bguppies

Definitely come back afterwards and let everyone know how crowded it was compared to Nachi's 130 person limit.

Only three ships in port that day (although the Monstrocity of the Seas that you'll be on counts as two 😜) You should escape any crowding.

On 4/17/2023 at 10:48 PM, c-leg5 said:

 

It is a day bed not exactly a cabana as some people expect.
 

Is it $50 for 4 people plus the AI pp charge? How is the service any better than a lounger? $50 to sit around a pool seems like a lot unless there is something extra i am missing?

If you have to pay extra to be by the pool at Paradise beach that sucks.

Nachi has a couple of covered beds by the pool and plenty of seating around the pool that you can use for the day for no extra charge., (first come first served to the 130 person a day limit, but we have never had a problem getting a spot by the pool,, since 99% want a palapa right by the ocean)

First 3 or 4 times we went to Nachi we did the Palapa thing on the beach and finished the day with a dip in the pool. The last 3 or 4 times we just put our stuff either at a table or the loungers right by the pool for the day and hang out in the pool most of the day.,

The waiters will bring your food and drinks right to wherever you choose to sit. (i'm sure its easier to bring food and  drinks poolside than trudging through the sand.)

We went to Nachi for the first time over 15 years ago and had such a relaxing perfect day its always the first thing we book after the cruise itself.

Only once has it ever been at capacity when we went and even that day it never felt crowded. (although the last people arriving were walking quite a ways down the beach to their palapas)

At least twice we've been it has been less than 30 people. (Once it was the two of us and 8 german tourists. We almost had a waiter per person)

Seems like most days it is more like 40-50 people (but it will depend on passenger load in Cozumel that day. (WHICH ships and HOW many ships)

But it sounds to me that your preference is for a quiet, relaxing beach day, which is exactly what we went looking for and found at Nachi Cocum.

On 2/2/2023 at 4:08 PM, wolft927 said:

Paradise beach will be less of a party atmosphere good for kids or for those looking to relax, been there many Many times, going back in April 

Paradise Beach is less of a party atmosphere than Nachi Cocum?!?!?!?

Surely Mr. Sanchos....

Not Nachi which is what the OP was asking.

On 2/22/2023 at 9:31 PM, momof4girls said:

This is just my opinion, but I feel like Mr Sanchos is for the 20 - 30 somethings, Paradise is for families, and Nachi is for couples. 

Perfectly described. (except I'd throw in Playa Mia being better for kiddos with their water slides and kiddie pools)

16 hours ago, ibarrio said:

Youtube TV (Google) has NFL Sunday Ticket now and who knows what they will charge for businesses to show games. I think it was super expensive for a bar to show Sunday Ticket with Direct TV. It's also super expensive for them to show PPV Boxing or UFC events. I don't doubt the streaming capability of Starlink so internet speed should not be the issue. 

As much as Google had to pay to steal the Ticket away from DirecTV, hell yeah they'll be charging businesses...LOL

Any Mayan Ruin excursion would be tough for anybody with mobility issues due to the amount of walking and extremely uneven ground at most of them. (done a few in my day)

I found them a bit strenuous, but not ridiculous before I developed mobility issues. (especially at the ones they still let you climb the pyramids and other buildings) Lots of uneven surfaces even in the more excavated sites and tons of roots and very uneven ground at the lesser excavated sites.

Sadly as much as I loved touring those ruins back in the day, I can't even consider them anymore, now that I'm pushing 60 and have balance issues.

The Tulum excursion requires Ferry and bus travels to get to, then the site.

Thats alot of travel for a possibilty of having to stay in the bus while everyone else tours.

On 4/17/2023 at 11:48 PM, c-leg5 said:

Totally depends on the ages of your group and the type of experience you are looking for?

 

Lots of options in Cozumel but you have to be more specific as to what youcare looking for.

Definitely the more information you give as to what you want your group's  experience to be, the better tailored advice you'll get.

We were lucky enough to find Nachi Cocum on our first trip to Cozumel and are perfedtly happy booking them, every time we hit Cozumel.

Because the 125-130 person limit each day and nice facilities are at the top of our list.

Clearly that is not at the top of your group's list.

I would NEVBER recommend Nachi to somebody wanting more of a lively/party vibe. (Mr. Sanchos)

Waterslides and kiddie pools/kids amenities. (Playa Mia)

There must be at least 50 different beach choices in Cozumel, all a little bit different.

Plenty of those have al AI element.

Definitely chime back in and elaborate so some of the frequent visitors can chime in with their experiences.

7 hours ago, rj59 said:

What could change that after this summer might be a recession or other economic weakness causing a drop in travel demand, 

People need to remember that before the 1950's, most Americans other than the ultra rich had any disposable income for vacations.

With the way  things in the country are going, we will probably be back to those days again fairly soon, Alot of stay-cations coming up for families.

16 hours ago, tap_out said:

If we decide to pull the trigger on this 6 day it will be $1k more then we have ever spent on a cruise. I just keep telling myself that even at that price point cruises are still our best bang for our buck. 

If the product was as good as it used to be. the price hike might be justifiable to some, due to simple inflation.

But as the current Carnival product is NOT as good as it was before the stoppage, with more amenities and perks being taken away each month.

Even at the old prices, I wouldn't consider it the best bang for your buck anymore.(still decent for now)

On 4/9/2023 at 9:26 AM, mz-s said:

It's really sort of sad that what makes a good Carnival cruise is no fights and only smelling pot once.

LOL first thing I thought...

The bar has been sooooo lowered.

3 hours ago, Kellie in Texas said:

You can get off the ship and buy aviary-only tours from a kiosk. My DH and DS and fiancee did that in January. About $10 each, as I recall. 

Thanks for that info..

Mayan Ruins, cave tubing are usually the go tos.

Plus world class snorkeling excursions.

On 4/10/2023 at 12:03 PM, jcearth said:

I have gotten villas 4 or 5 times in the past.  They were a great investment at $499 split a few ways, and still pretty good at $599. I balked at $649 but still went ahead and rented (had others pitch in, so still thought value was ok). $999 would be a deal breaker for me, however.  

 

Here is my question - how do you define maximizing revenue?  Even if the company still sold all of the Villas and Cabanas and the new rate, how many customers are alienated by the inflated pricing?  What value does Carnival place on repeat business? What value do they place on the customer experience?  

 

I would argue that raising prices on optional items could do way more harm than good, by leading to a reduction in repeat business.  I, for one, would take my vacation dollars elsewhere if I didn't feel that I was getting enough value for my money. Just my opinion.

Well said...

Never gotten a villa, but done a cabana many times.

I always thought it was an extravagant expense at $199 or $299 but it made DW's cruise every time.

I think even she would balk at these new prices.

14 hours ago, Krazcruiser said:

I might visit Nachi Cocom again, the water there is blue unlike Paradise Beach which is kinda green

I love Nachi Cocum too, but it is all the same couple of miles of beach. 

Paradise Beach, Playa Mia, Mr. Sanchos and Nachi Cocum all in a row on the West Side.

Same stretch of sand and coral free water. (just differen Amenities)

So if anything affects one beach, it will affect all of them.

I've been to Nachi 8-9 times now and only once, like a decade ago, had a day with alot of sargassum that affected our day. (wish I could remember what the date was)

It was fine by the pool area, but they had guys shoveling sargassum into wheelbarrows all day long on the beach.

With that huge bloom in the Atlantic this year, I'm pretty sure every Caribbean beach will be affected at some point this year.

You might want to check the port schedule for your day in Cozumel and see how many ships are in port. (or more importantly WHICH ships. One of the RCCL Allure size monstrocities or Mardi Gras size ships from Carnival have 2-3 times the passenegers than the pre-2000's era ships in the fleets.)

Any day with 8 ships or less is a standard to light day. (again the large ships count like two)

You need to book Nachi earlier than a week out on a heavy day, with their per day limits.

If your lucky enough to be in Cozumel on a light day, You'll be fine waiting until a week out to book.

We've been lucky enough to be there on a day with only about 20 people total there all day and been there a few times at capacity. (and its never felt crowded)

Best of luck on your day. (and figuring it out)

Hope you enjoy your time in Cozumel.

Cozumel is the best port stop for all day, all inclusive beach passes.

Help us help you by narrowing down your group  (demographics) and their wants for the day.

Quiet, less crowded day. (Nachi Cocum)

Livlier atmosphere, no crowd limit. (Mr. Sanchos)

Place with lots of inflatable toys for kids, Place with nice kiddie pools and water sloide for kids. (Playa Mia)

Thats just the description of three of the main places discussed in here, all on the same couple of miles of sand on the island.

If you define what you want from your day, there are a few in here who can recommend many more places and options for you.

On 3/14/2023 at 8:31 PM, JenKate said:

We will be at Harvest Caye with many small children (14 to be exact!) and I know they'll want to build sand castles etc. My husband thinks they'll have pails and shovels etc on the beach but I think that's unlikely.

 

Do they have sand toys?  If not, can we purchase some there? I've packed everything else I'd really like to NOT pack sand toys!

Go to Dollar Tree and pick up some cheap sand toys that you can pack to go, but leave behind when your kids are done playing.

Sucks to have to take them, but nice to not have to bring home.

On 2/8/2023 at 8:52 PM, SheSailsFL said:

All the vloggers are saying that their favorite is Paradise Beach.  Looks like their pool is bigger than NC.  Planning to try it on my next visit.  

Bigger pool but no limits on guests per day.

Been to Nachi 6 or 7 times now and never seen the pool or loungers overcrowded like I've heard reported at Mr. Sanchos and Paradise Beach since the restart.

Limiting the crowds to 125 a day with plenty of seating for everyone is wonderful.

If we ever couldn't get in at Nachi, we would probably try Paradise Beach finally. (but hopefully that day never comes)

We always try to win 1 Ship on a stick each cruise we take. (luckily DW is smarter and she cruises way more than I do.)

If we win early on the cruise we just play for fun and let 2nd place get a Ship on a stick. 

Sadly our last few cruises, and even though the Ship on a stick has gotten MUCH cheaper, they seem to rarely give them out anymore, preferiing to give out the medals instead.

Our last cruise on the Pride it was up to the very last event in the main atrium, the final night, a name that song/artist/year contest, that most people thought I had a chance but DW pulled it out. (there was a girl and her Dad that had been killing the music trivia the entire cruise that everybody assumed would win. They were REALLY knowledgeable)

Thankfully DW kept her collection of one from every cruise intact.

On 3/30/2023 at 1:16 PM, south-carolinagirl said:

Recent change?  Haven't ever experienced this before.  The crew member, I believe her name was Barbara kept saying over and over no talking within your group, everyone had to have their own paper and would publicly scold and call you out if you were talking to your group.  Anyone else ever experience this before?  We really enjoy trivia and usually have a great time, but this time it was really awful.  We are going on Sunshine again in May with son (who really enjoys sea days and trivia) and two of his friends, if this crew member is still there, we are just going to tell her we don't want to win and play the way we always have. 

When we were on the Sunshine in September, a family sitting next to us kept checking their cell phones and feeding the answers to their kid, who astonishingly won. (even though the hoist saw the Father cheating and admonished him to stop, yet let the kid win anyway.)

Maybe enough people got tired of the cheaters and complained enough or just quit attending.

Saw something similar on the Pride in December too.

16 hours ago, shannonkish said:

Cons: We literally could not relax as someone was trying to sell us something (cigars, NFL merch, blankets, etc) every few minutes. It was annoying on so many levels. The same salespeople would visit us continuously with different products and we repeatedly had to say no. We eventually went back to the ship early. 

That sounds like every place along the Malecon in Mahahual....

Probably need to get out of town to Maya Chan or Almaplena, etc. to avoid the people selling their goods.

19 minutes ago, cjsegninir said:

 

Thanks!

Yes, I'm basically down to that option. Going to one of the cayes for a beach day.

I thought of staying on the ship, but it only has three port days (Roatan, Belize and Cozumel) and three sea days. I'd rather do something ashore.

Regards

Yeah, then definitely try an excursion with direct tender from the ship, to save yourself alot of extra travels with the kiddos.

Hopefully somebody who has done one of the direct trransport beach breaks will chiume in for you...

Good luck.

Let us know how the Sargassum is.....

I hope you luck out.

Everything in Belize is a trek, because you start with that long tender ride to the port area. (which isn't in the greatest area to just wander from the port area like some other ports.)

You may want to look into an excursion that leaves straight from the shipo, to an island beach break or something similar, to save you entertaining two small kids through too many trandportation steps to get to one.

Honestly, if Belize was smack in the middle of my cruise, I might just stay onboard and let the kids enjoy a less crowded day in the pools and on the slides, etc.(just make sure to lotion up. I stayed onboard once and didn't lotion enough and got the worst burn ever, just walking around the ship. Not even swimming or laying out. Belizean sun is brutal)

4 ships in Cozumel is a super light day... Enjoy the lighter than normal crowds.

(pretty sure 6-7 is a more average day and 8+ would be heavy. Although with the size of every fleet's new ships, which ships are in port matter more than how many now a days. 1 RCCL monstrocities or 1 Mardi Gras/Celebrations equal 2 or more older ships from the fleets)

I miss the days when Nachi limited to 100 people a day.

But its been 125-130 the last few times we have been there and barely noticed the difference.

Reports from Paradise Beach and Sanchos since the restart, frequently sound overcrowded.

18 hours ago, dianeh said:

We and another couple sailed a couple of years ago from lax to Mexico. We had balcony cabins. We usually cruise with Hal and have also sailed with Norweigan. We found our 7 day adventure horrible. Almost every meal in the dining room was cold, over or undercooked. We were told they would make it right. Never did. Our last night we ate at the buffet. The ship ran out of clamato juice, worstershire and avocados. There's more to add but you get the gist of it. We are flying to Sydney next December 2024 to see family. I have found a cruise for New Zealand on the Splendor. This is the only cruise in the time we wish to visit. I swore I'd never set foot on another Carnival ship but maybe I should give them another try? 

We were Carnival fans but the product has gone downhill since the restart.

So if you didn't enjoy your cruise before the pandemic, I'd seriously doubt you'll find the state of the fleet any better these days. (Probably find it worse) 

If you are just looking for "transportation" between Australia and New Zealand and aren't looking for the service and product of an older cruise, then a cruise on an older Carnival ship might work for you.

Hope you enjoy your time whatever decision you make.

On 1/25/2023 at 2:22 PM, crewsweeper said:

The Carnival Celebration was in Costa Maya today and the pier trolley was running!

Unfortunately it seems to only be running on days with only one ship ,docked . (if you're lucky)

When we return again in December its only 3 ships. (down from 4 lasy December)☹️