c-leg5

Are you wanting to go somewhere particular? A particular beach club, the ruins? Did you read the Maya Chan blog post? She seemed to discuss current details although of course that can change. I would have expected her to be sufficiently well-known and sufficiently aware of the local area to have been able to negotiate if possible. Of course she doesn’t actually say if she was on Celebrity.

Existing thread

Yes according to previous reports.

I think the delay was EMBARKATION. Not sure your plan would help but who knows what the future holds. I think people cruising at the moment need to have flexible plans.

Just found the latest blog from the owner of Maya Chan which clears up some of the confusion. Not sure which cruise line they were on. http://box5202.temp.domains/~mayachan/the-scuttlebutt/

You can get some idea of places that are open by looking at recent TripAdvisor reviews from Iand visitors and locals. Malecon21 is definitely open according to reviews. Someone on CC reported Jamie’s is open and yet I read a report where someone couldn’t get a taxi to Jamie's so I don’t understand what that was about. Ships have only just begun returning so hopefully more reports will be available soon.

LOL, thanks for the details as you know them, although as you say clear as mud and I certainly don’t understand the logic! The fact that taxis are allowed in to pick up is a change that will help many, the owner usually doesn’t allow it. Taxis have always been allowed in to drop off.

I thought Celebrity were requiring curated tours only in Mexico? Has this changed now? Are you allowed to travel independently? unless you go all the way to Bacalar, or the ruins there isn’t really anywhere to “tour” to other than downtown in Costa Maya. Is the waterpark open for ship-only excursions? I suppose I am not understanding the significance of an “approved taxi”, what it actually is and what use it would be if not to take you to town and allow you to wander “at will” or visit your own dive shop, which was presumably downtown? There is very little else to visit locally. Perhaps you are saying the trolley that normally goes into town wasn’t available? Or the golf cart rentals? But once you get to town I don’t see what would stop you going to any of the beach bars and yet I read on another thread someone couldn’t get a taxi to Jamie’s? I don’t have any cruises booked for the foreseeable future and I am sure the protocols will change many times before they apply to me - just trying to clarify for other regular visitors to Costa Maya, and the OP. It sounds very confusing. I am not surprised people can’t follow the protocols.

That would be difficult to pinpoint. This article suggests May - October https://www.atastefortravel.ca/11077-current-seaweed-conditions-in-cancun/ this one April- August https://www.journeymexico.com/blog/update-on-sargassum-seaweed-affecting-mexicos-beaches Costa Maya is south of Tulum on the map with colored dots. Also the severity varies from year to year with some years much worse than others. We have just returned from Cozumel in June and the east side was really bad. 2021 is predicated to be a bad year. We went to Costa Maya in January one year - totally clear, returned early March and sargassum starting at Maya Chan. That said, November is certainly one of the better times and hopefully you will be just fine! Enjoy!

Having been to Costa Maya multiple times, IF independent excursions ARE allowed I don’t really understand the problem regarding getting back. IF they are not allowed what is an “approved taxi” and what use is it? I am really not following what you are saying.

I thought Celebrity were requiring ship only tours in Mexico? Has this changed now? Are you allowed to travel independently? unless you go all the way to Bacalar, or the ruins there isn’t really anywhere to tour to but downtown in Costa Maya. Is the waterpark open for ship-only excursions?

I didn’t realize you didn’t really want a beach club i thought with children that was perhaps you were after somewhere with activities. I agree we have never been to Sanchos as it seems too big and noisy for us but we don’t have children to amuse so are looking for the quiet life! I agree this would have been a good time to give Sanchos a try, with limited occupancy. Likewise Playa Mia would have been much quieter than normal, I believe it only reopened specifically for the cruise ships returning. It seems you had a very limited number of options available which seems such a pity for somewhere like Cozumel Thanks, I was interested to know if El Diablo was currently open. I know the bike and buggy tours have stopped there in the past - it has been many names over the years.We were in Cozumel middle of June but the sargassum was so bad on the east side we cut our tour short and didn’t go all the way round this time so didn't get as far as San Martin Beach and El Diablo area. Not sure from your description if you mean the northern end, or the southern end of the east side? I think I had read the tours may have stopped at Tortugas, near Chankanaab previously.

As far as Freeport goes I would be very concerned if they were not aware of which adult was responsible for your daughter. I have heard of minors being flagged at security in the past and needing to prove who was the responsible adult. I find it strange with such a limited capacity on board that they didn’t check, but possibly because there was a limited capacity they were aware who was traveling together as a group? The other issue here is that your daughter was able to exit at all. She was in a party with an unvaccinated person and yet previous reports stated that one/both parents couldn’t exit leaving their child with another responsible person unless they were all on a ship excursion. That ruling may have changed over time because we are reading now that at least on some ships parents can leave the ship leaving their child at daycare.

@RCCL Fan - thanks so much for your original review and for repeating parts here. There were several factors that concerned me about your excursion reviews. I know you have had issues with excursions in Cozumel previously and was disappointed to hear of your limited choices this time round. However, I was surprised to hear of the choice you did make with a young child. I would have thought Chankanaab would have been offered as a ship excursion or Playa Mia, since your first choice was Sanchos, but perhaps you have already been to them? That said I would be interested to know the names of the beach clubs you actually did visit and were you kept as a separate group while you were there? On the east side, I am assuming it was the old Diablo’s with the bar in one side of the road and the beach on the other, since you said it was in the middle of nowhere? (FYI in the future, you were lucky to be able to pay by credit card on the east side as cell service is VERY unreliable on that side - it was not just the owners being awkward, wanting cash.) I am not sure how far away your tour guide could have gone as he would certainly be wanting his vehicles back but I agree he should have been present to negotiate for you. I had assumed the purpose of the ship excursion requirement was for tracking purposes, rather than any protection for your group per se and so the fact that you didn’t have to return to the ship at the end is concerning and makes me wonder if all the blame lies with the cruisers that have supposedly “broken their bubble” as we are led to believe. It is one thing to leave the excursion in the middle but totally different if you “delay” your return if you are not instructed otherwise. If you are allowed to return “at will” then it negates the whole purpose of requiring the ship excursion in the first place.

Apologies, I got bogged down negotiating the government website and forgot the details of the original post! Agree post #4 and #9 seem to cover transit. One would hope if Royal Air2Sea transport is involved they have covered the requirements, but who knows? Having flown Houston to UK many times, flying in “the day of” and transferring to Southampton would not be my choice before a TA cruise, which is probably why I got diverted in my thought process!