Xtreme Speed Boat w/ Carnival

[Dannzzigg]

Has anyone done this excursion?

 

I am interested in a few details if someone can help-

 

- Does the speed boat trip actually take you somewhere or do you just leave from the same beach that you have the "free time at the beach" and then return?

 

- How long are you in the boats for?

 

- Where exactly are you taking these boats? Along the shore? Up a river?

 

- Is there anything to see while boating or is the goal just to go fast and zip around on the boat?

 

- Is it a "follow the leader" excursion where you follow a guide, or do you get your boat and just have to return it at a certain time?

 

Any details that folks can provide would be much appreciated!

[DandyTwister]

Hi

We did this excurison in May and it was a BLAST!!!! First you get on a small tour bus (not really a bus - open sides) and take a ride to the beach. Our tour guide was very good - friendly, funny and very informative. Get off the bus...then hike a ways (5 - 10 minutes) to the dock. Get quick instructions...boats very user friendly...steering wheel and a handle that you pull back to back up and push forward to speed up. You follow in a line behind the guide (2 people per boat) and you're off. You travel in the ocean along the coast line (have to follow the guide because of undersea reefs) but you get to go really fast and he does turns and you feel like you're in some James Bond high speed chase movie. You stop at a half way point and you can get out of your boat and swim in the ocean (my hubby did - but I didn't - there isn't a ladder or anything to get back in the boat, you have to be able to pull yourself back in - I was extremly jealous but didn't think I could pull myself back in - though most of the people did go in) Then you head back - we changed drivers at the half way point. I'm not really sure how long we were in the boats - having too much fun to notice - but I'd guess an hour or more. Once back at the dock you walk back to their "piece of the beach" where there are showers, changing room and bathrooms (didn't use these so can't comment on their condition) They have a resturant with outside tables where you get a free drink and really good tortilla's (I think thats what their called - not sure but they are part of the package and really yummy) Our guide then went and pulled some coconuts out of the trees, hacked them open and you got one with a straw to drink if you wanted. There is also time (not a lot of time once you eat, drink and be merry) where you can go for a swim in the ocean (this parts not great - I went in but it is very shallow - went out quite far but couldn't get far enough to really "swim" but still it was a nice dip) Then it was supposed to be back on the bus...but the bus was busy so they called taxi's for us all to take us back to town (taxi was free - except for a tip of course). Overall we really enjoyed this excursion...listening to people who went on some of the other ones I think we made the right choice. At least for us this was something we had never done before and found it exciting and fun. While sitting around eating and drinking we talked with the other people who did the excursion with us and except for a few who were disappointed that they couldn't go off on their own everyone really seemed to enjoy it and felt it was well worth it.

Hope this helps

Have fun on your cruise!!

Tracey

[DandyTwister]

Me again...new to computers so I'm not sure if this will work but your can try to go to my photos at http://community.webshots.com/user/DandyTwister

and you'll see the shots I took from this excursion...the ones after the weird shot of my hubby in the cabin until the ones up until the one of me in the cabin with the fan (which our guide cut for me) are all of Costa Maya (you'll notice pictures of army guys with guns...lots of them in Costa Maya...creeped me out a little...but I knew my son would like the pictures)

Take care

Tracey

[cruiser620]

I might just be brave and try this based on your report! Did this excursion leave from Mahahual? Do you remember the name of the restaurant/boat rental place?

[DandyTwister]

Hi,

Well I hope you find it to be as fun as we did!! It did leave from Mahahual...the other details I'm not really sure on...we booked through the cruise line. We have pictures (that they sold us, of course, but very reasonable - $8.00 - picture of you in your boat and a picture of the sign sayin Mahahual in a very nice folder with a map of costa maya on it) the picture of the boat just says "xpeed boat" - not sure if that is a company name. As for the resteraunt...well when you arrive off the bus the guide (ours was Renee) says welcome to my office...which is a patch of sand...the "restuaunt" doesn't have a name on it...I think it is just for this excursion...really just a hut with a bar and some tables...but we all sat at outside tables and they served us (we don't drink but the couple with us did and all I know is that they ordered several beers because the price was really good - can't remember the price - just that they were shocked and excited by it). It's probably wrong to call it a resturaunt because I don't think that they serve anything but the tortillas (choice of beef or chicken) but they were really good.

I'd certainly do it again!!!

Good luck

Enjoy your vacation!!

Tracey

[jbooth2099]

The write up on Carnival says they have snorkeling. Did you get to snorkel? Did they provide the gear?

 

JB

[Dannzzigg]

jbooth, I'm not sure you're looking at the same excursion. The one I am looking at doesn't mention snorkeling at all.

 

To anyone else who has done this excursion, another question...

 

At the point where you stop and get to take a dip in the ocean, is this a long stop, or is it really designed to allow you to switch drivers? I ask because I don't anticipate getting out of the boat if there is no ladder to get back in, and I really don't want to spend any real amount of time just sitting there, waiting for other folks to swim.

[DandyTwister]

jabooth - I do think you're looking at a different excursion - there was no snorkling in the one we went on nor was there any mention of it in the write for it when we booked.

Dannzzig, as for the time for a swim it isn't very long...maybe 15 minutes at most. I did stay in the boat because I was certain I couldn't haul myslef back in the boat - hubby went in but even he had to struggle a bit to get back in (although looking at the water I longed to be able to get in it) But its a fairly short stop...gave me enough time to snap some pictures...but like I said 15 minutes at the most - not long enough for me to get bored or tired of sitting in the boat...and yes I think the whole point of it is so people can change drivers.