Arriving at 11am to an already BUSY Cozumel

[cocosmum]

Booked on a Celebrity cruise next April so just starting to look at shore excursions etc. (Just hubby and me - 60's)

Our ship docks In Cozumel at 11am (departs at 7pm) and there will already be another 4 large ships in port with a capacity of around 15K passengers not counting ours! Two dock at 7am, one at 9am and one at 10am.  They will all depart before our ship.

I know up to 8 ships can be in port at the same time, but my concern is that we are first time visitors and things will be very crowded and hectic.   Something booked might be the way to go rather than 'winging' it ??

Originally we thought about a catamaran tour but recent reviews suggest they really cram people on the boats and it can be a bit of a boozy /party atmosphere??  We enjoy a drink and music but we're not party animals!!

Our other option is one of beach clubs. Given that we don't arrive till later and then need to find a taxi etc. we are unlikely to get there till midday at the earliest - would it still be worthwhile to pay for a day pass?  

If so, which club would you suggest?  Needs to have a good beach for swimming (not necessarily snorkeling), not overly crowded or noisy and chairs and umbrellas.   Even though we probably wouldn't do justice to an all inclusive drink package, happy to pay for the convenience - would enjoy the food though!  

Appreciate your suggestions and thoughts. Thanks.

 

[c-leg5]

2 hours ago, cocosmum said:

Booked on a Celebrity cruise next April so just starting to look at shore excursions etc. (Just hubby and me - 60's)

Our ship docks In Cozumel at 11am (departs at 7pm) and there will already be another 4 large ships in port with a capacity of around 15K passengers not counting ours! Two dock at 7am, one at 9am and one at 10am.  They will all depart before our ship.

I know up to 8 ships can be in port at the same time, but my concern is that we are first time visitors and things will be very crowded and hectic.   Something booked might be the way to go rather than 'winging' it ??

Originally we thought about a catamaran tour but recent reviews suggest they really cram people on the boats and it can be a bit of a boozy /party atmosphere??  We enjoy a drink and music but we're not party animals!!

Our other option is one of beach clubs. Given that we don't arrive till later and then need to find a taxi etc. we are unlikely to get there till midday at the earliest - would it still be worthwhile to pay for a day pass?  

If so, which club would you suggest?  Needs to have a good beach for swimming (not necessarily snorkeling), not overly crowded or noisy and chairs and umbrellas.   Even though we probably wouldn't do justice to an all inclusive drink package, happy to pay for the convenience - would enjoy the food though!  

Appreciate your suggestions and thoughts. Thanks.

 

Keep in mind there are three ports in Cozumel so not everyone is getting on and off at the same place. You will probably be at International south of town. 
 

sounds like pre-booking at Nachi Cocom might work for you or pre- booing a private driver for the day (we use ToursPlaza) might be a good way to see a bit more, and customize a mix and match day.

 

The popular family beach clubs with activities will be busy but Cozumel is well equipped for dealing with a large influx of day guests  - plenty of other activities and plenty of taxis available. The beach clubs will close at 5 and probably stop food around 4.

 

Also not sure where you are sailing from? Cozumel is on EST year round so if you are sailing from Florida (?) there may be a difference between ship time and local time in April.

Edited August 12, 2023 by c-leg5

[bguppies]

DW and I are 58 and 53 and we have been going to Nachi Cocum for 2 decades now, every time we go to Cozumel.

 

They have  a limit of 125 people a day, so it never feels overcrowded, even on Cozumel's busier 10, 11, 12 ship days. (although the cruiselines going from 2,000-3,000 passengers ships to 5,000 - 7,000 passenger ships is making it tough on alot of ports)

 

They have plenty of seating for that many people, with 2 daybeds and 20 or so loungers around the pool (plus 3 tables with umbrellas and chairs) and a long row of palapas lining the entire beach with 4 loungers and table under each.

They have a large open air dining area under a large palapa with easily a hundred seats that you can eat your food up there or have your waiter bring your food and drinks to you by the pool or on the beach all day.

 

There is quiet mexican music playing up in the main dining area and thats it.

 

If you are looking for a quiet, relaxing day, Nachi is a good choice.

 

A cab from International or Puerto Maya piers (RCCL and Carnival's piers respectively) Usually runs $17 each way. (at least it still was when we last went in December 2022)

When you are ready to leave just let your waiter or anyone up front know a few minutes before, while you pack up your things and they will call you a cab and have it waiting for you.

 

First thing DW and I do as soon as we book a cruise to Cozumel, is immediately book our day at Nachi Cocum to make sure we don't miss out.

If you go to their website and book it, it guarantees an uncrowded relaxing day in Cozumel.

[bguppies]

11 hours ago, cocosmum said:

 

If so, which club would you suggest?  Needs to have a good beach for swimming (not necessarily snorkeling), not overly crowded or noisy and chairs and umbrellas.   Even though we probably wouldn't do justice to an all inclusive drink package, happy to pay for the convenience - would enjoy the food though!  

Appreciate your suggestions and thoughts. Thanks.

 

Most of the main beach clubs heavily discussed in here are on the same section of beach just south of where you will probably dock.

They are all sandy beaches so snorkeling is taken by a boat a few miles out to a reef area not from shore.

 

DW and I are happy to pay the fee at Nachi just for the 125 person limit, but we do love the meal (NOT buffett) and trying new drinks each time we go. (we're not big drinkers, but probably drink more in our day at Nachi than we do the entire year before)

[bguppies]

 

These grass palapas go much further down the beach than it looks in some of these pictures.

 

 

 

 

 

Just an idea about spacing at Nachi versus some of the other beach clubs. (Mr. Sanchos, Playa Mia, etc.)

Edited August 12, 2023 by bguppies

[bguppies]

You can also go to You tube and find videos for Nachi Cocum, Mr. Sanchos, Playa Mia, Paradise Beach, Chankanaab and hopefully a few more that others will chime in on to solidify your decision.

 

DW and I narrowed our decision down to Nachi two  decades ago and we have been happily going there every year or two since.

Edited August 12, 2023 by bguppies

[bguppies]

"Open Monday to Sunday.
Opening Hours - Monday to Saturday from 8:30 AM to 5:00 P.M. (Cozumel Local Time), Sunday from 10:30 am to 6:00 p.m.
For cruise ship passengers arriving after noon to port we remain open until 6:30pm (Apply for specific cruise ships only).

Since space is limited we strongly urge you to reserve well in advance to secure your day at our beach paradise"

 

Found this on Nachi's website.

https://cozumelnachicocom.com/

Looks like the limit is 130 people not 125. But it does mention staying open later for late cruises, just not sure if your Celebrity ship would be one of them. (I know there is a Carnival ship that doesn't dock until noon that they stay open late for each week.)

But if you dock at 11, you should easily get to Nachi by noon and still have 5 hours to enjoy your day.

(Its usually 10 minutes in the cab line then a 20-25 minute ride south and west to Nachi)

 

Since your cruise isn't until April you have plenty of time to make a decision and get a reservation locked in if you'd like. (not everyone is as crazy as us and makes our reservation 11-12 months in advance)

Edited August 12, 2023 by bguppies

[c-leg5]

8 hours ago, bguppies said:

"Open Monday to Sunday.
Opening Hours - Monday to Saturday from 8:30 AM to 5:00 P.M. (Cozumel Local Time), Sunday from 10:30 am to 6:00 p.m.
For cruise ship passengers arriving after noon to port we remain open until 6:30pm (Apply for specific cruise ships only).

Since space is limited we strongly urge you to reserve well in advance to secure your day at our beach paradise"

 

Found this on Nachi's website.

https://cozumelnachicocom.com/

Looks like the limit is 130 people not 125. But it does mention staying open later for late cruises, just not sure if your Celebrity ship would be one of them. (I know there is a Carnival ship that doesn't dock until noon that they stay open late for each week.)

But if you dock at 11, you should easily get to Nachi by noon and still have 5 hours to enjoy your day.

(Its usually 10 minutes in the cab line then a 20-25 minute ride south and west to Nachi)

 

Since your cruise isn't until April you have plenty of time to make a decision and get a reservation locked in if you'd like. (not everyone is as crazy as us and makes our reservation 11-12 months in advance)

 

LOL, quite the sales pitch @bguppies! Just as well you haven’t encountered sargassum there like us, or you might have to start looking for somewhere else!

 

Doubt they will be a late arrival with late opening - as I said, if they are sailing from Florida it will probably only be 10am local time but that will depend on the captain - important thing will be to keep a watch on SHIP time and not rely on phone.
 

I haven’t been to the website in a while, interesting they have maintained Sunday opening - good to know for land vacations, or those few lucky cruise ships that dock on Sundays!

 

 

 

 

Edited August 12, 2023 by c-leg5

[bguppies]

No, we had Sargassum once when we were there. 

The poor workers were non stop filling up wheelbarrows and hauling it away all day.

I felt horrible for them.

 

Yeah honestly I haven't been to Nachi's website in years. (usually DW books it as soon as we book the cruise there and we don't think about it again until we are waiting for the cab)

I know one time we were there they were staying open later that day for a Carnival ship arriving at noon, but I don't know if they'll stay open late for an 11 AM arrival.

 

I don't cheerlead for much on these boards, but I will for Nachi if I think it'll be a perfect fit for somebody.

Otherwise, I'm happy to steer people to Mr. Sanchos, Paradise or Playa Mia if it seems they would be a better fit. (I'd feel terrible seeing somebody at Nachi who would be having a better time with a little more music and action at Mr. Sanchos.)

 

Oh yeah I forgot about ship time versus central time at that time of year.

They should be set if they are really docking at 10AM Cozumel time.

 

Either way, 7 ships is a fairly average to light day anymore.

 

Hopefully a few more people with similar likes can come in and help them make a more informed decision than just me raving. (Truly a million you tube videos are available if not)

Edited August 12, 2023 by bguppies

[c-leg5]

13 minutes ago, bguppies said:

No, we had Sargassum once when we were there. 

The poor workers were non stop filling up wheelbarrows and hauling it away all day.

I felt horrible for them.

 

Yeah honestly I haven't been to Nachi's website in years. (usually DW books it as soon as we book the cruise there and we don't think about it again until we are waiting for the cab)

I know one time we were there they were staying open later that day for a Carnival ship arriving at noon, but I don't know if they'll stay open late for an 11 AM arrival.

 

I don't cheerlead for much on these boards, but I will for Nachi if I think it'll be a perfect fit for somebody.

Otherwise, I'm happy to steer people to Mr. Sanchos, Paradise or Playa Mia if it seems they would be a better fit. (I'd feel terrible seeing somebody at Nachi who would be having a better time with a little more music and action at Mr. Sanchos.)

 

Oh yeah I forgot about ship time versus central time at that time of year.

They should be set if they are really docking at 10AM Cozumel time.

 

Either way, 7 ships is a fairly average to light day anymore.

 

Hopefully a few more people with similar likes can come in and help them make a more informed decision than just me raving. (Truly a million you tube videos are available if not)

Just joking with you! I know you enjoy Nachi. We do too, just not every time.
 

I agree it sounds like a good fit for them, since they aren’t traveling with family although coming from New Zealand, Cozumel could be a one and done,  and they may like to tour - depends if they want an active or relaxing day.

[cocosmum]

Thanks @c-leg5. Good to know about the time difference - I hadn't thought of that. (We depart Fort Lauderdale) Probably not ideal for the ships which dock at 7am as this would only be 6am in  Cozumel and the beach clubs may not actually be open yet (have I got this right?). 

I goggled the port schedule times and they are all shown as EST so even it says we arrive at 11am maybe that is actually 12 noon in ships time??  So confusing!

We will probably book at a beach club but just out of interest, how much would a private driver cost for 1/2 day roughly?

@bguppies - thanks for all the info - wow! I have been checking You Tube and Nachi Cocum looks like it would be a great fit. Nice and quiet with good food reviews etc. Every video I looked at shows lots of shaded seating available, and while I'm sure this is not always the case, it has provided me with some reassurance we would still get a nice place to relax even with our later start. The other beach clubs also look great and if we ever take the rest of family we would probably consider them!!  

Edited August 12, 2023 by cocosmum

[c-leg5]

30 minutes ago, cocosmum said:

Thanks @c-leg5. Good to know about the time difference - I hadn't thought of that. (We depart Fort Lauderdale) Probably not ideal for the ships which dock at 7am as this would only be 6am in  Cozumel and the beach clubs may not actually be open yet (have I got this right?). 

I goggled the port schedule times and they are all shown as EST so even it says we arrive at 11am maybe that is actually 12 noon in ships time??  So confusing!

We will probably book at a beach club but just out of interest, how much would a private driver cost for 1/2 day roughly?

@bguppies - thanks for all the info - wow! I have been checking You Tube and Nachi Cocum looks like it would be a great fit. Nice and quiet with good food reviews etc. Every video I looked at shows lots of shaded seating available, and while I'm sure this is not always the case, it has provided me with some reassurance we would still get a nice place to relax even with our later start. The other beach clubs also look great and if we ever take the rest of family we would probably consider them!!  

For prices and some suggestions website

 

https://www.toursplaza.com

 

If you already know where you want to go you can get a taxi at the port for a few hours, for less but a private company will guide you.

 

Unfortunately no given standard on port times but generally, with RCI schedule is ship time. That said we have had the Captain change ship time to match local on one week of a two week B2B, so no guarantees. I would work on 11am being EDT but take care. Beach clubs usually open 9-5 local time.

 

Nachi is not generally busy, or loud, although we have been unfortunate enough to have a group near us once that insisted on playing personal music via Bluetooth speakers for all to share. This is a personal pet peeve of mine and I was surprised the management didn’t ask them to tone it down, while supplying multiple shots to them. 
 

Loungers further away from pool and dining area are generally quieter but further to walk to get your own drink and less attentive bar service. Another word of advice, order desert with your main course even if you don’t want them together - they ran out when we tried to order later.

 

Buccanos is another favorite of ours but beach is small and not as sandy as Nachi, therefore better for snorkeling and very good food and drink. Not open on Mondays.

Edited August 12, 2023 by c-leg5

[JohninDC]

A lower cost option for those arriving later in the day is Money Bar - no admission fee, pay as you go for food/drinks, good service, good - not great - snorkeling from the shore, rental gear available.  No beach - you enter the water via some steps - but lots of loungers and shade options.  Closer than the other beach clubs, so the cab ride should be about $12-15 each way.

[blue_water]

Has Buccanos been mentioned?

Agree with Money Bar…

If you were frequent visitors to Coz and didn’t care about a beach I’d suggest just heading to the Bob Marley on the south end. Mesmerizing waves against the rocks, and cold, cold cervezas and cocktails (if you aren’t driving)!

[bguppies]

On 8/12/2023 at 5:18 PM, cocosmum said:

Every video I looked at shows lots of shaded seating available, and while I'm sure this is not always the case, it has provided me with some reassurance we would still get a nice place to relax even with our later start. The other beach clubs also look great and if we ever take the rest of family we would probably consider them!!  

Do not worry about shade at Nachi.

PLENTY of fully shaded seats. Even where DW and I like to sit poolside is in shade after 12 PM and the sun starts to go down behind in the jungle by the entrance.

There is two full rows of shaded palapas. (I need to count them when we go back in December)

Second row of palapas is back closer to the trees, so I'm pretty sure they stay pretty shaded all day.

[cocosmum]

Thanks everyone. We love a nice sandy beach so think we'll stick with Nachi

[serene56]

On 8/11/2023 at 6:18 PM, cocosmum said:

Booked on a Celebrity cruise next April so just starting to look at shore excursions etc. (Just hubby and me - 60's)

Our ship docks In Cozumel at 11am (departs at 7pm) and there will already be another 4 large ships in port with a capacity of around 15K passengers not counting ours! Two dock at 7am, one at 9am and one at 10am.  They will all depart before our ship.

 

 

We booked on the reflection. For January.  And I only recently started to look at excursions.   Went to book Nachi and my ship was not listed for the day.   Found out they swapped coz and grand caymans.   Now we are in port from 7am til 4pm.   So double check your itinerary 

 

I have been watching a lot of YouTube and decided Nachi Cocum ticks all my check marks.    In port with 8 ships that day    I don’t want to share with 400+ people but 

[bguppies]

On 8/15/2023 at 4:13 PM, cocosmum said:

Thanks everyone. We love a nice sandy beach so think we'll stick with Nachi

Now I will warn you, the sand in Cozumel and Costa Maya isn't the soft powdery kind like the Bahamas.

Its a little courser. (just to keep expectations realistic, because I'm sure you have some magnificent beaches in NZ)