Tulum through Carnival or private tour?

[Fairyduster]

I'm traveling on Miracle in August and have all my excursions booked. I decided to book Tulum through Carnival because I was worried about the time and getting back to the ship. Now I'm wondering if I've made the right choice. Should I be worried about time? Are there any private tours that go to Tulum from Cozumel? Any thoughts on this would be apperciated!

[solita]

I'm traveling on Miracle in August and have all my excursions booked. I decided to book Tulum through Carnival because I was worried about the time and getting back to the ship. Now I'm wondering if I've made the right choice. Should I be worried about time? Are there any private tours that go to Tulum from Cozumel? Any thoughts on this would be apperciated!

 

Although it doesn't happen on a regular basis...you should at least think about getting back in time if you book outside the ship. Last week alone, there were 4 pax on Caribbean Princess who almost missed the ship. The tour that they booked "forgot" that the ferries didn't run every hour from Playa del Carmen. Both couples had to hire a private plane to bring them back to Cozumel so they could make the ship on time. Cozumel is their last call and if they had missed the ship, then they would have to fly back to the US. They were very lucky the captain waited for them...he certainly didn't have to. And yes, I have seen it happen numerous times with independent tours and well as people who freelance on their own...guests walking up to the pier to only find a good view of their ship sailing away. Right after Wilma, I posted a story about the couple who got stuck here during the hurricane because they were late arrived to the ship...had gone out on a sightseeing/shopping tour freelance. Missed the ship but had a frontrow seat of Wilma. All documents including passports and money were on the ship. They were illegal aliens at that point. I have nothing against independents and have several friends who run independent tour but it is something to think you might save a few bucks or do something different...worth it? Sure ended up costing those 2 couples last week.

[Fairyduster]

For me it isn't about the money...I'd much rather have the personalized service!!

[cruisersnorkler]

It is too risky to see Tulum on your own. Too much can happen, because it is a long trip.

[Cruise, J.D.]

I would not do Tulum on your own. This is a tour that includes multiple legs and modes of transportation. I thought the Carnival price was reasonable and the peace of mind was worth it. I did other tours on my own, and will continue to do so, but there are some you should do with the ship.

[Fairyduster]

Thanks for the advice..I'll keep my Tulum trip through Carnival...I just hope it isn't too crowded!

[sarky24]

We are also doing the Carnival tour of Tulum. The tour lasts for 7 hours and I was also worried about making it back to the ship on time. Another concern is the number of people on the tour and trying to discern accents. Can anyone suggest a good travel guide/history of Tulum that I could read prior to my visit? Being prepared with some knowledge may be helpful in a large group.

[GingerPJ]

We just did Tulum through Carnival last week. Be warned that it's a very long excursion, most of which is spent traveling. The tender takes you to the mainland rather than the island of Cozumel, and is about 30-45 long, depending on the seas. The day we went, they were a little rough, and there were a lot of people getting sick because the ferry rocked so much. We'd been taking Bonine all week, so it didn't bother us.

 

Once you get to Playa del Carmen, you're broken into smaller groups and herded onto buses. The bus ride from the pier to Tulum is about 1 1/2 hours. Ours stopped along the way at a souvenir place for about 45 minutes, then continued on. (Waste of time in my opinion, but they probably contract with the shop to bring their tourists by.) By the time we got to Tulum itself, we only had about 2 hours left before we had to get back on the bus to go back to the pier and catch the only remaining ferry back to the ship.

 

Tulum is a gorgeous site, and I don't regret seeing it at all. But because it was so crowded and our groups were so large (and it was really hot with very little shade), it was difficult to fully enjoy. There's a gorgeous beach there that we wanted to spend some time at, but by the time the tour was over, we only had about 20 minutes left of free time, so we didn't get to swim very long.

 

It was a long day, mostly spent on buses and ferries, and we never got to see Cozumel because it was all on the mainland. I'm not trying to talk you out of doing it because as I said, it's definitely worth seeing. Just be warned that you will spend most of your day travelling. I aslo wouldn't recommend doing it with a private company. It's such a time crunch, you're better off with the security of being on a Carnival excursion, even if that does mean it'll be more crowded.

[Fairyduster]

We just did Tulum through Carnival last week. Be warned that it's a very long excursion, most of which is spent traveling. The tender takes you to the mainland rather than the island of Cozumel, and is about 30-45 long, depending on the seas. The day we went, they were a little rough, and there were a lot of people getting sick because the ferry rocked so much. We'd been taking Bonine all week, so it didn't bother us.

 

Once you get to Playa del Carmen, you're broken into smaller groups and herded onto buses. The bus ride from the pier to Tulum is about 1 1/2 hours. Ours stopped along the way at a souvenir place for about 45 minutes, then continued on. (Waste of time in my opinion, but they probably contract with the shop to bring their tourists by.) By the time we got to Tulum itself, we only had about 2 hours left before we had to get back on the bus to go back to the pier and catch the only remaining ferry back to the ship.

 

Tulum is a gorgeous site, and I don't regret seeing it at all. But because it was so crowded and our groups were so large (and it was really hot with very little shade), it was difficult to fully enjoy. There's a gorgeous beach there that we wanted to spend some time at, but by the time the tour was over, we only had about 20 minutes left of free time, so we didn't get to swim very long.

 

It was a long day, mostly spent on buses and ferries, and we never got to see Cozumel because it was all on the mainland. I'm not trying to talk you out of doing it because as I said, it's definitely worth seeing. Just be warned that you will spend most of your day travelling. I aslo wouldn't recommend doing it with a private company. It's such a time crunch, you're better off with the security of being on a Carnival excursion, even if that does mean it'll be more crowded.

 

Thanks for the info. Is it possible to break off from the tour and view the ruins on your own? I'd like to spend a little more time at the beach and taking pictures.

[solita]

Thanks for the info. Is it possible to break off from the tour and view the ruins on your own? I'd like to spend a little more time at the beach and taking pictures.

Sure you can! And don´t worry about accents, they speak fluent understandable English. A suggestion about shade...bring a small foldable umbrella to create your own shade! It is what the Japanese guests all do.

 

Tender ride - 30-45 minutes

Ride to Tulum - 1 hour 10 minutes

Time at reststop - 25 minutes MAX

Time inside ruins - approx. 2 hours

Max size of group - 40 pax (limit of seats on bus)

 

The reststop is stipulated by the cruiseline not the tour company. It is primarely a restroom stop since the facilities are very small at the ruins.