Beach excursion and port information

[karlanee]

My husband, two school-aged daughters and myself are going on a cruise in January aboard the Ecstasy. My husband and I went last year to Cozumel and loved it. This year will be our girls first cruise and we're taking a 5-day to Cozumel and Calica/Playa del Carmen. Having experienced Cozumel, we're all set for what excursion/activities we will do there.

 

I have a couple of questions and didn't see them answered on other threads.

 

1. Does the ship port right at Calica or do you have to take a tender? I saw mentioned how ugly it is, but nothing about whether the ship goes right to the dock.

 

2. Has anyone done the cheap Carnival "Calica Beach Break" excursion? This is where they take you to the beach at Calica - open bar, non-motorized toys, etc. for 4 hours. Then you can get dropped off at Playa del Carmen for shopping and take a taxi on your own back to the ship.

 

Any tips or ideas, etc. on this particular excursion?

[NewCruzer1]

Sounds like you're on the Holiday -- we're just off the Oct. 4 sailing.

Calica itself is little more than a gravel pit and parking lot with the typical trinket vendors (shop them on the way back, after you've seen prices elsewhere), but you do port at the pier -- no tender. (The gangway goes over one of the crushed-rock conveyors.)

 

See my Oct. 13 post here for a report on our day in Calica/PdC environs:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=51493

[karlanee]

Thanks so much!

 

Actually we are sailing on the Ecstasy on January 15. Thanks for the information.

 

Karla

[L_T]

We took a taxi to Playa del Carmen - in just a few moments we were dropped off at a new shopping area on the south part of town. We explored throughout PdC along 5th Ave, checking out shops, looking at the beach/water, checking out local hotels (for future visits), and ended up at Mamitas Beach Bar for lunch and a few hours on the beach. We then walked back along 5th Ave, again looking in shops. When we got ready to head back we just walked up to a taxi, hopped in and were wisked (and I might say, speedily so!) back to the ship. We really enjoyed it, never felt unsafe even on side streets and plan to go back to spend a week or two.

The first link below has aerial maps of the Riviera Maya area that are very interesting. Be advised the beach link does have photos that show a little extra skin. The Calica photo shows a Carnival ship at the dock.

 

Riviera Maya travel guide:

http://www.locogringo.com

Playa del Carmen area beaches:

http://www.locogringo.com/research/beaches/playadelcarmen.html

Aerial photo of Calicia cruise ship dock

http://www.locogringo.com/maps/tour/xcaret-aerial-t.html

[lindabythesea]

We will be going on the Carnival Ecstasy November 20th and would love to do the Fat Cat, but we are concerned about fitting it in considering the ship arrives at 8:00 a.m. and leaves Calica at 4:00 p.m.

 

Could someone share their experience as far as time needed to do trip and get back to the ship before sailing?