New Mexico itinerary- has any been to these ports??

[GroomsportGirl]

Hi - I understand the disappointment of the change to the Cuba cruises.....sorry for all those affected.  Vacation is something we all look forward to and it is hard when plans change.

 

My husband and I were looking at the new itinerary and all the stops are new to us (thinking mid November).  Has anyone been to any of the Mexico ports?  What are the highlights or things we should be aware of?

 

thanks

[Kingofcool1947]

3 minutes ago, GroomsportGirl said:

Hi - I understand the disappointment of the change to the Cuba cruises.....sorry for all those affected.  Vacation is something we all look forward to and it is hard when plans change.

 

My husband and I were looking at the new itinerary and all the stops are new to us (thinking mid November).  Has anyone been to any of the Mexico ports?  What are the highlights or things we should be aware of?

 

thanks

 

Yes.

Enjoy your cruise.

[Hawaiidan]

4 minutes ago, GroomsportGirl said:

Hi - I understand the disappointment of the change to the Cuba cruises.....sorry for all those affected.  Vacation is something we all look forward to and it is hard when plans change.

 

My husband and I were looking at the new itinerary and all the stops are new to us (thinking mid November).  Has anyone been to any of the Mexico ports?  What are the highlights or things we should be aware of?

 

thanks

The highlights.... leaving the port.. 

 They all seem like a honkey-tonk of vendors, hustlers and  ner-do wells.   Most all the ports are heavily visited by up to 10-15,000 passengers a day with the advent of the Mega- monsters  making them a human zoo. 

   When faced with Mexican ports,  we now just stay on the ship rather than have an unpleasant/ un safe experience .  Others may love it...Living close to mexico for  over 50 years has colored  my thinking...... I see the forest  for the trees..

Id opt for a different cruise if it were me  or a refund. 

[Roccaforte]

We’re also considering a November cruise.  Have been to all of the new ports of call.  They are not ideal but we have had some good visits.  We contact in advance whatever seems to be the most upscale resort and arrange a day pass and driver.  Check Trip Advisor for info.  Since we love beach - snorkel activities this works for us.  There’s a lot to be said for sipping a tropical drink under a palm tree.  We have also visited some very interesting Mayan Ruins and enjoyed those trips. Visited Havana in March and although it was interesting I wouldn’t go again.  Conditions were too depressing.  Of course, life onboard is the best part of the trip.  No matter the port it’s always good to come back to beautiful accommodations, a cold cocktail and a gourmet meal. Oceania is offering great deals because of the cancellations.  Maybe we’ll see you on board😄😄😄.

 

[GroomsportGirl]

Thanks for your views....bit of a mixed bag.  The ports for the 16 November are Costa Maya, Harvest Caye, Roatan, Cozumel.

[Mura]

I was thinking I might be able to make a suggestion for Roatan because we were there in May 2015 on our Lima-NYC cruise ... only according to my diary it was raining so hard that several tours were cancelled ... So we ended up just staying on board that day.

 

There was a large market right at the docks where I was able to stock up on liquor ... but they sold a lot more than alcohol!

 

So that's all I know about Roatan.  Supposedly it is a good beach area.  Ship's tours described it this way:  "Luxuriate on the magnificent beaches, snorkel or dive and explore the superb shallow reefs, or discover the island's other natural wonders on a horseback ride on the beach and through a tropical forest past spectacular volcanic rocks."

 

They also mentioned a nature preserve there.

 

Mura

[RJB]

6 hours ago, GroomsportGirl said:

Hi - I understand the disappointment of the change to the Cuba cruises.....sorry for all those affected.  Vacation is something we all look forward to and it is hard when plans change.

 

My husband and I were looking at the new itinerary and all the stops are new to us (thinking mid November).  Has anyone been to any of the Mexico ports?  What are the highlights or things we should be aware of?

 

thanks

We would not go anyplace in Mexico.. Very unsafe.  Seems to be the murder capital of the world.  Body's on tourist beaches.  Look at the headlines the last few years.  Rather stay home.  

[NickCarraway]

We have not been to any of these ports and have never had any interest in a Caribbean cruise, but the price was so attractive that we decided it would be a relaxing vacation as winter starts to grip Canada. I can tell you what  we are doing which may help you think about possibilities.

 

 Costa Maya: There are a number of well-reviewed beach clubs fairly close to the port, but we decided on a more remote one 20-30 minutes south that is quieter and has snorkeling off the beach. Almaplena Eco Beach Resort, http://www.almaplenabeachresort.com/

 

Harvest Caye, Belize is an island owned by NCL with beaches, pools, restaurants, etc.  From the videos, it looks nice enough if rather sterile. There is a ferry that goes to Placencia on the mainland, which is what we plan to do and explore on our own for a while.

 

Roatan, Honduras: We have booked a tour through Rony's Tours, http://ronystours.com/. We chose to do a private, free-style tour, but there are lots of options.

 

Cozumel: Again, we booked a beach club based on Trip Advisor and Cruise Critic reviews, Nachi Cocom, https://www.cozumelnachicocom.com/ for a relaxing day on the beach.

 

None of this is very exciting or enlightening or mind-expanding, but that's not the point of this cruise. And frankly it will be a refreshing change after too many cathedrals and quaint cobblestone streets in Europe.

[Sny]

We're doing similar cruise with those stops at the end of January on the Riviera.  We're looking at various private tours, using TripAdvisor; but, if nothing is very tempting, it's easy to stay on the ship... sit on the deck and soak up the Vitamin D. 

NickCarraway, I'll be watching for your reviews.  I assume that your cruise is prior to ours.  

[GroomsportGirl]

Thanks for more suggestions!  I think the private resorts and tours appeal to us (hopefully safer and bit less mass-tourist/loud/crowded) - I think one of the days there are 4 other super large ships in port (hideous).  

 

But the refurbished insignia looks lovely so even if we stay on board....this could work out! 

 

Roccaforta or NickCarraway - are either of you thinking about 16 November cruise?

[Shawnino]

Costa Maya is OK if you get out to the ruins.

We went to Chacchoben with Native Choice and learned a lot.

The port itself is owned by middle eastern developers and is an absolute cesspit.

[edgee]

1 hour ago, RJB said:

We would not go anyplace in Mexico.. Very unsafe.  Seems to be the murder capital of the world.  Body's on tourist beaches.  Look at the headlines the last few years.  Rather stay home.  

What a horrible generalization. Look at the State Department warnings and they vary by location. Yes, there are issues in some areas, but many places in Mexico are perfectly fine. Now if you want to have a discussion about what Mexican ports do and do not have to offer, many are less than great ports of call.  Also, depending on time of year some Mexican ports are overwhelmed with too many ships. We were in Cozumel on Oceania Riviera last March and the port shopping areas were body to body with tens of thousands of cruise ship passengers. 

Edited June 26, 2019 by edgee
Clarity

[clo]

1 hour ago, RJB said:

We would not go anyplace in Mexico.. Very unsafe.  Seems to be the murder capital of the world.  Body's on tourist beaches.  Look at the headlines the last few years.  Rather stay home.  

This is just one of numerous articles that refute this.

 

https://internationalliving.com/is-it-safe-to-travel-in-mexico/

[WNcruiser]

5 hours ago, GroomsportGirl said:

Thanks for your views....bit of a mixed bag.  The ports for the 16 November are Costa Maya, Harvest Caye, Roatan, Cozumel.

It’s a shame some people live their life in fear. Anyway, we were at all of those ports in February on Riviera. 

 

Nick gives some good advice. Nachi cocom is great in Cozumel, have been there three times. Nice private beach, pool and all inclusive for around $55 including lunch. For Roatan we used Victor Bodden but Ronys is good as well. West Bay beach was nice but full of vender. Victor owns his own monkey and animal refuge which is worth a visit. 

 

We loved Harvest Caye. It has a huge pool with bars and restaurants and a large beach with loungers. We played volleyball with some of the crew which was fun. Yes it was built for cruise passengers but who cares, it’s a nice set up. Lots of local shops as well. 

 

Hope that helps. 

[NickCarraway]

1 hour ago, GroomsportGirl said:

Thanks for more suggestions!  I think the private resorts and tours appeal to us (hopefully safer and bit less mass-tourist/loud/crowded) - I think one of the days there are 4 other super large ships in port (hideous).  

 

But the refurbished insignia looks lovely so even if we stay on board....this could work out! 

 

Roccaforta or NickCarraway - are either of you thinking about 16 November cruise?

Yes, we will be on the Nov. 16 cruise.

[Roccaforte]

No😩. We just booked 11/9.  Only week we are free.

[CintiPam]

1.  We too very much enjoyed our beach day at Nachi Cocum at Cozumel.  

 

2.  We also highly recommend visiting Chacchoben with Native Choice when you port at Costa Maya.  Excellent guide and fascinating ruins.

 

 

Edited June 27, 2019 by CintiPam

[Guindalf]

We’v Been to all but Harvest Caye, which is an alternative to a five-mile tender into Belize City. 

 

Key west rest is nice. Safe and quite touristy. We took a trolley tour and enjoyed it, but it was some time ago. We’re not prudes, but there were a lot of t-shirt stores touting shirts incorporating the f word!

 

I’ll refrain from commenting on Roatan as we had a very bad guide and didn’t enjoy our tour. 

 

CostaMaya - tour the Chachoben ruins! We’ Also booked with The Native Choice for their Mayan experience tour.

 

Looking forward to the R & R as much as the ports this trip. We’ll be in Alaska a month later!

[GroomsportGirl]

Thanks again everyone for your comments - incredibly helpful and if we take the plunge....look forward to seeing some of you onboard!

[ORV]

I've heard Santa Fe is nice in the fall. 

[Hawaiidan]

41 minutes ago, ORV said:

I've heard Santa Fe is nice in the fall. 

Yes...in  reading" New Mexico" cruise..... I was thinking the spring runoff  had made the Pecos navigable

[Hawaiidan]

16 hours ago, WNcruiser said:

It’s a shame some people live their life in fear. Anyway, we were at all of those ports in February on Riviera. 

 

 

No....   not fear... its just rather obvious of the risks.  How many decades  of bad things does it take to see the big picture.?   

  There are things people do that are dumb and things that people do that are stupid.....Visiting Mexico, Syria, Afghanistan   are BOTH  ignorance as always ,is bliss

[Hoopster95]

On 6/26/2019 at 10:12 AM, GroomsportGirl said:

Thanks for your views....bit of a mixed bag.  The ports for the 16 November are Costa Maya, Harvest Caye, Roatan, Cozumel.

 

Roatan:

Roatan's West End and West Bay beaches are voted in the top 10 in the Caribbean. They are beautiful, however when there are many ships in port, they get unbelievably crowded. Check out this private beach club, with transportation included from the cruise pier: https://www.roatanexcursions.com/tour/San-Simon-Beach-Club-All-Inclusive-Getaway/

 

I've also done this as a great day away from the ship, especially if you like animals: https://www.boddentours.com/.

Take a look at the "Fun'n'Sun" excursion: https://www.boddentours.com/highlights.htm

 

Costa Maya:

There are a ton of "private" beach clubs here to choose from, some better than others in my opinion.

#1 one is Maya Chan in my opinion. Last time in Cost Maya, I booked a cruise last minute (3 months out) and Maya Chan was fully booked. After some research I booked Yaya Beach Club all-inclusive

 

 

https://www.yayabeachclub.com/

 

 

 

 

 

Cozumel:

So much to do here... do not be a lazy cruiser and walk around the port for 1/2 hour and then complain about how disappointing the port is.

Chakanaab Park is a $10 taxi and makes for a superb day!  https://www.cozumelparks.com/en/home/

The all-inclusive Nachi Cocum is a great beach club.  http://www.cozumelnachicocom.com/

My favorite thing to do is rent an open air jeep for the day and drive around the island, stopping at various beaches and bars, rock formations/blow holes, DIY tour through San Gervasio Mayan ruins, etc

 

 

Have fun planning and have a great cruise! 😊

 

Edited June 27, 2019 by Hoopster95

[Hoopster95]

15 minutes ago, Hoopster95 said:

Costa Maya:

 

 

Ugh... forgot to mention one of my favorite days off a cruise ship in a Mexican port...

I visited the 2 Mayan ruins of Dzibanche & Kohunlich from Costa Maya... they're about 2 hours away from the port, so I feel a cruise sponsored excursion is necessary to ensure the transportation from that distance. I don't know if Oceania offers a tour here. These ruins were fantastic to visit, and at the time we were able to climb ... don"t know if that's true today

 

 

Edited June 27, 2019 by Hoopster95

[ATSEAMYLIFE]

If in Costa Maya you must try to book the Maya Chan beach club.  We booked it two years ago and had a wonderful day even though it rained most of the day.  The staff did everything the could to make our day enjoyable.  

 

It's small and books up quickly.  I recall it's limited to about 75 people.  The ride out is a little tough.  It's about 30 minutes.  The first ten aren't bad the remainder is pretty bumpy.  They take it slow but be prepared.  It's totally worth it once you get there.