Moonlit Sea

On 2/17/2020 at 4:37 PM, c-leg5 said:

 

The thread was originally posted correctly on the Costa Maya board. Unfortunately the PP posted completely off-topic about a beach club in Cozumel, which was confusing to Costa Maya and instead of being deleted or moved to Cozumel board the whole thread got moved here, which is now even more confusing!

While part of my response may strike some as off-topic, many of us planning our cruises look at the big picture, wondering which port is better as a beach day, which is better for an excursion, which is better for shopping or snorkeling or simply chilling in a bar/restaurants, etc. Offering comparative information might be helpful to some. Sorry for taking the OP in the wrong direction!

9 minutes ago, c-leg5 said:

It appears to be hit or miss whether the shuttle is running depending on number of ships.

Two ships docked along our pier last week, with the shuttle operating all day.

Correction: Shuttle is $4 per person. Our cab ride on the way back was $8, plus tip. Both a great deal.

We had a fantastic cruise on Getaway last week. I recommend taking advantage of Getaway's wheelchair service in Costa Maya, which covers part of the distance to the Port. My mother has never needed a wheelchair, but enjoyed the ride. Her Getaway assistant took her the full length of the ship, then dropped her off where the shuttle awaited. The shuttle service is a bit slow, especially factoring in the turnaround process, but proved helpful, as the wind on the pier during our visit last Friday exceeded 20 mph. Once you arrive in the port area, you can shop or simply relax by the pool. If you are traveling to Muhahual village, you can catch a safari van ride there for $8 pp one way. The Malecon (broad sidewalk) through Muhahual village is great for walking or wheelchairs. 

Good news. We returned yesterday from our cruise aboard NCL Getaway. The shuttle IS running.

Costa Maya has a long pier, shaped like a giant "L." Getaway's staff provided wheelchair assist from the ship's ramp, covering 1/3 of the distance to the port's shops and swimming pool. A complimentary trolley service provided transport the rest of the way, to within 150 feet of the shops. A nice surprise.

Good news! We returned yesterday from our cruise aboard NCL Getaway.

Costa Maya has a very long pier, shaped like a giant "L." Getaway's staff provided wheelchair assist from the ship's ramp, covering 1/3 of the distance to the port's shops and swimming pool. A complimentary trolley service provided transport the rest of the way, to within 150 feet of the shops. A very nice surprise.

Let me add: Mahahual's beach clubs offer a lovely way to spend an afternoon. Now, if you want a GREAT LOW-COST pool/beach/sun day, and IF you are also stopping in Cozumel, then take a cab to Paradise Beach. It's a 25-minute ride (maybe $23/each way/per cab) from Cozumel Port, but entrance to Paradise Beach is FREE and it's a beautiful destination: beautiful designer pool, beautiful beach views, beautiful shaded or sunny seating on nice, clean chaise loungers. The folks who run the place simply ask you to buy *one* drink, to help offset the cost of operating the facility, but I've never seen anyone monitor that. If your kids want to play on water toys, sure, that's extra, but the pay-as-you-go plan makes sense for the rest of us, who just want to idle away an afternoon in a tropical paradise. The restroom facilities there are nice and clean. Honestly, I think 99% of Cozumel visitors will think Paradise Beach is a perfect spot, but if you prefer shelling out $55+ per person for a private beach club, go for it. (Disclosure: I am not an investor in Paradise Beach.)

Let me add this: Costa Maya's port is *definitely* worth the walk. As I have posted in another thread, it's quite beautiful, the wraparound pool is gorgeous (and free!), and it's just a fun, all-around visit -- and leagues better than most other Western Carib ports. Sure, the beach clubs offer a fun beachside experience, but Costa Maya's tropics-inspired Port is quite lovely. Yes, it's a hike from your ship, but take your time and enjoy the view along the way.

We visited Chachobben 3 years ago. A wonderful visit, made all the more so by our tour guide. I second the suggestion about going through your ship's excursion team, even if it costs more. We took a cab across the countryside, whose driver thought he was at the Daytona 500.

The port area at Costa Maya is drop-dead gorgeous, with a lovely tropical/Mayan motif throughout. Lots of shops, many selling the touristy stuff, but some nice merch, too. Whoever built that sprawling complex sank a fortune into it. The wraparound swimming pool (with rope bridges above and a great swim-up bar, front and center) is beautiful -- and pool admission and seats are totally free. My suggestion is to grab your chairs ASAP, as they are snapped up pretty quickly. I think many couples would agree that the port area is so fun and nice, there's no reason to venture beyond that, but it's quite possible to enjoy a couple hours there, then hop a safari bus for a quick ride to the nearby village of Mahahual. Overall, Mahahual isn't sensational, but it's nice and calm. The attractions are the seaside restaurants, beach clubs, massages, bars, lovely beach views, and fair snorkeling. The entire village is very family-friendly and very very safe. The taxis from the Port to Mahahual are about $8 per cab/each way. As you travel between A and B, you can see someone with very deep pockets has huge long-term developments plans for Costa Maya. Short answer: If you really want to go to the beach, go. But the pool/port area will be quite enough for many people, and is 100% free.

Enjoy!

As I just posted on another thread...

Be careful with the taxis, especially if contemplating a long trip to Chacchoben or similar. Instead of preplanning our tour through NCL (and riding on a huge Greyhound-like motor coach/bus), two years ago we decided to visit the Mayan ruins on the day we arrived in Costa Maya. I talked to a taxi owner parked on the side of the main street, who agreed to transport us the distance, back and forth, for US $120. Yes, I probably overpaid, but that became the last of my worries. The taxi guy ordered one of his men to drive us to Chacchoben in another car, no doubt instructing him not to waste a single second during our visit. The taxi's tires were totally bald, the cab had *no* seatbelts, and the driver (who spoke not a word of English) raced us along a sketchy country road at a sustained 80 mph, occasionally hitting 88 mph (140 kph), without any regard for our safety. It was a terrifying 80 minutes, as we flashed and bounced across the countryside, passing dozens of crossroads that had no traffic signals whatsoever. Had a farmer pulled out in front of us, in his wagon, it would have been curtains. When we arrived at Chacchoben, I almost dropped to my knees, kissed the ground, and announced I was staying there, as a newly converted Mayan. Following our excellent 90-minute tour, we had to climb back into that same da*n cab and stomach the lightning trip back to Costa Maya. I consider our arriving at the Port of CM, intact, one of the great miracles of my life. I should have ordered our driver to slow down, but I didn't want to offend, which speaks volumes about me. Since then, I happily make the 10-minute trip by safari bus to Mahahual. Much calmer.

Be careful with the taxis, especially if contemplating a long trip to Chacchoben or similar. Instead of preplanning our tour through NCL (and riding on a huge Greyhound-like motor coach/bus), we decided to visit the Mayan ruins on the day we arrived in Costa Maya. I talked to a taxi owner parked on the side of some street, who agreed to transport us the distance, back and forth, for US $120. Yes, I probably overpaid, but that became the last of my worries. The taxi guy ordered one of his men to drive us to Chacchoben in another car, no doubt instructing him not to waste a single second during our visit. The taxi's tires were totally bald, the cab had *no* seatbelts, and the driver (who spoke not a word of English) raced us along a sketchy country road at a sustained 80 mph, occasionally hitting 88 mph (140 kph), without any regard for our safety. It was a terrifying 80 minutes, as we flashed and bounced across the countryside, passing dozens of crossroads that had no traffic signals whatsoever. Had a farmer pulled out in front of us, in his wagon, it would have been curtains. When we arrived at Chacchoben, I almost dropped to my knees, kissed the ground, and announced I was staying there, as a newly converted Mayan. Following our excellent 90-minute tour, we had to climb back into that same da*n cab and stomach the lightning trip back to Costa Maya. I consider our arriving at the Port of CM, intact, one of the great miracles of my life. I should have ordered our driver to slow down, but I didn't want to offend, which speaks volumes about me. Since then, I happily make the 10-minute trip by safari bus to Mahahual. Much calmer.

I asked this same question 3 days ago, but cannot find my question any longer.

To partly answer your question, YES, some people would consider it a very long walk from the ship to the port. Last time we were in CM (March 2019), there was no pedicab or shuttle service from A to B, this bc the piers were being expanded.

Am waiting for definitive answer on shuttle trolley.

My mother is joining us at the last minute on the Getaway. Last time we visited Costa Maya, in 2019, the port's shuttle bus service (and pedicabs) were not running between the ships and the port's shops due to construction work on the dock.

Is that service working now?