Independent Tulum Ruins + Cenote excursion

Hi,

This will be my 2nd time going on a cruise, and I will be cruising with the Carnival Breeze this time and docking at Cozumel from 8 AM to 6 PM.

I know that Carnival offers the VIP Tulum + Cenote excursion. Has anybody done this through Carnival? How much time did you get to spend at Tulum Ruins and which cenote did you visit? How much time did you get to swim?

I was thinking of seeing the Tulum Ruins + Gran Cenote independently to save money (especially for a party of 6), but I'm worried about transportation and timing. So far, this is my plan:

1) Take taxi from Cozumel port to ferry location.

2) Take ferry from Cozumel to Playa del Carmen.

3) Take colectivo from Playa del Carmen to Tulum ruins

4) Briefly tour Tulum ruins + beach

5) Take taxi from Tulum ruins to Tulum city

6) Grab quick lunch in Tulum city

7) Take taxi from Tulum city to Gran Cenote

8) Spend at least 1 hour swimming in the cenote

9) Take taxi from Gran Cenote back to Tulum city

10) Take colectivo from Tulum city back to Playa del Carmen

11) Take ferry from Playa del Carmen back to Cozumel

12) Board cruise ship before 6 PM!!

Does the above itinerary seem reasonable? I know that since Carnival is offering such an excursion, it must be possible.

I'm really excited about this trip. Any suggestions or comments on how to make things go as smoothly as possible? Thank you so much for your help.

Not sure if I would be brave enough to do it on your own, but we did it through a company so we had a van and a driver and did a very simular itinerary and it was very inexpensive. You might want to check it out. We went to the beach area after but they offered to take us to a cenote. https://cozumelcruiseexcursions.com/cozumel/tulum-mayan-ruins-private-tours/

While your itinerary is very good and would work, we would also look for an independent operator that has good reviews rather than going it totally alone. That way you are still saving $$ over the ship excursion, it is a private tour, and you have the expertise of a guide who knows the area.

The operator crossfitmama recommended is one, and the $320 price for 6 ppl is very inexpensive. Check their reviews on TripAdvisor.com for more feedback on them. I looked at the first few pages of reviews and they were all very good but they were all Jeep tours on Coz.

There are other nice cenotes between Tulum and Playa as well. And if you want to check out other tour operators I would ask on the Coz and Playa TripAdvisor forums as there are recommendations there for day visitors.

The catch that many people report is that only the ship's tour is responsible for getting you back to the ship on time for departure.

First of all, that schedule seems ambitious by public transportation.

And the ferry crossing can be very rough, delayed.

Yucatreks is a well recognized small van tour company for the area.

Or look on LocoGringo.

I would never do an excurison on the Mainland unless thru the cruise ship.....BIG reason....ferry schedule. If you go with your cruise ship excurions, you have a private ferry just for you that picks up at YOUR pier and delivers you back to YOUR pier. It runs on YOUR schedule, not the hourly schedule of the town ferry.

Trust me, I go to Cozumel often on land trips, and I have gotten stuck in Playa del Carmen because I arrived right when the ferry was loading. They wouldn't let me buy a ticket, even though it was still sitting at dock loading people. Had to sit for an hour waiting for next one. This has happened twice to me over the years. I hate the ferry system. It is very unreliable on departure times.

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There are currently 3 ferry companies that run very regularly - Ultramar (yellow), Mexico Jets (blue & white), and Barcos Caribe (turquoise & pink). Barco Caribe runs only in prime time. These all depart both Coz and Playa at the same time daily. So no worries on making a ferry, just get to the terminal a little early to get your ferry pass. You can also buy a round-trip pass through Ultramar at a slight discount, they are also currently the last ferry from Playa back to Coz but that doesn't affect your schedule.

Delays can happen, but with 2 - 3 ferries running everyday you shouldn't encounter any delays that would affect your excursion.

And I wouldn't be concerned about getting back to the ship, especially using a recommended tour operator. Many people take self-excursions or hire independent tour operators for excursions in the Yucatan, whether to ruins or the amazing water areas. Even using the collectivos is not that risky, but I'd recommend an independent tour guide if not going through the ship for safety and experience.

There are 3 companies but by contract, only ONE can run at a time for the regular ferry schedule. One company is used by the cruise ships for their excursions, so it is not available for transit otherwise.

I don't know anything about the contracts, just that our neighbors in Playa see all 3 ferries departing both ports daily at the same time. So I'm going by their recent reports as well as those on the Playa forums. We haven't yet taken the ferry this year so I am going on these reports and they're obviously seeing them.

At one point Ultramar and Barcos Caribe were the only 2 operators and were apparently price gouging, when Mexican came in with lower fares the other 2 had to be competitive. Fares are lower for residents, of course, and some folks get confused when comparing the fares.

if you're sailing now. Ship Time and Coz time will be the same. But you would still have to grab a 3P ferry back, as the 5P ferry won't get you back to Coz until just before 6P and you still have a 10 minute ride and 5 minute hustle to the ship. Probably the earliest ferry over would be the 9A for you. Gets you into Playa just before 10A. So you essentially have between 10A and 2:30P to do everything. Possible but a bit rushed as an hour of that is travel time to Tulum and then I think most of the cenote places are at least 15 minutes from the Playa dock. So that gives you 3.5 hours or so to enjoy stuff.

There are 4PM ferries from Playa to Coz, and with ~6 hrs on the mainland this can indeed be a great excursion. 1 - 1.5 hrs at the ruins is plenty, 1.5 - 2 hrs with the beach, and there are several cenotes to choose from enroute back to Playa. A more relaxed day would be heading to a beach on Coz, but I would have no concerns with this excursion with your time in port if using a reputable tour operator.

But your best bet is always to go by what your tour operator tells you because they are the experts on the area and on the ferries, etc. :D

There are 4PM ferries from Playa to Coz,

Really?! Leave it to a guy who hangs in that part of the world to know. Guess I need an updated schedule. Thanks.

We just had our retirement home built near Playa and have been spending a lot of our time there over the last two years, you're right. We've just seen the ferries coming and going and have friends/neighbors who confirmed that's the situation. But that can change anytime, especially in Mexico, so working through a reputable guide is recommended.

Cozumel offers so much as well, this excursion to the Yucatán is often done by folks who have been to Coz before and want to see some of the peninsula...

And I meant to stress that I am not an expert on the area by any means, just a lover of it.

Another very nice excursion to the mainland is to Rio Secreto near Playa. Offered through independent operators snd I believe through the cruise lines.

http://www.riosecreto.com/

the secret to planning on your own really is leaving wiggle room... in port for 8 hours take no longer than a 5-6 hour tour.. In for 6 a 3-4 hr tour....Just need to leave yourself some extra time for just in case... Don't use every minute... Right now we r planning an excursion in Cozumel and going a long way from port 1 of the few times i'm going to use RCCL excursion to see some Mayan ruins... A local very reputable company says u need 10 hrs to do this excursion I only have 9 so go with ship they have to wait for you.. I must say usually we enjoy our private excurisons so much more and save money...and usually see more

There are times when organized tours - through the cruise line or with an independent operator - make sense, and times when a self-excursion is a good option. When going on your own you do need to allow for normal delays like waiting for a ferry or other transportion and not taking the very last ferry back to Coz. Detailed planning is important when considering longer excursions, and being prepared for any eventualities is an important part of the planning. Travel insurance is also an important component in many cases.

Just common sense, but folks who are newer to travel and don't feel comfortable taking on the planning and execution of excursions probably want to consider a cruise line excursion just for the organization that provides. As you become more experienced you can enjoy the advantages of booking excursions with independent operators and enjoy the flexibility and freedom of self-excursions.

We did the Coba ruins a couple years ago through an RCL excursion...and based on the timing there's no way I would have attempted it on our own.

We were hustled off the ship first and went straight to a ferry right near the pier where we were docked for the trip to Playa del Carmen. Great excursion!! Coba is a bit further than Tulum by about 20 minutes, so timing is also very important.

On the return trip, we got off the bus and had to walk about a 1/4 mile to the pier for the ferry. The tour guide hustled us along, and as we approached the dock we walked right past a very LONG line for ferry passengers as we had priority to get on. We boarded and shortly thereafter headed back.

We returned to the pier where the ship was docked. Navigator of the Seas was already pulling out...we boarded Freedom and within 15-20 minutes of coming on board our lines were dropped and we were on our way.

I don't know how we would have been able to do this excursion on our own to make it 'worth it' due to the travel involved. We saw a lot at the ruins, mostly because we had no worries about getting back to the ship before it left.

We are in Cozumel at the end of July on Carnival from 10am to 6pm. We want to go over to Playa Del Carmen and spend a couple of hours only (shopping/lunch) and then return. I figure we'll catch the 11am ferry to Playa and 3pm back to Cozumel (assuming all the same as ship time). If anyone has done this type of trip, is it doable without stressing too much about time?

Thanks and Regards

Hi,

That's a nice way to see Playa and very easy to do on your own, we'd have no concerns whatsoever. There are currently 2 - 3 ferries departing both ports on the hour so you can choose your return time with confidence. Choosing a seat mid-ferry on the lower deck is the best spot if prone to motion sickness. A 3 PM return gives you plenty of time to experience a little of 5th Ave and enjoy a lunch at a nice beach setting, and get back to Coz with lots of time to spare. You will find a few ideas in this thread -

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2402623

[EDIT] You'll also find more Playa-specific info in the Playa forum here and in https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowForum-g150812-i23-Playa_del_Carmen_Yucatan_Peninsula.html, and at http://www.playa.info if you really want to research.

I will add my thoughts to the DIY plan. My big unknown is knowing how long it takes to get off the boat. I will assume that they can make the 1000 AM ferry to Playa del Carmen (PDC).

http://www.mexicowaterjets.com.mx/

https://www.ultramarferry.com/en/routes-and-departures#Playa-del-Carmen-Cozumel

https://www.barcoscaribe.com/horarios.php

Get into PDC and in a taxi (not a colectivo) by 1100 AM

At Tulum ruins by about 1145 AM. Buy tickets, and use the tram.

How long you stay there is determined by getting back to the boat on time. As noted above, the 500 PM ferry from PDC to Cozumel is too late. The 400 PM ferry gets you to Cozumel is time but allows no backup if you have issues getting to PDC. I will use it for this case but personally I would plan on the 300 PM ferry back to Cozumel.

Assuming the 400 PM ferry to Cozumel, you want to be there getting a ticket about 330 PM. That means leaving Tulum around 230 PM.

That means you have about 2.75 hours to do everything you want. If you can see Tulum ruins, eat lunch and spend time at a cenote in that time you are fast.

You can probably spend one hour at Tulum, eat on the go or take a sandwich and one hour at a cenote and make it work. But that is using the less than preferred PDC ferry departure at 400 PM.

Target the 300 PM ferry to Cozumel and you van only do one thing.

This is why using the ship excursion makes sense.

Barcos Caribe is the newcomer ferry company.