blue_water

Enjoy! It will be a fascinating experience!

I’m glad you liked it! No need to thank me for the information though… Hopefully others looking for real information -and not opinions - on what ID to carry will be a bit more appreciative. It’s really common sense that any novice traveler should know, but that doesn’t always matter of course! 🙈🙉🙊 😉🐵 Safe Travels and Best of Luck!

Margarita passed in 2021 if I remember, but the family still runs the outfit. Edgar manages the PDC office, we’ve been renting from him long-term for years…Just a very honest and supportive family at both offices…

Yes Rasta is a great choice for adults who would enjoy watching and listening to the waves crashing against the rocky shore then touring more of the island, but there is really nothing there for the kids… I would not want to be looking for a nice beach day on Cozumel with 6 ships in port, but that is just the new normal. I wonder if there is a nice daysail option (independent or through the cruise line) that includes a stop at a less busy beach? That would be great for the family!

Until c-leg5 responds, with your later arrival time, assuming other ships will be ahead of you, I can suggest only one spot with beach and sea, Buccanos if they are still accepting day visitors. All of the other popular beach clubs will be quite busy, or is that not a problem for you? If not I’m sure c or someone can share their favorite… Playa Palancar was “our spot” 20+ years ago, but on your port day even that beach furthest south will be full…Just a very busy port for a beach unless you don’t mind a busier vibe… [EDIT ] If a nice water view would suffice, we like the Rasta Bar (was Bob Marley Bar) on the south end. Stare at the water and enjoy cold drinks. A bit of a taxi ride though…

And the cruise line and car rental agency have nothing to do with immigration requirements, that’s obviously a government policy here and everywhere. And of course you’d be out of luck in any cruise port if you missed the ship and your original passport was on board…So it’s a matter of choice as long as you don’t need it… I just scanned through the link you shared (missed that earlier) and I see it is another thread with opinions and that just adds to the confusion no matter what port…

Opinions are just that, facts are what matter. But no worries, you are your own guide! ☺️

No, it is specific to being in public - on foot or in any vehicle. It is common knowledge here for frequent visitors and long-term visitors. Although I cannot imagine a foreigner carrying a passport copy in the US or any other country…Just asking for trouble IMHO… I can say that during our first 20+ years visiting here we and everyone carried photocopies or e-copies. That was then… Today INM expects foreigners to carry their original immigration papers. There was a recent period of stronger enforcement where pedestrians in towns, ADO buses, transfer vans, taxis and private vehicles were stopped and many who did not have their original official passport were delayed. That crackdown was aimed at digital nomads and illegals, but tourists were affected, and some were unhappily detained. No longer reading about that, and you may be just fine with a copy- or nothing, but we wouldn’t risk that. The fact that you don’t agree is irrelevant and not a concern to me, everyone makes their own choice! I’m just taking the time to educate those who aren’t aware of the requirement to carry your official, original passport because they read otherwise on these forums. 😄

We were looking at the independent options while staying on the island but we never went with them. If you look at them there are more inclusive (or add-on options while there), but the cruise line may also offer excursions with more options too. So you may want to compare… Quite often when looking at cruise line excursions we choose reputable independents just for the better experience, but that doesn’t always apply of course…

No I totally understand! We usually get “stuck” showing friends and family the sights, and I’m just used to driving here after years of “practice”. But renting - and especially driving - does pose risks, and you really need to do some research. I say I feel so much more relaxed driving Coz, but that is just because the drivers in the Riviera Maya are so nuts! For the OP and others considering that for the first time, we all just share our experiences, but I should stress that driving here in Mexico is very different, and if you have a problem and are not fluent in Spanish, well you are at a disadvantage. Hiring a driver does give you the freedom to enjoy a couple drinks and not be concerned about driving, and I agree that is THE best choice!

I need to correct my earlier reply to you! Any traveler should have access to at least $5000 - $10,000 in the event of a medical or other emergency. 100% agree with that. Even if you have Primary medical/medivac trip insurance, you still need to cover initial out of pocket expenses before the insurer steps in. Using a rental car outfit’s insurance coverages, you don’t need access to the same amount you would need access to if you declined their CDW to use your credit card insurance. just wanted to clarify that! ☺️

An additional $45 - 50k USD in liability coverage?! That sounds like overkill, but you need to feel comfortable. Of course you could theoretically find yourself charged in a fatal accident, so adequate coverage is important. Obviously you want to obey the laws, and don’t drink and drive. Using a taxi to tour the island would be pricey. If you opt not to drive, look for others on your Roll Call who might be interested in sharing the cost of a private driver 😉 And you definitely want to carry your ORIGINAL passport whenever you leave the port area. Carrying photocopy or e-copy is absolutely terrible advice! Especially today…

Actually Coz is very easy to drive and the main roads are nice. obey all laws, and do not rink and drive. And always carry your ORIGINAL passport when off the ship, regardless of what your are doing. Taxis are expensive, especially for out of town trips. If you don’t want to drive, find others on your Roll Call forum with similar interests and share the cost of a private transfer/driver!

You need access to cash only if you decline the CDW coverage offered by the rental agency. Some visitors feel smarter because they choose to use their credit card coverage rather than the rental coverage to save a few $$. That is fine, as long as you carry the bank’s letter of coverage, AND you have immediate access to $$ thousands in the event of an accident (credit/debit/cash). Without the rental agency’s collision coverage, you pay out of pocket, and file a claim with your credit card bank’s insurer later. So you cannot leave an accident scene without paying for the damage you caused. If you just pay the quoted price from ISIS (or Fiesta I believe) you are covered. If you drive safely and don’t drink and drive you shouldn’t need optional insurance coverage, but that is always a choice… You must use their liability insurance, of course. Definitely agree - Carry your ORIGINAL passport when off the ship!

Carrying a photocopy or e-copy of your passport is asking for trouble. That is terrible advice. I read that from tourists and I cringe knowing how stupid that is. Do you think that a foreigner in the US would actually carry a copy of their passport or immigration papers? 🤷🏼 Always carry your original ID when in public…

Have you contacted ISIS Rentadora? They have been our go-to rental outfit for years. Great service and staff. https://www.facebook.com/rentadoraISIS https://isiscarrental.rcom/cozumel-rates/ We drive in the Riviera Maya while living here, and we always feel more at ease when driving Coz. Of course obey all laws, and carry your ORIGINAL passport whenever in public. And use their liability and CDW coverage. Some visitors use their credit card CDW, which is fine asking as you have their letter of coverage, AND access to $thousands in the event of an accident. We do not add more coverage, but you can if you feel a need to?

Gotchya! Yes the Long Bay, Beef Island would be a 25 minute safari-type taxi each way. Nice beach, others can comment on the excursion. I’d expect it to be much less busy that CGB… The Baths are the main draw on Virgin Gorda. You take a 30 minute ferry, a 5 - 10 minute taxi, and walk down the path to the boulders.You can find more details in other threads and by Googing or with YouTube. pyropoodle’s post here provides detail from her perspective as well. Keep in mind Spring Bay is separate from The Baths and Devils Bay beach…

I assume you are referring to Long Bay, Beef Island which is on Tortola, and Spring Bay, Virgin Gorda? These are two island in the British Virgin Islands. I know cruise lines are offering excursions to LB, Beef and providing lounges and other amenities. We’ve not been since this started, last we were there is was just a stunning beach with nothing else around. You could miss the dirt road leading to it…So I’m sure someone can give you more info on what is incliuded with te excursion, or if you can find amenities there on your own. Spring Bay on VG is an alternative to the Baths. Nothing there but the beach and boulders, but it’s a flat walk from the road versus the natural path down to the beach. From there you can walk to the Top of the Baths restaurant or Mad Dog Bar. Savannah Bay is gorgeous… What are you interested in? And are you looking at a cruise line excursion or a beach on your own? This thread has some descriptions of the beaches -

$12/pp each way…

Don’t get me wrong, for beach lovers IM is beautiful, and it did have some charm, just as PDC once did…That charm was lost long ago. Same with Holbox and Tulum. That is where we are at, the places we fell in love with decades ago are overrun with more and more of us. Cancun is fine for what you expect. We went to a bullfight and saw much of the city years ago. I can only imagine how much it has grown as the number of resorts in the hotel zone have. Same with PDC, the growth seems unsustainable p, yet it continues. But the infrastructure and environment are devastated…Merida is indeed a beautiful, historic city and a great walking city. The Cathedral and other nearby churches are beautiful, we were fortunate in that we could attend mass last visit… Yes the ADO Turistica is a short walk, my point is it just takes time to transfer between the ferry and the bus, and the terminal is typically crazy busy with novice travelers. But we were all there once… Enjoy your day wherever you end up! The east coast of Coz is ruggedly beautiful if you decide on a lazy day 👍

I would add more time to your expected travel time to allow for walking to and from the ADO terminals, wait times, traffic, and the other inevitable delays. Just to minimize the need to make that long transfer to Mahahual… Since you are not interested in a beach IM would be a wasted day. Cancun centro isn’t worth the time IMHO, but if you need something other than Cozumel that is probably it… We enjoy visiting the smaller towns and also cenotes to the south of PDC…We meet wonderful people that way!

>> I don't understand the meaning of "non-starter." << Your idea of going to Valladolid from Cozumel with that timeline is just a very aggressive one, IMHO, that’s all. But now that I know you’ve traveled the area extensively it’s just a matter of finding no delays, and having no problems at the checkpoints. That does happen, and there is very little room for a problem…DO carry your original ID. A friend (a local resident) was actually detained at a checkpoint due to his ID being illegible. The flight from Coz may be impractical due to the cost, but is actually the most practical solution from a planning standpoint…That is often the quandary with excursions… >> Why do you say that Ultramar and Winjet ferry times are incorrect? << On odd days the Ultramar COZ —> PDC ferry departs at 1PM, and the PDC - Coz ferry departs at 6PM. Winjet departures may be 12PM and 7PM, or 1PM and 6PM. Their schedule changes week to week, and they have not yet posted January’s schedule. I have seen scheduling discrepancies between the Ultramar/Winjet sites, and the various tour group sites as well… The typical transfer time between terminals is 45 minutes, but we’ve been delayed in both directions. So just keep that in mind. So I have to think you would be the first day visitors to make this trek by land, and if you do go I hope you would return with a report, I’d love to read it!

I quoted you because I was agreeing with your “Is this a serious inquiry?” 😆

Yes while staying on Cable Beach next to Baha Mar we saw jet skis being rented at Goodman’s Bay. There are usually vendors there as well. From Goodman’s Bay, Breezes is a 10 minute walk, Baha Mar 30 minutes. Cable beach is now lined with condos and timeshare properties, no real public beach access or amenities beyond Goodman’s that we saw…

Really… This is a non-starter IMHO…Your Ultramar ferry times are incorrect, Winjet times are also different… ADO schedules are pretty reliable and it is a 2 - 2.5 hr drive. But we have one friend (a local Q Roo resident) who was removed from the bus at a checkpoint because his ID was damaged/illegible. He had to have his family text a legible copy so he could get on the next bus. So when traveling anywhere - Coz, Q Roo, Yucatán, anywhere - carry your original passport, not a photo or e-copy, especially if a foreigner. Can’t stress that enough, but others will refute that of course 🤷🏼🙉 You can check into flights between Coz and Valladolid or PDC and Valladolid, but I see flights only between CUN and TQO…perhaps a charter as c-leg5 mentioned? I’d suggest returning for a land vacation in Merida and visiting Valladolid, Izamal and other areas of Yucatán state at your leisure…