Choosing our Excursions

[katmigordon]

We are considering the Mexican Cuisine Workshop and Tasting (CZ33), but my wife has an allergy to cheese, and does not eat land meat (only seafood). The description makes it sound like we make our own meals, in which case she could format hers by leaving out those items she can't eat...

Has anyone done this who could tell me if this is possible or not?

 

[Dug720]

I have peanut allergies and am gluten-free due to a wheat allergy and have always seen people with food allergies or issues steered away from any cooking/food-related excursions because they really aren't customizable.

 

[katmigordon]

Any opinions on Play De Mia (Or whatever it's called)? Or the Port just around the ship? We're looking for an excursion in Cozumel but we aren't in the best shape and she has food allergies but I LOVE to cook. And going our separate ways in a foreign country isn't in the cards. It would only be my second time out of US and off the ship and I am honestly a little overly cautious about the whole thing.

I have peanut allergies and am gluten-free due to a wheat allergy and have always seen people with food allergies or issues steered away from any cooking/food-related excursions because they really aren't customizable.

 

[dreamer17555]

If you like to snorkel we had the best time on the Fury catamaran snorkeling excursion and have it rebooked for our upcoming cruise

 

[dcassetta]

Disney uses the Punta Langosta pier in Cozumel. There is a touristy shopping area at the entrance to the pier, but no beach area right there.

If you think you would enjoy the cooking activity, and your wife doesn't mind that she might not be able to eat what you make, you should book it. This is a Disney vendor, but I am not sure how much they would be able to accommodate food allergies.

If you are leaning more toward a relaxing beach day, you might look at one of the private clubs. Our favorite is Nachi Cocum https://www.cozumelnachicocom.com/

Nice sandy beach and a big pool, lunch with many options and open bar all day are included. Comfy loungers and plenty of shade and sun. They limit the numbers of guests, so it is quieter than some of the other beach clubs. You would need to catch a taxi from the pier, and this is safe to do.

 

[katmigordon]

Snorkeling doesn't work for us because we're both blind without glasses and can't wear contacts - I was told on this board years ago (So I guess something could have changed) we wouldn't be able to do glasses and snorkel masks.

If you like to snorkel we had the best time on the Fury catamaran snorkeling excursion and have it rebooked for our upcoming cruise

 

[katmigordon]

The wife refuses to go much past the port unless we go with Disney, less because of fear of travel (I'm the only one nervous about that, she has more experience), but because she likes to know if we're late Disney will wait for us.

Disney uses the Punta Langosta pier in Cozumel. There is a touristy shopping area at the entrance to the pier, but no beach area right there.

If you think you would enjoy the cooking activity, and your wife doesn't mind that she might not be able to eat what you make, you should book it. This is a Disney vendor, but I am not sure how much they would be able to accommodate food allergies.

If you are leaning more toward a relaxing beach day, you might look at one of the private clubs. Our favorite is Nachi Cocum https://www.cozumelnachicocom.com/

Nice sandy beach and a big pool, lunch with many options and open bar all day are included. Comfy loungers and plenty of shade and sun. They limit the numbers of guests, so it is quieter than some of the other beach clubs. You would need to catch a taxi from the pier, and this is safe to do.

 

[Geomom]

I think the Cozumel cooking class is at Playa Mia, but I thought they were trying to keep the tour groups separate from each other, otherwise my first thought would be to have you book cooking, and your wife Playa Mia and meet up on the beach. Would something like the Salsa and Salsa excursion work for you both, depending upon the types of allergies your wife has? That one includes an hour at their beach/pool--not Playa Mia, not sure which one it's at.

For the Mexican cooking class, maybe contact Playa Mia directly about being able to tailor your meal to keep out your wife's allergens? https://www.playamia.com/tours-excursions/mexican-cuisine-workshop-. There is a comment section, and you could ask your questions there, saying you're looking at booking it through the ship, but have some questions.

 

[Dug720]

Any opinions on Play De Mia (Or whatever it's called)? Or the Port just around the ship? We're looking for an excursion in Cozumel but we aren't in the best shape and she has food allergies but I LOVE to cook. And going our separate ways in a foreign country isn't in the cards. It would only be my second time out of US and off the ship and I am honestly a little overly cautious about the whole thing.

I have no idea. I have only been to Cozumel once on Celebrity and I did a beach and snorkel expedition.

If you're going with a ship-based excursion, you'll be as safe as possible and not have to worry about the "being in a foreign country" thing as much. It's not like you're going to be left on your own.

I've just been advised that if there are food allergies cooking and food excursions should be avoided.

 

[Kariyaffa]

It’s not right around the ship, but a few years ago we walked to a chocolate experience class that was wonderful. You could take a cab if it’s a little too far to walk. Not sure if this is of interest because you do make a puck of hot chocolate, so it’s not really cooking exactly, but it was fun, and cultural and at the end you can sample their chocolates

https://kaokaochocolateexperience.com/

 

[soniam]

Snorkeling doesn't work for us because we're both blind without glasses and can't wear contacts - I was told on this board years ago (So I guess something could have changed) we wouldn't be able to do glasses and snorkel masks.

Glasses and snorkel masks don't work. However, if you think you would enjoy snorkeling, you can purchase prescription masks at a local scuba shop. They can do custom ones, which are more expensive and take longer, or they often have a certain number of prescription lenses on hand that are much cheaper. The water magnifies some too. My son and I have prescription snorkel masks. I have very poor eyesight and don't like contacts. I have had mine for several years now. Even though my prescription has changed, they still work. I might have to get new ones this trip though, because I am starting to get some far-sightedness in addition to my normal near-sightedness. However, up close, like reading, isn't as important for snorkeling as every day. I would buy your own snorkels with a backflow preventer/dry valve. It's nice having your own, instead of using what everyone else has been using for years. They often fold up pretty small in a suitcase and are not terribly expensive. If you get masks, check out the soft, neoprene masks straps/covers. They don't get tangled in hair as easily. Usually preferred by women.

 

[auntlynne]

I found this description of the Playa Mia cooking and beach excursion (not specific to Disney, but I find most excursions are similar to other cruise lines)

The Cooking part of the excursion:

”1.5-hour Mexican cooking class with the chef to prepare 3-course meal - Appetizer: Thick corn tortillas with spicy shrimp (tomato and chipotle sauce) topped with lettuce, heavy cream, crumbled cheese and non-spicy chili powder. (Shrimp can be replaced with chicken breast or cubed potatoes). Main Dish: Fish filet topped with sauteed vegetables (onion, bell pepper, zucchini, carrot and tomato) in a tamarind and chili powder sauce, Dessert: Cinnamon and sugar caramelized bananas with a bitter chocolate and tequila sauce and cream *Menu is subject to be change by the Chef.

Unless she hates cooking, in general, it sounds like something you could enjoy together. Since you prepare your own food, you could keep any cheese on the side and add it to your plate.

This seems to be more seafood-based Mexican cooking (you are on an island), not Tex-Mex beef and gooey cheese that we Americans are used to.

I have felt very safe when visiting Cozumel. I will walk down the road to Mega Mart by myself during the day. This is not something I would necessarily do everywhere (in the US or abroad). (I have not been since the resumption of cruising; last visit was Jan 2020.)

It has been fun watching you plan this cruise experience; I hope you two have a great vacation. I envy you those first class seats on the plane, the extra seat space is so nice.

 

[katmigordon]

Thank you, this was exactly the kind of information I was looking for! It does sound like something we could do together - she absolutely will eat seafood. She grew up on the coast so she has caught, cleaned and cooked everything from fish to crabs herself. Which is her personal rule, she only eats things she knows she could catch and kill herself.

She loves to cook, she's not good at her, bless her, but she loves to try.

Honestly my fear of being places I haven't been like Cozumel isn't as Xenophobic as I'm sure it seems on the surface. I have Aspergers and I'm not as likely to catch subtle shifts and warning signs others might. I don't like being alone in any big city I don't know the flow of, not even here in the US.

Thank you for saying that last, I really needed to hear it. I've been feeling kind of obnoxious with the amount of posting I've been doing but I need to get everything in place as quickly as possible. Our window opens end of May and at that point it is very possible I will be in the hospital recovering so I need to get the letter for shoreside written so the wife can send it in if I am. (Umbilical Hernia, been giving me more trouble and I want to get it done in time to heal before our cruise. I know it's not normally a big deal, but with me being around 330 right now - it's more of a problem than it is for most because the cut will be deeper.)

Which is all just to say, thank you for making me feel better about all the questions even though we don't send in requests until the End of May - we've been planning this for 3 years and I want to make sure we don't stumble at the finish line.

”1.5-hour Mexican cooking class with the chef to prepare 3-course meal - Appetizer: Thick corn tortillas with spicy shrimp (tomato and chipotle sauce) topped with lettuce, heavy cream, crumbled cheese and non-spicy chili powder. (Shrimp can be replaced with chicken breast or cubed potatoes). Main Dish: Fish filet topped with sauteed vegetables (onion, bell pepper, zucchini, carrot and tomato) in a tamarind and chili powder sauce, Dessert: Cinnamon and sugar caramelized bananas with a bitter chocolate and tequila sauce and cream *Menu is subject to be change by the Chef.

Unless she hates cooking, in general, it sounds like something you could enjoy together. Since you prepare your own food, you could keep any cheese on the side and add it to your plate.

I have felt very safe when visiting Cozumel. I will walk down the road to Mega Mart by myself during the day. This is not something I would necessarily do everywhere (in the US or abroad). (I have not been since the resumption of cruising; last visit was Jan 2020.)

It has been fun watching you plan this cruise experience; I hope you two have a great vacation. I envy you those first class seats on the plane, the extra seat space is so nice.

 

[Sykes]

Honestly my fear of being places I haven't been like Cozumel isn't as Xenophobic as I'm sure it seems on the surface. I have Aspergers and I'm not as likely to catch subtle shifts and warning signs others might. I don't like being alone in any big city I don't know the flow of, not even here in the US.

That is totally understandable. I suspect that you'll find Cozumel to be more of a sleepy island town (aside from the throngs of cruise passengers) than a big city, but one of the nice things about a shore excursion is that it provides a safe environment for you to experience it for the first time. Since it's not a super long shore excursion there will probably be some time afterwards and you can decide at that time (after having seen the town a little) whether to do a little more exploration on your own or just head back to the ship. That's one of the reasons we tend to like half-day excursions.

 

[Dug720]

we've been planning this for 3 years and I want to make sure we don't stumble at the finish line.

My only concern for you really is that some small thing goes "wrong" after all the build up. I've seen too many people build a vacation up so high and put so much pressure on it - especially when it's an expensive vacation - only to decree the entire thing a failure because one small thing went wrong.

Nothing is perfect - even the most well-planned cruise. Excursions get cancelled (not enough participation, vendor issues, etc.), Castaway is missed (winds, currents), and so forth. You have to be willing to go with the flow. Please keep in mind that everyone involved in the vacation is human and therefore there is no such thing as perfection, and it should be fine.

 

[auntlynne]

Other than the occasional snarky person, the concept of a forum to hash out plans and pick up useful information is why I love a good forum. People who love a topic, activity, etc., can go on ad nauseam, while the would-be bored public are free to talk about other boring stuff - somewhere else.

I get as much enjoyment in planning vacations as I do in the much-shorter actual trip, itself. I wonder if I also don’t want to be overwhelmed by having to make decisions on the fly. I want to know my options. And I have been in too many situations when the group is getting hungry and you are suddenly scrambling to find someplace to eat. That does not usually end well, with cranky and unsatisfied people (often me).

Hearing you are on the Spectrum (I live where maybe half the town probably qualifies for that - they are a bunch of enginerds), makes your choices seem more obvious. First Class air? Brilliant. I’m so glad to hear you didn’t go with Southwest. I would suggest you never try to fly with unassigned seats, even if y’all don’t need that third seat for a space/size reason. Both boarding and the flight are more peaceful in First Class. Your luggage arrives on the conveyer belt first, also.

The only issue I seem to have in the front of the plane is getting drinks (coke, water…). The attendants don’t come around with the cart, so you may need to remember to ask for what you need.

The PP describes Cozumel very nicely - a sleepy island town. It just happens to be a major cruise destination now, instead of just a divers’ dream. The main drag is a two-lane road that runs by some shops, then quickly leads out to the beaches. Any hubbub is right at the port, with cruisers heading out to their excursions. One nice aspect of Disney is that you follow a person holding up a Mickey head sign. A lot of people eschew this, but it is a great way to go someplace new if you are not a seasoned traveler.

Cabanas - if you can’t get one, the beach is still nice, other than the fact all the seating is very low. I love Serenity Bay, but I choose to sit at the picnic tables in the adult dining area - or use the tables and chairs at the bar next door (consider that an option for lunch seating if you don’t get the Cabana and the picnic tables don’t work for you).

As always, let us hear about your trip when you come back. I am also watching a pair of sisters (I think from Canada) to see how they fare. I think they Had to switch plans because of the cruise pause.

In the meantime, I’m in the prep stages for two cruises: a 5-night double dip on the Magic this month (started as a Nov 2020 cruise, booked in 2019), and a 5-night AK cruise the following week (booked in late March). Both are repeat destinations with a few new twists, so I am tweaking the details. (I usually know what I am ordering for dinner, I am that much of a planner).

 

[katmigordon]

I don't know if this will make sense to anyone but me, but it's not about what happens that's outside of my control, it's what's IN my control that I mess up that matters. As long as I know I planned and did my best to put everything in place I'll be fine. I guess accepting that the world isn't perfect is easy, forgiving myself for screwing up is not.

My only concern for you really is that some small thing goes "wrong" after all the build up. I've seen too many people build a vacation up so high and put so much pressure on it - especially when it's an expensive vacation - only to decree the entire thing a failure because one small thing went wrong.

Nothing is perfect - even the most well-planned cruise. Excursions get cancelled (not enough participation, vendor issues, etc.), Castaway is missed (winds, currents), and so forth. You have to be willing to go with the flow. Please keep in mind that everyone involved in the vacation is human and therefore there is no such thing as perfection, and it should be fine.

 

[katmigordon]

Thank you for the heads up on this, it never would have occured to me that the flight attendants wouldn't be very attentive in first class.

Cozumel sounds lovely, I can't wait to see it and do the cooking class with Deb.

The water looks so shallow at Serenity Bay, if we can't get a cabana we'll probably stay on board and do a couples villa treatment in the spa instead. If we get the Cabana it will be off the family beach where going more than knee deep will be possible. Both of our excursions will have beach time anyway so staying on board wouldn't be the end of the world.

I have no idea what I'll be ordering for dinner, but I have looked at the menus several times, but lord knows what I'll be in the mood for when the time comes. I do know that I will be ordering the Fried Brie from Royal Court though.

The only issue I seem to have in the front of the plane is getting drinks (coke, water…). The attendants don’t come around with the cart, so you may need to remember to ask for what you need.

The PP describes Cozumel very nicely - a sleepy island town. It just happens to be a major cruise destination now, instead of just a divers’ dream. The main drag is a two-lane road that runs by some shops, then quickly leads out to the beaches. Any hubbub is right at the port, with cruisers heading out to their excursions. One nice aspect of Disney is that you follow a person holding up a Mickey head sign. A lot of people eschew this, but it is a great way to go someplace new if you are not a seasoned traveler.

Cabanas - if you can’t get one, the beach is still nice, other than the fact all the seating is very low. I love Serenity Bay, but I choose to sit at the picnic tables in the adult dining area - or use the tables and chairs at the bar next door (consider that an option for lunch seating if you don’t get the Cabana and the picnic tables don’t work for you).

In the meantime, I’m in the prep stages for two cruises: a 5-night double dip on the Magic this month (started as a Nov 2020 cruise, booked in 2019), and a 5-night AK cruise the following week (booked in late March). Both are repeat destinations with a few new twists, so I am tweaking the details. (I usually know what I am ordering for dinner, I am that much of a planner).

 

[auntlynne]

The water is shallow at Serenity Bay - for a long way out. But it has been so calm and clear on my visits that I find it hard to find any other place that compares favorably to it. I love the water in the USVI, but there I get more wave action. Serenity Bay is like a giant, though shallow, swimming pool with little fish and star fish (I did not spot any in September).

Serenity Bay:



Family Beach:



It’s definitely personal preference as to which to visit (or both).

Unless you are not a beach person, at all, I cannot imagine going on a Disney cruise that visits Castaway Cay and not get off the ship. That is one of the selling points of this cruise line. Twenty days from now, we get on our Double Dip cruise (2 days at Castaway).

I would describe Serenity Bay as more like waist- or chest-high. It’s great when in a cabana, as you get floats.

I find the water in Cozumel to be more prone to being choppy.

But I won’t berate you if you skip CC; it’s your vacation. I might cry a little for you.

 

[auntlynne]

I don't know if this will make sense to anyone but me, but it's not about what happens that's outside of my control, it's what's IN my control that I mess up that matters. As long as I know I planned and did my best to put everything in place I'll be fine. I guess accepting that the world isn't perfect is easy, forgiving myself for screwing up is not.

That is understandable to anyone who knows a perfectionist - and there are a lot of them out there. Happily, I know that control is an illusion and just enjoy whatever small wonders (and big ones) I get. I have also had more than my fair share of opportunities at do-overs and repeats, so all my hopes to experience something are not lumped in a once-in-lifetime opportunity. (I am coming up on DCL #19 and cruise to Alaska #6 within the month). So very fortunate. Rarely high-end, but very appreciative of my life’s experiences. I am Realize my brain chemistry / wiring and upbringing allows me to feel this way; not everyone is the same (just different, not meaning it as a negative). If we were all alike, we could be robots.