I just returned on December 14th after completing Le Champlain's Mayan Wonders itinerary. I will try to cover the important highlights and provide as much information as possible.
Firstly the December 7 cruise departed from Cozumel and returned to Cozumel. The Captain indicated upon departure that Cozumel will continue to be used until further notice, however, the reservation offices around the world may still be telling people that PM is being used. I will not get into why this change is occurring but suffice it to say there is a bit of corruption at play at various levels of government. In my case I was notified by Ponant on Wednesday December 4 about the new embarkation process. Quite simply I had to make my own way to the Grand Hyatt in Playa del Carmen by 4pm on Saturday December 7. I used a local taxi from my hotel in Puerto Morelos the journey took about 40 minutes at a price of $45usd. Upon arrival at the Grand Hyatt I met the Cruise Director who was brilliant and went above and beyond in handling this unexpected change to the itinerary. From the Hyatt we boarded a bus for a 3 minute ride to the ferry terminal where we walked down a pier to board a chartered Ultramar ferry. With respect to luggage handling, once I arrived at the Grand Hyatt I did not have to touch mu luggage until I opened it up in my cabin. Baggage handling was looked after by Ponant. The ferry crossing over to Cozumel took about 45 minutes. The ferry docked next to le Champlain so it was an easy stroll to board the ship.
I won't get into the details of my cruise but it was exceptional, the cuisine was excellent, the ship felt elegant and chic at the same time as well as being spotless. The crew were professional and friendly. Basically the ship and the excursions were amazing.
The dis embarkation process worked in reverse. For those passengers who needed to be taken to the airport in Cancun, Ponant looked after the entire process seamlessly and there was no charge to the guest. Basically it worked like this. Ship docked in Cozumel at 6am and cleared customs. At 7am passengers bound for Cancun airport disembarked, claimed luggage which put on trucks then transported to the ferry terminal whilst passengers boarded a bus for a short trip to the ferry terminal. By 8am we were seated on the regularly scheduled Ultramar ferry along with our luggage. The crossing took about 45 minutes. Upon arrival in Playa del Carmen we were met by a local agent who kept us together while our luggage was taken by porters. We made our way by foot to a local bus station where we were re-united with our luggage which we re-claimed. We also had to let our handlers know which terminal number we required at the Cancun airport so that our luggage was put in the correct baggage compartment on the bus. By 9:15 we were on the highway to Cancun and we arrived as scheduled at the airport at 10:15. A number of guests had flight leaving between 11:30 and 12 noon and there was no problem in making those flights . All along the way there were reps who asked our name and cabin number to ensure that everyone was accounted for. I was impressed with how Ponant handled the entire process. We were not stressed and just went with the flow. A sense of humor helps.
BTW I am booking another Ponant cruise next month. This was my first but not my last.
Le Champlain denied entry in Puerto Morelos
in Ponant
Posted
Hello everyone,
I just returned on December 14th after completing Le Champlain's Mayan Wonders itinerary. I will try to cover the important highlights and provide as much information as possible.
Firstly the December 7 cruise departed from Cozumel and returned to Cozumel. The Captain indicated upon departure that Cozumel will continue to be used until further notice, however, the reservation offices around the world may still be telling people that PM is being used. I will not get into why this change is occurring but suffice it to say there is a bit of corruption at play at various levels of government. In my case I was notified by Ponant on Wednesday December 4 about the new embarkation process. Quite simply I had to make my own way to the Grand Hyatt in Playa del Carmen by 4pm on Saturday December 7. I used a local taxi from my hotel in Puerto Morelos the journey took about 40 minutes at a price of $45usd. Upon arrival at the Grand Hyatt I met the Cruise Director who was brilliant and went above and beyond in handling this unexpected change to the itinerary. From the Hyatt we boarded a bus for a 3 minute ride to the ferry terminal where we walked down a pier to board a chartered Ultramar ferry. With respect to luggage handling, once I arrived at the Grand Hyatt I did not have to touch mu luggage until I opened it up in my cabin. Baggage handling was looked after by Ponant. The ferry crossing over to Cozumel took about 45 minutes. The ferry docked next to le Champlain so it was an easy stroll to board the ship.
I won't get into the details of my cruise but it was exceptional, the cuisine was excellent, the ship felt elegant and chic at the same time as well as being spotless. The crew were professional and friendly. Basically the ship and the excursions were amazing.
The dis embarkation process worked in reverse. For those passengers who needed to be taken to the airport in Cancun, Ponant looked after the entire process seamlessly and there was no charge to the guest. Basically it worked like this. Ship docked in Cozumel at 6am and cleared customs. At 7am passengers bound for Cancun airport disembarked, claimed luggage which put on trucks then transported to the ferry terminal whilst passengers boarded a bus for a short trip to the ferry terminal. By 8am we were seated on the regularly scheduled Ultramar ferry along with our luggage. The crossing took about 45 minutes. Upon arrival in Playa del Carmen we were met by a local agent who kept us together while our luggage was taken by porters. We made our way by foot to a local bus station where we were re-united with our luggage which we re-claimed. We also had to let our handlers know which terminal number we required at the Cancun airport so that our luggage was put in the correct baggage compartment on the bus. By 9:15 we were on the highway to Cancun and we arrived as scheduled at the airport at 10:15. A number of guests had flight leaving between 11:30 and 12 noon and there was no problem in making those flights . All along the way there were reps who asked our name and cabin number to ensure that everyone was accounted for. I was impressed with how Ponant handled the entire process. We were not stressed and just went with the flow. A sense of humor helps.
BTW I am booking another Ponant cruise next month. This was my first but not my last.