Cozumel: Passion Island vs Delux Beach Break Playa Mia

[Oville]

Hi, we're going on the Liberty in Sept and stopping in Cozumel. We've narrowed our excursions to beach breaks: Passion Island or Playa Mia. Would love to hear feedback on both of these places.

 

Thanks!

[Time2Shipout]

Hi there, I can only tell you about Passion Island, we did it back in January of this year, and we wouldn't hesitate to do it again, great fun, very relaxing, was a great day. We were shuttled over by van to a boat that took us over to the island, given a briefing on the lunch buffet and open bar, things that were available, then we set out to find our own little piece of paradise (envision the Corona commercials on t.v). You could pick out a hammock, lounge chair, umbrella or cabana type bed......Buffet was good, some of the best guacamole we have ever had, one of the waitstaff even got me the recipe :D and open bar with margaritas were ok, there were other "beverages" to choose from also. There were some organized beach games, so you could choose to do whatever you wanted. The water was kind of murky the day we were there, but everything else was wonderful, oh yes, and vendors selling items but they didn't bother you, you could wander around the vendors or just wander off.........:) Hope this helps a bit........Kathy and Don

[Oville]

Hi there, I can only tell you about Passion Island, we did it back in January of this year, and we wouldn't hesitate to do it again, great fun, very relaxing, was a great day. We were shuttled over by van to a boat that took us over to the island, given a briefing on the lunch buffet and open bar, things that were available, then we set out to find our own little piece of paradise (envision the Corona commercials on t.v). You could pick out a hammock, lounge chair, umbrella or cabana type bed......Buffet was good, some of the best guacamole we have ever had, one of the waitstaff even got me the recipe :D and open bar with margaritas were ok, there were other "beverages" to choose from also. There were some organized beach games, so you could choose to do whatever you wanted. The water was kind of murky the day we were there, but everything else was wonderful, oh yes, and vendors selling items but they didn't bother you, you could wander around the vendors or just wander off.........:) Hope this helps a bit........Kathy and Don

 

Thanks for the info! Really appreciate it.

[beach girl66]

We did the playa mia beachbreak, it was great, the water was clear the buffet was good and the margarita's were great. We tipped the waiter Edwardo and he didn't hover but when your glass was getting low he was right there to offer a refill. It was a great day, very relaxing...

[Oville]

We did the playa mia beachbreak, it was great, the water was clear the buffet was good and the margarita's were great. We tipped the waiter Edwardo and he didn't hover but when your glass was getting low he was right there to offer a refill. It was a great day, very relaxing...

 

Thanks to you too. We still haven't decided, and all feedback is greatly appreciated.

 

One question. How long does it take to get there and can you catch a taxi if you want to leave early?

[diamond girl 000]

Hi Kathryn -

 

We will be going to Playa Mia, along with Sdear on this trip (Liberty 9/8). I don't know about arranging your own return from Passion Island, but I took a taxi back from Playa Mia in January at my own leisure. I think the taxi was about $12 each way. I thought it was a nice place with decent food.

 

Hope this helps!

 

Sande

[Oville]

Hi Kathryn -

 

We will be going to Playa Mia, along with Sdear on this trip (Liberty 9/8). I don't know about arranging your own return from Passion Island, but I took a taxi back from Playa Mia in January at my own leisure. I think the taxi was about $12 each way. I thought it was a nice place with decent food.

 

Hope this helps!

 

Sande

 

Hey, we're on the 9/8 trip also. Thanks for the tip.

[diamond girl 000]

No problem;)

I recognized you from the roll call. Look forward to meeting you at the Meet & Mingle.:)

[Oville]

No problem;)

I recognized you from the roll call. Look forward to meeting you at the Meet & Mingle.:)

 

Hi, when were you on the Explorer in May? We also sailed at that time.

[truffles2]

I enjoyed the pool at Playa Mia. The beach has those saucers that are difficult to get in and out of....

[ckrobyn]

I hate to be a kill joy - but the Deluxe Beach Break at Playa Mia in Cozumel is anything but deluxe.

 

I did this excursion last November and was not impressed. The so called lounge chairs were made of a hard plastic foam material and basically sunk so far into the sand you may have well been lying on a towel.

 

The buffet was minimal - what really turned me off was the number of flies all around the food.

 

There is a small pool as well - spent some time here which wasn't bad.

 

Maybe my expectations were set too high, but this beach break was not deluxe.

 

Oh, and if you are looking to enjoy a Corona beer - forget it, they don't sell Corona anywhere at Playa Mia :rolleyes:

[twinlges]

I, too, can only tell you about passion island, but I can tell you it was awesome!!!!!!!!! I doubt if you can get a taxi off as it is an island, and you have to ferry there-but I can't imagine a reason to want to leave there early!! The beach is exactly like a Corona commercial. Hugo and Leo were our guides to get there and they organized the activities on the island. We were just there in the beginning of July and I think it's the best excursion we ever went on. The only thing is DON"T judge it by the ride there--I was panicked on our way--the road to it is FILLED with pot holes and the ferry ride over makes the water look terrible, but when you get to the island--it is by far the most beautiful beach you have ever seen and the food and the drinks are great and plentiful! Personally I hope they keep the road like that, because it'l may detract people from going and keep it as pristine as it is!! I LOVED it and so did my kids--who are really discerning as far as food and atmosphere!! (4 teenage girls) Hope this helps!

[maxs mom]

I agree with Robyn. The last time we went to Playa Mia....It was wall to wall people, it was loud, to get to the water you had to step over about 50 people.......like she said.....anything BUT relaxing.

[LLM]

Does anyone have any pictures they wouldn't mind sharing of either one of these beaches?

 

Thanks!

Lisa

[OHCruisin]

I've done both. I would recommend Passion Island over Playa Mia, though Playe Mia was decent enough. Can't remember how long it took to get to Passion Island. The little boat ride over was only 10 minutes?

[pscan5150]

I hate to be a kill joy - but the Deluxe Beach Break at Playa Mia in Cozumel is anything but deluxe.

 

I did this excursion last November and was not impressed. The so called lounge chairs were made of a hard plastic foam material and basically sunk so far into the sand you may have well been lying on a towel.

 

The buffet was minimal - what really turned me off was the number of flies all around the food.

 

There is a small pool as well - spent some time here which wasn't bad.

 

Maybe my expectations were set too high, but this beach break was not deluxe.

 

Oh, and if you are looking to enjoy a Corona beer - forget it, they don't sell Corona anywhere at Playa Mia :rolleyes:

 

I agree with ckrobyn - DW and I did this excursion this past January - it was anything but deluxe. Very small buffet - lots of flies around the food - food quality was ok at best. Hard plastic loungers. Wading into the ocean required going through an obstacle course to avoid large jagged rocks. The did offer some cuisine class, which those in attendance seemed to enjoy. $124 for the two of us for that short time - we won't be back - not worth it. You're probably better off cabbing it to Paradise Beach and doing something there.

[wolfganghowell]

Playa Mia buffet was horrible. I agree about the flies. You can do Playa Mia without the buffet and order food a la carte - THAT food looked good. It was a nice beach but did become very crowded. Also you had to go to a specific bar to get your drinks on the deluxe beach break and I didn't find the service that great. The only reason we did Playa Mia was we went right after the hurricane and most places were still closed or barely operating.

 

We go to paradise Beach on our own and have a great time. Plenty of cabs, great drinks and service, cheap $9 for water toys, beautiful and not overly crowded. Awesome guacamole.

[Saintsfan007]

We also did Playa Mia, and I wouldn't go back. The "lounge chairs" were horrible, but not as bad as the flies. I totally agree, the buffet was miminal at best, but we made the best of it. We we return to Cozumel, we will explore other options next time.

[urbancruiser]

We went to Passion Island in October 2004 and we had a wonderful time. The bus ride was about 30 mins and it got pretty bumpy but we didn't mind. Then there was a short boat ride over to the island. There was a group there from another ship but their time was up shortly after we got there so we had the island to ourselves - there were probably around 50 from our ship.

 

It was delightful and I would do it again in a heartbeat. The buffet was good and I agree with the person who said it was the BEST guacamole I have ever tasted. I would love the recipe.

 

The beverages were abundant and yes there was Corona - lots of Corona!

 

There were beach chairs and hammocks and shade for those desiring it.

 

I wish I were there now!!!

[cruzkitty]

I have also done both Passion Island and Playa Mia. My favorite was Passion Island! The food was great, and it has more of a "romantic" feel to it. Our waiter on Playa Mia was great! We were there last Sept, and Playa wasn't crowded at all, but they were in the process of remodeling and it was very noisy, which didn't bother us. We are doing the Western route again next year, and will probably re-visit Passion Island.

 

Whatever you choose, you will have a great time!!

[Time2Shipout]

It was delightful and I would do it again in a heartbeat. The buffet was good and I agree with the person who said it was the BEST guacamole I have ever tasted. I would love the recipe.

 

I wish I were there now!!!

 

So glad to hear others agreed about the Island, and I have to agree with Twinlges post, you really have no reason to want to leave early once you get there and they do need to leave those pot holes in the road to deter others :p

MaryAnn - the "recipe" is actually just the ingredients that the chef person wrote out on a piece of paper for me, you just have to do it all to taste, but I think we are going to have to go back, because I think you need to be there, I think that is what is lacking in it, lol!! WE need the atmosphere of the island!! (and those chips and margaritas, snicker). But here is what I have for ingredients: Chopped onion, Pimienta (pepper), Cilantro, Lime juice and Aquacate (avocado). So play like Rachel Ray and just mash, chop and mix, and have fun experimenting. Kathy

[Oville]

Thanks everyone for your input! We were leaning toward Playa Mia, but I think we need to reconsider that.

[Oville]

Hi again, I have a question about Passion Island. Is there any snorkeling there? We're planning on snorkeling at Labadee and Cayman so if there isn't any, it's no big deal. Also, don't want to lug our snorkeling gear with us if there's nothing to see.

 

Kathryn

[LilPony]

Hi - I didn't notice in your posting who you were traveling with - I too agree with everyone that Playa Mia wasn't what I expected - I did the deluxe which included a drift snorkel - that was great - then we took a boat ride to the beach - we had lunch which - was OK, it was 'cafeteria' mexican food, remember my opinion only (good salsa)

BUT...... I was also traveling with DH, DD(18) DS (14) - afterwards I said to kids - nice but I don't think we would do that again ....... well you might of thought I suggested cutting off someone's limb .........both DD and DS - said what do you mean - this was great - they had these climbing icebergs and stuff in water - some kayak boats, etc .... kids had a blast ........

 

I wanted to chime in ....just in case you needed thoughts from my teens ...have fun whatever you chose!

Lil

[mariapd719]

Paradise Beach is awesome .....Its 12 dollars I believe for a cab ride no matter how many people in the cab. The salsa,chips and guacamole are awesome