First time on cruise and going to Cozumel with questions

[sherrintxs]

We will be going on Aug 5-9th, and only be in Cozumel from 8:30-5:30, should we rent a Jeep or just use a taxi or do we need to do either?

 

TIA

Sherri

[cruisinqt]

We were just in Cozumel in January and plan on being there again this October. We normally do our own thing and just take a taxi wherever we want to go. There are taxi's everywhere and they're pretty cheap too. No matter what beach, shopping center, or excursion you go on, there's always a line of taxi's there. We went to Chankanaab last time but plan on going to Paradise Beach this time. I went to the ports of call section on the message boards and clicked on Cozumel. There were lots of people talking about Paradise Beach and how great is was. And it's free whereas Chankanaab is not. That is one reason we are going there instead. Another reason was because Chankanaab was mostly for snorkelers with steps leading down into the water. They had one small, crowded beach that you could walk straight into the water without steps. We hear that Paradise Beach has no steps and is strictly a sandy beach area. It has lots of extras. You might check out the ports of call area and get some more info. It sure helped me a lot.

[gonetomaui99]

I agree that a taxi is the way to travel unless you have aspirations of touring the entire area.

We spent most of the day at paradise beach when we were there in Feb. Not crowded at all, lots to do (all free), new and clean facilities, reasonably priced food and a bit of live music in the PM.

I remember commenting that I figured that the place would end up a pay beach as soon as it became well known. Be interested in hearing some more recent reviews.

[ppeckham]

If you do take a taxi, be sure to have smaller bills. Last year we took one into the shopping area. "We" included my daughter, MIL, FIL and MIL's mother in a wheelchair. My MIL gave the driver a $20 but did not get change back. She was planning to give him extra since we did have the wheelchair but not that much extra.

[PammyHound]

I'd say do the taxi unless you're planning on driving around the island. The cab stand at the pier has set prices for going to about 30 different locations, but when you need a cab after that, make sure you agree upon a price before getting in the cab. Have lots of singles on you that day too.

[Philly Steve]

If you do take a taxi, be sure to have smaller bills. Last year we took one into the shopping area. "We" included my daughter, MIL, FIL and MIL's mother in a wheelchair. My MIL gave the driver a $20 but did not get change back. She was planning to give him extra since we did have the wheelchair but not that much extra.

 

That's an excellent point. Often, we shift into cruise card mode and forget about cash until someone sticks their hand out during an excursion.

[BoatGirl]

As mentioned above, the "Ports of Call" section on this board is a great resource when planning your time in port. Also, attending the port of call talk on the ship before you go to port is an excellent way, especially for a new cruiser, to learn about the port.

 

Have fun, we'll be back in Cozumel for our 4th time in October!

 

Boatgirl