Help:Which All inclusive Beach club for a day in Cozumel aboard Oasis of the Seas

[tusconcam]

My cruise takes my girlfriend and I to Cozumel and we are thinking of changing our previously booked Tulum tour and beach break to something closer with less rushing around.

I know there are many reviews out there of AI beach Clubs in Cozumel and I know i'm in the RCI thread, but I'd appreciate some more personal advice from cruisers who have been to Beach clubs while on a cruise, to help make my decision.

 

We are looking for a great Beach club with all inclusive food and drink and lounge chair etc. Ideally we'd like a shaded table on the beach to eat at and a lounge chair each. We'd love some nice sand and beautiful views and not just jammed in there with everybody else.

 

We are currently looking at three including Playa Mia (through Royal Caribbean as the ship won't leave without us if we happen to be late and it includes transportation and girlfriend is worried about that).

It looks like it may be busier overall and crowded and is a bit more expensive going through RCI.

I am curious if someone could chime in about their experience there. If you have any advice about Playa Mia that would be great too.

How was the food/beverages/service/beach/views/value etc?

 

We have also looked at Nachi Cocom all inclusive beach club as well and get the impression that it is a bit quieter.Is this true? What was it like for you?

How was the food/beverages/service/beach/views/value etc?

Are there any standout features? I get the impression that it is not an all you can eat set up there. is this true?

How much did it cost by taxi to get there? How long did it take? Was it difficult to get a taxi off the cruise ship?

 

Finally,we found Mr.Sanchos online and it too looks good. It looks very popular. Is it busier than the others?

How was the food/beverages/service/beach/views/value etc? Any standout features of this place?

How much did it cost by taxi to get there? How long did it take and was it difficult to get a taxi at the port?

 

If you have been to a Beach club by taxi and not have it arranged/affiliated with a cruise-line, were you worried about not getting back in time/missing the ship?

(I'm trying to convince my girlfriend to keep a more open mind about a Beach club choice that may not be arranged through Royal Caribbean)

 

Sorry for the long winded post. I would just really appreciate peoples' experiences/advice about what is a good all inclusive beach club for the day while our ship is in Cozumel for the day

 

Thanks for your help.

[Clarea]

I can only relate oue experience at Nachi. Service was very good. Quiet beach, all day long. We were right on the beach, so the view was unobstructed. Takes about 15 minutes by taxi, and taxi charge was $16 for 1-4 people. Not difficult to get a taxi either at the ship or at Nachi. They say you can have one appetizer, one entree, and one dessert, but I know people get more than that, so it appears that they are not rigid on the food.

[wolfganghowell]

Playa Mia is a zoo - too many people.

 

We love Nachi Cocom. Service is top rate, food is good and plentiful. It's not all you can eat but you will definitely get enough. Since they limit it to 100 guests, the ambiance will depend on those people. It can be quiet, it can be fun loving - it can be both.

 

Never been to Mr Sanchos but hear good things about it.

 

Cabs are more than plentiful in Cozumel. As long as you allow enough time you will not miss the ship. All the beach clubs have cabs waiting there all the time. They are fixed prices leaving the port - there is a big sign at the taxi stand with all the rates. Return prices are not exactly the same but close enough by a few bucks.

 

Another option to look at is Paradise Beach. It's not All Inclusive but we rotate between it and Nachi and spend about the same amount - maybe even a bit less. Paradise Beach is gorgeous, big and has a fantastic giant resort pool as well as the beach.

[bonvoyagebites]

We went to Mr. Sanchos and spent the day. There were quite a few people there, but we found a table off to the side and were not bothered one bit. We relaxed and snacked all day. (and maybe a drink or two )

http://www.everywhereandback.com/mr-sanchos/

 

Enjoy!

[MikeBTN]

It depends on the experience you want. Nachi should be the quietest as they only allow 100 people per day (although if you get a large group of frat brothers, that could change :-) )

 

Playa Mia is the one the ships book through, so it will be fairly busy. You'll get the same service if you book directly through Playa Mia and might save some coin. You'll also be on your own schedule. I've heard the RCCL excursion cuts the day a bit short. Playa Mia will have the most "activities" - slides, music, etc.

 

Mr. Sanchos has both a la carte and all-inclusive options. If you're not heavy drinkers the a la carte may be a better option but from memory you'll be on a different side of the beach. Not that one is better than the other, I just remember being separated.

 

Just note that with all of these options things like snorkeling, jet skis, etc will be an additional cost.

[alora7]

We went to Mr. Sanchos and it was awesome! We did the "Romantic Day at the Beach for 2" and we loved it. I thought it was a fantastic deal. Normal AI admission is $55 pp but the romantic beach day is $200 per couple. It's $90 more but when you factor in everything extra you get, I think it's worth it. You get a covered cabana bed, table, chairs and umbrella. It also included a couples massage and it was one of the best we've ever had. The coconut shrimp is really good. The wait staff was quick and attentive. They have a menu you can order from and they also have a buffet set up that had fajita chicken and steak, queso and several other things. I didn't think it was felt crowded. Getting a taxi is super easy in Cozumel. Follow the signs out of the port and there will be a line to wait for a taxi. We only waited 5 minutes to get in a taxi. It was $16 each way but that was back in May. I heard somewhere that it has gone up to $17 but I'm not positive on that. Getting a taxi back to port is also really easy. We walked out of the resort and there were several taxis waiting. There was a guy there in charge of the taxis who asked us how many people and which pier and then walked us to a taxi. We were a little nervous about the time since the resort started emptying out and our watches only said 1 pm ship time. Turns out, the carnival ship sailed away at 3 while ours didn't leave until 5 or 6 so we had an hour or so with the place almost empty. We got back to the pier with plenty of time to do some souvenir shopping and get back onboard to watch the "running of the drunks."

[cruisegirl1]

I echo WolfgangHowell and fluctuate between Nachi and Paradise Beach. Years ago we liked the all inclusives (nachi, Playa Uvas) but now find we eat and especially drink less during the day. We seem to enjoy a "pay as you go" day. We've had many positive experiences and Paradise Beach. We like Paradise, can't beat that fantastic pool.

 

With that said, I am going against everything I just wrote and we are going back to nachi for our March cruise.

 

 

M

Edited February 29, 2016 by cruisegirl1

[goneclear]

Have done the pay as you go at Mr. Sanchos three times. Food, drinks and service was excellent. Several taxis on site to get you back to port.

[Indymann99]

We did Playa Mia last year but we had 3 kids 9-13 that wanted water slides and to play in the Ocean Adventure Zone. I give it a B. it was crowded so get there early and get a lounge. You have to rent umbrellas but they were cheap. Make sure you take towels from the ship. otherwise you have to rent towels.

 

The kids did have a blast on the water slides, and all the water toys, paddleboards, and the Adventure zone water park out in the ocean.

 

Food was open air buffet and was just ok. We purchased the drink package only to learn after that it only includes beer... Modelo I think, and some fruit punch crap... all other alcohol drinks were extra, and the line was LONG... I just stuck with beer. a $20 bill kept our waiter coming around a lot (serving 4 adults), for the entire day.

 

Oh, we did have internet access there, wasnt great but good enough on our phones.

 

We had a GREAT TAXI driver on the way there and back.

[Luvmypups]

Another vote for Nachi, we've been 4 times and love it. We're headed back there in April. My vote would be to stay away from Playa Mia, too crowded.

[majarosh]

Mr Sanchos does not restrict or limit visitors...locals even. Can get quite loud and crowded with weekend folks...HOWEVER they do have climbing water things

Nachi on the other hand has no water climbing things and limits and minimizes locals

Food bout the same...distance from port 20 minutes (?)

They're right next to each other nachi is first. You can see mr. Sanchos from nachi

Not traveling with kiddos..I appreciated the relative quiet of nachi.

[alexkrn46]

Playa Mia, we have been there several times, always waterside chairs with umbrellas and enjoy it has to offer.

[uoftxchik]

We spent last Friday at Mr. Sancho's. It's $17 each way for a taxi for 1-4 passengers. We got a taxi at the port. The line to get a taxi was about a 20-30 minute wait. Mr. Sancho's is about a 20 minute drive.

 

We booked separately from the ship and got back in plenty of time to shop and get on the boat with time to spare. We left Mr. Sancho's at 3PM for an "all aboard" at 5PM. We arrived about 10:15am and it was very quiet. It was more crowded as the day went on but it was not obnoxiously overcrowded. We had a table with a palapa near our lounge chairs.

 

Mr. Sancho's is very clean and staffed well. The vendors are friendly but call out to you every single time you pass them. Photographers bring out animals for you to take pictures with and then attempt to sell them to you later. We didn't feel harassed or annoyed by them.

 

The food was good (better than average but not gourmet). We did order guacamole but it never showed up. Super tender beef tips, the whole fried fish, coconut shrimp, fish tacos, shrimp quesadilla were yummy. We were very disappointed in the drinks. Frozen drinks had very little alcohol. My husband did order a white Russian that had a bit more power but was still watered down. We felt that this was a money saving tactic for Mr. Sancho's.

 

Make sure you do the fish pedicure at the Islander Fish Spa on the grounds of Mr. Sancho's should you choose to go there.

[Life is Good Cruising]

Another vote for Nachi, $55 pp, unlimited drinks, delicious food, which was plentiful and excellent service to us, on the beach. Plenty of sun or shade if needed under Palm trees or Palapa umbrellas, it was a nice relaxing day. Water was quite calm, clean, no seaweed, saw only a few children. Nachi has a limit of only 100 guests, they also have a fresh water pool and a restaurant if you prefer having lunch there instead of on the beach.

 

We had 6 ships in port and it never felt crowded. Other activities were offered for an additional charge. Gratuities not included.

Cab ride was 15-20 mins. approx. $5-6 pp. Several taxis waiting at Nachi to take guests back to various ships. Can't wait to go back :)

[twisterfreak2280]

We did Paradise Beach 2 weeks ago. It was $16 for the taxi ride from the pier.

 

$3 got you all day access to a deck chair, wifi, pool, and beach. You had to buy a minimum of $10 worth of food but that wasn't hard to do. It was busy but nice. We really enjoyed the big resort pool.

[die_hard]

I suggest Nachi Cocum...by far the best in my opinion.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums mobile app

[rms519]

We did Paradise Beach 2 weeks ago. It was $16 for the taxi ride from the pier.

 

 

 

$3 got you all day access to a deck chair, wifi, pool, and beach. You had to buy a minimum of $10 worth of food but that wasn't hard to do. It was busy but nice. We really enjoyed the big resort pool.

 

 

Agree! We have done PB a few times and it's always a great day!

[Beachiekeen]

We just did Nachi last Friday and loved it. We weren't worried because so many people on this forum have been and loved it. It does not have water toys or much for kids to do so there weren't many of them. Playa Mia would be my last choice. We had nice cab drivers, felt very safe, no problems at all.

 

We shared a cab with a couple who got dropped off at the Intercontinental Presidente. The cab driver said it's very nice and a day pass is $40 but it's not an AI.

 

We got a ton of food at Nachi and it was delicious.

Edited March 1, 2016 by Beachiekeen

[MattInFLL]

Nachi. Serene. Great staff. Great food. Good drinks. I have been there 4 different times.

[1northstar]

We stop by Cozumel twice a year. We have been to all of the all inclusives mentioned . Hands down our #1 pick is Mr Sancho's. Enjoy your trip!

[champagne123]

Your head must be spinning...:eek:

 

Not sure what you are looking for. Quiet/Fun/Lots of activities...etc.

 

If you get a chance, and although Paradise Beach is not all inclusive....it is wonderful. So much fun, beautiful and tons to do. Beautiful pool..pristine bathrooms...massages...shops...parrots...free wi-fi... Great food and cocktails.

 

Look at their website. 10 minute cab ride and when you are ready to return, there are tons of shuttle buses and cabs in the parking lot waiting to take everyone back to the ship.

[davy jones]

Your head must be spinning...:eek:

 

 

Mine certainly is... :)

 

The good news is it appears that all are good and it comes down to personal preference.

 

Does Paradise Beach get crowded?

[BillOh]

I can only relate oue experience at Nachi. Service was very good. Quiet beach, all day long. We were right on the beach, so the view was unobstructed. Takes about 15 minutes by taxi, and taxi charge was $16 for 1-4 people. Not difficult to get a taxi either at the ship or at Nachi. They say you can have one appetizer, one entree, and one dessert, but I know people get more than that, so it appears that they are not rigid on the food.

 

My only personal experience was also with Nachi Cocom. On my last Freedom cruise I was debating between Nachi and Mr Sancho's. The first deciding factor was many of my new friends from the roll call were going to Nachi, so I chose based on that. My experience with dealing with the people at Nachi for the reservation was very good. The day was good. I'd go back easily.

[BillOh]

Playa Mia is a zoo - too many people.

 

I was unimpressed by Playa Mia, but that was 2008. It was the official Rc sponsored excursion. At the same location was a Mexican cooking class that got to spend some time at the beach. Everyone that did the cooking part loved it.

[RosebudA]

We've only been to Playa Mia and we wouldn't return. My oldest daughter liked the climb on water playground, but the sand was rocky and it was very crowded. We had no trouble finding seats, we did it on our own to save a few bucks which was good, but the food was just ok. Lots of better options out there from what we've read for this summer.