Taking a shuttle to playa del carmen?

rotman253 · September 19, 2022

Hello,
Going to arrive with RCL ship, docking at 7 AM and leaving at 6 PM (Miami time).
Is it recommended to take the shuttle to playa del carmen? if yes, then how and where?

Thanks

bguppies · September 19, 2022

Do you mean the ferry?

https://www.playadelcarmentours.com/ferry-schedules.htm

Edited September 19, 2022 by bguppies

bguppies · September 19, 2022

rotman253 · September 19, 2022

Yes! Ferry 🙂
Thanks for the info.

What do you recommend to bring with me to the playa? is there a recommended beach over there?

c-leg5 · September 19, 2022

Have you been to Cozumel before? Don’t you have two young kids? Why do you want to go to Playa?

Unless you already have a burning desire to go somewhere in particular, I don’t recommend on a cruise ship visit. I think you will find plenty to do on Cozumel for the day BUT if you insist on going independently remember you will need to allow time for a taxi each way on Cozumel.

Be sure to buy one way tickets for the ferry in case you can’t get the same company back.
Check current schedule.

Unless you are familiar with the area and system I recommend a ship excursion to the mainland - at least you will have a dedicated ferry and they will wait for you.

Edited September 19, 2022 by c-leg5

bguppies · September 20, 2022

17 hours ago, c-leg5 said:

Have you been to Cozumel before? Don’t you have two young kids? Why do you want to go to Playa?

Unless you already have a burning desire to go somewhere in particular, I don’t recommend on a cruise ship visit. I think you will find plenty to do on Cozumel for the day BUT if you insist on going independently remember you will need to allow time for a taxi each way on Cozumel.

Be sure to buy one way tickets for the ferry in case you can’t get the same company back.
Check current schedule.

Unless you are familiar with the area and system I recommend a ship excursion to the mainland - at least you will have a dedicated ferry and they will wait for you.

Excellent advice.

I don't think I'd ever try the ferries on my own unless the ship was in port an inordinately long time.

Read too many stories of people's ferry ride back running late or being cancelled and they miss the ship.

rotman253 · September 22, 2022

We have 11 hours in total in this port of call. What do you think? would you still advise against going to playa del carmen?

crewsweeper · September 22, 2022

What is it you want to do in Playa? Beach? Shop? Maya ruins? Excursion to one of the waterparks?

Beaches on West side of Cozumel are just as good as the beaches in Playa which are mainly connected to resorts. Shopping is primarily similar stores as in San Miguel. No savings or different choices over all. The closest Maya ruin is Tulum. IMO better ruins in Belize, if that's on your itinerary. Tulum is south of Playa, you'll need a collectivo or a private tour to get there. Waterparks--Xcaret is around $90 pp entry. Xenes and Junglegala are around $75pp entry. All are a taxi ride from the ferry pier. All are huge and you may not have time to do everything.

Also note the ferry times are Cozumel times which is 1 hour earlier than ship time. You can hurry and try to catch the 8AM ferry but most likely given customs clearance it'll be the 9AM. If your ship leaves at 6PM, that's 5PM Coz time. To be on the safe side you'll need to catch the 3PM ferry back. The 4PM gets you to the ferry dock around 4:45PM (5:45PM ship time) . with a taxi ride back to the ship pier, you'll be a pier runner.

ABQrobin · September 22, 2022

We have done the ferry several times and gotten stuck in Playa and extra hour. Granted we were in Cozumel on a land tour so we didn't miss a ship, but we were late back to resort once and missed our dinner time and they were not happy and only made us something quick and made us sit downstairs on the patio. I just don't trust the ferries, especially if there are many ships in port as they can contract the ferry for the day and leave the regular ferry service with only 1 in middle of day. Lines can get very long to get on, too.

c-leg5 · September 22, 2022

5 hours ago, rotman253 said:

We have 11 hours in total in this port of call. What do you think? would you still advise against going to playa del carmen?

You WILL NOT have 11 hours total by the time your ship has been cleared for you to get off and you have to be back on at least 30 minutes prior to departure (actual time will be posted in cruise compass - take note).

Also note that your ship will adhere to ship time. Local time in Cozumel is EST year round. This is is important if you are planning anything independently (especially for ferry times), but also independently on the island. Be sure your time piece does not automatically update to local time and catch you unaware.

As stated before, unless you have a definite reason to visit the mainland I wouldn’t do it “on a whim” and definitely not on my first visit to Cozumel. Apart from anything else, if you are looking at going to the beach on the mainland you have a much better chance of encountering masses of sargassum at this time of year ( like Costa Maya) than you will at beaches on the west side of Cozumel.

Several regular visitors to the island have given you sound advice.

blue_water · September 23, 2022

Research ideas for Cozumel. If you want a nice beach, snorkeling, an island tour with a beach stop, a cat sail, something more adventurous, or just sightseeing enjoy what Cozumel has to offer. You do have a nice, long visit, and that would allow you to enjoy the island from a catamaran and on land.

Your time in port also makes an excursion to some of the best Mayan ruins and natural cenotes outside Playa Del Carmen very doable. But unless you are experienced in this you definitely want a reputable tour company that is expert at organizing these tours from Cozumel.

Btank · September 28, 2022

On 9/19/2022 at 1:12 PM, rotman253 said:

Hello,
Going to arrive with RCL ship, docking at 7 AM and leaving at 6 PM (Miami time).
Is it recommended to take the shuttle to playa del carmen? if yes, then how and where?

Thanks

We do it every time. Better (and cheaper) restaurants as well as better (and cheaper) shopping. Just watch your return times - the ferry companies used to have a 2 hour break in service in the afternoon. Also remember that you do have a (short) taxi ride from the ferry terminal (downtown) to the International Cruise Terminal (where RCL docks). You can walk it if you have time and feel ambitious (about 2.5 miles), but be ready to meet LOTS of friends along the way trying to sell you things.

My preference is the Ultramar ferry service (yellow & blue), but we've also taken Winjet (orange). If you're nervous about the timing and logistics, book a shore excursion through the cruise line that includes 5th Avenue.

--bruce T.

P. S. Our go to place to eat in Playa del Carmen? Karen's - it's just down 5th avenue from the Playa ferry terminal. We love it - it's turned into a tradition!

Taking a shuttle to playa del carmen?

Recommended Posts

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Link to comment

Share on other sites

COZUMEL FERRY SCHEDULE

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Please sign in to comment

Announcements

Features & News

New Photos