Do I have time for Playa del Carmen?

[junk121]

We are in Couzmel 8/18/06 from 9-6pm tendered from RCCL. I want to go on this ATV excurison but fear I will not have the time. It seems the Cozumel one through RCCL is not only Expensive but the island ATV tours are trashed. I want to go to the mainland and hope for a better 2 hour tour using a recommended site here.

 

http://www.travelnotes.cc/cozumel/tours/atvexplorer.php

 

We tender at cozumel and I realize I would need to take a ferry. Is it far to get to?? Am I getting in to too much? I have seen Cancun (it's all the same really) and really want to try something different. But I am a first timer.

 

The cost is twenty bucks cheaper ($48 for ATV, $10 for ferry and $10 for taxi) but the tour may be better, smaller. Whatya think?

[solita]

Here is a copy of my response to your other post about this...

 

Where did you get the idea that either of the two ATV tours here are trashed after the storm? Neither are! The jungle ATV tour is booked every day and receives huge praise. The beach ATV tour goes through some of the coolest jungle and to a gorgeous beach.

 

You have the cost of travel to the mainland and timings a little mixed up too.

So, let´s but this in perspective...you are on either Rhapsody or Mariner...they both get here at 9 and leave at 6 local. If you are sure you are tendering, then you are on Mariner. In that case, you will not be able to get off the ship until all of the mainland tour guests have boarded and left as well as the guests on the Cozumel tours. So figure that the ship will not get clearance to disembark pax until 9:15 and it won´t be until 10 til you can get off the ship. Cost of taxi is $6 to fiscal pier and about 15 minutes from SSA so you will have to wait for the 12 noon ferry.

The ferry schedule runs from Cozumel to PDC:

5, 7, 8, 9, 10, 12, 2, 4, 5, 6, 8, 10

The cost of the ferry is $12 one way and approx 35 minutes. So you will arrive at PDC at approx. 12:45 and walk to the taxis (about 10 minutes). Then you have to pay for a taxi in Playa to your ATV tour site...not sure which of the 4 there you are interested in but only 2 cater to non cruiseship passengers, 2 only deal direct. So just figure that you won´t get to site until 1:30.

 

Then you have to repeat the whole process to get back to your ship. You have to be on board 30 minutes before ship sails, last tender leaves pier for your ship one hour before. So that means you will have to be back on the pier no later than 5. And that means that you will have leave Playa on the 3 pm ferry since the next one is at 5.

PDC to Cozumel:

6, 8, 9, 10, 11, 1, 3, 5, 6, 7, 9, 11

 

There is no way that you will be able to make the tour if it is 2 hours. And the transportation cost is approx. $46 per person. Sounds do-able until you look at all the real numbers.