Costa Maya cannot handle 4 ships

[jxtgreek]

I was on the Pride last week and one stop was Costa Maya.  Normally this is a great port to visit.  Not this time.  4 ships docked one of which was one of Royal Carrabeans mega ships.  That’s over 10,000 people. Even if some elect to stay onboard the numbers are still huge.  We walked for 10 minutes before heading back.  Only sad part of my cruise 

[ninjacat123]

2 minutes ago, jxtgreek said:

I was on the Pride last week and one stop was Costa Maya.  Normally this is a great port to visit.  Not this time.  4 ships docked one of which was one of Royal Carrabeans mega ships.  That’s over 10,000 people. Even if some elect to stay onboard the numbers are still huge.  We walked for 10 minutes before heading back.  Only sad part of my cruise 

That's too bad.  I love Costa Maya as well.  I wonder if there is a way to find out how many ships are scheduled at a port before you book a cruise?  I bet someone on CC knows!!

Edited December 12, 2022 by ninjacat123

[cruisingguy007]

17 minutes ago, ninjacat123 said:

That's too bad.  I love Costa Maya as well.  I wonder if there is a way to find out how many ships are scheduled at a port before you book a cruise?  I bet someone on CC knows!!

 

https://www.cruisemapper.com/ports

[teknoge3k]

22 minutes ago, ninjacat123 said:

That's too bad.  I love Costa Maya as well.  I wonder if there is a way to find out how many ships are scheduled at a port before you book a cruise?  I bet someone on CC knows!!

 

Looking at a port schedule is the easiest way to see how many ships are in port prior to your cruise.

 

If you book years in advance, it of course may not be up to date. I am not sure how far out ships schedule the ports. 

[BlerkOne]

Book a tour that leaves the port.

[ninjacat123]

6 minutes ago, teknoge3k said:

 

Looking at a port schedule is the easiest way to see how many ships are in port prior to your cruise.

 

If you book years in advance, it of course may not be up to date. I am not sure how far out ships schedule the ports. 

Thanks teknoge3k!  Do you know of a link to a port schedule site that is easy to navigate😉?  Or is it a schedule per port? I'm thinking about the ports in Europe that Pride will be visiting in October.  Thanks!!

Edited December 12, 2022 by ninjacat123

[cruisingguy007]

2 minutes ago, ninjacat123 said:

Thanks teknoge3k!  Do you know of a link to a port schedule site that is easy to navigate😉?  Or is it a schedule per port?

 

Click on the link I posted, select country (from drop down menu), select port from list, select month (blue box). 

Edited December 12, 2022 by cruisingguy007

[ninjacat123]

13 minutes ago, cruisingguy007 said:

 

https://www.cruisemapper.com/ports

Yay!! Thanks!!

[teknoge3k]

Just now, ninjacat123 said:

Yay!! Thanks!!

 

Another option that I use, is https://www.cruisetimetables.com/#destports

[ninjacat123]

2 minutes ago, teknoge3k said:

 

Another option that I use, is https://www.cruisetimetables.com/#destports

Great!!  Thanks!!

[pirate4me2]

3 minutes ago, teknoge3k said:

 

Another option that I use, is https://www.cruisetimetables.com/#destports

This is the site I use, very easy to navigate!

[teknoge3k]

1 minute ago, pirate4me2 said:

This is the site I use, very easy to navigate!

 

I have also found it to be more accurate! 

[ninjacat123]

Yikes!!  We are on Magic in January and there will be 7 or 8 ships at St Maarten.  Hope I get back on the correct ship after our excursion!🙃

[MsOne]

Thank to those that posted the link...and to OP for asking for them in a way I now know why cruisemapper is helpful lol.

Looking at our upcoming, 6 seems like a lot for one port. It's Cozumel which I've been to when it seemed like a mad house. But this just seems like it's going to be 😬 since 5/6 are showing sold out in more than one category (ours is sold out in everything but balcony -- think there's like 3 left). So much for mid-January being low cruise season! Children will enjoy lots of others their age being on board though.

Edited December 14, 2022 by MsOne

[crewsweeper]

The extended pier in CM should be able to accommodate 5-6 ships, depending on size.  The port is becoming more popular for cruise lines.  The biggest issue is the long pier itself and lack of any transportation to go from ship to port complex.  Currently it's your own 2 legs. And whether or not the port facilities and the beach along the malecon in Mahahual can handle the flow is another question.  And tours away from the port are limited to primarily Mayan ruins.  Interesting and informative but not everyone's idea of a great excursion.

[ninjacat123]

1 hour ago, crewsweeper said:

The extended pier in CM should be able to accommodate 5-6 ships, depending on size.  The port is becoming more popular for cruise lines.  The biggest issue is the long pier itself and lack of any transportation to go from ship to port complex.  Currently it's your own 2 legs. And whether or not the port facilities and the beach along the malecon in Mahahual can handle the flow is another question.  And tours away from the port are limited to primarily Mayan ruins.  Interesting and informative but not everyone's idea of a great excursion.

I have gone to The Krazy Lobster, a beachfront restaurant with nets that keep the seaweed away and $20 per hour massages under the palapas! Yummy margaritas and lobster too!

[Doctorsbaby]

On 12/12/2022 at 10:44 AM, pirate4me2 said:

This is the site I use, very easy to navigate!

I use this one as well to help decide what we are doing in each port…or if it will be a stay on the ship day! 
 

We prefer water activities, so if there are a lot of ships, I’m more likely to book something private or smaller scale that has options away from the crowded, busier areas. A few years ago, we were in Cozumel with 7-8 other ships, at least one of them a Royal mega ship. That was a firmly stay on the ship day. 

[bguppies]

The Pride stopped there last Thursday and it was a $h!t show. 

4 ships in port at Costa Maya is waaaayyy too many for the area too handle.

(was the Pride, Allure of the Seas, a large Princess ship and 1 more)

 

The cruiseline port area was packed beyond capacity. 

Talked to a few people who just went in to the pool area and came back to the ship pretty quick, it was so crowded.

(We stayed on the ship since we knew going in it was going to be four ships and when we saw the forecast for off and on rain all day, that sealed the day)

 

The beach bars in town apparently were overpacked too. (had friends looking forward to going to the Krazy Lobster, but they were disappointed how crowded it was and tried to hit a couple of other spots, but they told us they were all packed.)

 

The cruiselines may be able to dock more than 4 ships in Costa Maya, but clearly it seems they do not have the infrastructure in the cruisline port area or in town to handle a large passenger load.

Edited December 14, 2022 by bguppies

[c-leg5]

I think a lot of the overcrowding in the port is probably compounded by the overcharging by the taxis currently and more families are probably opting to stay in the port. Also since the weather was bad that particular day not much incentive to venture into town for a beach day. Also i don’t  think the water park has reopened yet.
 

Krazy Lobster is greatly extended since cruising resumed but tables, chairs and loungers are always closely packed and busy to me.

Edited December 14, 2022 by c-leg5

[KillaB3E]

We arrive on one of the Royal Maga ships (Allure of the Seas) on December 27th and there are at least 3 other ships there, based on the port calendar links posted above. 

 

We're hoping to make it out to Krazy Lobster for some beach time. 

 

Is 4 ships in port too many. The calendar shows us and 3 MSC ships. 

 

Thanks, 

 

 

 

[c-leg5]

44 minutes ago, KillaB3E said:

We arrive on one of the Royal Maga ships (Allure of the Seas) on December 27th and there are at least 3 other ships there, based on the port calendar links posted above. 

 

We're hoping to make it out to Krazy Lobster for some beach time. 

 

Is 4 ships in port too many. The calendar shows us and 3 MSC ships. 

 

Thanks, 

 

 

 

I thought 4 mega cruise ships was max although @crewsweeper seems to think more if smaller. This link shows layout and is reasonably, but not totally accurate description of the port.

 

https://www.iqcruising.com/ports/caribbean/costa-maya/overview-costa-maya-cruise-port.html

 

Four is certainly a lot for immediate port area to handle. The malecon is in a rebuilding phase IMO. Mahahual has certainly gone  for the increase revenue attitude with many adapting an AI inclusive model. In fairness, many were leaning this way pre-covid but they do not have the attractions, or facilities, to justify this model IMO.
 

We have been disappointed in Mahahual since cruising resumed.

Edited December 16, 2022 by c-leg5

[Greenhopster]

Costa Maya 12/27. If the 2 ships are full, 11,042 people.

[bguppies]

On 12/15/2022 at 11:44 PM, c-leg5 said:

I thought 4 mega cruise ships was max although @crewsweeper seems to think more if smaller. This link shows layout and is reasonably, but not totally accurate description of the port.

 

https://www.iqcruising.com/ports/caribbean/costa-maya/overview-costa-maya-cruise-port.html

 

Four is certainly a lot for immediate port area to handle. The malecon is in a rebuilding phase IMO. Mahahual has certainly gone  for the increase revenue attitude with many adapting an AI inclusive model. In fairness, many were leaning this way pre-covid but they do not have the attractions, or facilities, to justify this model IMO.
 

We have been disappointed in Mahahual since cruising resumed.

Yeah its not the pier's ability to dock the ships, its the town's and port area's ability to handle the passenger load from that many ships.

[bguppies]

On 12/15/2022 at 11:02 PM, KillaB3E said:

We arrive on one of the Royal Maga ships (Allure of the Seas) on December 27th and there are at least 3 other ships there, based on the port calendar links posted above. 

 

We're hoping to make it out to Krazy Lobster for some beach time. 

 

Is 4 ships in port too many. The calendar shows us and 3 MSC ships. 

 

Thanks, 

 

 

 

Allure was the last of four ships to dock on our day, so hopefully for your sake, it'll get in a bit earlier so you can enjoy an hour or so, before the other ships dock.

 

On our day the Allure (6,314)and the Sky princess (4,610) ship were pretty big, us (Carnival Pride  2,549) and Radiance of the Sea ( 2,546)were smaller.

 

According to the site I am looking at, it only shows the Allure and MSC Meraviglia  (5,386) on your day, 

Which 11,700 passengers between those two ships is alot but not as bad as our day was.  (14, 019)

But crazy for just two ships. If it is indeed 3 MSC ships that size, good luck to you.

[spleenstomper]

There will be 4 ships on January 4. Glory, Pride, Celebrity reflection and NCL bliss.

 

My son and I literally got the last cabin on Glory (which thankfully was a balcony but it’s very forward). 
 

I haven’t been to costa Maya before and we were thinking of staying on the ship. I’m not in great shape right now and so I’m picking and choosing what to do. (Been to Belize twice so far and Cozumel like 8 or 9 times).