Amazing Race Cozumel

[BlueLadyBlue]

This excursion looks like a lot of fun but neither my DH or I are strong swimmers. From some of the threads I have been reading it seems that not everyone has to snorkel but that the teams are allowed to share the clue they retrieve with the other teams. Can anyone comment on that? Worse case, we would just come in last because we didn't complete that clue? Don't mind being last ( or first! LOL) but would like to be able to participate.

 

Any help appreciated.:confused:

[Tina Chi Chi]

My daughter & I did the amazing race last Feb when we were there and it is a great time. I'm 70 & daughter is in her 30s and we did just fine. The swimming part is short and if you don't feel comfortable doing it the others will share the clue with you. Don't let that stop you. It is alot of quick walking but there are guides always watching even if you don't know who they are. Even the locals get into the act and point you in the right direction. It really is a great activity. We came in 2nd to last and had to fight for that with an "older" couple (yes I said older) that really kept us hopping. It was fun and at the end the lunch was very good, and so were the drinks. We ended up staying and having afew more with the owner of the restaurant. We intend to go back when we're there next Feb.

[BlueLadyBlue]

My daughter & I did the amazing race last Feb when we were there and it is a great time. I'm 70 & daughter is in her 30s and we did just fine. The swimming part is short and if you don't feel comfortable doing it the others will share the clue with you. Don't let that stop you. It is alot of quick walking but there are guides always watching even if you don't know who they are. Even the locals get into the act and point you in the right direction. It really is a great activity. We came in 2nd to last and had to fight for that with an "older" couple (yes I said older) that really kept us hopping. It was fun and at the end the lunch was very good, and so were the drinks. We ended up staying and having afew more with the owner of the restaurant. We intend to go back when we're there next Feb.

Thank you. We're OK in calm water but if it is choppy, not good. Thanks for your encouragement, it sounds like a lot of fun.

[Tina Chi Chi]

Please don't worry about the water part. It is such a small part of the race and if the water is choppy I have no doubt they would just cancel that clue. It is just a very short ride out and back. Have fun

[MIcruiser99]

My husband and I were looking at this excursion and saw it was $84 each. What is covered in this price? Transportation? I am trying to understand why the cost is that high since lunch is not included in the price. It sounds like fun!

[BlueLadyBlue]

Please don't worry about the water part. It is such a small part of the race and if the water is choppy I have no doubt they would just cancel that clue. It is just a very short ride out and back. Have fun

Is there a place to change out if your wet suits or do you dry as you go?

[kenrod]

We did the Amazing Cozumel Race two weeks ago. It was a great time for my family!

 

As far as the swimming part, we got changed in some washrooms where the boat takes off. They are not filthy, but the thought of my feet touching the floor is not the greatest.

 

We took a short boat ride to a sunken ship. All you have to do is look down for your next clue. There is a bit of a current, so if you don't get right away, you may have to swim.

 

We didn't change when we got back to shore. I just air dried.

 

Our team, me, DW and DS (8 years old), came in last place. The organizers were teasing us saying, "If you ever want to sightsee and shop in Cozumel, The Canuckleheads (our team) is the team to tag along with." :D

 

The organizers are all around, and the locals play along as well. If you feel uncomfortable (which we never did), you are also given a cell phone to call an organizer.

 

It was truly a wonderful experience, and a unique way to sightsee in Cozumel.

[Tina Chi Chi]

When daughter & I did the race last year there were no cell phones given. I'm betting we had something to do with them beginning to give them out. We really got one of the clues wrong and ended up way...way off course. They did find us and guide us back on track. I use that as an excuse for coming in next to last. It was still a great time.:)

[imlulu]

I am interested in this. It will be my 14 yr old ds and myself. We both snorkel. I too am worried about how strong of a swimmer you have to be and how strenuous the whole tour is. I have herniated disc in my neck. I usually don't have issues but don't want to inflame the situation during race far from meds.

[LiseD]

The others have told you right...don't worry about the swimming. We did this several years ago and had a great time with our teen age girls. We decided up front that we didn't care about winning and just took our time and enjoyed each place...taking photos, etc Pretty funny because at one point the people running this reminded us we "were in a race"!!

[kratescape]

DH and I just did this 2 weeks ago. Transportation is included. The snorkel part is real short, you go with other teams so the clue is shared with everyone. There are drinks on the boat as well as at the end of the race and snacks are provided. This was a really fun excursion we had a great time and are looking forward to doing it again with our kiddos.

[luckeenluv03]

Are goggles provided for the dive part?

[gbcruise]

How many different challenges do you have to do? And what is the time frame?

[kratescape]

Masks are proved for the dive part.

 

You mainly solve clues to get to the next location, it's up to you and your team as to how you want to compete. You can run the whole thing or you can take your time.

[butzig]

My husband and I did this last year. We got paired up w/ another couple and had a really great time! As someone else said, the locals reminded us "It's called the amazing race, not the amazing walk!" lol! But we were having fun and enjoying the scenery. I did want to win, but there was a lot of ground to cover, and I was not about to run the whole thing!! (fast walking!) The swimming part is but a little bit of the race...Every time we showed up somewhere, we were told we were the last ones to get there. So imagine our surprise, when they started giving out the prizes and we came in 4th out of 9 teams! (Everyone has their own timer, so even though we may have been the last to get everywhere, we did not lose!) We had a BLAST! Worth the $$$!

[sayok]

Agree with everything that's been said here: terrific excursion and the swimming was really a non-issue (only one person per team is asked to snorkle to the clue, but truly only one person per boat needs to, then everyone shares the clue; they tell you before you leave the dock that all the teams on each boat are to work together for this one clue).

 

Teams meet on the pier (where all the excursions meet) and each team is given lanyards for everyone and a cell phone. You are taken by van to Margaritaville, where the race begins; there's an orientation to explain the rules & different types of clues and each team is given a packet of supplies. There are drinks (beer, water, soda) on the boat and at the finish line there are discount coupons for food/drinks. You have the option of then being taken back to Margaritaville, the ship, or going off on your own, if you want to shop, etc. We met at 11:15 and were all finished around 3:00, but that could vary a little (you need to wait for the last team to arrive before they give out the medals).

 

Highly recommend it! :)

[Guzmania]

My wife and I just got back from our cruise and agree that the Amazing Cozumel Race was far and away the best excursion of the whole week. We're a little competitive, so it was an easy choice to pick this one. The crew of the race were exceedingly helpful and supportive, and we got to see a part of Cozumel that we wouldn't have even thought to look for without doing the race. We didn't even know there was a museum in Cozumel! We chose to run a lot of the race (reference our competitive streak mentioned above), but other teams didn't, and everyone had a great time. All the locals cheering us on as we tore through town getting to the next clue was a great experience that we won't forget anytime soon. :)

 

Yes, it was US$84 each, but most good excursions are about that or more, especially those that include transportation to and from the ship, and snorkeling if you want to, and the museum pass was good for the whole day (we went back when we weren't madly searching for clue answers, strolling through the displays and thoroughly enjoying it).

 

We are both in our late 40's, and to say it was easy would be a misstatement, but we chose to do it that way. You go at your own pace, and everyone in town seems to know about the race and you will always be able to get help by just asking. The clues are not difficult but not too easy either, just enough of a challenge to keep you on your toes without confusing the heck out of you. Overall, a great balance. And, we finished right in the middle of the pack, not bad for the second oldest team in a field of nine teams. :rolleyes:

 

At the finish line party, Eduardo said that part of the purpose of the race is to let us see that Cozumel is a friendly place to visit. We've never thought differently, but this race really proved it. We will definitely be talking this adventure up, and will do it again when we return to Cozumel, perhaps for more than just a day next time.

 

Happy Racing!!!

[StrikeToWin]

They say that the minimum age is 8 and my son will only be 7 at the time of the cruise. Will they make an exception?

[bevomom]

They say that the minimum age is 8 and my son will only be 7 at the time of the cruise. Will they make an exception?

 

We did it last week, and there were other teams who had very small children, maybe 5 years old or so. They finished and did fine, but the parents were carrying them at the end.

[Jiminy1955]

Are groups of 8 ok? Also how much money do you recommend taking w/you to buy food, etc & can you take US dollars or do you need to convert the money? My group is going to love this excursion!!

[skittl1321]

Jiminy- you can use USD pretty much anywhere in Cozumel. You generally get a better exchange rate if you exchange for pesos, but we figure the 10:1 they do for dollars is just fine.

[figmentdj]

We did this 1.5 years ago. Had a blast. We love the actual show and always yell at the screen and tell the racers to run. So even though we're in our mid to late 40s we ran when we could and fast walked. It was hot.

 

You can tell right away whose racing and whose not. We had a team of much younger girls on our heals most of the race. Then they made an error on a clue and we distanced ourselves (in fact we actually caught up with a group that left in an early race excursion). So we won, got a cool medal that we cherish, because it was something we did together not the usual sitting on a beach drinking pina coladas (not that there's anything wrong with that).

 

We finished in about an 1.5 hours. The host who awarded us our medals said "You two know you're vacation, don't you?" Needless to say we "felt" the race the next day, but that was our choice.

 

Note: We don't recommend this excursion if its your first time to Cozumel or not likely to visit again. If you "race" you'll do alot, but won't see alot. It's a happy blur.

[Jiminy1955]

Can you tell me what time of day this starts?

 

 

 

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[BBowCruiser]

We just did this Friday, we met at 11:15 and they took us to Margaritaville to meet with the other teams and go over the rules. The race started around 11:40. We had a great time and were the race champions! We ended up at a fun little place with $2 beer and shots and $4 fruity/frozen drinks. We all got two coupons for two beers or one drink and free chips and salsa. We ordered fajitas which were very good. Once all of the teams arrived, the results were announced and they gave us medals and dropped balloons on us. It was all very well organized. There are taxis to take you back to the ports, we added $ to it and had them take us to Paradise Beach.

[Jiminy1955]

We just did this Friday, we met at 11:15 and they took us to Margaritaville to meet with the other teams and go over the rules. The race started around 11:40. We had a great time and were the race champions! We ended up at a fun little place with $2 beer and shots and $4 fruity/frozen drinks. We all got two coupons for two beers or one drink and free chips and salsa. We ordered fajitas which were very good. Once all of the teams arrived, the results were announced and they gave us medals and dropped balloons on us. It was all very well organized. There are taxis to take you back to the ports, we added $ to it and had them take us to Paradise Beach.

My group, 8 of us, are soooo excited about this and we don't even go until February!!