Mr. Sanchos, playa mia or paradise beach?

[Brandiwlf]

which one would you recommend with two kids 8,10? We are not huge drinkers so not sure we would need to do an all inclusive. Does playa mia still have a menu or is it buffet only now? Is the pay as you go side of mr sanchos a big downgrade as far as facilities? Which has the best beach area, going in October. Thanks!!

 

[mousemamma]

We went to Playa Mia this past April and had a great time. We bought our tickets directly through Playa Mia and grabbed a cab at the port. We just bought the park ticket and not the buffet ticket. They still have a menu...that's what our group did that day rather than the buffet. The beach was ok, definitely not Castaway Cay. But for the most part we were either in the water on that obstacle course thing, in the pool/slide area or having lunch.

The best part about buying directly through Playa Mia and not through a DCL tour is that we had about 40 minutes to ourselves (our group of 18) before the Disney buses arrived.

Have fun!

 

[E ticket rider]

I vote for Paradise Beach!!! Been there before the pool went in and since and always had a blast!!!

 

[Bella29]

It depends what your group is into. My dh and sons (13 and 15 at the time) loved the inflatables at Paradise Beach. We also kayaked and paddle boarded, so we got our moneys worth out of the activities there. We were so busy we barely spent any time in the pool, but it was nice too. We didn't eat much just had chips and a few drinks if I recall correctly. When I suggested going somewhere else next time we visit Cozumel, I was quickly voted down.

 

[LSUfan4444]

Is paradise beach all incluzive like playa mia and mr. sanchos?

I've done Mr. Sanchos before and found it a little "dirty". The service at the pool bar was very slow and would like to upgrade if possible, but I know we had and can have a good time if we return.

Much to my surpise, Sanchos appears to get the best ratings on trip advisor.

 

[GeorgiaRose]

Although I can't compare the 3 for you, I can tell you that my kids, 3,6,11 and 15 loved paradise beach. It was clean, beautiful and the service was excellent. The pool was huge and the inflatables were a big hit. There was one that we could have watched people use for hours. It had a pad where someone would lie down, then a larger person would climb to the top, jump down and send the first person flying through the air. Of course the greater the size differential the farther the small person got tossed. The food was good but not great. You pay $3 a person to use the pools and beach and there is an additional fee for the inflatables. Food was a la carte but you are supposed to spend $10 a person. I think we were a little over $100 for our family of 6. Totally worth it.

 

[steph12]

Anyone else have any reviews or pictures of Paradise beach? I had booked Chakannaab but I'm now thinking this may be better.

 

[Mawsmom]

We did Mr.Sanchos last year and we loved it. We did do the AI side and thought it was great.. We tipped the waiter a few bucks when we got there and he waited on us like we were the only people on the beach... My husband never had an empty drink the whole day! (Not exactly a good thing) If I remember correctly even with the AI side I still had to pay for my daughter to use the inflatables.
The beach was beautiful, they had a nice pool and the food was good.

 

[flyersfan1129]

We have done Playa Mia and Mr Sanchos and prefer Playa Mia. The all inclusive there is far more ALL inclusive, and we thought it was cleaner.

 

[aggiedog]

It had a pad where someone would lie down, then a larger person would climb to the top, jump down and send the first person flying through the air.

Around here that's called a "blob." All the summer camps have them in the lakes. LOTS of fun!

We're hopefully doing the Christmas cruise out of Galveston so Cozumel will be our one and only port. Reading the reviews with great interest as we have 4 kids ages 10-16.

 

[niccikatie]

Here's my reply from another thread on this topic..

We did Paradise Beach privately when we were in Cozumel on a Celebrity Cruise. It was fantastic! There were 8 of us - four adults, three 16/17 yo, and one 10 yo. We bought bracelets for the four kids and food/drinks the entire day and spent about $450.00 total for us all. For 8 the taxi from port was $30 each way - taxis were very easy to get both ways. It was fantastic! The service was great, beach was nice, pool was awesome, kids loved the inflatables and stand up paddle boarding. My DD wants to take DH there on our Panama Cruise later this year because she loved it so much.

ETA: The bathrooms were great, too. Very clean and an easy walk from the beach.

 

[AliceIn]

Another option is Nachi Cocom. We went there last year and loved it. Everything was spotlessly clean, the food was great, and the service on the beach was excellent. Nachi limits their beach to 100 people maximum per day. We could see some of the other clubs up the road that looked very crowded. We were happy to be where we were, because it was very serene and beautiful. My kids were 8, 10 and 13 at the time and they enjoyed snorkeling and playing in the pool.

 

[momof2n2]

Reviving this thread to see if anyone else can add anything more in comparing the three, and potentially answer these questions.

Our group is 4 adults and kids who will be 3, 5, 10, 11, 13, & 15 on our cruise. Do I have to worry about a car seat getting the 3 year old, um, anywhere?
I'm leaning toward Playa Mia b/c it is a bit less expensive, although Mr. Sanchos would let me girls add on horseback riding (for quite a bit more in the end). If we book directly with the cruise line the cost of Play Mia is staggering for a group our size (all the kids are mine and DH's). If we book directly with Playa Mia, (or Mr. Sanchos for that matter) we have to worry about getting there in a cab. I hate to lug a car seat on a ship for one excursion. But I don't know what to do/think otherwise.

I'd love input, please!

Also - can anyone report if all three places include SUP (stand-up paddle boards); or if there is a fee for them, but they are available. THANK YOU!

 

[Chrisey]

We loved Paradise beach, very reasonably priced since it isn't all inclusive for non drinkers. It was $2 entrance and then $13 if you wanted to do the water slides and floats that were in the ocean. We found the food to be reasonable (their menu is on their website).
The taxi was $16 each way and we felt very safe the whole time.

My boys are 6 & 7 and we didn't take a booster or car seat. I think even for a 3 year old it would depend on how comfortable you are with your child riding 20 min each way without a carseat.
I read somewhere that a mom and child booked the Disney excursion to Playa Mia so they would be in a bus not a taxi (therefore no need for a carseat) and the rest of the family just took a cab as it is much cheaper to go on your own.

 

[momof2n2]

We loved Paradise beach, very reasonably priced since it isn't all inclusive for non drinkers. It was $2 entrance and then $13 if you wanted to do the water slides and floats that were in the ocean. We found the food to be reasonable (their menu is on their website).
The taxi was $16 each way and we felt very safe the whole time.

My boys are 6 & 7 and we didn't take a booster or car seat. I think even for a 3 year old it would depend on how comfortable you are with your child riding 20 min each way without a carseat.
I read somewhere that a mom and child booked the Disney excursion to Playa Mia so they would be in a bus not a taxi (therefore no need for a carseat) and the rest of the family just took a cab as it is much cheaper to go on your own.

This is what we are thinking of doing...
Thanks.

 

[niccikatie]

We loved Paradise beach, very reasonably priced since it isn't all inclusive for non drinkers. It was $2 entrance and then $13 if you wanted to do the water slides and floats that were in the ocean. We found the food to be reasonable (their menu is on their website).
The taxi was $16 each way and we felt very safe the whole time.

My boys are 6 & 7 and we didn't take a booster or car seat. I think even for a 3 year old it would depend on how comfortable you are with your child riding 20 min each way without a carseat.
I read somewhere that a mom and child booked the Disney excursion to Playa Mia so they would be in a bus not a taxi (therefore no need for a carseat) and the rest of the family just took a cab as it is much cheaper to go on your own.

This! We didn't have carseat age kids, but rode in a standard high-occupancy van with seatbelts. It was a short, mild ride there and back. They also had SUP at Paradise included in the cost of the inflatables. Our 16/17 year olds had a blast.

 

[chimo2u]

I read a lot of great reviews of Mr Sanchos which is why I booked it - I chose to pay extra for the romantic pkg and guaranteed cabana. I really hope we made a good choice and we have a good day!

 

[Iamaplanner]

Can anyone comment on how old they think is appropriate for the inflatables that they have at Paraside Beach? Is it deep water? Seems like it could be tough to get up on? Do they have lifejackets? My daughters are 7 and are decent swimmers but I'm not sure if this is appropriate for their age. Thanks

 

[mareed]

Can anyone comment on how old they think is appropriate for the inflatables that they have at Paraside Beach? Is it deep water? Seems like it could be tough to get up on? Do they have lifejackets? My daughters are 7 and are decent swimmers but I'm not sure if this is appropriate for their age. Thanks

I've been to Paradise Beach several times, and you're right to be asking about the inflatables. It is deep water and the inflatables are very difficult to get up on. I think they're best for pre-teens and teens, and doubt that 7 year olds would be able to get on them alone and would require a parent or older child's assistance. If you search, I think you can find pictures and videos that should be able to give you an idea about what the inflatables are like.

 

[firsttimemom]

I read a lot of great reviews of Mr Sanchos which is why I booked it - I chose to pay extra for the romantic pkg and guaranteed cabana. I really hope we made a good choice and we have a good day!

we did this 2 years ago and was the highlight of our trip! At the time it came with a free 30 min massage which I swear was better than the one I got on the ship. I hope you have as good a time as we did!