Opinion on XCARET

After reading a few threads, I see mixed reviews on XCARET. Some people enjoyed it, others not so much. Because this is a cruise stop, we will not be able to stay for the night show. Is it worth the money? We've been to Sea World and Disney World. Is it very much like those theme parks, which, to be honest, are kind of exhausting? XCARET is not exactly cheap to get in either.

If we do not book through the ship ($75 for adults and $45 for kids), would we still be able to purchase tickets at the door? The site says that kids' tickets are 50% off. Do they still give you that 50% off at the door? I want to play it by the ear and see what the weather will be like next week when we are in port.

Some people mentioned going back to Calica for lunch due to outrageous food prices in the park. Is that something easily doable?

I definitely think Xcaret is worth the money. We took a tour with Carnival last time we were there and loved it. Yes, it's exhausting, but it's a whole different animal from Sea World or Disney World.

Xcaret has this amazing underwater river that you can swim through. It's really long, but there are stops along the way where you can get out if you can't finish the rest of the river.

They have a nice beach area to relax as well as tons of animals and some mayan ruins.

Definitely worth a visit. If you'd like to look at some pictures, check out my Dream review in my siggy.

We have been to Xcaret twice. Xcaret is a beautiful eco archaeological park and is definitely worth a visit!

Xcaret has alot to offer, from a swim through the underground river to the beach, dolphin encounters, snorkeling, marine life, animals, shows and even Mayan ruins!

Our last visit to Xcaret was through a cruise excursion in 2007. Since our ship docked in Cozumel, we had to take a chartered ferry from the cruise ship to the mainland of Playa Del Carmen (approx. 30 minute ride).

Since Carnival wanted to get everyone who was touring on the mainland back on the same ferry, we only had 4 ½ hours to visit Xcaret. Since there is so much to see and do, we did feel very rushed and barely had enough time to see it all, but since it is such a fascinating place we enjoyed every minute of it! The first thing that we did was swim through the underground river--a definite must.

The exit to the underground river is right by the ocean, so we floated around in some tubes on the beach for awhile and watched people swimming with the dolphins. Straddling across Manatee Lagoon are a couple of climbing ropes that take you to the other side. DH and our 3 sons walked and swayed across the rope. The ropes were a bit wobbly, and they almost fell in, but that made it more challenging and they thought that it was a lot of fun.

We also entered a bat cave and saw some Mayan ruins. The kids enjoyed climbing them, even though the heat was sweltering! We appreciated cooling off in the air-conditioned aquarium. After the aquarium, we went for a dip in the Snorkeling Inlet and could see many fish in the water. We picked up a burger with "chips" and a Pepsi at the beach grill for lunch. Lunch cost us 485 pesos for our family of 5, which is equivalent to $44.00 US. You could get a buffet lunch for about 250 pesos/person--$23.00 US, but we did not have enough time to do that. As it was, we had to rush back to catch the bus at 2:40 to head back to the ferry terminal.

To give you an idea, what all Xcaret has to offer, here is a list of things to see and do at Xcaret.

Things to see and do at Xcaret

(all of these things are included with your price of admission)

-Underground River

-Beach, Natural Pools and Inlets

-Snorkeling Inlet

-Manatee Lagoon

-Coral Reef Aquarium

-Rotating Scenic Tower

-Jungle Trail

-Archaeological Sites/Mayan Ruins

-Ancient Ball Game Court

-Mayan Village Mexican Cemetery

-St. Francis of Assisi Chapel

-Mayan Village

-Animals and Wildlife including Spider Monkies, Tapir, Deer, Jaquar's, Butterfly Pavilion, Sea Turtles, Flamingoes and Birds

-Papantla Flyers

-Paradise River Boat Ride

-Mushroom Farm

-Orchids Greenhouse

-Insect Pavilion

-any shows or performances throughout the day

What Costs Extra in Xcaret :

-food and drink

-Swimming with the Dolphins

-Snorkeling

-Sea Trek

-Coral Reef Diving

-Massage

-Sky Tours

-Locker Rental

-Towel Rental

-Stroller Rental

If you are interested, I have attached a link to my Carnival Triumph Cozumel YouTube video. Here you will see photos and video clips of our excursion through the beautiful eco archaeological part of Xcaret as well as Paradise Beach.

Since your time in Xcaret is limited through a cruise excursion, your best bet would be to choose what activities and sites interest you the most and then go for it!

It was one of the highlights of my trip. lots to do though. My folks who were in their 60s and didn't want to walk so much, didn't find it worth it for them. But us, in our 40s and the kids enjoyed so much there.

years ago. We talked about it so much she wants to go on our Christmas cruise. I am looking forward to it again, now that we know more of what to expect. Last time, we were overwhelmed at the size and scope of it. Highly recommend.

Absolutely worth every penny!

I am going against the majority here and going to say i dislike that place immenssely. There are so many other things that I would rather do than be there, including sitting on a beach and doing nothing.

If you like adventure, I would say Xplor is a great option and if you like to snorkel Xel-Ha. I have been to all three places and my family returns to Xel-Ha almost everytime we are there. Xplor is newer and we have been there. They have a lot of things to do such as zip lines, underground rivers. Xel-Ha is all inclusive of food and drinks and Xplor you get a coupon for a lunch buffet which is good and a drink coupon. Depending on ages I might opt for Xplor.

Xcaret, is not cheap and nothing like the places you mention.

After reading a few threads, I see mixed reviews on XCARET. Some people enjoyed it, others not so much. Because this is a cruise stop, we will not be able to stay for the night show. Is it worth the money? We've been to Sea World and Disney World. Is it very much like those theme parks, which, to be honest, are kind of exhausting? XCARET is not exactly cheap to get in either.

 

If we do not book through the ship ($75 for adults and $45 for kids), would we still be able to purchase tickets at the door? The site says that kids' tickets are 50% off. Do they still give you that 50% off at the door? I want to play it by the ear and see what the weather will be like next week when we are in port.

 

Some people mentioned going back to Calica for lunch due to outrageous food prices in the park. Is that something easily doable?