OT: Cruise question

Last time I jumped into a cab with some people that worked on the ship and we all went to a public beach.  Only cost me cab fare.  If you only want to go shopping-do it on your own-it's much cheaper and as soon as you get off the ship, there's stores everywhere. 

If there's something specific you want to do like swim with the dolphins, book it thru the cruise line.

 Lynne I have never been to Progresso before but where the ship docks in Cozemel you are right there at a huge shopping area and you are within walking distance of lots of good shopping areas.   I personally agree with whoever said that they would probably take you to the most expensive shopping areas.   LOL   I am also getting very EXCITED about the cruise !!!!  can't wait !!!!!


Hugs and blessings ~~~ Vivian

If you want to shop in Cozumel, take a cab the 2 miles to San Miguel and shop around the Plaza. Avoid the shops around the cruise pier...they are all owned by the cruise lines and the prices are jacked WAY up. You can get the same stuff in the gift shops on the ship! Go to the Plaza where the locals shop, get to know the real Cozumel! And don't forget the food wagons...some of the best protein on a stick or wrapped in tortillas are on those push carts!

If you want something to do besides shop, head towards the water tower...right underneath it is Putt putt golf. I can't remember the name of the place but it's owned and run by a couple from the US. They will bring your drinks to you on the course as you need them...really nice people and a great time.

We go to Coz diving and always plan a day to explore San Miguel and the Plaza. The farther you get from the water, the less influence from the cruise ships you'll see.

Great advice Dee!  It's nice to hear from someone who has been to Cozumel several times!

Thanks for the great advice Dee! Good to get info from someone that has been there before. I think we might want to to do one paid excursion and then shopping or exploring sounds fun too. Would love to see the ruins!

How long will you have for an excursion? Are you talking about the ruins ON Cozumel?  The only one I know of on Cozumel is San Gervasio. There really is nothing there, just some rock rubble that's not readily available. When we went in search of the famous ruins, we just happened to know the local who owned the land they were on. The photo you see on some websites is of a monument that was built out of some of the rubble but even that is no longer available. The Mayan ruins you see in all the ads, like Chichen Itza, are on the mainland and take anywhere from 10 to 14 hours the tour, and that's a conservative estimate. Alot of that is time spent on the road driving to the site. The tour we took included overnighting on the mainland and all day at the ruins.

Here's one of the best tour companies...just don't believe all the pictures you see! www.cozumel-tours.com/mayan-ruins.htm

HTH

The shore excursion I saw is at Progreso, Yucatan (Chichen Itza) and is 7 hours. It does say there is a 2.5 hour bus ride, so the actual tour is 2 hours I guess!  I will check out the tour company you suggested as well. Would love to Snorkle, never done that before either! So many choices!!!

Thanks again for the inside info!

What about the ruins at Tulum? www.cozumel-tours.com/private-tulum-tour.htm  It's only 1.5hrs from the ferry at Play del Carmin. Looks like they have a good schedule for the cruise ships.

Yep....so many things to do! I'm sure you'll have a great time no matter what you do!

Ditto what Dee said.  I paid for some excursions on my cruise in December and probably will not pay for any this cruise; cab to the local shopping area [with a group, not alone] and then back to the ship.

I did enjoy the restaurant right there at the dock in Cozumel - good food, good times and great margaritas!

Hmmmmm... just noticed that our cruise counters are different  Maybe we just sat them up at different times of the day or something. Anywho, my butt is setting sail the same time as yours is!! LOL

Any idea how much it is for parking? Bill and I had thought about getting a room on Sunday the 26th somewhere that they allow you to leave your car without charging an arm and a leg and shuttle to the ship.

Hugz,
Gina