Chankanaab Park (lots of questions)

[craftsrdkc]

We are heading to Cozumel in a week on the Star, and was wondering the following...

 

DH and I are doing the Palancar Reef snorkelling in the morning 9 to noon (approx.) We head back to the ship for noon. We will be picking up our girls, who do not want to snorkel with us (they are 7 and 8 yrs), and want to go to Chank. Park. We figure if we move it we should be able to be there for 1:00 at the latest. I understand it is a very short cab ride to the park. We have to be back to the ship for 4:00, so we were thinking of catching a cab around 3:30 just to be safe. Note: the ship sets sail at 5:00.

 

Is this doable?

 

Thanks for your help.

 

Dolores

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March 27/05 - Star Princess

[cali-croozer]

Although I'm a big fan of Chankanaab, I really don't think it's worth the price of the taxi and admission if you will only be there for about 2 hours. I would try a "free" beach for a couple of hours of sun and swimming.

[cruise freak]

We are going on Carnival Valor and need to know if Cozumel is on the same time as the ship. So if we arrive at 9:00 can we book the dolphin swim for 10:00. Thanks.

[zydecocruiser]

We are going on Carnival Valor and need to know if Cozumel is on the same time as the ship. So if we arrive at 9:00 can we book the dolphin swim for 10:00. Thanks.

 

If you arrive in Cozumel at 9am Valor Ship Time (VST :D), it will be 8am Cozumel time and lots of time to make the 10am swim.

 

Notes:

 

You need to be at Chankanaab before the show starts - not sure by how much.

 

Valor is usually in Cozumel from 11am-11pm SHIP time which is 10am-10pm local time. The April 3 sailing lists 8am-11pm SHIP time which would be 7am-10pm local time.

 

I'm on the Valor next week and am expecting to be in Cozumel from 10am-10pm Cozumel time.

[firefighters wife]

I just got back from Cozumel and went to CP. We were there by 10am and left around 4p. The park was incredible! Bring enough money so that you can get lunch and take advatage of the dolphin swim if you are interested. (We pre-paid our dolphin swim online with a cc.)

 

The ruins are not real, they are recreations, but definately worth seeing. And look great in the pictures I just got back. The botanical jungle ws incredible. We saw 100 iguanas, tiny lizards, incredible colorful butterflies and even turtles!

 

Cost $12 entry pp and cab was only $10 each way for us. (We stayed right in Cozumel.) Dolphin swim was $99 pp. Lunch ended up running about $20 and few drinks added another $10.

Total was about $250 for the day for the two of us.

 

OH! And you can definately sit on this rock wall facing the dolphins if you would rather watch.

[rosej]

Thanks for the review! We are going to Chankanaab in a few weeks. Did you happen to see the seal show? If so, how was it? I've heard it costs extra but don't know how much. Anyway, we are really looking forward to it. DH plans to snorkle there.

[mjforfunca]

I just got back from Cozumel and went to CP. We were there by 10am and left around 4p. The park was incredible! Bring enough money so that you can get lunch and take advatage of the dolphin swim if you are interested. (We pre-paid our dolphin swim online with a cc.)

 

Hi, which web site did you book your swim? how early did you book yours? Thanks!!!

[ladycaveat]

I was there last month and those lockers are gone. The showers are still in that building, but the lockers are no longer there. The only lockers are free ones back out near the Dolphin Discovery entrance.

 

I was there in September of 2003 and you just gave your things to someone behind the "counter" . . . he put everything in a locker and gave you a key (for the life of me, I can't remember if we paid for the locker) but at the end of our dolphin swim, we just gave the key to the guy behind the "counter" and he gave us back our things. If the lockers are gone . . . where does one put their things while taking part in the dolphin or sea lion swim?

[mnsawyer]

The lockers I believe that are "gone" are the ones we used two years ago. They were in the same building as the restrooms and where you could purchase water, soda, snacks. There was a small charge. It is my understanding the only lockers are now by the dolphin discovery area.

[JeannetteC]

We were disappointed in Chankanaab. It was very hot last week and the botanical gardens were scruffy and dry and many of the plants were dying for lack of water (even though there is a sprinkler system). The crowds arrived around 11:00. There must have been 75 people in line for the dolphin swim and another 50 in the water with the poor dolphins who were caged in a small area and forced to "kiss" each person and perform. The beach had nice thatched huts but the shoreline was rocky and difficult to get in and out of the water.

 

Our dinner mates went to different free beaches and said they all had wonderful times (with food, snokling and water sports available) so I think we'll try somewhere else next time. We did enjoy all the iguanas running around!

[mnsawyer]

I knew from two experiences at Chanakaab that there was no "real" beach. We love it there and don't mind the steps for snorkeling. The tiki huts are the best part! I also like that you can walk around the park...lots of lush and green but sounds like it's been dry on Cozumel?

 

Were you able to use credit cards at the restaurants?