Cozumel: Anyone do a Mayan ruin tour?

[bernee]

Hi All,

Just wondering if anyone on board has done a Mayan ruin excursion? Do you recommend it? How long is it and do you have much time before you need to get back on the ship.

Thanks,
Renee

 

[WDWLVR]

There are two tours you can do. The first is an all day tour to Tulum. I have heard it is beautful there. You board a very fast boat from the ship which takes you over to the mainland. Caution some people have reported getting seasick on this. They then take you over to the ruins by bus. I'm sure someone who has done it will fill you in with more details.

The second choice and the one we took was to visit the ruins right on the island of Cozumel which are the San Gervasio ruins. They are much smaller than Tulum and in the middle of the island. We had a wonderful time and had a great guide who taught us the history of the ruins. The tour also includes a beautiful drive along the beach and takes you to Playa Sol for a beach break of I think an hour or so. The tour left at noon so we had time in the morning to go shopping in town, have a quick lunch at plutos and then do the tour. It got back in time for us to get ready for early seating.

Good luck on your choice!

 

[markm0926]

We did Tulum many years ago with a different cruise line.
It's a pretty long tour. I don't believe you'll have time for anything else.
It's also pretty awesome, I'd recommend it. You don't get to see things like the Tulum ruins often.

 

[herrbeeb]

we did the tulum tour last year.

pros: the ruins are not to be missed. they are beautifully preserved. the tour is very informative. the area is very scenicl. we had a family picture taken at the ruins and it is one of my favorite souveniers. the marketplace at the ruins is very interesting and offers some unusual items as well as the junky tourist stuff. i bought a beautiful tablecloth. it is a representation of the mayan calander.

cons: the trip to and from the ruins is very long. longer than the actual visit. first you take a high speed ferry from cozumel to the playa del carmen. if you are prone to seasickness (my son is) it is a bumpy ride. then you walk approx 1/2 mile to the buses. then tou ride approx. 60 minutes to the ruins. on the way there the bus stops at a gift shop and bathroom. it is, IMO, very cheezy and there is nothing there you can't get in cozumel.

luuch on the way back consists of a subway sub, chips and soda. not exactly mexican fare (except that the subway is in mexico). there is no stop on the way back. the bus company also offers a souvenier (we didn't buy it).

we went in june. it was incredibly hot.

on balance i would recommend the tour. even though the transportation was onerous (there is nothing to see on the way) and the lunch was dissapointing, the ruins were spectacular and i am very glad we saw them.

 

[ohiominnie]

My dd studied ancient mayan civilizations in 3rd grade, so we planned a western cruise so she could go to the ruins (like we needed that excuse!) Since ds had NOT studied the ruins (he's only 7) my dh took dd to the ruins alone.

They enjoyed it a lot. I'll recap the pros and cons from their POV. cons: the trip from the ship to the mainland was about 35 minutes in a ferry boat with very high waves. Then the 1/2 mile walk and the hour bus ride, then some sort of tram ride to the ruins. There was the cheezy gift shop stop, although my dd did buy something for my ds there and was excited she found him something. They serve lunch on the way back....subway sandwiches, chips and either pop or beer. They give it all to you and expect you to manage that on your lap (with a very full glass of liquid) on a bumpy trip. The beach you get to stay at had no chairs, no umbrellas, and no where to set your stuff. Dh ended up holding everything while dd played at the very edge of the water--couldn't go any farther b/c of very high waves. The beach had lots of Mexican kids swimming in their underwear. The tour guide they had droned on and on and on. dh and dd occasionally walked away, sat in the shade of a tree, then came back feeling like they hadn't really missed anything.
pros: they were able to see the magnificent mayan ruins!! they were able to tie in everything dd had learned and i'm sure the experience at the ruins will help solidify that in her mind. they had fun being together --just dd and dh-- for some quality time. they'd got an awesome picture of the two of them at the ruins.

all in all, even though the list of cons outweighs the pros, they were both VERY happy they took the excursion. in the meantime ds and i did a dolphin encounter in cozumel and although our list of cons outweights the pros, we too ended up VERY happy we took that excursion. once getting in the water with the dolphin, all the headaches of excursion logistics seemed to float away!

to note....my dh and dd made it back JUST in time for early dinner. they had to wait in a long line to get back onto the ship (the ferry disembarked and most of the ppl were heading to the Magic) they literally got to the room, threw on dinner clothes and went to dinner.

HTH

 

[bernee]

Both of these reports are really good. I hope others add to it. I am glad you both listed pros and cons.

Have a great day!
Renee