Shopping in Cozumel & Grand Cayman

[robseat]

We will be on the Grand Princess in Dec. 07, stopping in Coz. and GC. Am in a standard wheelchair and wondered if there is shopping near the pier in Cozumel that I can get to without taking a taxi -- especially supermarket and liquor store. Same question for Grand Cayman, (although that is a tender port so may not be able to go ashore at all). From reading other posts, it appears that we will be docking in Cozumel at the Punta Langosta pier, which looks close to downtown. Are there decent curb cuts?

[kitty9]

I walk with a cane and have weak legs from having polio as a child and I've found Cozumel to be a not very easy port to get around. Neither is GC. For that matter, GC is the most skipped port in all of the Caribbean because of rough seas, and I've found it's the most difficult in terms of tendering because it tends to be very bouncy in the tenders. When we were in Cozumel in November, we docked a 10 minute ride from the shopping area, and the cabs I saw weren't accessible.

[Splinter]

Why not take cabs? If you have a decent folding manual wheelchair, and someone to assist you, you can bump up or down a curb or step or two. Send someone else to the market, and enjoy the tourist shops, etc.

 

If you can get ashore in GC, take a cab to 7 mile beach.

 

I would also recommend taking a cab in Cozemel to Chankanaab State Park. They have a lovely fairly wheelchair accessible botanical garden, nice views of the ocean and snorkelers (the water is not accessible here), and nice places to just sit in the shade and enjoy.

[robseat]

Thanks for the replies. Taxis are real difficult for me to get in and out of. Plus they charge by the person so it makes it cost prohibitive. At home I'm a Walmart and Home Depot kinda guy - not a mall. We live on the beach so the 7 Mile thing doesn't interest me. The liquor stores around the piers charge easily double what I pay locally for a good tequila. Plus there is all kinds of interesting browsing in a Mexican supermarket (at least for me).

 

The last time we were in Cozumel we took a cab to a supermarket and found great prices on good tequila but the cabfare negated the savings. The map shows one a few blocks from the Langosta pier but I was unsure about the wheelchair accessibility. Thanks again.

 

Robseat

[LHC]

The seas were calm in December and we enjoyed the shopping around the port in Grand Cayman. There are some shops that the doorways are to narrow for chairs.

We did tender off the ship but Holland American Cruise Line has a system for wheelchairs and tenders.

Linda

[mikedw]

On our honeymoon back in 2001, we were in Cozumel and Grand Cayman. Wife used a travel wheelchair and we took a cab in Cozumel to the tourist area. Nothing is really acessible and I got a workout with all the curbs and the high entrances to the stores. Biggest pet peeve was in was of the tourist malls in Jamaica, they had a wheelchair ramp on one of the sidewalks, but had a colum jutting out from the middle of it.

[Shebbieal]

I am in a power chair. In cozumel there are accessible cabs. Ask at the taxi stand and get assistance. I have been to Cozumel about 10 times and every time we go it is better. It isn't perfect but do-able. In some places there are hndicapped bathrooms. Again not perfect but ok.

 

I take a manual chair in Grand Cayman and transfer to cab. I am not impresseed with Grand Cayman tho and usually stay n ship. There is a good handicapped bathroom on the 2nd floor (there is elavator) above the Harley Shop.

 

Sherry

[Splinter]

Some ships tender in Cozemel, and if that is the case, a power chair is out of the question. If you are docked it is pretty easy.