Caverns and Underground Snorkel in Cozumel

[ErieCruiser08]

Has anyone done this excursion through Disney? This is the 7-7.5 hour excursion that travels to mainland Mexico.
Any input would be great!
Thanks

 

[Gecko1]

My DW, DD9, DS8, and I were on this excursion just a week or so ago. Rueben was our guide and was very informative. I got great photos both in and out of the water.

The kids and wife were a bit iffy about jumping into the cool underground water. Once they started kicking they did great. Each person will be given a life vest, snorkel gear, and underwater flashlight.

Bring an underwater camera if you can. Even one of the disposible ones will be great.

After the tours through the caverns, you will have time to roam the shops in Playa del Carmen and then again in Cozumel.

It was a good time, educational, mildly adventurous time for the whole family at a decent price.

Here are a couple of pics. You can find more at my photo site for this cruise

http://gattofamilycruise2008.shutterfly.com/

 

[TraciM]

Wow, that looks so cool. Something to consider for my Western next year.

 

[ErieCruiser08]

Wow, those are great pics! It looked like they made an actual swimming pool inside the cavern with the waterfall--or--was that something else I was looking at?
The excursion says its not for expectant mothers? I was kinda wondering why. I am not currently pregnant, but its a possibility I may be at cruise time.

 

[TraciM]

Is it fresh or salt water??

 

[trimix]

Is it fresh or salt water??

I expect the portions of the cenotes that people snorkel in is all fresh water. Most of the water in the cenotes has percolated through and been filtered by the ground, but when you get close to the ocean you run into salt water.

I cannot strongly enough recommend AGAINST doing this from a cruise, but if you are a certified open water scuba diver vacationing in Cozumel the cenote trips are a wonderful diversion from a day on the reefs of Cozumel. You are never very far from access to the surface and are lead by very experienced guides, and the dives are quite shallow so they can last a long time. If you have a cavern certification or better, you can see some genuinely awesome scenery further back in the cave system.

Either way, by scuba you can run into a very interesting phenomena - the halocline. Because of differences in density, the seawater and fresh water don't mix so at the right location you will swim through a thin transition from fresh water to salt water or back. You'll notice because the view through your mask goes very weird for a moment (some say foggy although your mask doesn't fog; I think blurry is a better term).

 

[Gecko1]

I had wondered about your handle trimix, now I know I was right. You must be a tech diver. I was surprised how few divers I met on the cruise.

As a certified rec/tech (NAUI/PADI) & commercial mixed gas diver I understand your concerns. This is part of the cenotes systems that you can dive, just Not on this excursion! Part of the tour will take you to the anchor of the cave line where one of the mapped dive routes start.

This snorkel excursion is VERY family friendly and very safe. Consider it Disneyfied snorkeling, surface only. The guides were great, the routes were marked with floats (you can see some in my pics), you will always be able to see the exits, you are required to be in a full life jacket no matter your age or knowledge, and the gear was in great shape.

I was very comfortable taking my wife and two kids and I know the dangers that ill informed people can get themselves into in these caverns.

 

[trimix]

I had wondered about your handle trimix, now I know I was right. You must be a tech diver. I was surprised how few divers I met on the cruise.

As a certified rec/tech (NAUI/PADI) & commercial mixed gas diver I understand your concerns. This is part of the cenotes systems that you can dive, just Not on this excursion! Part of the tour will take you to the anchor of the cave line where one of the mapped dive routes start.

This snorkel excursion is VERY family friendly and very safe. Consider it Disneyfied snorkeling, surface only. The guides were great, the routes were marked with floats (you can see some in my pics), you will always be able to see the exits, you are required to be in a full life jacket no matter your age or knowledge, and the gear was in great shape.

I was very comfortable taking my wife and two kids and I know the dangers that ill informed people can get themselves into in these caverns.

You got it right!
But my concern was time - I just don't think there is enough time for a dive trip to the cenotes on the mainland when on a cruise stop. Diving and snorkeling in the cenotes is very safe, as depth is limited and the divemaster will watch you much more closely than on an open water dive.

My experience on a guided cenote dive was far more interesting than my 200 foot dive on Palancar reef and is something I wouldn't hesitate to recommend to somebody just out of an open water class.

 

[TraciM]

You got it right!
But my concern was time - I just don't think there is enough time for a dive trip to the cenotes on the mainland when on a cruise stop. Diving and snorkeling in the cenotes is very safe, as depth is limited and the divemaster will watch you much more closely than on an open water dive.

My experience on a guided cenote dive was far more interesting than my 200 foot dive on Palancar reef and is something I wouldn't hesitate to recommend to somebody just out of an open water class.

I am new to all this so forgive me but it's a snorkel trip not a dive, right??

 

[Tinkermom3]

I am new to all this so forgive me but it's a snorkel trip not a dive, right??

Correct Traci, it is a snorkel trip OR you can just float through which is what we did. At least the tour to XCARET is. I am not sure if the tour Gecko1 took was to XCARET or not. XCARET is an "ecopark" that also has an underwater cavern and is about 10-15 minutes from Playa del Carmen. You spend all of your time at XCARET and there was no time for shopping in Playa del Carmen which makes me think he and his family were on a different excursion???

In the underground river at XCARET we were able to see fish and rock formations VERY clearly as the water is crystal clear. For a more indepth report follow THIS LINK WITH PHOTOS to a thread that I wrote after our February cruise.

This is a wonderful family excursion though we did feel a bit rushed.

Also, we took a disposable underwater camera but only ONE of our photos turned out since there is not a lot of light in the caverns except when there are openings above. Gecko1 has some great photos of the caverns that he snorkeled! Wish now that we had the waterproof housing for DH's Nikon but he did not get this until after our cruise.

The underground river at Xcaret was fresh water.

 

[ErieCruiser08]

How does the Caverns and Underground Snorkel compare to the Xcaret trip? I understand that both are different, but what is the difference in the underground rivers?
The Caverns and Underground Snorkel allows for about 2 hours in Playa del Carmen on our own and beach time in Playa del Carmen.
I guess I am wondering what would be a better use of time?

 

[ErieCruiser08]

Anyone else go on this excursion?

 

[Bound4DisneyWorld]

Bumping this to find out - is this the Caves, Caverns, and Natural Aquarium port adventure now being offered by Disney Cruise Line? Trying to find reviews and pictures of this adventure, and having a hard time. Thanks, in advance, for any input.