c-leg5

This is purely my opinion, and I have no factual knowledge. From contacting multiple vendors over the years about facilities and pricing, reading multiple reviews and following trails, I have seen the same names and similar business plans repeated at different locations. It becomes obvious there are a limited numbers of owners, or investors, but each location will have an in-house manager. This is not unusual with beach clubs and restaurants (Cozumel has a manager in many of its clubs) but i just have an uneasy feeling about Costa Maya, especially since the restart, that there seems to be a limited number of people “pulling the strings”. In the past, @crewsweeper has had more local contacts in Mahahual and probably more insight. He used to know the old owner of Tropicante and the current owner of Jaimie’s. Krazy Lobster has definitely expanded and taken over more beachfront real estate. I was merely pointing out that if the lounge rental fee was correct from the TA report that has not been my experience at other Krazy Lobster locations, and so I am unsure whetherthey now own Tropicante. Again this is all purely my opinion from what I have seen and heard.

I also don’t know who is running it now. The one time we were in port last year and tried to go it was a Sunday. They were closed and we got hustled by El Faro next door. I see one recent review on TA. It was reasonable but it said they were charging $3 per lounger so doesn’t sound like it belongs to Krazy Lobster. However there appear to be limited actual owners in Costa Maya these days and clubs are only “managed”.

OK, but that could be a supply problem.

Its on the app. Look at the current or next sailing for an idea if your sailing isn’t listed yet.

Yes it is a problem with the bigger ship. looking forward to the introduction of some longer itineraries on a smaller ship again next year for some variety.

I doubt half and half was scarce in Europe, it just isn’t a product that’s used. It isn’t a fat content that is generally available you would have to mix your own. I would be surprised if cream was missing unless it is a health trend.

Do you actually have a standard balcony or a Junior Suite? What category have you actually been assigned.

OK, then your husband will match and your daughter as per @Ourusualbeach reply. Phone to link.

Do you mean your husband or, your daughter’s husband?

I answered on your other thread. Probably best to go to website for details.

Sorry i realized you were asking about Galveston hotel transport after I answered. I got confused with your other threads! ETA Actually Port Everglades is in Florida I am not sure where you want to get transport to/from or whether this is on the day/day before? I would think the private shuttle transport is probably cheaper from the airport than cruise line. Are you flying in the day of or the day before? Wouldn’t you need to overnight at the airport if you were taking Princess shuttle? I can’t help with Galveston transport we have always had a car with us and use parking lot shuttle

You say who is dining at each reservation you make. Sometimes members of your group want to eat at different places. You can adjust once on board.

If you are booked you book a particular time slot so you will have a seat reserved. It us not a very big shuttle and it will tell you how many seats are available when you book. Not sure how far in advance you are booking but it does get booked up for popular time slots and 8 is a large group. Presumably you are flying in the day ahead in case of flight delays or disruption otherwise you will need a plan B for your transfer. ETA I think some of the shuttle services may offer private transfer but you would need to check each provider and i don’t know how many people you need in your party.

You can book round trip ticket with which ever provider you choose.

Seems very random and arbitrary to me. Unless you frequent the same restaurant on a regular basis I am not sure how they would assess you. If everyone at the table has an appetizer and 3 out of 4 finish quickly and enthusiastically, they get a bigger entree than the fourth person? Just because I eat all my entree doesn’t mean I want a bigger dessert. I would not be pleased if my entree was noticeably smaller than the rest of the people at my table because I didn’t eat my appetizer - do they offer me a discount? I am not following the logic of your statement. In any case, rest assured cruise ship dining on mass-market cruise ships is not high class dining, even in the specialty restaurants. Food has always been adequate IMO but I am not a picky eater and know I won’t starve. More noticeable to me has been the decline in “class” of service but this has been happening pre-Covid. It has been exacerbated by Covid due to lack of experienced staff and shortage of supplies. Ambiance of location and service can be better in specialty restaurants but isn’t necessarily a given.

I have read of various products. I am usually a magnet for anything that bites so I like to keep informed. Fortunately I have never had any problems and have visited various locations on the island. I have never used any products but I have certainly seen and read about people that have been affected by the itching which can go on for several days.

The fee is extra for hotel pick-up. You book the shuttle in advance.

Long life milk and on the open shelves. Possibly at Sams Club it has been available before but i don’t know if it continued.

Sorry you got burned. Roatan is renowned for people getting bitten or an itchy rash after being on the beach. It can be any beach on a given day and does not affect everyone. I was just curious as to whether you had had a problem with this or whether you had used anything as a block. Again different people find various sprays/creams effective as a barrier but at the end of the day some people get a reaction and others don’t.

Cozumel extra ideas to consider: For a beach day with good food and a pool you may consider Buccanos (not big beach but semi-rocky which offers opportunity for snorkeling). For local food oriented excursions, highly recommend trying Cozumel food tour or cooking class with Josefina (now run by her son) or the new food courts if shopping in town. For a more all round experience, maybe Playa Mia - ceveat, I haven’t been because it is touristy and busy but for a group there are food class opportunities, water park and water activities for teenagers, beach and pool and next door there is a Chocolate factory. If getting a private driver, lots of individual opportunities all round the island to customize your day with something for everyone.

I am not sure if you are planning AI or PAYG? Only AI can be pre-booked and I would assume (never done it so others would need to confirm) it goes through Paypal in US$ without fee. Cannot confirm if they add on a fee on-site but I seem to recall I have also read that. you could probably email Paradise for a price list for extras (and ask about CC fee), I have found them quite responsive in the past but i think they are through third party vendors so they may not know. Not sure if they have horse riding I have only heard of that at Mr Sanchos?

How long since you were there? There are 5 pages of “helpful information” which is often missed by visitors to the Paradise Beach website. Current pricing from website: IS THERE A NON-ALL-INCLUSIVE OPTION AT PARADISE BEACH? There is the possibility that on the day you're traveling, Paradise Beach might be sold out with Exclusive All Inclusive customers, so we really encourage you to book your spot in advance on our website. However, on certain days when we are not sold out, there's an à la carte option for a $10 US entrance fee with a minimum consumption of $10 US per person to use our facilities. This includes lounge chairs, umbrellas, pool, free wifi, restrooms, and showers. IS FUN PASS INCLUDED IN THE EXCLUSIVE ALL INCLUSIVE PACKAGE? No, Fun Pass is available for purchase at check-in for an additional $18 US per person. It gives you access to our floating water park, stand-up paddle boards, kayaks, and water hammocks. WHAT’S INCLUDED IN THE $18 US FUN PASS? Full snorkel equipment, kayaks, stand-up paddle boards, our famous water park with slides, water trampolines, climbable iceberg, water hammocks, and beach floats are all included! We generally use a credit card in Cozumel and charge in pesos BUT Paradise Beach is a prime tourist destination with charges in US$. I am not sure they even have a pesos price, except for locals. We rarely go there except with grandkids and I think I do recall reports of added fee for CC pre-Covid.

Yes, as I posted in #4 we did one-way IAH (where we left the car) to Galveston. They will take you to some hotels on the island as well if that is what you are asking. It is all on the website.

I wouldn’t call it strenuous but there are some optional lengthy walks and some which are necessary from the tender to the beach, to the restaurant and to some of the animals. If you zoom in on above photo from the ocean you will see the typical type of inclines, steps and natural pathways. Someone with mobility problems could definitely have difficulties or restrictions depending on how far they can walk.

We needed it for one-way transport for a repositioning and it was recommended by others on CC. Booking and service was efficient. There was a second pick-up at Hobby but we arrived on time. There is a choice of departure times. My husband would have preferred the driver to have spend less time checking his phone, not sure if he was checking schedule or traffic alerts - I couldn’t see from my seat. We normally self-drive to Galveston so I don’t have any other service to compare it too, but it served our purpose. No problem booking, it departed on time and arrived on time.