Cozumel and the Yucatan?

[great scott]

The wife and I are cruising there early next month and want all the advice we can get.

What to do and see?
What to stay away from?
We have found a Jeep tour that takes us into the jungle, to a swim in an under ground cave/river then snorkeling by a reef. Has any one done this, is it all the add claims?

 

[Rusted]

The wife and I are cruising there early next month and want all the advice we can get.

What to do and see?
What to stay away from?
We have found a Jeep tour that takes us into the jungle, to a swim in an under ground cave/river then snorkeling by a reef. Has any one done this, is it all the add claims?

I have been there twice, it is great there. Do you scuba dive at all? Diving and vacation is the primary reason I went there. If you do dive let me know and I will give you some good recomendations. My inlaws did the float down the underground river, seems like they said it was ok, kind of a hike, and you get muddy, but I will ask them for sure, and ask if they would do it again. The Yucatan ruins at Coba and the other another one I can't think of right now were realy cool.

I assume that you are getting out in Cozumel for a few days? Don't let the taxi guys rip you off

 

[Cody]

get around to the back side of cozumel and visit some of hte little villages and stuff. There is also a little shack--called Marleys or something like that--right on the beach on the uninhabited side that has kick-ass shrimp quesadilla's and hamocks you can sit on and watch the waves come in.

Cody

 

[Caleb]

My parents just got back from a similar cruise (may have been the exact same) they did the underground river float and weren't too impressed with it. They had an awesome time overall though, I don't think you can really go wrong with anything you do down there.

 

[Cody]

my cruise was progresso/cozumel/beliz.

My only redomendations--don't book your activities on the boat. You can walk off the boat and get the exact same thing from the exact same company for half the price--maybe less.

If this is the same cruise, be careful in Beliz. It's not what most people expect and this is the only place I've ever been where I legitimately feared for my safety while walking around. I've been all around mexico--far off the beaten path--and never felt as uncomfortable as I did walking around the flea market next to the harbor in Beliz.

As for the underground float through the cave--thats the only excursion I wish I would have gone on--and probably worth booking on the boat. We didn't cause my buddy had a broken leg and couldn't make the hike, but everyone that went on it said it was really cool. Take that Caleb! Booya! Mac's suck!

Cody

 

[great scott]

The excursion I was talking about claims to be an underground cave with stalagmites and tights. There is an underground river and a lake that we swim in then head to the beach to snorkel at a small reef. I have never really scubaed before but they will take newbies to 20'. We will have 3 days at sea to relax so when we hit the shore I want to see all can.

 

[great scott]

my cruise was progresso/cozumel/beliz.

My only redomendations--don't book your activities on the boat. You can walk off the boat and get the exact same thing from the exact same company for half the price--maybe less.

If this is the same cruise, be careful in Beliz. It's not what most people expect and this is the only place I've ever been where I legitimately feared for my safety while walking around. I've been all around mexico--far off the beaten path--and never felt as uncomfortable as I did walking around the flea market next to the harbor in Beliz.

As for the underground float through the cave--thats the only excursion I wish I would have gone on--and probably worth booking on the boat. We didn't cause my buddy had a broken leg and couldn't make the hike, but everyone that went on it said it was really cool. Take that Caleb! Booya! Mac's suck!

Cody

What excurtions did you do and did you like them?

 

[Cody]

In progresso we got off the boat and walked around the city for awhile. They have some really old architecture and buildings that are cool to see. We dinked around the differnt markets, meat market etc. and then decided to take a tour. We decided on this small tour that takes you out to some old mayan ruins--an old salt mining site I believe that the damned christians built a church on top of--then it took us out to a resort about 20 miles or so out of town where we sat at the beach enjoying the sun and 'all you can drink' beverages for a couple hours. I think that was like 30 bucks or something. they have the oldest Catholic church in the America's there but I didn't make it down to see it--wish I had.

In cozumel we got off the boat and booked the same 2 hour snorkel excursion that they offered on the boat for I think 60 bucks. They said 30 and we talked them down to 60 for all three of us. That was awesome...I had never snorkeled before and once I got used to floating in the water and how to dive, it was great. Then we talked the boat guys into dropping us off a couple miles down beach where we rented that little golf cart thingy and a scooter. We drove around the back side of the island and checked out a couple villages and sat on the beach.

In belize we got off the boat late (rough night ) and took a city tour with a cab driver. when we got back we walked away from the cruise complex and checked out the flea market where they had some cool stuff and everyone offered you drugs. This is where I thought I was going to die--long story short, don't ever offer to buy a nice guy a beer or youll be promplty mobbed by the rest of the people. we the just grabbed some food and headed back. I wish I had done the underwater cave deal in Beliz--like I said everyone that did it said it was awesome. They also have a baboon sanctuary that would have been cool to see

I'm not the kind of person that likes to have everything planned out and to be heareded off of a bus etc. etc. We just played things by ear and it was awesome. Beliz is a little different and were I to go back I would book something before hand and avoid the city

Cody

 

[chadschoon]

In belize we got off the boat late (rough night ) and took a city tour with a cab driver. when we got back we walked away from the cruise complex and checked out the flea market where they had some cool stuff and everyone offered you drugs. This is where I thought I was going to die--long story short, don't ever offer to buy a nice guy a beer or youll be promplty mobbed by the rest of the people. we the just grabbed some food and headed back. I wish I had done the underwater cave deal in Beliz--like I said everyone that did it said it was awesome. They also have a baboon sanctuary that would have been cool to see

I'm not the kind of person that likes to have everything planned out and to be heareded off of a bus etc. etc. We just played things by ear and it was awesome. Beliz is a little different and were I to go back I would book something before hand and avoid the city


X2
in beliz I also thought my wife and I were toast!!! Very scary place. We started to just wonder down through the streets, got board and didint want to walk back, so we got a cab.... That was an experiance by itself (I had to hold the door shut so I didint fall out of that piece ) Then we got back to the market and that was all. Everyone we talked to that did float the cave loved it as well.

Cody[/QUOTE]

 

[Skylinerider]

We just got back from this cruise. The jeep ride and swim in the cavern was awesome. I would book your tour on the boat, because most of the good tours will sell out.

 

[great scott]

We are only going to be in Cozumel for 1 day, so I kind of need to make some plans to see as much as we can. I would love to spend some real time an the area as I to don't like to be tied down, but I'm to cheep. Sounds like I won't be missing much by not going to Belize but again I didnt shell out the cash. We are DRIVING to Galveston Texas then 1 day at sea, 1 day around the Yucatan, 1 day at sea and then DRIVE back home. Short and sweet but it was a bargain and we will have a first time cruiser with us that didnt want a long trip in case the sea doesnt treat him well.

 

[great scott]

We just got back from this cruise. The jeep ride and swim in the cavern was awesome. I would book your tour on the boat, because most of the good tours will sell out.

Tell me more it sounds as though you took the very excursion I am looking at. As I understand it we drive a stock :-\ Jeep through the jungle, then swim in a cenote (underground river), then snorkel at a reef.

Is this the same one you took?
Is the jungle trip worth the time?
How was the swim in the cave?
Was the reef a good one?
Would you do it again, or something else?

Tell me all, I must know .

 

[Skylinerider]

It was awesome they had 2005 jeep wranglers, your got to drive them from the ship to the cavern. Lunch near the cavern, and swimming in the cavern.
Those new 6 speed trannies really make the jeeps get up and go. It takes all day for the trip

 

[great scott]

Tell me more.

 

[Cody]

I don't know what the 3 day cruises go for, but we only paid 349 for our 7 day cruise. This time of year they are cheap--but you have to deal with the AARP convention that is cruise boats this time of year.

Cody

 

[Skylinerider]

We did the 4 day Carnival cruise. 1st day was in Key west, then to Cozumel/Playa de Carmen. When we got off the ship in Playa, all the tour buses were right outside, and the Jeeps. You drive off from the port. We booked on the ship so our tickets were in our room the night before we docked. Getting off the ship was kind of a hassle, as there was only one way onto the port so the line was long. you get to drive through the jungle on dirt roads 4 to a jeep, so try to be the one who drives it's more fun that way. When you get to the cavern it's a little chilly in there at first, but you get used to it really quickly. Lunch was there too. We got back to the ship around dusk.

 

[great scott]

b My wife corrected me, we are technically on the boat for 4 days and we shelled out $280 each, we could have had a second port and one more day for like $40 each but our first timer wasn't sure about all this.
It sounds like the jeep tour is the one we are going to try for and then if time permits, stroll the beach or streets.