Tell Me About Passion Island Please

We are traveling with people who would like us to go with them to Passion Island.

I have been reading reviews and they are so inconsistent that it does not even seem like people are describing the same place.

Some people describe an idyllic place with clean restrooms and good food and drinks.

Some describe disgusting restrooms.

Others write of watered down drinks and long lines.

And some describe the food as really bad.

Some people describe an overly long slow ride on a "cattle boat".

Others describe being forced to stand in line to be photographed.

I have also read about being forced to listen to presentations begging for tips and descriptions of the poverty endured by their employees.

And apparently Passion Island is not really an island and is not actually all-inclusive.

I realize that people see things differently, but this is confusing us.

DH does not want to do this excursion now.

I would like for Passion Island to be wonderful so that we can go along with the others and keep the peace.

What has been your experience?

Thanks in advance for your post!:)

Mitsugirly is a regular poster on these boards and has links to a photo intensive review of Passion Island (and a few other spots on Cozumel) linked in her signature.

We went to Passion Island in July 2013 on a Carnival excursion and absolutely loved it. If you've seen the Corona beer commercials where the people are in suits and business attire and they click the beer bottles and the scene switches to the beach, that commercial was filmed on Passion Island. Lots of chairs and tables both in and out of the sun, lots of water toys, bouncy slides, etc. Food was buffet style and was plentiful. The guac was really good. The double-decker catamaran ride from the pier to PI was part of the adventure.

We were not forced to be photographed, nor did we hear any speeches about poverty, etc. It was a fantastic day, all around.

We did the Twister excursion to there once, and booked it a second time (cancelled due to weather). We loved it. Twister ride was great (I'd suggest goggles though), and the island area was nice. Nice beach, loungers, hammocks, etc. Beach toys. Food and drink was decent. We would go again.

We went by tour boat and loved Passion Island. (y)

It seems the owners of the island are actually DISCOURAGING cruisers from going there because of a dispute they are having with Carnival. I would read the disclaimer on the Passion Island website. :mad:

quoted from Passion Island site...

"Carnival cruise lines are now run by their former “accountant”. In order to maximize their profits; which is a never ending task. they have entered into an exclusive agreement with Passion Island. This means that they can charge their passengers a premium price for the excursion and pay Passion Island a fraction of that price. This of course is very hard on Passion Island and good business for Carnival. Passion Island hopes to make it up in volume (which also means more people crowding the beach).

If you were to reserve the very same tour as a guest of a hotel your price would be much less, you would spend an hour more on the Island, and Passion Island would make a fair profit. Carnival has been doing this with just about every tour operator at one time or another, but the tour operators are too scared to do anything about it.

So if you are on a Carnival cruise ship you cannot make your reservation through anyone except Carnival.

IF this policy upsets you as it does just about every vendor on Cozumel, there is something you can do about it. You can reserve another excursion. The water around Passion Island is not suitable for snorkeling because it is located in an area of turbid waters. So if you are looking for an alternative you can always go on the 2 reef snorkeling adventure tour. Or you can pay a much higher price to eat and drink more after coming off of a ship that feeds you as much as you want anyway.

If it sounds like we are not happy with the way Carnival is doing their business here on Cozumel, it is because we are. And so are many other vendors. The only difference is that we do not rely on them to make our living, and we believe in informing our island guests as a service to everyone. No matter what you decide to do; we want for you to have the very best vacation possible while on our paradise island!"

:o

We went despite the bad reviews we had read. We thought the place was absolutely beautiful with good food and clean restrooms.

I have a full review in my signature line that has TONS of pictures. You are welcome to have a look and see what you think.

We cruised with friends on their first cruise a few years ago and went to Isle De Pasion with them. We took the ferry (two-tiered cat) rather than the twister and it was just a ferry but it was fine. This was the first port and Carib beach for our friends and they enjoyed relaxing under a palm with the open bar and buffet and the weather cooperated which is always great. We were a little disappointed with the lack of organization, but we still had a nice day.

We booked this onboard the ship when our itinerary got changed at last minute due to hurricane. Didn't get to research ahead of time like we normally do, but I can say we wouldn't do it again. The island while it is pretty, all the above things you mentioned we also experienced. Long ride on boat (asked for tips while on the ride), then had to stand around and hear another speech explaining everything on island (should have been done while on the boat ride there), and then asked to stand in a long line to take a picture (which we had no intention of purchasing). Also had to listen to another story about how poor the island workers were. The food wasn't the best compared to other AI places in Cozumel, drinks were limited choices, and tips were encouraged. We just felt like everyone wanted a tip which did not enhance our time on the island (which was very short also). We noticed some trying to go around the picture taking station and they were yelled at to get back in line. The chairs down by the water were these plastic hard ones, so we chose the more comfortable ones under the papalla but was quite a distance to walk to the water. For the actual amount of time we had to relax and enjoy we did not feel like it was worth the price paid. But there are so many options in Cozumel, find the best match-up for what you enjoy the most!

There are so many gorgeous, natural beaches to choose from that are a short taxi from the port, whether you want a nice, relaxing day with an inexpensive massage or a beach club vibe.