Private Driver for the Day - Party of 9, New to Cozumel, Light Drinking...

[mmbrad02]

First off, please be patient with me.  I LOVE to plan but this is our first Western Caribbean itinerary so as the main planner of our group I'm kind of getting msyelf overwhelmed!

 

We are looking at sailing the Carnival Mardi Gras in June with a stop in Cozumel.  We are a party of 9, ranging from age 14 to 50-ish.  We are not really looking for a full beach day nor are we drinkers, so taking a taxi to a beach/bar doesn't really appeal that much.  We do LOVE the beautiful beach views and such, but we have a beach day later in our trip.

 

That said, we did find one excursion through Carnival that could work, but I've been reading about hiring a private driver for the day and wondering if that would be better for our group.  I'm looking for ideas of what you would request your driver to take you to see.  None of us are history buffs but should we plan to do a Ruins stop?  Do we have to arrange/pay for a specific tour of that ahead of time?  Or can you just show up that day and pay onsite and proceed?  We climbed the Queen's Staircase last year in Nassau and went to Fort Fincastle and enjoyed that, and I know ruins are not the same thing but wondering if this would be similar as far something to arrange for our group.  What kind of time frame should one allow for that?

 

I know some people have mentioned chocolate factories in their reviews but I'm not sure if that would appeal to everyone in our group and then it also looked like we would need to book that ahead? (so then you are tied down to the time you booked?)  I guess I'm wondering if that would cut into the flexibility of the day.

 

We would like good photo opportunities, to hear anything interesting the driver can share about the island, etc.  How is the lighthouse, would you recommend that as a stop?  We went to the Lighthouse last year at Grand Turk (via golfcart) and it was fine but I wouldn't need to return.

 

Any suggestions you would have are appreciated!

 

 

 

 

[c-leg5]

58 minutes ago, mmbrad02 said:

First off, please be patient with me.  I LOVE to plan but this is our first Western Caribbean itinerary so as the main planner of our group I'm kind of getting msyelf overwhelmed!

 

We are looking at sailing the Carnival Mardi Gras in June with a stop in Cozumel.  We are a party of 9, ranging from age 14 to 50-ish.  We are not really looking for a full beach day nor are we drinkers, so taking a taxi to a beach/bar doesn't really appeal that much.  We do LOVE the beautiful beach views and such, but we have a beach day later in our trip.

 

That said, we did find one excursion through Carnival that could work, but I've been reading about hiring a private driver for the day and wondering if that would be better for our group.  I'm looking for ideas of what you would request your driver to take you to see.  None of us are history buffs but should we plan to do a Ruins stop?  Do we have to arrange/pay for a specific tour of that ahead of time?  Or can you just show up that day and pay onsite and proceed?  We climbed the Queen's Staircase last year in Nassau and went to Fort Fincastle and enjoyed that, and I know ruins are not the same thing but wondering if this would be similar as far something to arrange for our group.  What kind of time frame should one allow for that?

 

I know some people have mentioned chocolate factories in their reviews but I'm not sure if that would appeal to everyone in our group and then it also looked like we would need to book that ahead? (so then you are tied down to the time you booked?)  I guess I'm wondering if that would cut into the flexibility of the day.

 

We would like good photo opportunities, to hear anything interesting the driver can share about the island, etc.  How is the lighthouse, would you recommend that as a stop?  We went to the Lighthouse last year at Grand Turk (via golfcart) and it was fine but I wouldn't need to return.

 

Any suggestions you would have are appreciated!

 

 

 

 

Difficult to tell from the tone of your post what you actually WANT  to do? 
 

do you want a sampler tour of the island with lots of “little” stops for photos?

 

Do you want a local lunch?  

 

do you want some sightseeing and then an “activity”  (relaxing on the  beach, snorkeling, pool, fishing, helmet diving, parasailing, cooking, water sports) for just an hour or two? Punta Sur and the lighthouse could certainly occupy 1-3 hours in itself. I would skip the ruins for a first time visit - they are interesting and a nice walk with bug spray and water but certainly not a must-do event. 

 

Do some of your party want one thing and others another? 

 

a private driver could certainly accomplish any of this. You could customize a tour for 3-6 hours as you wish. There are several drivers out there that you can pre-book. We usually use Tours Plaza and a quick chat with Eduardo in administration could certainly suggest some places of interest according to your needs.

 

lots of possibilities out there - as usual a lot comes down to budget and requirements. 

[mmbrad02]

9 hours ago, c-leg5 said:

Difficult to tell from the tone of your post what you actually WANT  to do? 
 

do you want a sampler tour of the island with lots of “little” stops for photos?

 

Do you want a local lunch?  

 

do you want some sightseeing and then an “activity”  (relaxing on the  beach, snorkeling, pool, fishing, helmet diving, parasailing, cooking, water sports) for just an hour or two? Punta Sur and the lighthouse could certainly occupy 1-3 hours in itself. I would skip the ruins for a first time visit - they are interesting and a nice walk with bug spray and water but certainly not a must-do event. 

 

Do some of your party want one thing and others another? 

 

a private driver could certainly accomplish any of this. You could customize a tour for 3-6 hours as you wish. There are several drivers out there that you can pre-book. We usually use Tours Plaza and a quick chat with Eduardo in administration could certainly suggest some places of interest according to your needs.

 

lots of possibilities out there - as usual a lot comes down to budget and requirements. 

 

Thank you!  Your response has helped me gather my thoughts.  Cause honestly when I started playing around with the idea of a private driver, I had no idea what to put together or how to figure out what we wanted verses what we did not want.

 

The way you worded your response helped me see how we could arrange our day.  It's complicated with (what I consider) a larger party with a few different opinions on what to see verses what to skip as well was how much to spend.  

 

The main company I was looking at was Tours Plaza - I assume you have been happy and successful with them?  So would an acceptable option be to tell the driver we want a sample tour of the island with lots of photo stops?  Is there  public beach we could stop at for say 30 minutes to an hour at the end to dip our toes in?  We don't want to pay for a full beach day for the afternoon or anything; we don't need amenities per say.

 

 

 

[c-leg5]

12 hours ago, mmbrad02 said:

 

Thank you!  Your response has helped me gather my thoughts.  Cause honestly when I started playing around with the idea of a private driver, I had no idea what to put together or how to figure out what we wanted verses what we did not want.

 

The way you worded your response helped me see how we could arrange our day.  It's complicated with (what I consider) a larger party with a few different opinions on what to see verses what to skip as well was how much to spend.  

 

The main company I was looking at was Tours Plaza - I assume you have been happy and successful with them?  So would an acceptable option be to tell the driver we want a sample tour of the island with lots of photo stops?  Is there  public beach we could stop at for say 30 minutes to an hour at the end to dip our toes in?  We don't want to pay for a full beach day for the afternoon or anything; we don't need amenities per say.

 

 

 

Yes we have used Tours Plaza multiple times since about 2010 with various sized groups although not recently. Not the cheapest option but very reliable. 
 

Contact Eduardo to discuss the type of experience you want. Their website has suggestions for different tour lengths. In the early days I  had generally done my research in advance and knew exactly where I wanted to go . These days it is mainly re-visits but always looking out for new locations but for first time tours the driver usually starts with a map of the island before you set off and discusses possibilities. Children may like one of the Mayan centers. 

 

A couple of words of caution as you prepare your plan - you mention June - it is likely to be extremely hot or possibility of hurricane approaching. Follow the drivers lead regarding sargassum if you intend to visit the east coast. It will probably be OK for sightseeing and jumping in and about if the car at Coconuts and El Mirador but you may need to approach with caution lingering at beach stops. Pity because Plays Moreno and San Francisco are two of the best beaches around when circumstances are right. 
 

The light house , crocodiles and beach at Punta Sur could be interesting for kids but be aware you have to pay an entrance fee to the National  Park. You could easily stop off on your way back at Playa Palancar for a short beach break - they have always charged for loungers but we always just take tables and chairs for a short break BUT check with Eduardo as I heard they have started  charging an  entrance fee - may be waived late in the afternoon?  Also late on, Paradise may let you in PAYG - lots of cruisers leave at 2. 
 

As an alternative to touring, have you considered just grabbing a taxi to Chankanaab, or Cabana Beach section. Lots of activities for those that want, or sit and relax for those that want. Or Bucannos - better beach food but closed Mondays.