Stay on the ship

This is the worst port I have ever been to. It has a certain visual appeal in the port area. Obviously a lot of money was sunk into this. So, the shop prices are ridiculous, the food prices are a joke. $6 and $8 beer, $18 nachos, and a funny thing :roll eyes: they have signs all over saying telephone, but no one knows where any telephone is. The signs actually send you in a circle. They point to the pool! So I hate to be totally negative, they had nice restrooms. We decided to go into town. They have this open trolley service, it's $3 pp to ride it into town, that's each way. We saw people getting out of a cab, so I thought I would just ask about a taxi. They were not friendly at all and told me I had to go outside the gate, so they can drop off inside, but then not pick up. I am pretty tenacious, I just took a quick run out there and asked. The rude jerk running the taxi stand was yelling at people "Gringo you wanna taxi?" I was not impressed with their disparaging comments. I was standing right in front of them and they ignored me. I said hello, I want a taxi. I won't bother going into their attitude further. It just sucked. Anyway I ran back and said, "Well we know the cruise lines get at least 33%!" I was clearly kidding, the cruise lines are making way more than that! My Mom has a hard time walking far and it was Africa hot so we took the trolley-like transport into town. They told us they would take us to the restaurant that we wanted to go to, Nochos Kay, and said it was the fourth stop. Then at the third stop he said he was not going to go further. That bastard. I told him that my Mom could not walk far, and he just blew us off. I'm telling you, this port and some of the people were the worst. Now I will say that the restaurant was not bad. Cold beers for a fraction of the port cost, delicious tacos, and he called a taxi for us when we were ready to go. That was it. I have to say I am not sure if it is worth the hassle to get out there. My niece and sister went into the water and said it was gross. A resort we went to in Jamaica was like that. Beautiful place and beach, and in the water was trash and a million cups. It looks pretty from the other side of the boardwalk. It's shallow and seems like a great place to splash around. They said no. If I happen to be on another ship going to Costa Maya, I won't even bother getting off. Obviously if you are taking an excursion of some kind, this does not apply to you. Strictly for people who, like me, just thought they would walk around and check it out. Oh, they have another trolley-like vehicle that goes from ship to port entrance, but it only goes to one of the ships. It went literally to the door of the Carnival ship, and Norwegians had to walk a good way. So apparently Carnival is the largest share holder here. LOL! I said protesto, and the kid working it said no, it's protesta. That was funny. That verb is female. My spanish! ;)

Sorry to hear you had a bad experience in Costa Maya. Your comments on the port and places just outside the port gates are spot on, IMO. However, there are places along the malecon where you do get treated nicely --Blue Kay, Tropicante, Pez Quadro, YaYa Beach, to name a few. Nohoch Kay is an AI requiring advanced reservations, but must not have been full if Jaime let you in. And good for him. He's a great guy. Btu none of the beach clubs are resorts or even resemble beach clubs in Cozumel. Until just a couple of years ago Mahahual was primarily a fishing village with some hotels and restaurants around for visiting divers. Cruise ships didn't visit as often as they do now. The appeal of the place was it's rustic nature. That may not be what appeals to you and your family. The water along the malecon can be deceiving and it would depend upon the current flow as to whether or not you find it to your expectation. A couple of AI to the south of the malecon have better water. But your experience seems to be heavily influenced by the negativity you found in the cruise port and at the taxi stand.

Clearly OP hasn't traveled much in Mexico. OPs idea of rude are just the way people speak there.

I suspect that the water was gross because of the sea weed issue that has been prevalent this spring. Sorry, but mother nature controls what's in the ocean.

Not sure why you would expect any good prices or deals in a port facility that was built owned and run by cruise lines. If that is what you want stay on the ship. The cruise line doesn't want you leaving there because they make a lot of money on what you spend there.

I rarely comment on format, but to the OP I would say....PARAGRAPHS are your friend.

Sorry, I couldn't read your post. But we really e Costa Maya.

Thanks so much for the format advice. No matter what I say someone on here will be rude, but I don't care. Using all caps is shouting right? Or are you a lawyer? Whatev.

Okay, so no, dropping an elderly woman off before an agreed stop after paying for a ride, that is not just the way people are here. I have been all over Mexico so clearly zq, you have no idea what you are talking about.

Call me whatever, I was giving people some info. Take it or leave it, but buzz off on format and assumptive bs.

Thanks so much for the format advice. No matter what I say someone on here will be rude, but I don't care. Using all caps is shouting right? Or are you a lawyer? Whatev.

 

Okay, so no, dropping an elderly woman off before an agreed stop after paying for a ride, that is not just the way people are here. I have been all over Mexico so clearly zq, you have no idea what you are talking about.

 

Call me whatever, I was giving people some info. Take it or leave it, but buzz off on format and assumptive bs.

Kind of rude I would think. Yes, all caps is commonly known as shouting.

No need to reply!

I pretty much agree prices were way out of line,we get off walk around about 30 minutes then back to ship and go to the pool.At least theres plenty of chairs.Also you can pick-up some meds there if needed.

I pretty much agree prices were way out of line,we get off walk around about 30 minutes then back to ship and go to the pool.At least theres plenty of chairs.Also you can pick-up some meds at this port if needed.

This is the worst port I have ever been to. It has a certain visual appeal in the port area. Obviously a lot of money was sunk into this. So, the shop prices are ridiculous, the food prices are a joke. $6 and $8 beer, $18 nachos, and a funny thing :roll eyes: they have signs all over saying telephone, but no one knows where any telephone is. The signs actually send you in a circle. They point to the pool! So I hate to be totally negative, they had nice restrooms. We decided to go into town. They have this open trolley service, it's $3 pp to ride it into town, that's each way. We saw people getting out of a cab, so I thought I would just ask about a taxi. They were not friendly at all and told me I had to go outside the gate, so they can drop off inside, but then not pick up. I am pretty tenacious, I just took a quick run out there and asked. The rude jerk running the taxi stand was yelling at people "Gringo you wanna taxi?" I was not impressed with their disparaging comments. I was standing right in front of them and they ignored me. I said hello, I want a taxi. I won't bother going into their attitude further. It just sucked. Anyway I ran back and said, "Well we know the cruise lines get at least 33%!" I was clearly kidding, the cruise lines are making way more than that! My Mom has a hard time walking far and it was Africa hot so we took the trolley-like transport into town. They told us they would take us to the restaurant that we wanted to go to, Nochos Kay, and said it was the fourth stop. Then at the third stop he said he was not going to go further. That bastard. I told him that my Mom could not walk far, and he just blew us off. I'm telling you, this port and some of the people were the worst. Now I will say that the restaurant was not bad. Cold beers for a fraction of the port cost, delicious tacos, and he called a taxi for us when we were ready to go. That was it. I have to say I am not sure if it is worth the hassle to get out there. My niece and sister went into the water and said it was gross. A resort we went to in Jamaica was like that. Beautiful place and beach, and in the water was trash and a million cups. It looks pretty from the other side of the boardwalk. It's shallow and seems like a great place to splash around. They said no. If I happen to be on another ship going to Costa Maya, I won't even bother getting off. Obviously if you are taking an excursion of some kind, this does not apply to you. Strictly for people who, like me, just thought they would walk around and check it out. Oh, they have another trolley-like vehicle that goes from ship to port entrance, but it only goes to one of the ships. It went literally to the door of the Carnival ship, and Norwegians had to walk a good way. So apparently Carnival is the largest share holder here. LOL! I said protesto, and the kid working it said no, it's protesta. That was funny. That verb is female. My spanish! ;)

When we were there in August 2012 it was nothing to brag about. The port was expensive and since the stop was from only like 8am to 2pm (so on board at 1:30) I didn't even want to venture into town. This stop was a waste of time. If we ever go back (which is probable since it's usually with Belize and Roatan and we love those stops) I hope it does become more like Cozumel since we always enjoy the beach clubs there. Sorry to hear nothing has changed yet. Rome wasn't built in a day.

We took a privately organized tour to the Mayan ruins with a pleasant driver for our day in Costa Maya. It was nice weather and the guided tour around the ruins was interesting. Afterwards, we asked to be dropped off in Mahuhual to eat at a restaurant that our driver had recommended. I suspected that he must have gotten a free meal out of the deal for taking us there, but it was near the worst (overpriced) Mexican food we've ever had in our entire lives. It was borderline disgusting. Even the (overpriced) mixed drinks were off.

Walking around, the beach and water were gross w/ trash (no qualms with a little natural seagrass), and the vibe just seemed like a tourist trap with crap souvenirs for sale and crap attitude towards the tourists visiting. I had read about and considered Tropicante, Blue Kay etc. before visiting, and I imagine for some, those places could make for a decent place to sit around all day eating and drinking. However, my overall impression of the place didn't make me feel like I was in a quaint little Mexican fishing village, rather it felt like a slummy little armpit of a place. -- This is coming from someone who has spent months of time in Mexico (and Central America) and is well familiar with authentic Mexico.

I agree with the OP almost 100% about being the worst port ever visited. If we were ever to return, we would likely hit up one of the all-inclusive spots like Maya Chan for the day, and not bother with the Malecon or Mahahual at all.

I'm sorry the OP, Tommy and Skai did not enjoy their experience at Costa Maya and Mahuhual. We've been twice and had lovely days both times. Yes, the immediate port area is expensive, but that is the same everywhere. We had researched and knew exactly where to go to find the taxi's and they took us to within a block of where we wanted to go. They can't drive on the Malecon, it is pedestrian only, so you will probably have to walk a little ways at least. We've walked the entire Malecon and back, and while not doable if you have physical limitations, it is an enjoyable walk for anyone in reasonable shape, or even not that good of shape. You can also rent bikes and ride the Malecon. We never met anyone who was rude in any way. Of course, the vendors would like you to buy their wares, but that is also the same at most stops. None were rude to us. We much prefer this stop over Belize or Progreso, or even Jamaica. But we typically have fun anywhere.

I'm sorry the OP, Tommy and Skai did not enjoy their experience at Costa Maya and Mahuhual. We've been twice and had lovely days both times. Yes, the immediate port area is expensive, but that is the same everywhere. We had researched and knew exactly where to go to find the taxi's and they took us to within a block of where we wanted to go. They can't drive on the Malecon, it is pedestrian only, so you will probably have to walk a little ways at least. We've walked the entire Malecon and back, and while not doable if you have physical limitations, it is an enjoyable walk for anyone in reasonable shape, or even not that good of shape. You can also rent bikes and ride the Malecon. We never met anyone who was rude in any way. Of course, the vendors would like you to buy their wares, but that is also the same at most stops. None were rude to us. We much prefer this stop over Belize or Progreso, or even Jamaica. But we typically have fun anywhere.

I didn't mean to imply that our entire experience wasn't enjoyable at our Costa Maya port stop. Much of the day was spent in transit to/from and @ the Chacchoben Mayan Ruins.

It was a gorgeous day. Our driver was very friendly and informative, making a few stops along the way to sample pineapple and hit up a store for beverages. He also drove us in to town and waited for us until we were ready to return to the ship after eating and strolling around.

For any interested, I can recommend Toucan Tours as a nice option to book a private tour to the ruins. Cheaper than a ship-sponsored tour and Native Choice - Which I believe just takes their groups to/from the ruins and nothing else. Toucan Tours' stand is right outside the port gate. We bargained down the price, but IIRC it was $45 per person -- including bottled water, entrance fees and the fee for the park-ranger led tour through the site.

What we didn't like was the couple hours afterwards spent at the Malecon. Enough so that if we were ever to return, we would likely go to a place like Maya Chan to spend the day.

We're used to pushy vendors/cab drivers all over the Caribbean, and by no means did we ever feel unsafe along the Malecon. It's just that the beach and pedestrian area along the Malecon seemed pretty filthy and scuzzy to us, and the meal/drinks we had were horrible -- Just our personal opinion and experience.

We walk straight thru Costa Maya terminal and grab a taxi to Mahuhual. We have never had a bad experience there and we've been many times. What ya put into a situation is probably what you get out. We go to have a good time and everyone on the beach\shops\street vendors are always nice back.

We walk straight thru Costa Maya terminal and grab a taxi to Mahuhual. We have never had a bad experience there and we've been many times. What ya put into a situation is probably what you get out. We go to have a good time and everyone on the beach\shops\street vendors are always nice back.

That's exactly what we've always done and have had wonderful times there.

Can't wait to go back! :D

LuLu

I agree with the OP's sentiments. This is the ONLY port of the 19 I have been to that is this over-priced. No where did someone actually try to charge me over $7.00 for a beer.

Additionally, I bartered for a souvenir for a friend. I ended up paying the price I saw the item for in a prior port that trip, Cozumel, rather than the $20.00 markup this shop added over the other vendors in the other port!

To add to my irritation, the shop keeper then tried to extort a tip from me for simply selling me an item when he's already clearly making a profit. By extort - I mean he actually demanded a tip.

I told him in America we tip for service, not for retail sales. He told me by lowering the price he was giving me service and then he actually told me I need to buy his lunch so he can eat. Had I not already handed him the exact amount needed for the purchase but hadn't yet gotten possession of the item, I would have told him exactly where he could get eat his lunch once he could afford to buy it. Needless to say, he didn't get another cent. I did feel better once I loudly alerted everyone in close proximity that the guy was actively and forcefully soliciting tips for retail sales. We tourists have to stick together.

By far, this was the rudest and most price-gouging port of the 19 I have been too... Everyone from my group also had consistent sentiments when we got back to the ship and compared notes.

I was there 2 days ago.

It is not what people enjoyed some months back. Perhaps due to the sea weed problem and the mangroves and reef dying. I have no complaints and did not find anybody rude, but I can see some things that the OP pointed out. It is like something has wiped out the nice things that people used to enjoy here before. I will never discourage people from going. Everyone needs to experience things for themselves.

We've been there several times. We walk out the main shopping area, get a cab to Mahahual and get dropped off at the Tropicante. We email them before we go on the cruise. They have a table and chairs available for us and some loungers. GREAT prices for beers, good food and they will introduce you to some really smooth tequilla for a ridiculously inexpensive cost. The owner is American and he will stop by to visit with you. The beach area was really good the last time we were there but they are having a bad year for sea weed. If you are going to Costa Maya give this a chance and see what you think. Have a great cruise anyway. :cool:

I agree with the OP's sentiments. This is the ONLY port of the 19 I have been to that is this over-priced. No where did someone actually try to charge me over $7.00 for a beer.

 

 

 

Additionally, I bartered for a souvenir for a friend. I ended up paying the price I saw the item for in a prior port that trip, Cozumel, rather than the $20.00 markup this shop added over the other vendors in the other port!

 

 

 

To add to my irritation, the shop keeper then tried to extort a tip from me for simply selling me an item when he's already clearly making a profit. By extort - I mean he actually demanded a tip.

 

 

 

I told him in America we tip for service, not for retail sales. He told me by lowering the price he was giving me service and then he actually told me I need to buy his lunch so he can eat. Had I not already handed him the exact amount needed for the purchase but hadn't yet gotten possession of the item, I would have told him exactly where he could get eat his lunch once he could afford to buy it. Needless to say, he didn't get another cent. I did feel better once I loudly alerted everyone in close proximity that the guy was actively and forcefully soliciting tips for retail sales. We tourists have to stick together.

 

 

 

By far, this was the rudest and most price-gouging port of the 19 I have been too... Everyone from my group also had consistent sentiments when we got back to the ship and compared notes.

Was this in town or in the port area?

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I've been to Costa Maya many times and I always take a taxi to the malecon because the port charges the same prices that the ship charges.

I've had fabulous lunches at Fernando's and other places way cheaper than at Cozumel and enjoyed the beaches at Blue Kay.

I feel much less pressure from the locals trying to sell something than I do in Belize or Jamaica and enjoy strolling the malecon.

I've never met a rude person there perhaps because I am not rude to them and I look forward to my next port stop there.

Was this in town or in the port area?

 

 

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It was in port. Long story short, this was an unexpected but very welcome port for us in lieu of a cancelled visit to Roatan. Whike walking around I was in sincere disbelief at the prices in this place. It was practically extortion. Whoever said they charge "cruise ship prices" is incorrect. The prices were actually worse than cruise ship prices on some things, some food and beverage included. The knick knack shops as I call them were double on most of those cheap crappy things you see everywhere if not more compared to other ports. This is one port you have to haggle with and sometimes we could observe them flat out refuse other people on lowering their prices. Point proven is that they wanted double on those woven fabric bags people buy like crazy with sports teams etc on them than any other port on that trip. Se for another shop and a resin Mayan calendar. Same calendar that was 29 dollars in other ports they actually put a sticker on it for $89!!!

It was in port. Long story short, this was an unexpected but very welcome port for us in lieu of a cancelled visit to Roatan. Whike walking around I was in sincere disbelief at the prices in this place. It was practically extortion. Whoever said they charge "cruise ship prices" is incorrect. The prices were actually worse than cruise ship prices on some things, some food and beverage included. The knick knack shops as I call them were double on most of those cheap crappy things you see everywhere if not more compared to other ports. This is one port you have to haggle with and sometimes we could observe them flat out refuse other people on lowering their prices. Point proven is that they wanted double on those woven fabric bags people buy like crazy with sports teams etc on them than any other port on that trip. Se for another shop and a resin Mayan calendar. Same calendar that was 29 dollars in other ports they actually put a sticker on it for $89!!!

I think your experience would have been different had you gone into town. The town is actually quite pleasant.

I think your experience would have been different had you gone into town. The town is actually quite pleasant.

Agreed. All I do in the port area is walk through it on the way to a cab.

I am usually not a "stay on the ship " kind of person. I make the most of everything. However I agree with the OP ! I was here several years ago and didn't like it but at least the water was beautiful.

I just got back from a cruise last week that stopped in Costa Maya on Oasis of the Seas. We were re-routed due to a hurricane. I thought my dh and I would at least have a drink of two at a beach bar and go for a swim even though the town is pretty run down and dirty. Our ship arrived at 9 am and we were in port until 6 pm. We disembarked around 11 am. As we made our way to the gangway to get off of the ship there were about 75 people getting back on the ship already. It was crazy. When we got off of the ship as we made the long walk down to to the pier we saw hundreds of people walking back onto the ship by 11 am. I actually stopped a ship employee and asked why so many people were getting back on the ship already. He didn't have much to say.

We figured it out quickly. After walking past the pool area where we were constantly asked to look at ridiculously overpriced merchandise, or eat overpriced food when it's free on the ship, we took a cab ride to the beach. At each stop someone got on the jitney and tried to push excursions down our throats. We got off at the 3rd stop (out of 4) all the same beach, in the downtown area. Not only was it run down and filthy and people were calling us constantly to spend our money (which doesn't really bother me too much) the worst problem was the awful disgusting repulsive condition of the beaches. Not just the seaweed but the trash. It was so sad. It used to be so beautiful. There is a huge seaweed problem all over the Caribbean and Mexico, some places worse than others. But most tourist areas work hard to remove as much as possible. It's nobody's fault that it's there, but it is still extremely unpleasant. The water here was actually brown. And the seaweed smelled so bad. It was piled several feet high all over the place and it was just horrible. See the attached pictures and judge for yourself.

Btw Cozumel was amazing. No seaweed on the tourist side of the island

Now I know why hundreds of people retuned to the ship by 11 am!!! Just awful.

Wow! That's a lot of seaweed! We wanted to go to Blue Kay because of a great review on here. Do you know if it is that bad there??