freezerburn

January 18 was our Cozumel day. It probably got up into the high 80's, mostly sunny. After riding on the catamaran for 15-20 minutes, i would say getting into the water required a little determination as it was cool to the touch. 5 minutes later though, it was fine and we weren't feeling the need to get out of the water.

The last beach i've been to (pre-pandemic) via taxi was Playa Mia. It had a nice beach and calm vibe back then. Kid friendly as well. Prior to that, we had gone to Chankanaab park. Chankanaab does not have much of a beach but the snorkeling was pretty good. Hope that helps.

Hi all, I wanted to drop a little info for future Cozumel visitors. Everything seems nearly back-to-normal since the pandemic. First up on the list was the ship excursion catamaran snorkel and beach package. After a 15 minute ride, we arrived at the snorkel area. The waters were pristine but the sales pitch to buy the pictures kinda hurt this experience. Afterwards, we took a cab ride to El Centro and walked the area. A new item that seems everywhere are hand-painted Christmas ornaments. We found the best prices here vs the shops in Progresso (our next stop). Also, we walked thru the Mega grocery store for a few pastries. Great prices on grocery items here if you're interested in that kind of stuff. Afterwards, we took a cab back to the port. The stores were busy with people from the 3 ships docked there that day. The weather was beautiful this time of year. Can't wait to go back.

Hi all, I hadn't seen much posted here about Progresso before our cruise last week so I wanted to tell you guys about the shops next to the ship. We opted not to take the bus ride into town. Overall I would say the shops have largely recovered from when we last sailed there about 3 years ago. The large shop in the round building was full of merchandise and people. We bought the Cinco Soles vanilla there for a few dollars less than it would have cost in the Cozumel port. Prices for nearly identical things like maracas, throws/blankets, and hats were largely the same everywhere. The last shop on the right (before you exit to the bus area) had the cheapest maracas. Also, we found the best prices on throws and other small things to be at the last shop on the left AFTER you exit to the bus area. Its entrance faces the bus/parking lot so you have to exit the shops and turn left to find it. They have a pharmacy there as well. We didn't do much else before heading back to the ship. One new item that seemed to be everywhere were hand-painted christmas ornaments. We found the best prices for those in Cozumel. Hope this info helps someone heading that way.