Dzibilchaltun ruins, buffet & horse show

Has anyone done this tour thru RCCL. This is almost 6 hrs and includes a buffet lunch and horse show. We have been to other ruins and thought this included 3 different activities we might enjoy. Please post a review if you have taken this tour thru the ship. We are on Voyager on Jan 27 sailing. Thanks:)

Has anyone done this tour thru RCCL. This is almost 6 hrs and includes a buffet lunch and horse show. We have been to other ruins and thought this included 3 different activities we might enjoy. Please post a review if you have taken this tour thru the ship. We are on Voyager on Jan 27 sailing. Thanks:)

We did this tour over our Thanksgiving cruise on the Ecstasy last November. We, too, had already visited Uxmal and Tulum, both of which are larger ruins than Dzbilchaltun. We enjoyed the entire excursion. The ruins are not as large nor are there any pyramids. The largest structure is the Temple of the Seven Dolls which is quite large. The ruins are some of the oldest dating back to 500 BC. There is a very interesting museum on the grounds.

Temple of the Seven Dolls:

From the ruins, we drove to the ranch, Tierra Bonita where a buffet lunch was waiting for us. There were tables inside and outside on a patio which was very nice. The lunch was very good and there was plenty of food. We were told we could go back and get seconds.

Where we ate lunch:

After lunch, we walked over to the courtyard and watched several pairs of dancers who were very good. They also had a lady, Paloma, sing. After the singing and dancing, we moved on to the arena. The horse show consisted of numerous horses and riders riding together and doing some fancy roping. I will post some pictures I took.

Dancers:

Horse Show:

We enjoyed the entire day. Travelgirl

:D Thanks for the information and the pictures. This looks good to us. This is the best forum to get personal opinions and up-to-date information. I can't wait.

Thanks from me too, Travel Girl23. I had already decided on this excursion and booked it but it's great to get another favorable review!

My 11-year-old daughter loves horses. Did you notice if she can see them in the stables? Also the Carnival description of the excursion says you can swim in their pool but the RCI description doesn't mention this. Did you see anyone in the pool?

Thanks!

Thanks from me too, Travel Girl23. I had already decided on this excursion and booked it but it's great to get another favorable review!

 

My 11-year-old daughter loves horses. Did you notice if she can see them in the stables? Also the Carnival description of the excursion says you can swim in their pool but the RCI description doesn't mention this. Did you see anyone in the pool?

 

Thanks!

We did not see a pool. It was definitely warm enough to swim but everything is timed and there was no swimming. Not sure about seeing the horses in the stables. You might ask someone at the ranch when you first arrive. Perhaps it could be arranged. Hope you have a great cruise!! Travelgirl

I posted this on another thread a couple of days ago. It is much like Travel Girls:

We took this excursion (RCCL) just last Friday, February 1st. Our guide was Maria Carmen, who was a delight. Someone learned it was her birthday, so we sang Happy Birthday to her. The ride from the pier is about 20 minutes. The time at the ruins is limited so we only saw the large court area and the cenote (which is used by locals as a swimming pool - with good reason!) The largest ruin is somewhat distant and a long walk. Mary told us 8 blocks, which would be 1/2 a mile each direction - perhaps so, but I'm not convinced it was actually that far. It was hot and 3 of us opted to spend time in the new, air conditioned museum instead. I found it interesting, but for kids probably not so much. It's less than 10 minutes to the ranch. The menu is limited but the kids should eat what's served. They had lime soup (appears to be chicken broth with a lot of lime juice - very good). A fresh salad (no problems there), refried black beans, Mexican rice (not what passes for Mexican rice here in the states - MUCH better), and probably what was ground pork (goat maybe - I'm not sure, but I don't think it was beef - very good whatever) fixed with local spices, much like ground beef for a taco. There were corn tortillas on the table, and the ground meat and rice made a really good sort of burrito. WARNING: the sauce in the bowl on the table is habenero - DON'T LET THE KIDS GET ANYWHERE NEAR IT!) Desert was a choice between a coconut pudding and rice pudding. The rice pudding was very good. They have sodas, beer and water as part of the meal. Margaritas served in tall jelly-type are sold on the patio and in the arena. The left overs are sold for $1 a glass at the end of the day. Unless your children are extremely picky eaters, they should enjoy the food. There are a handfull of venders around the open patio with various small and large items at reasonable prices. All remain at their tables in the shade. I bought a small leather coin purse that was made by the man sitting there, for only $4. He asked my name and using a leather burning tool, wrote my name and Merida, Yucatan on the back in neat lettering. He only spoke Spanish, but you can communicate by pointing, etc. My daughter bought a hand-made double-weave porch swing/chair for $40 - something she'd priced at home for $80 or more. (I suspect she could have haggled it down a bit more.) There are seats on the patio. The same dancers that were performing on the dock performed more local traditional folklorico dances for us on the patioi, and a petite singer with a huge voice, Paloma, sang a few songs. The rodeo/charro demonstration area is held in a large arena with covered stadium type seating (or rather concrete benches). Several charros show off traditional tricks and skills. At the end, the older charro took the one child that was with us for a short horseback ride. I had wanted to visit Chichen Itza, and maybe some day I will get to, but in the meantime this fun excursion more than made up for spending 5 hours on the road! We really enjoyed the day and can recommend it highly. I think the kids will love the rodeo part of it. And eat the food.

If you are lucky enough to get Maria Carmen as your guide, please say hello from a recent passenger, and let her know we will remember her fondly for a very long time.

*****

GREAT PHOTOS!! I've yet to d/l mine.

Linda