ekatya2001 Posted June 16, 2016 #1 Share Posted June 16, 2016 Hello, My family of three (me, DH, and DD 15) are planning to go to XCaret with our cruise excursion, however, we've read many reviews entailing how XCaret is tiring and generally not a positive place to go to for a cruise excursion. Does anyone have any suggestions of what's better? My knees are bad, so strenuous activity like Xplor is a no-go for me. As well, how would one plan a single day at XCaret? For example, which areas to go to first, or which areas to avoid until later etc. Thanks in advance :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blue_water Posted June 18, 2016 #2 Share Posted June 18, 2016 We haven't experienced Xcaret yet, but you will get very good feedback if you post these questions on the Playa Del Carmen forum on Tripadvisor. Enjoy! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Natalie2015 Posted August 22, 2016 #3 Share Posted August 22, 2016 We just went to Xcaret. Even thought the park is beautifull, no i do not recomande it When on a cruise. If you ship dock in Cozumel. It' s a 1:25 ride (including a 45 min ride on a very rocky ferry -still feel sick thinking of it). It's a big park, a lot of walking. You see maybe 20% of the park, cause you have limited time. If you choose to go anyway, i suggest that you book with your Cruise and not on your own, cause there' s good chance you wont be back on time! If your on Cozumel during the right, i would suggest "save a turtle experience" Sent from my iPad using Forums Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ekatya2001 Posted August 24, 2016 Author #4 Share Posted August 24, 2016 Thanks everyone for the wonderful suggestions. Yes we did go to XCaret during our cruise. But I have to agree with the previous replier. It was a horrendous experience (not because of the staff or the attractions) but just because the weather was just suffocating. As well, you have to walk long roads in order to go from one place to another and it just wasn't ideal to be walking 3+ hours straight in a suffocating heat. However, the underground river was just amazing, and I wonder if we should have just gone to the Rio Secreto, which is just an underwater cenote? We did however, buy the DVD because we didn't get to see the whole park, or enjoy it for that matter. Next time, we'll definitely choose something else. Even our 15yo DD who is a competitive athlete was winded and tired by the sheer amount of walking distance, not to mention her folks who are almost 50! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare PhillyTravelBug Posted August 28, 2016 #5 Share Posted August 28, 2016 We have this booked on our cruise for September. Now I'm wondering if we made the right decision. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare PhillyTravelBug Posted August 28, 2016 #6 Share Posted August 28, 2016 We have this booked on our cruise for September. Now I'm wondering if we made the right decision. My concern is that we have the ruins tour booked in Costa maya the day before and have a feeling it may be completely exhausting doing both back to back. I thinking of cancelling the Xcaret tour and booking a snorkeling excursion instead. Thoughts? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blue_water Posted August 28, 2016 #7 Share Posted August 28, 2016 We have this booked on our cruise for September. Now I'm wondering if we made the right decision. Travel time isn't that bad to Xcaret - 30 min ferry and 15 min taxi each way. It is a large place however and hard to experience all of it in a short day. So you may want to consider looking at Rio Secreto, or even Azul Cenote which is also gorgeous. It is worth the time to get to the Riviera Maya as it is a gorgeous area with lots of natural wonders. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blue_water Posted August 28, 2016 #8 Share Posted August 28, 2016 My concern is that we have the ruins tour booked in Costa maya the day before and have a feeling it may be completely exhausting doing both back to back. I thinking of cancelling the Xcaret tour and booking a snorkeling excursion instead. Thoughts? We'd choose a beach day in Mahahual, Costa Maya, Mexico and look at a tour out of Playa that offers either ruins or one of the spots I mentioned above. I thik there is much more to see around Playa than Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ekatya2001 Posted August 29, 2016 Author #9 Share Posted August 29, 2016 We have this booked on our cruise for September. Now I'm wondering if we made the right decision. Definitely think you should go for a more relaxing excursion, Beach Break (as mentioned above) sounds pretty cool. As well, you could just take the 30 or so minute ferry to Playa del Carmen for a nice and relaxing shopping trip. I do think however that XCaret is perhaps a bit too tiring for a day's worth of enjoyment. But it's up to your discretion. Happy Sailing! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blue_water Posted August 29, 2016 #10 Share Posted August 29, 2016 I recommended the beach option for Costa Maya, and I would not recommend spending part of your day sightseeing Playa and 5th Ave as that is just a very crowded tourist spot. It's ok to stop there after an excursion but really not worth your time. But if you want a great lunch look at the north end where it's not quite as touristy. Research Azul Cenote and Xcaret reviews on trip advisor and see if one of those sound right for you. Xcaret is well worth the time but there are so many options within a 20 min drive of the Playa ferry terminal. I wouldn't recommend one of the tours that include Xcaret and the Tulul ruins as Tulum is 30 - 40 min south and you just don't have enough time to enjoy both. Good luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luv2cruz1000 Posted December 12, 2017 #11 Share Posted December 12, 2017 I was reading and someone commented it was hard to keep up with the guide. Can you go off on your own here or do you stay with a tour guide. Anyone done the tour with carnival and been in port for 8 hours. How long do you get to stay at Xcaret? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Natalie2015 Posted December 12, 2017 #12 Share Posted December 12, 2017 I was reading and someone commented it was hard to keep up with the guide. Can you go off on your own here or do you stay with a tour guide. Anyone done the tour with carnival and been in port for 8 hours. How long do you get to stay at Xcaret? I was with RC. The first part of the excursion we had to stay with the guide. I really wish we would have been on our own. By the time it was done with him explaining things to the group, it was lunch time. After a quick lunch, we visit by ourselves for maybe 2 hours and had to go back. I don’t recall the exact amount of time we’d stayed there. But I did feel like a waste of money! Like i said, if you ship is dock At Cozumel, check what you can do directly at Cozumel or close In playa del carmen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
footballmp Posted April 10, 2019 #13 Share Posted April 10, 2019 Xcaret is awesome! We book cruises including Cozumel just so we can go there. We were on our own to tour the park as we wanted to. Cant wait to go back. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blue_water Posted April 22, 2019 #14 Share Posted April 22, 2019 Xcaret is a full-day experience (and multi-day) so going from Coz does limit your time a bit. But with multiple visits you can be less rushed each time. And the evening show is a very nice way to end the day so if you ever plan a land vacation to the Riviera Maya, Xcaret would be even more enjoyable, perhaps with a two-day pass, or a pass bundled with one of the other “X” parks... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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