If we take a taxi to Chankanaab in Cozumel, will we have any trouble getting one to take us back? What would the fare be? Your opinion of the park? We are leaving Saturday from New Orleans.

The rates are flat fee and are 10 dollars each way. There is a $10 fee for the park as well, but money well spent, IMO, as it is very pretty and clean there with easy snorkeling right off the (slippery) rocks. Nobody will panhandle or chase you down the beach trying to braid your hair. There are cute iguanas and some feral cats which roam around....there is a little rain forest and lagoon to explore, plus a dolphin area where you can watch the "dolphin discovery". They have plenty of shade and there are huts selling drinks, food and renting equipment. The water is generally calm and if you want to swim straight from the shore, there's an area near the dolphins to do that. There are many cabs waiting to take you back, not to worry.

We've done this on our own twice. It seems the fare was about $4 or $5pp. It's a short ride and should not be much different now. They will tell you when you walk up to take a cab how much it will cost and you can 'dicker' at that point if they ask to much. The ship was telling people the cab fare was $10pp each way if they went on their own but that was definately incorrect info! I think they are trying to get you to buy their excursion which is just too much $ considering it so easy to do on your own.

The first time we went was before the storm and I think I liked it better then. But we still enjoyed it the second time and you could tell they were trying to get it all fixed up again. Things may well be back to norm now.

One big difference was that even though we didn't do either of the dolphin excursions (by the way, you can buy those tickets inside the park) the first time they let spectators walk out on the pier and get a birds-eye-view. The second time, you could only walk out on the pier if you had a ticket.

And, yes, plenty of taxis are available when you get ready to leave.

Have fun!

Thanks for all the helpful info. We're looking forward to enjoying the park.
P.S. What is IMO?

That's "in my opinion" and yes, you can 'dicker' but you should never, ever take a non-licensed cab. It's not a cruise thing at all, it's set by the government. You can share a cab with others for a reduced fee, but you should never ride with a non-licensed driver.

Thanks for the tip. We are careful about that in our travels.

There were four of us and we rented a car. There are many car rentals just as you get off the ship. We rented a jeep and had a blast. As you leave the car rental, turn right on the road and it goes to Chankanaab, just a short way. As you leave Chankanaab, turn right again (there's only one road and it goes all the way around the Island) You can also stop at I think it's Francisco, a lovely beach where you can have lunch or just a drink. You can then continue around the Island, stopping if you want, the scenery is lovely as the road hugs the ocean. You will end up in town and can stop and shop if you like. We had one whole day in Cozumel so there was plenty of time to do it all. Have fun.

Thanks for your suggestions. We'll think about renting a car.