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Cruise Critic friends - thought you might find this helpful when planning your port day and budget. :)

Scuba Diving – we ended up deciding to go scuba diving for our activity! We booked with El Clavado which was booth # 3 in the snorkel and dive houses (other tour companies there are Zapata Divers, San Miguel and MJ’s Aquatics). Gilmer was the owner and he was so friendly and super helpful in answering all our questions. All the employees are PADI certified and display their certifications on the wall as well as were more than willing to show us their card. They are very reasonably priced – it was $55 per person for Intro to Scuba (we are not certified – this was our first experience diving). It takes about an hour total – 10 minutes of safety & introduction and 50 minutes in the water. That sounds brief for safety but they were very thorough! It was just my husband and I on this tour with our diver Early (not sure on the spelling but it is pronounced like I spelled it).

Early was phenomenal – I can’t say enough things about him! I was pretty nervous to dive and he offered to literally hold my hand until I felt ok. He stayed with me hand in hand for a good 20-25 minutes of the dive. Also I had to come up twice due to problems regulating my ear and the second I gave the up signal he was swimming me to the top without hesitation. He was extremely professional and helpful. He was doing everything in his power to make sure I was safe and comfortable. I ended up not being able to go very low due to the problems with my ear so once I was comfortable I let Early head down a bit with my husband and I stayed above them. Early did a great job of showing us various fish and crabs and other neat things during the dive. He also stopped to take our picture together a couple of times. We had a great time and were so glad that we tried scuba!

Overall

We are so glad that we chose Chankanaab for our day in Cozumel. What a wonderful park! There is so much to do! We feel like we did a lot while we were there, yet there was still so much left to see and do. It was a wonderful way to spend the day and we would highly recommend it. All of the staff we encountered were super friendly. The park was safe and clean. The water was absolutely beautiful and the snorkeling was very good. We will definitely be visiting again next time we are in Cozumel!

I hope this review has helped. Please let me know if you have any questions.

Lagoon – we didn’t swim in the lagoon but saw several kids having the time of their life in there. The lagoon is a great place for snorkeling because of the coral formations and fish. The lagoon and beach area were relatively small. This seemed like a good place to take younger kids that you don’t necessarily want on the larger beach and in the ocean where the current is rougher.

Underwater statues – we only came across the Christ statue, which seems to be the most popular one. It was huge! The map says there are two other statues so keep an eye out.

Water activities– I was able to get a picture of some of the prices of water activities for everyone. In case it’s hard to read snorkeling was $15, snuba was $60 and SeaTrek (helmet dive) was $79. Intro to Scuba diving is $55 per person (no certification required). Free locker included with rental of anything. We didn’t do snuba or SeaTrek here but have done both in the past at other islands and highly recommend them! Very fun and unique experiences – happy to answer any general questions not specific to Cahnkanaab or Cozumel about those activities. They also have clear bottom kayaks available for rental – signs were not posted as to how much they were so unfortunately I don’t have this information.

BeachThe beach was huge with plenty of chairs and shade.

Other – there were a few other things to see and do. There were a few areas where you could get your hair braided (prices were not posted but I bet it’s negotiable). There were a couple of gift shops in the entrance/exit area. There were several options for massages – see price list below. It also looks like they are building some sort of rope course or something that goes over the crocodile pit – should be fun!

Water Activities:

Animal Interactions – as I mentioned earlier there are several options available for purchase for animal interactions that can be done in advance or once you arrive. Right when you walk in is the area with the dolphins and manatees. This is also where all the cruise ship passengers are brought for their excursions. The area was very big with many different “sections” I guess I’ll call them. There were probably 10 groups participating at a time, with 10 people in each group. People seemed to be enjoying themselves and the dolphins seemed happy. We actually didn’t see the manatees from where we were as they are further down. The sea lion interaction is done in the same area that the sea lion show takes place. We did peak through the gates and see a little bit of the interaction, which looked fun.

Swimming pool – the pool is just after the entrance and right near the sea lion theater. It has swim up bar with stools built into the water. The pool is a good size. There are restrooms in the back of the pool.

Tequila Tour – we did not participate in the tour because honestly we didn’t know about it until after we finished exploring the archaeological area ourselves. I’ve been having trouble finding information online about the tour to provide you with but I’m sure admission can be purchased at the park.

Sea Lion Show – we did attend the sea lion show and it was cute and fun. It was about 20-25 minutes long. It was in Spanish so hard for us to know what they were saying. You see three different sea lions that perform a series of tricks. At the end they invite everyone in the audience to come into the enclosure for a kiss from the sea lion. Pictures are taken and available for purchase. We did not participate so we are unsure of the cost of the pictures.

Crocodile Exhibit – this was really fun! There were a couple of different enclosures with some huge crocodiles. There were also giant boards with interesting facts that turned it into a self guided tour. It also looked like they are building a future activity where you will be able to walk right above the crocodiles!

Archaeological Prehispanic Replicas – this is a must see. It was really interesting to see replicas of the ruins and the different statues. There were plaques that told you what each one was but didn’t provide the back story on each, which I would have enjoyed. The path leads into a small village that was really neat! Inside the village there are various things to explore such as a house, a steam room/sweat lodge (can purchase tickets to actually participate in it – unsure of cost), a kitchen (there was a woman actually cooking tortilla chips that you can try!), a well and a funeral set up (maybe because it was near Halloween – not sure if this is a permanent exhibit). It wasn’t until we were leaving the area that we saw a tour group come by and realized they offer free guided tours of this area. Bummer! We would have loved to go on the tour and learn all of the fun facts. If anyone from CruiseCritic goes on the tour, please provide the rest of us your thoughts!

Land Activities:

Botanical Gardens – They were gorgeous! Very lush and quiet and absolutely clean! Definitely worth taking a walk around.

Facilities & Lockers:

There are several restrooms throughout the park. All were very clean. There was an attendant outside of the bathroom that would politely ask you to wipe your feet of sand before entering, which shows they want to maintain the cleanliness of their facilities. There are lots of lockers in several different locations around the park that are available for rent for $3 or FREE with the rental of something (can be anything – a snorkel, a lifejacket or a full experience). The lockers are pretty roomy – we were able to fit all our stuff with no problems. We did not take showers at the park but they do have shower facilities available. There were also several trash receptacles and recycling bins throughout the park to help keep it clean and enjoyable for all guests.

Food:

There are three main restaurants and one snack bar at the park. We did not stop by the snack bar so I only have menus for you from the other 3. Apologies in advance if you are unable to read them very well!

Restaurante Dolphin Discovery: this is an indoor restaurant that offers a regular menu as well as a lunch buffet. The restaurant is near the main entrance and animal interactions. This is the only indoor restaurant at the park.

Restaurant La Laguna: this is an outdoor restaurant near the lagoon.

Restaurante El Bucanero: this is also an outdoor restaurant near the snorkel and dive houses. I also noticed this restaurants serves people on the beach – I’m pretty sure they will come around and ask you if you want anything because I saw one man running back and forth the entire time we were there with drinks and wrapped plates of food. We ate here and ordered a plate of nachos and the Mexican plate which was a sample of various traditional Mexican foods such as tacos, quesadillas, rice & beans and chimichanga. It was very reasonably priced at $13. We also ordered the Coco-loco which was a delicious mixed drink served inside a fun carved coconut!

My husband and I spent a day in Cozumel during our 5 day Western Caribbean Cruise. We wanted to have plans for the day but also wanted the opportunity to be a bit sporadic and do what we felt like the day of. Chankanaab was the perfect place for us because it gave us a plan of where to spend the day and since they had such a variety of activities we could see what we were in the mood to do once we were there. This was so easy to do on your own that we do not recommend booking through the ship. You’ll pay more and get less time there. Do this one on your own.

Chankanaab does not have a great website and it’s hard to find detailed information on the park, so I did my best to gather as much information as I could while I was there to share with anyone interested in going. If others have been and can elaborate on parts I’m missing or share their experiences that would be much appreciated by all I’m sure!

Transportation & Check-in:

We were able to easy find cabs at the cruise port. The rate for 2 people to Chankanaab was $12 plus tip and the ride was about 10 minutes. Returning the fare was $1 less for whatever reason. Transportation was safe. They will make stops at both cruise ports on the return. Our taxi drivers had a few bucks change to give us each time but I would recommend bringing exact change if you can just in case they don’t have change.

Upon arriving we were immediately greeted by a very nice man named Orlando who told us about the park, gave us a park map and walked us over to the desk to purchase our tickets. They accept major credit cards, which was great because we were starting to run low on cash since this was the last stop of our vacation. Admission is $21 for adults. We had printed this $2 off coupon and brought it with us: http://www.cozumelparks.com/eng/chankanaab.cfm

I found this great easy to read list online of what is included in your admission and what costs extra:

Included in your Chankanaab Park Admission:

• Hammocks
  
• Beautiful Beach
  
• Snorkeling
  
• Children's Playground
  
• Restrooms
  
• Guided Snorkeling Tour
  

• Sand Wheelchairs
  
• Beach Volleyball Court
  
• Showers
  
• Tranquil Lagoon
  
• Mayan Ruins
  
• Pre-Hispanic Show
  

• Underwater Statues
  
• Umbrellas
  
• Beach Chairs
  
• Lifeguards
  
• Space to Watch Dolphins
  
• Guided Walking Tour
  

Available inside the park at Extra Cost:

• Snorkeling Equipment
  
• Scuba Diving
  
• Taxi Service
  
• Snuba
  

• Bars and Restaurants
  
• Beach Boutique
  
• Towels
  
• Sea Trek
  

• Drug Store
  
• Ice Cream Parlor
  
• Lockers
  
• Swim With Dolphins
  

They had several different packages that include admission and animal interactions, which are their biggest attraction. You can book direct with them at the link below or decide when you get there.

http://www.**********************cozumel/chankanaab-national-park.asp

We still didn’t know what we wanted to do so what was nice is they said at any point during the day if we decided to book an interaction, they’d still give us the discounted combo price of admission + interaction. Perfect!

Samana

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1840957

My Samana review was moved to a new location. Please use this link instead:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1782943

Ok they moved my review to a Samana board - link is now here:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1782943

When the Star docked on Sunday Oct 27 in Miami there were no custom officials until 9:15am. The early walk off people should have been leaving by 8am.

And then there was only one official for USA residents just as there was only one for non-USA residents. You can imagine the long backed-up lines.

 

I hope the OP has on time officials and more of them.

Evidently Sundays can be a problem.

Very good points. I read all the same things about Miami so I actually booked a 2:45 p.m. flight, but the thought of sitting in the airport all was discouraging enough that I attempted that 10:25 a.m. flight willing to pay the $40 change fee and lucky for me made it!

I agree with all of you however to book noon or later. Just keep an earlier flight as a back up in case the stars align and you can make it.

We just got off the Pearl last Sunday. We were nervous about making out 10:25a flight out of Fort Lauderdale, but we made it!!

Boat actually docks around 6 a.m. We got in line for easy walk off at about 6:45 a.m. (we were about the 10th person in line). They didn't let us off the boat until right at 8:00 a.m. on the dot. Through customs by 8:15 a.m.

We used QLS Transportation and they were amazing! I called them the second I cleared customs and a van pulled up to get us about 2 minutes later. We waited until 8:30 a.m. for others and then took off to the Ft Lauderdale airport. We got there just after 9 a.m. I highly recommend using them if you don't already have transportation.

Have fun!

We cruised out of Miami last week and getting on was a breeze. We arrived around 11:30 a.m. and were on by noon. We always eat at the MDR and get seated right away. Only thing to note is service is usually slow that first day.

Have a great cruise!

We did Tours with Terry for our day in Samana and it was fantastic! Read my detailed review here

(Note: I have no idea why CruiseCritic moved it into the Pro-Excursions message board. I've contact them to fix it.)

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1847015

My posting is posting # 2

Thanks so much - very helpful for planning and packing. I had heard that NCL will have Zumba classes on all ships, but could not find that on the schedule.

There wasn't any zumba on our ship but it's possible that because it was a shorter cruise they didn't include it. They did have TRX, spin and yoga ($12 each). Hopefully they'll have zumba on your cruise!

My husband and I recently came back from a 5 night western caribbean cruise on the NCL Pearl, with stops in Grand Cayman and Cozumel. This was the perfect cruise in our opinion! We spent 5 days in Orlando doing theme parks before driving to Miami and doing the 5 night cruise. We flew home to Connecticut from there. We were so exhausted from the theme parks that we didn't end up doing a lot on the cruise so I am not able to write a valuable review for my CC friends. However I did want to contribute since so many others helped me prepare for my trip, so I've attached the Freestyle Daily copies.

I have done 4 cruises with NCL so if you have any questions at all, please ask and I'll do my best to answer. The Pearl is identical to the Gem - same exact layout and locations of restaurants, bars, activities, etc.

Thanks for the review. The photos didn't show one of the things I was interested in; maybe you can help. Do you think it would be difficult for someone short (5'5") to get out of the tub? I had a minisuite on the old NCL Crown, and while getting in was fine, getting out was something else...and a long step down. Thanks for anything you can add.

 

...and I'm still not sure about that toilet-in-a-cubbyhole thing...

I'm 5'3" and didn't have a problem getting out, however I would suggest putting the bathmat or towel down to avoid a possible slip!

Seriously! Its definitely a little weird!

Hi!

Did you notice if anyone decorated their cabin door?

I didn't see any this time but in past cruises I have seen decorated doors several times. Some are done through the ship if they ordered a room decoration package and others do it themselves, if they're celebrating something special like a birthday or just getting married.

So kind of you, Thank you so much. :)

 

Did you enjoy your cruise, did you do a review? Hope you had a great time.

We honestly didn't do too much while we were on the ship so I don't feel I would be able to provide a valuable review... The Pearl is exactly like the Gem (identical, just different names of restaurants and places).

However I did post a brief review on the mini-suite we stayed in and I will be uploading the Freestyle Dailies by the weekend. Links to both will be in my signature.

Thank you for posting. The information was helpful. We sail on the Pearl on November 24th. My son and his family are doing Orlando before the cruise too.

They will have a great time but they will be tired after all that walking!! :)

Hi - I can't really comment on the overhang because I don't believe my room had that however I did just put up a brief review on a mini-suite that you may find useful:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?p=40648604&posted=1#post40648604

Let me know if you have any questions. I'm happy to try to answer.