ATV Tours

[smilesarepriceless]

We're in the beginning stages of checking out tours offered by NCL for our Cozumel port, and the ATV ideas sound like fun for my husband and i --

 

'Hop on your A T V for adventurous off-road fun. Your adventure starts from the native Mayan town of Cedral on a trail leading us to Jade Caverns system. Dive into its fresh emerald waters and relax or snorkel in this magical exotic place.' - 5 hours $89pp'

 

Anyone else done this? did you enjoy it?

[mosel]

We did a similar one on the mainland over next to Calica, It was fun but boy did we get dirty from all of the dust. Bring a bandana to cover your mouth.

 

Marty

[paggerscorvette]

We did this excusion in St. Martin. OMG what fun it was. Looking to do it again in Cozumel

[lady in tx]

We're in the beginning stages of checking out tours offered by NCL for our Cozumel port, and the ATV ideas sound like fun for my husband and i --

 

'Hop on your A T V for adventurous off-road fun. Your adventure starts from the native Mayan town of Cedral on a trail leading us to Jade Caverns system. Dive into its fresh emerald waters and relax or snorkel in this magical exotic place.' - 5 hours $89pp'

 

Anyone else done this? did you enjoy it?

 

I'm also looking into this but I just began reading some reviews from Trip Advisor and not sure if there are more than 1 company but I have read that the Wild Tours is 4 hrs long and it's about the same price. Are you planning on booking directly w/them or w/the ship.

 

I met a couple that went to Playa Uvas after they were done riding their atv's and they looked very muddy..it was a older couple (mid 40's) but they said that they had a blast.

 

They pretty much convinced me that it was fun, which is why I'm looking into it now.:D

 

Also, not sure if you have done this yet but there are several threads on this matter. Just do a quick search for ATV Tours and there are reviews, etc that have been posted already... ;)

[smilesarepriceless]

we booked through the ship..online ahead of time. I'll try and remember to post once we get back and let you know how it goes.....

[jemrtt]

we plan on doing this next week. We did the atv is Ocho Rios and it was a blast. so we are hoping for a good time in cozumel. :)

[MrsPete]

Another vote for Wild Tours in Cozumel! They were great! It wasn't a budget day, but we had a fantastic time; in fact, my husband and older daughter said it was the best part of the trip for them.

 

They picked us up outside Carlos & Charlie's and took us via taxi to the ATV tour area, which was 15-20 minutes away. Our two guides were wonderful -- they made the ride lots of fun! The trail was easy, even for those of us who are novices at ATV riding, and we stopped at three spots with ties to Myan history. We have two children, so we were riding double; my husband said he and our 13-year old were a little cramped, but I was fine with the 10-year old -- we switched after the first stop, which worked out much better size-wise. The ATVs were in good condiiton, and we were given safety helmets. We had only 11 people in our group; I'm sure that's much better than the ship's excursions, which tend to be like herds of cattle.

 

As someone else said, we were FILTHY when we finished the ride! It had rained every day for three days before our ride, so the guides warned us that it was good and muddy. We'd planned to go to Paradise Beach after our ride (thinking we'd get into the ocean with our dirty clothes), but it started to rain, so we opted to be taken back to the pier instead.

 

Hints:

Our tennis shoes were horribly dirty after the ride. If -- no, WHEN -- we do this again, I'll bring along last year's old worn-out shoes for the ride and throw them away afterward! The shoes cleaned up in my washing machine at home (2 washes + bleach), but we had four pair of stinky, filthy tennis shoes in our stateroom for the rest of the cruise. The guides did warn us about this, and they gave us a chance to rent diving shoes (that's what they both wore) for $4/person.

 

They have a shower, which you can use after the ride . . . but it's kind of a joke. There's no water pressure. Just accept that you will return to the ship filthy dirty and smiling from ear to ear! We were so incredibly dirty that people were looking at us when we walked back to the ship -- we thought it was funny. This must not be a common excursion because the crew seemed surprised at how we looked too!

 

Bring bus spray. One of the other people in our group brought some, and those of us who used it were very glad! Sunscreen wouldn't be a bad idea either; you're in the sun about 50% of the trip.

 

There are no lockers, but I felt fine about leaving our towels and beach things on the picnic tables by the hut. Who was there to take them? My husband had our ID and cash in his zippered pocket; that's all we had that was really valuable. I had a disposable camera in the back pocket of my jeans-shorts, and it fell out on the trail. The riders behind us saw it and stopped for it; I never would've even known. Next time I'd be sure to bring a fanny pack for it; a small string backpack would've been okay too.

 

The place where you ride is quite remote, and there are no bathrooms. The guy who greeted us by Carlos & Charlie's warned us to use the facilities there in the mall area.

 

Wild Tours sells a 2-hour ride and a 4-hour ride + beach trip. The ride is exactly the same. People who buy the longer trip are transported to the Beach Club (?) after the ride, where they get a chance to snorkle and they get a free drink. Actually, we were all in the same van/taxi; we stopped at the Beach Club first so they could get out, then the driver took us on back to the pier. We drove right by Paradise Beach and a couple other beaches, and we could've asked to be dropped there instead. I see no point in buying the extra time. I'd just as soon keep my schedule open and pay for my beach fun myself.

 

Choose this excursion! You will have a blast!

[newistcruiseaddict]

We also did the wild tours trip and we booked it online. Its the same exact tour that is offered thru the ship. The real difference is 1. the price and 2. cruise booked tours get the morning tour automatically. So if you book the morning tour, be prepared to be bumped to 10am. Don't worry though! Our ship left at 4pm and we had PLENTY OF TIME and we even booked the 4 hour with beach break!

 

As the previous poster said, they pick you up at in front of carlos and charlies. We were a bit worried b/c we had paid a fairly hefty deposit and the lady was running a bit late. Felt better when we saw her. She paid to taxi us by a.c. van to the site. The tour is wonderful, with a stop at a sinkhole, cave, and ruin. They tour guide is extremely affable and full of wonderful stories that kept my kids ENTHRALLED. The tour included the use of the ATV, helmets, goggles (please don't be vain..take the goggles, they keep the rocks out!), and ice cold bottled water!

 

Open toed shoes will NOT be permitted to ride and they will require you to rent the water shoes. Word of advice, a fellow rider said they were wet. I'm curious if they were wet b/c they had been washed or from pure sweat. GROSS!

 

You also can't take backpacks so make sure you bring a sling camera bag if you plan to take pictures. Being the thrifty person I was, I offered to split the cost of a locker with other riders. The lockers are extremely large and will accomidate two couples belongings.

 

When you get back the tour operator will "pan" a bit for tips but you will want to tip him something, trust me, he is that good. They also offer to sell you photos. I typically am not suckered into such deals but they are extremely high quality. They must have a $300 photo printer somewhere. I believe the deal is $15 for one or $20 for two 5 x 7s....b/c the four of us were on two ATV's we had two ATV pics and one pic of all of us together in front of the sign. They were so good we offered $25 for all three and they accepted.

 

For those going to the beach there is a wonderful outdoor shower...which you will actually want to use before you get in the ocean you're SO filthy (go figure). The beach they take you to is like a resort. You get free drink vouchers and free use of lounge chairs. The break is not just an hour. You basically have a cab driver waiting on you for when you are ready to leave. You just have to say the word and the ride is covered. We ordered a pitcher of beef and quesidillas while we were there. Just be really careful when ordering from the resturaunt. Prices are in pesos and they DO NOT give an accurate conversion nor do they offer you change...just be prepared!

 

Overall for less than $240 (excluding photos, tip, and what we spent on a snack) we had a WONDERFUL time and I wouldn't hesitate to repeat it! My kids are still talking about it.

 

And you will get filthy. We wore "play clothes" and spare shoes and packed grocery bags to get our dirty stuff home in. We did all our "light" shopping before our excursion and grabbed our heavier stuff (liquor) after being dropped off on our way back to the ship.

 

PS: We walked all the way down the the main street and did NOT find any prices to beat the store right next to the hard rock (directly across the street from the port). You can get Mexican blankets in there for $4, hand painted maracas for $1, and 8 oz of pure vanilla for only $4. Its family owned and operated. A "nephew" of only about 6 sold my 9 year old daughter a dress. He was absolutely amazing and had the last dress in the color she wanted pulled off a dummy hanging 7 foot high in less than 5 minutes. The he proceeded to bypass an extremely long line to get us "rung up." My daughter and I both were completely enamoured with this kid! (in the pic below you can see a blue dresss up top in the background..thats the one she got!).

[newistcruiseaddict]

More pics!

[Virginia_Native]

Those Nachos look good! We booked an ATV tour with carnival victory, it was about a 20 minute drive to the location on the far eastern part on the island. there was about a 30 minute atv ride along the coast, the atv was quick, I think the age limit was 16 years old and I could see why they were much faster than I thought they would be. Along the way we passed a border hut with armed guards I'm assuming to protect against haitian defectors. We had about a 45 minute break at a nice secluded beach, drinks were provided but no food. Then back to were we started. Their was a nice restaurant at the starting point we got a cold beer and the chips and salsa was excellent. One of the best excursions I have ever been on.

[Virginia_Native]

Trying my first pic attachment

[Virginia_Native]

Dont forget your sunblock!

[newistcruiseaddict]

The main reason we chose to book privately is b/c our kids REALLY had their hearts set on this excursion and the cruise ship says "must be 16." When you book privately the rule is the have to be 16 to drive their own but under 16 may ride with an adult at a substantially reduced cost. I wouldn't trust them to drive one by themselves anyhow.

 

Virginia, I do believe you were with a different co. We started out in the jungle...no resturaunts near by and we didn't even get close to the beach while riding.

 

But I think we would have had a great time no matter which tour we were with! It was definately one of those "moments."

[MeanJuJuBean101]

The ATV Adventure that I have booked states that it is for 6+ with a parent. My son just turned 6 and of course is more than willing to be on a wild ride. I am a bit nervous it is a bit much. Thoughts?

 

Carnival Victory 12/07

Norwegian 3/99

Royal Carribean 4/98

Holland American 4/95

Carnival 5/93

[Virginia_Native]

If you enjoy trying to keep him safe every second of the excursion, and not enjoying yourself. I'm assuming that this will be the tropical atv tour which seems to be a bit slower than the one I booked through carnival (their age limitation was 16). Even the Manufacters of ATV's have an age limitation. There is really know way to fasten him in the the thing from what I can recall, he would have the death grip in you the entire time. I'm sure it will be fun FOR HIM!

 

The ATV Adventure that I have booked states that it is for 6+ with a parent. My son just turned 6 and of course is more than willing to be on a wild ride. I am a bit nervous it is a bit much. Thoughts?

 

Carnival Victory 12/07

Norwegian 3/99

Royal Carribean 4/98

Holland American 4/95

Carnival 5/93