Cozumel excursions-on your own question

[amandaC]

Sorry about all the questions- can't wait to finally go on our cruise so that maybe I can help someone in return!

Anyway, has anyone gotten sick eating or drinking in Cozumel? We want to do a beach break but I would hate to get my DSs ill for the rest of the cruise. Should we just go the safe route and go on the Disney beach break?

Thanks!
Amanda

 

[hopelea]

I did the DCL beach break excursion with my dd's. It was nice. We drank bottled water and ate from the buffet. No one got sick. Really expensive, but for those who don't like to book on their own it was good.

On the other hand, my parents just returned from a carnival cruise in January and they did Paradise Beach on their own in Cozumel. They ate and drank and didn't get sick. It was a $12 cab ride there. For the return trip the cab driver tried to get $25 out of them. My mom told him there was no way she was paying that since she just paid $12 for the trip there. Word to the wise, agree on a price before getting in a cab.

 

[tchrmom]

We booked dune buggy tours on our own. It was an ALL day tour, but was by far the best excursion that we have ever done. They had a chicken, rice, pico de gallo, guacamole buffet for us once we finally stopped at the beach. I was too chicken to eat the chicken, but everyone from our group of 7 ate. No one got sick. They had bottled beer and bottled water and soda. I'd do this excursion again...............and eat the chicken this time. By the way.......it was some of the best pico and guacamole that I've ever eaten. The guide made it right there on the beach. WONDERFUL!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Good Luck........and if you want the website for this tour...let me know.
Fran

 

[BWVPam]

When we were in Cozumel, we requested room service and got sandwiches, cookies and fruit, and bottled water and carried it in our collapsible cooler. I just felt better not eating on the island. I went to Mazatlan several years ago and got really sick off of what we ate.


Pam

 

[jacobatt1]

Hi--I'd love to jump onto this question too--so many of my friends or family have been to Cancun and stayed at nice resorts and still gotten sick! In a way, I'm an adventurous sort of person, and I'd love to have a meal like that on the beach, but I really don't want to feel bad the rest of the trip!!!!

I understand the bottled drinks, but can you drink frozen drinks that they make? I thought ice is one of the things they tell you to stay away from-- Do you think I'm being ridiculous to worry?

We're on the cruise to Costa Maya too, does that make a difference vs. Cozumel?

TIA!

Amy

 

[hopelea]

I don't think you are crazy for asking about the ice. I remember years ago when I went to Cancun, my dad and I ate fruit that had been washed in their water.........we were so sick from that!! I don't like to take chances, I've been sick and don't like it!

 

[tchrmom]

Our cruise also went to Costa Maya.........We didn't eat or drink there.....but just from the looks of things, I'd be afraid to eat or drink anything there. Kinda scary, if you ask me.
Fran

 

[jacobatt1]

Thanks for the replies! I'm glad I'm not the only one who's nervous about it!

Amy

 

[dwkwootton]

I've always been one to do my own thing at ports and have always had alot of fun, everything went well, was glad I saved the organized excursion money ... except for when I was in Cozumel the first time a couple years ago. Since then I've contined to do my own thing in port but when I returned to Cozumel, I booked an excursion through Disney.

 

[mrsfuzzmo]

Booking an excursion through Disney or through a private operator isn't going to make the difference in wether or not you get sick. It's what you drink. Just stay away from anything that doesn't come in a sealed bottle (soda, water, beer) and you should be fine. Someone with a sensitive stomach may be more likely to get the "revenge" but, I've been to Coz. on cruises 6 times and ate and drank to my hearts content and have never gotten sick.

We too did the dune buggy tour and Absolutely loved it!!! Would recommend it to anyone! The food was fabulous. The chicken was delicous and the other stuff FRESH! Yummy!

No offense to the poster above, but we actually laugh at people who go to another country and then take sandwiches with them from on board. Why go to another country if you are afraid to experience the culture?? We have had some of the bes food of our lives at little local food stands in other countries.
Live a little...but have caution. If something looks or smells bad, don't eat it. Stay away from non factory sealed products....though I've done the tequila conga line at C&C many times and had frozen daquiries at Fat Tuesdays and have never had a problem.

 

[jacobatt1]

Technically, you can experience the culture and sights without experiencing the food, but I understand your point. If I ate something on the 3rd day of the cruise that ruined the rest of my trip though, I'm not sure I would think it was worth it to "experience the culture." Part of the point of cruising is to get a taste of what something is like (not necessarily literally, lol), and then you might go back there for a vacation someday, but you're not stuck there for an entire trip if you don't like it.

But, OK, point taken, live a little, go ahead and try the food; I agree with the concept, just trying to weigh the risks! I think the above poster was just trying to say that if you're uncomfortable eating the food, you could bring something off the ship, so thanks to both of you for your opinions!

Amy

 

[BWVPam]

[No offense to the poster above, but we actually laugh at people who go to another country and then take sandwiches with them from on board. Why go to another country if you are afraid to experience the culture??.[/QUOTE]

Laugh all you want, but when you have been to the other country and gotten sick, you definitely don't want it ruining your vacation.

Pam

 

[amandaC]

Thanks everyone!

I thought the Disney excursions would be safer than others simply b/c of the fear that if they made 100 Disney passengers sick, Disney would no longer work with them.

Personally, I would never eat at one of the little local food stands since my first cruise when one of the locals told us that most of the "chicken" in the tortillas was really iguana (sp?). He said chicken costs money but iguana are plentiful in the jungle and free!

 

[yazee1]

We're signed up for the dune buggy trip. We're doing both, local food and ship food. I'm going to pack a couple things that I know the kids will eat. Two of them don't like chicken and I don't want hunger to be an issue during our excursion.

Iguana - is there something dangerous or unhealthy about eating iguana. I'm up for it if tastes good.

 

[dwkwootton]

Amanda, I found the reliability of the taxi drivers to be too low on my experience in Cozumel to ever depend on them again to get me back to the ship on time or for the price that was negotiated for before I was stranded miles from the ship. Also found that I was not feeling as safe as I would like or have felt in every other port I've ever been in. I did not eat in Cozumel so my comment was not on that particular safety issue.