Princess Shore Excursion - Mayan Ruins

[Fuzzzy]

I was just looking over all the shore excursion options for our Princess cruise on the Grand Princess in Feb 2007.

 

So many Mayan ruins to experience.

 

We have two options at our first port of Majahul. You have Chacchoben and Kohunlich.

 

In Belzie we could visit three ruins. Altun Ha, Lamanai or Xunantunich.

 

In Cosumel we could visit four ruins. Tulum, Coba,Muyil or San Gervasio.

 

Clearly, I want to visit a Mayan site. So many to choose from. What was you favorite Princess shore excursion to these sites and why? :)

[ilovhywd]

We visited Tulum on a Holland America shore excursion, but I am sure they are all similar and use the same large local companies. We thought it was extremely worthwhile even though it was in July and 150 degrees!

 

Tulum's geographical location is spectacular, as it is right on the coast of the Yucatan with the water behind. In fact, after our tour, many people went to the adjacent beach for a quick swim to cool off.

 

From the dock in Cozumel, you take a large ferry to the mainland where you transfer to an air conditioned bus. After awhile, the bus stops at a very nice store for very clean restrooms. You can also buy cold drinks at this stop. When you get to Tulum, there is a little walk to the ruins, but some people paid a little extra to take the tram. The ruins are very interesting and the tour guide was excellent. After the tour, there was free time to walk around on your own, go to the beach, or shop in the little marketplace.

 

On the bus back to the ferry, they served a delicious box lunch from a Subway restaurant. This was included in the shore excursion price.

 

We have not visited the other ruins mentioned in your post. I am envious that you are going to have the opportunity to visit Mayan ruins in other locations. It sounds like a great cruise!

 

Ilene

[chasetf]

I was just looking over all the shore excursion options for our Princess cruise on the Grand Princess in Feb 2007.

 

So many Mayan ruins to experience.

 

We have two options at our first port of Majahul. You have Chacchoben and Kohunlich.

 

In Belzie we could visit three ruins. Altun Ha, Lamanai or Xunantunich.

 

In Cosumel we could visit four ruins. Tulum, Coba,Muyil or San Gervasio.

 

Clearly, I want to visit a Mayan site. So many to choose from. What was you favorite Princess shore excursion to these sites and why? :)

Check out the web for pictures of the various sites and what you will see. Some are not much more than a pile of rocks. We have done Chacchoben and Tulum and would recommend either. They are different in there own ways. Tulum (as mentioned above) is at the very scenic site right next to the ocean. Chacchoben is less "ruined" and more intact.

[chasetf]

Check out the web for pictures of the various sites and what you will see. Some are not much more than a pile of rocks. We have done Chacchoben and Tulum and would recommend either. They are different in there own ways. Tulum (as mentioned above) is at the very scenic site right next to the ocean. Chacchoben is less "ruined" and more intact.

Here are some pictures to give you an idea of what you will see. :)

[KKB]

But we LOVED it.

It was in a rainforest, so it was more comfortable. We did a morning trip in Oct., and toward the end of the excursion around noon was the only time on our cruise I began to feel hot. There were thunderstorms rolling in, so that may have affected it.

Very cool, well priced, well done.

Happy cruising!

Kris

[shepp]

If you're going to Chaccoben, I'd strongly recommend you skip Princess's excursion and go on David and Ivan's tour instead. I'd already visited all the major Mayan ruins at least once, and was thinking of skipping Chaccoben till I read other travelers' reviews of David and Ivan's tours. The ruins are indeed less impressive than Chichen Itza, Palenque, Tikal, etc. But the tour was great - got there before the big ship tour groups, was visibly more leisurely paced than the groups around us, and the leader (don't recall if it was David or Ivan, sorry) was very personable and a true expert on Mayan culture. He made it one of the best visits to a Mayan site I'd ever been on. (Consider doing a little study of Mayan culture before you go - many of my fellow travelers asked the guide very basic questions, but he was fully able to discuss things in greater depth than that.)

 

Aside from that, Costa Maya is just a horrid tourist-trap mall, so getting away ASAP is a great idea.

 

Tulum is a much smaller site, notable mostly for its location. I visited independently early in the morning. Once the ships' tour groups arrived, the place was so overrrun to be less than wonderful. You might try to go independently, too. Early.

[Sandy6284]

We took this cruise back in Dec 04. If you only do one ruins tour, make it Tulum. We did all the ruins tours available, and that was our most memorable. The tour in Belize ran late getting back to port, but since we booked it through Princess, they waited for us.

[Fuzzzy]

Thank you everyone. It sounds like Chacchoben is one winner so far. From what I have read it sounds like David and Ivan's tour is the way to go.

 

Follow-up question with that. How's the walk into town to pick up the tour? :)

[Aquarian]

We have also done the Princess excursion to Tulum and loved it. I would wear a bathing suit under your clothes so you can swim if you wish when the tour is over. It is beautiful and I believe that it is the only Mayan ruins built on the coastline. You will have a packed lunch and sodas and Mexican beer included with your tour and will be provided in the bus on the way back to the ferry. Tulum is the locale for the recent Royal Caribbean commercial shown on TV where they talk about "spinning".

[loveJake]

I also did the David and Ivan tour last December and agree if these are the ruins you want to see their tour is the way to go. However I do not recommend walking into the village. We got bus transfers for $3 each into town at the pier, on the way back we got a taxi which was parked at the end of town to take us back, think the cost was the same. It would be a very long walk, and the area away from the pier and the village does not look safe to me. There are armed guards, and armed check points (you go thru on the way to the ruins). Anything else just ask. In Belize we did take a ship tour which was nice (Carnival) which took you to the ruins via bus/boat, you took either one way. The boat portion sailed the River Wallace where you say a lot of screech monkeys and other wildlife. This had a little outside market included where you boarded the river portion of your trip. Don't know if Princess offeres this but it was really nice.

[jjones]

Has anyone been to Coba? How does it compare? I'm tending toward the Coba excursion because it does not include shopping in Playa del Carmen or Xel-Ha park as do the Tulum offerings nor the Sian Kaan Jungle Explorer as does the Muyil tour. I would prefer to spend as much time as possible at the ruins instead of other places.

[serene56]

We were supposed to tour with David & Ivan but our port stop got cancelled because of high winds.. Have a back up plan just in case.

 

We did Tulum once and Altun ha another time. Both were fun. I liked Alta ha over tulum-- for one-- it ws too hot. Altun ha we got to climb on a pyramid.,