Progreso Excursions

[pylant]

Please help with Progreso Excursions. Trying to decide the funnest one to do with our 15 & 17 year old sons. Looking at either the Dune Buggy & Beach Exploration or the Caves and Caverns Snorkle. If you have any reviews on either I would love to hear. I am having trouble finding reviews for Progreso.

[TexasDan]

Please help with Progreso Excursions. Trying to decide the funnest one to do with our 15 & 17 year old sons. Looking at either the Dune Buggy & Beach Exploration or the Caves and Caverns Snorkle. If you have any reviews on either I would love to hear. I am having trouble finding reviews for Progreso.

 

If you read member reviews of ships such as the Ecstasy, Fantasy and Holiday, you will find some comments on Progresso and most rate the port poorly. I've been there twice and I'm not sure if I'd get off the ship next time. The Dune Buggy excursion sounds like fun but a word of caution: the dune buggies for the most part may have manual transmissions, as someone told me who went on a Mexican

Riviera sailing with CCL.

[jimjamxx]

Please help with Progreso Excursions. Trying to decide the funnest one to do with our 15 & 17 year old sons. Looking at either the Dune Buggy & Beach Exploration or the Caves and Caverns Snorkle. If you have any reviews on either I would love to hear. I am having trouble finding reviews for Progreso.

 

 

When we were in Progresso 2/4/08 this year we also looked into the two excursions you mentioned. Another couple we were with selected the Dune Buggy & Beach Exploration.

 

At first I was skeptical. But it turn out GREAT. A short review:

We booked thru Carnival. They pick you up in a Greyhound type bus at pier were you get off the ship and take you to where you get the beach buggys about a 25-30 minute ride.

 

This is at a small beach club not a mega resort.

You pick the buggy. It holds four people. It is a stick shift four on the floor. No automatics here. You also have to show your drivers license.

 

Get in line and off you go. You will ride thru a few small towns, open highway the to the beach trails. The trails are about as wide as the beach buggy. Then the fun starts

 

After about 45 minutes or so, you stop at a beach have a watermelon break and switch drivers if you want.

 

Then back to trails for about 30 more minutes. Then you head back to the beach club once again on highway and tru a few small towns.

 

At the beach club they have a swimming pool, bathrooms, changing rooms etc. Also beach chairs on the beach. The tour included free margaritas, pina colads and beer. Not sure if the had water of soft drinks Cokes, etc.

 

They also have a small kitchen. Not a restaurant per se.

 

We ate tacos and quesidillas\ and pico de gallo and chips.( You have to pay for the food) What ever you do, DONOT order the hamburgers, A young couple we met did order the burgers and found out they were soy bean burgers.

 

We spent about a hour and a half here then back on the bus back to the port shopping area.

 

A great excursion. I did not drive as the young couple wanted to which was find with me and my wife. We just sat in the back and held on.

 

A side note here. I am 59 and wife is 55 years old.

 

I would do this again and will look for similar type excursions in different ports on the next cruise.

As you know, there is also a next cruise.!!!!

[pylant]

Thanks for the review, was there any hills or anything fun like you got to drive over or through? Do you think it would be worth the $404 for the 4 of us?

Thanks so much! Having never cruised or been anywhere really so we don't have much to compare and just want to make sure spending the money everyone has a blast and we don't hear the I am bored speech...lol

[terisu10]

If available, the best thing to do is take them to the Chichen Itza and climb the pyramids. I took 5 teens (15 - 19) and a 22 year old. MADE them wake up early to take the Carnival tour to the pyramids and they LOVED IT! These kids STILL recall that excursion as one of the best in their lives. This was about 3 years ago.

[jimjamxx]

Thanks for the review, was there any hills or anything fun like you got to drive over or through? Do you think it would be worth the $404 for the 4 of us?

Thanks so much! Having never cruised or been anywhere really so we don't have much to compare and just want to make sure spending the money everyone has a blast and we don't hear the I am bored speech...lol

I do not think you all will be bored. There is alot to see in the towns and along the highway, etc. No hills, but alot to drive over small bumps. It is fun. As far as the cost. Only you can be the judge of that.

[firebound82]

A note about Chichin Itza - they don't let you climb anymore.

 

My DH and I went last October. It was a great trip and very cool to see a wonder of the world, but there was no climbing.

[nashwl]

People were down on Progreso on the forums, but I really, really liked Progreso.

 

It is what a Mexican town looks like. Is it the cleanest? No, but it is very relaxing. You can simply walk to the beach and lay down for a couple of hours and swim in the ocean. Then get up and walk up and down the street without being hasseled every two feet (unlike Cozumel). The vendors actually take no for an answer and walk away (unlike Cozumel). There is also a town square for shopping within walking distance of the shuttles. You can get all your shopping for the trip done there.

 

If I went back I wouldnt mind seeing Itza, but I felt much more relaxed after being in Progreso than I felt when I left Cozumel.

 

Honestly, if not for the reefs and my dives, I wouldnt have thought much of Cozumel.

[arm2msm]

Please help with Progreso Excursions. Trying to decide the funnest one to do with our 15 & 17 year old sons. Looking at either the Dune Buggy & Beach Exploration or the Caves and Caverns Snorkle. If you have any reviews on either I would love to hear. I am having trouble finding reviews for Progreso.

 

my DH and i are going on the Dune Buggy excursion. i looked and looked did not want to take 7 hours to see the ruins. thought this would be good and still give us some time to look around.

[terisu10]

A note about Chichin Itza - they don't let you climb anymore.

 

My DH and I went last October. It was a great trip and very cool to see a wonder of the world, but there was no climbing.

 

 

How sad - I have climbed them 3 times - the first was in the late 70s. I am happy my children climbed it 3 years ago. As I Said before - it was an incredible experience for all of the young people and something they still talk about. I have a picture of that day, with all the kids standing in front of the pyramid, hanging in my classroom - I teach high school. My students are always asking about the pyramid. Maybe it is closed for some type of renovation?

[firebound82]

They were doing renovation at Izta, but none of it was on the main pyramid. So who knows if they'll open it back up.

 

I did find all of the vendors annoying. I know it's their culture, but I heard someone say that the number of vendors doubled since they'd been to Izta a year or two before.

[Ka Honu]

... I heard someone say that the number of vendors doubled since they'd been to Izta a year or two before.

 

... sounds kinda like Puerto Vallarta where 82% of the population is Catholic and the rest sell time shares.

[hdawson]

nashwl. Next time visit Merida. A large (1 mil) cosmopolitan spanish colonial city that is very clean. State capitol and home to four universitys. I'm originally from St Albans.

[judgemom]

Did you book through the ship or on your own? Might surprise DH with this.....He would enjoy alot....

[marcb71a]

We just got back from Progresso on Voyager of the Seas about 2 weeks ago.

The town of Merida is absolutley amazing, a great colonial city, not a lot of ships go into this port and not many Americans.

I would not take the shore excursion. They spend too much time shopping and all you get to see is the governor's palace.

Some people from the ship took the bus from Progreso to Merida about $2

each way and about a half hour ride.

The archeology museum and art museum and supposed to be great but not on the ships tour.

[hdawson]

Again, I suggest checking out http://www.yucatantoday.com

 

Marcb is spot on about Merida. A beautiful, safe and delightful city.

I vacation there annually.

[mexboat]

From a couple of years ago is not possible to climb the ruins at the main cities (Chichen Itza and Tulum), at Uxmal only a few are not allowed to climb, and it is true that vendors at Chichen(inside) are too many, just worry in knowing this great civilization, shopping is up to you.

[judgemom]

Curious if you took the buggy exc? How was it?

Leaving in 10 days!!!:D

[arm2msm]

after my dunn buggy exr is there anything worth doing besides getting back on the ship or going to merida