Pittsburgher

Message: Family of four will be traveling over Christmas holidays - ports include Montego Bay and Cozumel. 16-yr-old son is especially interested in ruins at Cozumel or is it Chichen Itza?), but what I've read on shore excursions doesn't look all that appealing; elsewhere I read a recommendation to rent a car (or a taxi?) and get there ourselves . . . I would appreciate any comments from anyone who's done this, or suggestions on where to look for more definitive information.<BR><BR>Shecky, saw your comments on an earlier post on renting a car -- any advice? How much time to allow? Siggetions on rental companies?<BR><BR>Many thanks!<BR><BR>

pittsburgher

I hate late-night typos! Make that 'suggestions,' not 'siggetions' - whatever those are!<BR>

Nancy

Hello P'bgr,<BR>Be sure to check out how long you will be in port at Cozumel. Many of the boats don't spend more than 5 or 6 hours - not time enough to go to CI.<BR>Chichen Itza is on mainland Mexico, and would require you fly or take the ferry over, rent a car or take a bus, and make a 3 hour drive - one way. That probably won't work for you.<BR>If you have 5 or 6 hours, get a taxi when you get off the boat and go to Chankanaab for the day. There is wonderful snorkeling there, beach chairs and umbrellas free of charge, lockers and showers, snorkel and dive equipment rental, and 2 good seafood restaurants.<BR>If you have more time, rent a jeep and do your own island tour (there is really only one road that circumvents the island, so you can't get lost.)<BR>I'd recommend not doing any of the ship tours - overpriced, overcrowded.<BR>Have fun!

Robert

Another alternative to the tours sold on the ship is to use one of the local guides (in Suburbans or similar, marked &quot;Island Tours) who will meet the ship. These are very knowledgeable guides who will give you a customized tour at a reasonable price. You might ask for Miguel Sauri in van number 4--and excellent guide and fine gentleman!<BR><BR>

Ally

Another possible idea for ruins is Tulum. You'll still have to take the ferry over to Playa Del Carmen (45 minutes) then rent a car or catch a bus to the ruins. Not as impressive as CI but still nice ruins, and located on a beautiful beach and not nearly as far away as CI. Again, find out how much time you'll be in Cozumel, but if you have 5 or 6 hours, this would be doable. Good luck!

TC

Check with your cruise line about Tulum ruins - many drop passengers at Playa and then proceed to Cozumel. You can tour Tulum and then take a ferry from Playa to Cozumel to catch up with your ship at the appointed time. Saves crossing by ferry twice. The ruins on Cozumel are not impressive and I doubt they are what your son has in mind. I agree with other posts that the best thing Cozumel has to offer is the marvelous snorkeling and/or diving. However, there will be lots of people from cruise ships at Chankanaab Park. My suggests for a &quot;day in Cozumel&quot; (after spending 10+ winters there) would be (1) a taxi to town for breakfast at El Museo - wonderful terrace with a view of the ocean and always a show by fishing pelicans, (2) as you leave the museum wander in a few of the shops of main street as you walk back toward the center of town - especially like Los Cinco Soles near the museum, (3)take a picnic to a secluded beach and snorkel the whole afternoon OR take a taxi to Chankanaab Park to spend the afternoon, (4) back to town for dinner at El Moro (great seafood) or El Turix for Yucantian food, (5) wander around the main square to watch the aerosol/blowtorch artists at work or get a temporary tatoo before heading back to ship. If you want more information, send me an email.

Pittsburgher

Thanks, everyone -- this is exactly the information I'm looking for, and I'm just glad that I figured out to ask the question here instead of just on the cruise forum!<BR><BR>We will actually be in Cozumel from 6:30 a.m. to 11 p.m., so I think we will have plenty of time. Chichen Itza sounds like more of an expedition than we have in mind, but Tulum sounds like a viable option. Is it easy to figure out how and where to get the ferry, and then the bus to the ruins? Any idea of cost for ferry? Or will the guides (Island Tours?) that Robert mentioned get us there? Thanks for the restaurant recommendations too -- this is shaping up to be a great day!

Nancy

Hello again,<BR>The ferry is not very expensive - like $7 one way, I think.<BR>You can take a taxi from the cruise ship to the ferry dock for a couple of bucks, and the ferries leave pretty frequently - at least hourly - I think on the hour. Opt for the high-speed ferry. It's very comfy and you can sit inside with the A/C or outside with a great view. They serve drinks. It takes about 45 min. to make the crossing.<BR>As soon as you get off at PDC, there are a bunch of kiosks and people selling tours. Greyline is reputable and has fast, comfortable buses.<BR>The earlier you get into PDC, the more tour options you will have and the less crowded the places you choose will be.<BR>Or, you can opt to rent a car and drive yourself. Tulum is about 45 min to an hour South of PDC on a wide modern highway, and easy to find. <BR>That way you can explore at your own pace.<BR>If you do so, stop by Akumal on your way back - an awesome little beach town with great restaurants and snorkeling.

tigerhawk

If you really can get to Chichen Itza [in port long enought] you should try. Yes, it's a long bus ride, and yes, it's not cheap, but these are the best Mayan ruins in the Yucatan. I saw them on my first cruise over 15 years ago, and still think it was one of the best ship excursions I have ever taken [other top two - Atlantis Submarine anywhere, Tikal ruins in Guatemala - also Mayan]. Tulum or Chichen Itza are better done by ship shore excursion - most ships will stop in Playa del Carmen to drop off shore excursion passengers there [as mentioned before]. Plus if you take an &quot;official&quot; shore excursion, you don't have to worry about the ferry trip back as the ship arranges it, and you are pretty much guaranteed that the ship won't leave without you if the tour is running late.<BR><BR>However, if Chichen Itza really just isn't an option, then I would second the votes for Chankanaab. The taxi from the cruise dock is only about $8 and snorkel gear rents for just a couple of bucks. You can snorkel right off the beach and altho it can get crowded, it isn't as crowded as some of the tours. There is a dolphin swim there - don't know what that costs and there are mixed feelings amongst posters to this and other boards that dolphin swims are either 1-great or 2-exploitation. If you're interested, try typing Chankanaab into Google [check spelling] and see what you get.<BR><BR>I have also done the snorkeling trip on the cataraman Cozumel Fury. The day I went 4 years ago was gorgeous - smooth water, good snorkeling, and an open bar on the trip back to the ship [maybe not what you want with a 16 year old], but the day my friends did it in Jan 2001, the water was rough, and there was a lot of seasickness. I booked this trip thru the ship shore excursion desk.

sherry

I have to second the earlier post regarding Chichen Itza. If you have the opportunity, definitely make the trip. It is worth it! Esp. since I have read that after January 1st you will no longer be able to climb the pyramid (El Castillo). My husband and I went several years ago, and although it was a long ride there and a very hot day (it was May), I am so glad we were able to experience it!

Pittsburgher

Thanks to all of you for your wonderful information. After reading your suggestions, I went back to the shore excursions website for our cruise and discovered that they offer a 6.5 hour tour to Tulum, which we decided to do -- even though it departs at 7 a.m.!!! Although that means we'll have to skip breakfast at El Museo, we should be back to Cozumel in ample time for a nap and a tour of the town, maybe the park, and dinner before our 11 p.m. departure, so if you have other restaurant recommendations, please pass them on.<BR><BR>Again, thanks for your expert advice. Without it, I wouldn't have known what to look for!

TC

Pittsburgher, Sounds like a great day you have planned. Some restaurants that you and family might enjoy are:<BR><BR>El Moro (75 Bis Norte No. 124 entre 2 y 4) A must. Funky family owned and operated. Not too stuffy to take kids. Out in the suburbs - take a cab because it's tricky to find but not too far. Wonderful grilled seafood. Open kitchen so you can watch the cooks. Order the Zacharias Special for two. It's a lot of good seafood.<BR><BR>Poncho's Backyard (Ave. Rafael Melgar between Calles 8 &amp; 10N on main street of town) Very beautiful and romantic, good &quot;healthy&quot; Mexican food (cooked with less fat) good Mexican wines. The setting is the thing here. You might want to try it for lunch while shopping. <BR><BR>Guido's Pizza (Ave. Rafael Melgar between Calles 6 &amp; 8 N on main street of town) One of the prettiest indoor courtyards (you have to go all the way to the back). Specials are wood burning oven-baked pizzas (they're great) and pastas, but they also do great seafood. Excellent sangria. They have the best coffee (actual brewed decaf espresso, not Sanka which is what you get most places when you order decaf) and great homemade coconut ice cream topped with cassis or dark chocolate sauce. Go here for dessert, even if you eat elsewhere. <BR><BR>Casa Denis ( 1 Sur 16 on the backside of the main square, across from the open-air flea market) This is a fun place. Cheap, good Mexican food - tacos, enchiladas, chicken mole. Fun to sit and people watch outside. It looks a little tacky, but don't be shy. It's really good and the waiters are silly and fun. The salsa is killer hot. Try a watermelon liquada.<BR><BR>La Choza (Calle Adolfo Rosado Salas @ 10 Ave. Sur in town): Some of the best simple fresh fish anywhere and good traditional dishes too. Wonderful fresh fruit margaritas. (Moderate prices) We go back here often. A tiny bit touristy.<BR><BR>Hope this helps.