CHANKANAAB~Mixed reviews?

We will be visiting Cozumel during our Carnival cruise in December. We were planning on booking the all inclusive Chankanaab beach day and sea lion show excursion. I looked up reviews on the Carnival site and they are all over the place for this excursion. Wanted opinions good or bad from those that have been to this park or booked this excursion. We have narrowed it down to this excursion or doing an all inclusive at Mr. Sanchos. Any help is greatly appreciated!

We have been to Chankanaab and enjoyed it. We did the dolphin / manatee / sea lion swim, saw the sea lion show, had lunch and spent some time at the beach. The snorkeling is good, but it is rocky getting into the water (which is why there is good snorkeling).

If you are just looking for a nice beach day without the “extras”, you may prefer one of the beach clubs.

We like the Money Bar. It’s not All Inclusive, but the food and drinks are good, prices are reasonable, they have great snorkeling and it is usually not crowded. Just be aware there is no actual beach, but they do have a sandy area with loungers, etc.

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My family booked Chankanaab independently on our last visit to Cozumel. I booked the dolphin swim for my daughter and I...and then just paid general admission for my husband and son. The sea lion show is included in admission, unless you are swimming with then and then that is extra. The snorkeling is accessed through a rocky area with stairs...and you can't stand due to the coral. The snorkeling was pretty good. They had a snack bar, but we only ordered a few drinks. They also have a pool that my kids swam in for a bit. The busiest area is the boardwalk area where the dolphin swims take place. Tons of cruisers waiting for their turn. They quickly leave afterwards and we had the place basically to ourselves after that. We had taken a cab on our own and it was very easy to find a cab back.

This is very easy to do on your own. If you go with the ship, you will have to leave much earlier. As another poster said, this a fun place, but there is no "traditional" like you may be expecting. If you look at the google satellite map, you can see just the tiny lagoon.

If you just like to spend money then the ship excursion is the way to go.

Otherwise, walk off the ship, thru the shopping area to the taxi stand...take a cab, $12. ea way, to Chankanaab. It's about an 8 minute ride.

Pay the admission...$22./pp. The Sea Lion show is included. Dolphins cost more and may require advanced reservations.

Food or snorkel gear is available for extra (very modest) cost.

We always spend the morning this way when we call at Cozumel...then we "must" take the taxi downtown so that shopping can fill the rest of the day. :rolleyes:

Don’t forget to use the $2. Off each person Discount coupons :D

Hi Laurie,

I’m also a Lorie. My husband and I have been to both Chankanaab and Mr. Sanchos. We did the dolphin swim at Chankanaab and had a fantastic time. There were around 10 in our group and for about $189/person we got to swim, kiss, pet, and play with the dolphin. Once in a lifetime experience for sure. The sea lion show happens periodically through the day, included with admission, and there is a pool like ladder that leads you to a snorkeling area. It is deep and rocky but there are tons of beautiful fish. I would definitely recommend.

Mr Sanchos was nice for an all inclusive beach day. The employees were very friendly. The drinks were weak when we were there...very weak. The beach was pretty clean but there was seaweed and sea grass. The water was pretty brown as well. I just mention this because when I think of a beach day, I want a pristine sandy beach and blue clear water. It was still a nice time.

That being said, it has been at least 5 years since we have been to Conzumel so things may be different now. We have a cruise planned for September. I really want to go to a Xcarat but am worried about taking the ferry from Conzumel to Playa del Carmen since explosives were discovered on the ferries. I wish I could find a reliable source as to what happened.

Good luck with your decision!

I would only book an excursion to the mainland through the cruise line - transport and timing are the issues. Most of the cruise lines started using ferry service from Coz to PDC a few weeks after the spring incident.

Hi Laurie,

 

I’m also a Lorie. My husband and I have been to both Chankanaab and Mr. Sanchos. We did the dolphin swim at Chankanaab and had a fantastic time. There were around 10 in our group and for about $189/person we got to swim, kiss, pet, and play with the dolphin. Once in a lifetime experience for sure. The sea lion show happens periodically through the day, included with admission, and there is a pool like ladder that leads you to a snorkeling area. It is deep and rocky but there are tons of beautiful fish. I would definitely recommend.

 

Mr Sanchos was nice for an all inclusive beach day. The employees were very friendly. The drinks were weak when we were there...very weak. The beach was pretty clean but there was seaweed and sea grass. The water was pretty brown as well. I just mention this because when I think of a beach day, I want a pristine sandy beach and blue clear water. It was still a nice time.

 

That being said, it has been at least 5 years since we have been to Conzumel so things may be different now. We have a cruise planned for September. I really want to go to a Xcarat but am worried about taking the ferry from Conzumel to Playa del Carmen since explosives were discovered on the ferries. I wish I could find a reliable source as to what happened.

 

Good luck with your decision!

I would be more concerned about the short length of time at Xcaret offered by a cruise excursion. You cannot possibly do and enjoy all there is to do at Xcaret in the 2-4 hours offered by most of the cruise excursions. You would need to be really organized and really selective to enjoy it. IMO.

I loved Chankanaab. It's a beautiful property. A little costly though, but we are glad we did it.

Going to Xcaret for only a few hours is like going to Disneyland for only a few hours. I was just there a couple of weeks ago from opening until closing and feel like I saw only a fraction of the park.

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This is very easy to do on your own. If you go with the ship, you will have to leave much earlier.

I also have this excursion booked for a carnival cruise in December. Do we HAVE to leave when the excursion group returns to the ship? Or if we're having a great time, can we choose to stay and grab our own taxi back?

You should be able to stay longer, although your open bar/buffet may no longer be available. Let the tour leader know and then grad a taxi (about $12+) when you are ready to return -- keep track of time, know which pier you are going to (there are 3 on Cozumel), and don't miss the ship! :eek:

You should be able to stay longer, although your open bar/buffet may no longer be available. Let the tour leader know and then grad a taxi (about $12+) when you are ready to return -- keep track of time, know which pier you are going to (there are 3 on Cozumel), and don't miss the ship! :eek:

Thank you! It's always good to have options.

And in your perspective... If we also wanted to explore a little more around Cozumel, shops and such, is it better for us to take ship transportation back to the port and then explore from there? Or to get a taxi from chankanaab?

Taxi from Chank to downtown - more shops and better bars/restaurants.

Use a watch to keep track on ships time, which may differ from the local time on Cozumel. There's always a few pier runners trying to catch the ship as it pulls away who depended upon their cell phones for the time. ;)

We did Chankanaab one day as part of our 11 days in Cozumel last month. Probably my least favorite beach club type experience in our time there. Found it overly crowded, and pool murky and gross (I still went in it!), probably because several cruise ships were in port. lol. We went to the Paradise Beach Club twice - because it was within walkind distance of our rented condo and we really enjoyed it. GREAT pool and pool area. Wonderful beach and lots of water trampolines, slides and icebergs, etc. Cost was $18 each for admission though they waived each day when they asked what we would do and we said "eat, drink and play all day." Spent less than $100 for four people (two adults and two kids) with big lunch and lots of beers and virgin drinks for about 6 hours.

http://www.paradise-beach-cozumel.com/

We also did the Money Beach Bar. That is a really nice spot, especially for adults. Great food and drinks and good snorkeling from stairs you walk down from the establishement's patio into the ocean.

I have a couple more questions about visiting this on our own. We are 2 adults. 

• The $2 coupon has a spot to fill in #adults, #kids. Am I correct assuming we will only need this one $2 coupon for $2 off each our tickets?
• Has anyone ever purchased tickets online beforehand and gotten the discount that way? What promo code do you use? I see their website has a spot to enter a promo code; however, I could not find a code searching online.
• Is any public [bus-type] transportation available in Cozumel other than a cab? We have taken the bus on some of the islands, but never in Cozumel.

Thanks, all!

Not sure about the coupons or purchasing discounted admission in advance.

There's no good public bus service on Cozumel - use the taxis.  Fare fro up to 4 passengers to Chank should be about $12 - check the fare board near the cab line for your pier.

On 8/1/2018 at 6:44 PM, LakeWobegon said:

We did Chankanaab one day as part of our 11 days in Cozumel last month. Probably my least favorite beach club type experience in our time there. Found it overly crowded, and pool murky and gross (I still went in it!), probably because several cruise ships were in port. lol. We went to the Paradise Beach Club twice - because it was within walkind distance of our rented condo and we really enjoyed it. GREAT pool and pool area. Wonderful beach and lots of water trampolines, slides and icebergs, etc. Cost was $18 each for admission though they waived each day when they asked what we would do and we said "eat, drink and play all day." Spent less than $100 for four people (two adults and two kids) with big lunch and lots of beers and virgin drinks for about 6 hours.

 

http://www.paradise-beach-cozumel.com/

 

We also did the Money Beach Bar. That is a really nice spot, especially for adults. Great food and drinks and good snorkeling from stairs you walk down from the establishement's patio into the ocean.

Never heard of $18 entrance fee - unless things have changed (and I am sure there would have been alerts) I think someone was trying it on, or you misunderstood.

$18 sounds like the fee for the water park, which is optional, or did you get that gratis?

What exactly do you get with the basic Chank fee ($21/adult, $14/child)?

No food, no water toys, no dolphins, no food...just beach access?

Beach, small pool, nature trails, facilities, water park shows (sea lions, etc.) and separate snorkel area.  If you pay for one of the dolphin experience options (swim, etc.) your park admission is included in the tour so many just spend the day there before/after they do the dolphin thing.

6 hours ago, squierjosh said:

What exactly do you get with the basic Chank fee ($21/adult, $14/child)?

 

No food, no water toys, no dolphins, no food...just beach access?

http://www.cozumelparks.com/en/chankanaab-en/