Magic Western

[daniella1279]

If we booked this it would be all new stops for us. DH, DDS(10) and myself. We aren't huge beach fans but wouldn't mind 1 all inclusive beach day. I know my DH would love to see some ruins. Any advice on what to see and do?

 

the stops are Cozumel, Costa Maya, Belize and Mahogany Bay.

 

Thanks

Danielle

[k2excursion]

Belize has a couple Mayan ruins excursions. We went to Altun Ha. It was a long bus ride, but the ruins were interesting, and we got to climb to the top of the really tall one. It's best to book this through the ship, because it's a very long tender ride, then a very long bus ride.

 

Cozumel would be best for your all-inclusive beach day. My favorite beach club there is Paradise Beach, but that isn't all-inclusive. You order food/drink as you go, which works great for us, since we don't eat/drink that much. But Mr Sanchos has similar activies to Paradise Beach (inflatables in the water for the young & young at heart), but they also have an all-inclusive option for food/drink there. So Mr Sanchos is probably your best option. Nachi Cocum is an all-inclusive, but it's geared more for couples looking for nothing but peace & quiet. Not the best family option. Do these on your own, not through the ship. The ship does have an all-inclusive option, but it's more expensive & not any better than Mr Sanchos.

 

Roatan (Mahogany Bay) should be your port to get out & explore. This is by far the best port in the Western Caribbean. It will be very tempting to just go to that manmade beach right next to the ship, but don't do that. Use Cozumel as your lazy beach day instead. Roatan is a beautiful, mountainous island that has so much to offer. Book a private tour of the island. We used Victor Bodden (one of several options), and had our own driver for the day, picked what we wanted to do & left out what we didn't, and the price was very low. If you like snorkeling, the west end of the island has some of the best you'll ever see. The people who just stay at that beach next to the ship are missing out on one of the best islands there is.

[daniella1279]

Belize has a couple Mayan ruins excursions. We went to Altun Ha. It was a long bus ride, but the ruins were interesting, and we got to climb to the top of the really tall one. It's best to book this through the ship, because it's a very long tender ride, then a very long bus ride.

 

 

 

Cozumel would be best for your all-inclusive beach day. My favorite beach club there is Paradise Beach, but that isn't all-inclusive. You order food/drink as you go, which works great for us, since we don't eat/drink that much. But Mr Sanchos has similar activies to Paradise Beach (inflatables in the water for the young & young at heart), but they also have an all-inclusive option for food/drink there. So Mr Sanchos is probably your best option. Nachi Cocum is an all-inclusive, but it's geared more for couples looking for nothing but peace & quiet. Not the best family option. Do these on your own, not through the ship. The ship does have an all-inclusive option, but it's more expensive & not any better than Mr Sanchos.

 

 

 

Roatan (Mahogany Bay) should be your port to get out & explore. This is by far the best port in the Western Caribbean. It will be very tempting to just go to that manmade beach right next to the ship, but don't do that. Use Cozumel as your lazy beach day instead. Roatan is a beautiful, mountainous island that has so much to offer. Book a private tour of the island. We used Victor Bodden (one of several options), and had our own driver for the day, picked what we wanted to do & left out what we didn't, and the price was very low. If you like snorkeling, the west end of the island has some of the best you'll ever see. The people who just stay at that beach next to the ship are missing out on one of the best islands there is.

 

 

 

Thank you so much on your info!

[daniella1279]

Paradise beach locks awesome! How much does it cost to use the water inflatables?

 

 

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[luv2trvlnow]

Paradise beach locks awesome! How much does it cost to use the water inflatables?

 

 

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According to the website it costs $18. Here is a link to what is included in that $18. I have bought the pass once and I am in my 60's. My adult son gets it every time.

http://www.paradise-beach-cozumel.com/team-post/fun-pass/

[daniella1279]

According to the website it costs $18. Here is a link to what is included in that $18. I have bought the pass once and I am in my 60's. My adult son gets it every time.

 

http://www.paradise-beach-cozumel.com/team-post/fun-pass/

 

 

 

Thanks for the link! I was looking at reviews on trip-advisor.

 

Danielle

[ABQrobin]

Belize for the best ruins, hands down. Trips are about 2 hours bus each way, but worth it. We did Xunantunich last year on my birthday and it was incredible. They feed you an authentic lunch, too.

 

Cozumel is best for snorkeling, diving, all water activities. There are some nice beach clubs, like Mr Sanchos, etc. with food and water toys. It is a flat island. All the good ruins and jungle adventures are on the Mainland (ferry ride).

 

Mahogany Bay Roatan... also has great beaches but not really AI type clubs. Great snorkeling and diving all over the island. It is a heavy jungle island, with monkeys and iguanas. Very tropical. Lots to do.

[Jolewis1436]

If we booked this it would be all new stops for us. DH, DDS(10) and myself. We aren't huge beach fans but wouldn't mind 1 all inclusive beach day. I know my DH would love to see some ruins. Any advice on what to see and do?

 

the stops are Cozumel, Costa Maya, Belize and Mahogany Bay.

 

Thanks

Danielle

 

We had a great time at Mr. Sanchos a week ago. Here's a copy of my previous post....

 

Cozumel-We were the first of only two ships in port. Went to Mr. Sanchos and it was fantastic. $23 taxi each way for the five of us. $210 total at Mr. Sanchos for the all-inclusive. We thought it was worth it. We got a table/umbrella and two loungers right on the beach. Kids had fun snorkeling and gathering shells/dead coral. Buffet or menu food brought right to the table. Two pools with walk up bar. It was nice not worrying about how much the kids ate and how many virgin daiquiris they wanted. I was impressed with the bartenders/bar manager cutting off a group that was getting rowdy.

[daniella1279]

We had a great time at Mr. Sanchos a week ago. Here's a copy of my previous post....

 

 

 

Cozumel-We were the first of only two ships in port. Went to Mr. Sanchos and it was fantastic. $23 taxi each way for the five of us. $210 total at Mr. Sanchos for the all-inclusive. We thought it was worth it. We got a table/umbrella and two loungers right on the beach. Kids had fun snorkeling and gathering shells/dead coral. Buffet or menu food brought right to the table. Two pools with walk up bar. It was nice not worrying about how much the kids ate and how many virgin daiquiris they wanted. I was impressed with the bartenders/bar manager cutting off a group that was getting rowdy.

 

 

 

Thanks for your info! I did read your orginal post the other day. Great info!

[daniella1279]

If you were to pick 1 of the ports to stay on board which would you pick? Sometimes it's nice to kind of have the ship to yourself.

 

 

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[k2excursion]

If you were to pick 1 of the ports to stay on board which would you pick? Sometimes it's nice to kind of have the ship to yourself.

 

 

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Ordinarily, I might say Belize, just because it's my least favorite of the 4. However, that's the port with good Mayan ruins that you can go to. So if you really want to do those, then I would say Costa Maya instead. In my previous post, I somehow missed that you said you were going to Costa Maya also. I did this itinerary on the Dream in 2010, which is still my favorite cruise of all.

 

Costa Maya has a complex built right at the port, which many people like to stay at. You could also grab a cheap cab to the beach nearby, which is what we did for awhile, then came back to the port area. But if you want a day where you can have a mostly empty ship, I think Costa Maya offers the least of the 4 ports, even though I did really enjoy our lazy beach day there.