise to Cozumel just for Xcaret.  Xcaret is a Must Do!  Once in the park you can go/do anything you want.  Don't miss the underground river through the cenotes.  Unbelievable!  There are three underground rivers in Xcaret to choose from: the Blue River, the Mayan River, and the Manatee River.  Enjoy!

[Btfl-dsstr311]

Can anyone who has been through the cruise excursions  tell me, are there busses leaving every so often in case we need to leave early? Or is it like one bus, leaves at the same time, so if ppl are late they will make you late too? This is honestly my biggest dilemma right now on selecting this excursion for our next cruise, last year I got sick in Turks and Caicos and we had to wait forever for a shuttle to take us back to port I was miserable and my family for having to watch helplessly. I’m also afraid if we run late the ship would leave? Has anyone had issues running late back to the ship? Or experienced others being late....? Thanks for any input

Edited May 2, 2019 by Btfl-dsstr311

[c-leg5]

1 hour ago, Btfl-dsstr311 said:

Can anyone who has been through the cruise excursions  tell me, are there busses leaving every so often in case we need to leave early? Or is it like one bus, leaves at the same time, so if ppl are late they will make you late too? This is honestly my biggest dilemma right now on selecting this excursion for our next cruise, last year I got sick in Turks and Caicos and we had to wait forever for a shuttle to take us back to port I was miserable and my family for having to watch helplessly. I’m also afraid if we run late the ship would leave? Has anyone had issues running late back to the ship? Or experienced others being late....? Thanks for any input

 

With any excursion to the mainland, critical timing factor will be the chartered ferry back to the ship. The ship will wait for the ferry as long as you do the excursion through the ship.

 

if you are concerned about travel convenience I would highly recommend staying on Cozumel for your excursion.

[itsanita]

The ship's excursion is $99 per person.  Can you do this own your own?    There would be a ferry cost, and the cost to get to the park from the ferry.   Any admission to the park itself?   Do the ferries run pretty often?   We will be in port from 7am-4pm.

 

Thanks for you help.

[JohninDC]

42 minutes ago, itsanita said:

The ship's excursion is $99 per person.  Can you do this own your own?    There would be a ferry cost, and the cost to get to the park from the ferry.   Any admission to the park itself?   Do the ferries run pretty often?   We will be in port from 7am-4pm.

 

Thanks for you help.

There are 2 ferry companies and they have boats leaving every 30-45 minutes or so. Don't but the round trip fare because your next ferry might be from the other company.  You can get current fares and schedules from Google. You will need to taxi from your ship to the ferry pier, purchase tickets, figure out transport from PDC to the park, and then do it all in reverse to get back to your ship.

 

Bottom line, can you do it on your own? Sure.  Will you save $? Maybe. Will the hassle be worth it compared to a $99 package deal? IMHO doubtful.  Your call.

[itsanita]

1 minute ago, JohninDC said:

There are 2 ferry companies and they have boats leaving every 30-45 minutes or so. Don't but the round trip fare because your next ferry might be from the other company.  You can get current fares and schedules from Google. You will need to taxi from your ship to the ferry pier, purchase tickets, figure out transport from PDC to the park, and then do it all in reverse to get back to your ship.

 

Bottom line, can you do it on your own? Sure.  Will you save $? Maybe. Will the hassle be worth it compared to a $99 package deal? IMHO doubtful.  Your call.

 

Thanks for you input.  It's not always about the money.   We like to be able to come and go as we please if possible.   But don't want to spend more than the ship's excursion would cost.

 

Thanks for the google suggestion...after checking everything out, looks like the ship excursion is a pretty good deal.   

[deb63]

On 1/31/2019 at 4:34 PM, mailmama said:

The ferry for this excursion docks right near the cruise ship. A short walk to end of pier and you board the ferry which will speed you over to Playa del Carmen. From that pier, it's a short walk through shopping/port area to board the bus to take you to Xcaret. There will be a guide at entrance to the park who will explain all about the park but just pick up a map at entrance and read the signs posted for where you want to go. Just keep an eye on the time because you will meet at the entrance again for the bus ride back to pier. Look at the website to Xcaret and decide in advance the sights you want to see. Must do is the river ride....

 

Mailmama, this was the exact information I came here searching for.    Thank you!