Ruins in Mexico

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Sheila Gunnels

Guest
Hello,

I am going to Cozumel in September on the Carnival Victory and was wondering if Isomeone could help me out. We want to see the mayan ruins. Should we get of at Playa del Carmen or Cozumel? If someone has been there our seen the ruins I would appreciate any helpful hints you may have.

11 days to I cruise the Victory:)
 
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Danc

Guest
The main ruins are in Cancun. I've been to Cozumel many times and was never told about any ruins. If I am wrong somebody please let me know.
 
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theowlman

Guest
The ruins are in Tulum which is south of Cancun. Playa Del Carmen would be closer to the ruins at Tulum. Carnival lists a shore excursion to the ruins at Tulum from Playa Del Carmen. I have been there and it is very interesting to see.
 
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Sheila Gunnels

Guest
So, I will be able to see the mayan ruins if I get of at Playa Del Carmen?
 
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BSeaBob

Guest
I have not seen any of the ruins except for the very tops of those that are on Cozumel. Yes there are some there..but they are very minor and we actually drove by and missed them. The major sites are on the mainland and you get to them via a stop at Playa Del Carmen or some other similar stop. Your ship usually goes on to Cozumel for the day. You do the tour and take a ferry back to meet your ship. Check the tours that your specific ship will be offering. "ichy Chicken" :) is of course the other main site on the mainland that tours go to.
 
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borntocruise

Guest
The ruins most people talk about are the ones in Tulum. Which is a 60 minute bus ride from Playa del Carmen. The first time we were there the ship stopped in the middle of the sea across from Playa del Carmen and we tendered to Playa del Carmen then took our bus to Tulum.

Last year the drop off near Playa del Carmen was not available. From the pier in Cozumel we took a ferry from Cozumel to Playa del Carmen. You can tell which you have if your itinerary shows one hour in Playa del Carmen. That's the tender. However, lately I've noticed that some cruise ships are actually spending the day in Playa del Carmen.

Chichen Itza is the major site but is not available for most cruise ships ever since the plane crash last year involving the Holland America folks.
 
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Sheila Gunnels

Guest
Does anyone know if I will be able to take the tour without scheduling the excursion through Carnival. Sorry to ask so many questions, but we are leaving next week.

9 Days:)
 
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borntocruise

Guest
If it is a tender off of Playa del Carmen I don't believe so. They only stop to let tour passengers off. From downtown San Miguel is were the ferry is for Playa del Carmen. While the ferry does depart from the International pier, I'm not sure if it only for tour visitors. Never seen anyone try to talk their way on.
 
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chance2828

Guest
We did the tour on our own 2 years ago. If I had to do it over again, I would definitely take the ship sponsored tour. Here's a link to a review I did that includes how we got to The Mayan Ruins of Tulum.

http://www.cruisecritic.com/community/memreview.cfm?ID=127

It was beautiful there. I will always remember it, especially because I broke my foot as I was leaving!!!!

Judy
 
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jneves

Guest
We did the ship's excursion to Tulum on our 8/11 Grand Princess cruise. Our ship did not stop at Playa del Carmen like some do. We were ferried from Cozumel to Playa then bussed to Tulum. The ruins are magnificent, but be sure to bring bottled water as it is a long day and it is extremely hot at the ruins (even though you're on the edge of the sea). We spent some time with a very knowledgable guide and then were on our own for another hour. There is a nice beach there,so if you think you might want to swim, wear your suit under your clothes and bring along a towel.

Have a great time!
 
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Natalia

Guest
Sheila,

Definitely take this tour through the ship, its an all day thing and you dont want to miss the boat if anything happens or if the tour is running late. And as mentioned above, it takes some time via ferry and bus to get there and back. They will wait for their own tours to get back, if you go independently they wont! Now, once you book through the ship, they will tell you where you will be departing from so dont worry about that part. Also, yes... take WATER cuz its hot hot hot there. We didnt know about the swimming area before we went, so if you like to swim wear your suit (Im pretty sure theres no where to change). It would have been very refreshing to take a swim when we were done with our tour. They usually give you a bit of free time after the organized tour to explore and do whatever (swim) on your own before the bus leaves. Its a great tour, the only draw back is that it takes pretty much the majority of your day in Cozumel. So be careful what you plan (if anything else) for Cozumel. And if you are prone to sea sickness, take your meds that morning because that ferry ride can be wicked! Hope you have a beaurtiful day.
 
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Natalia

Guest
oh P.S..... I have some pics of Tulum if you want to see them. Just drop me an email because I probably wont check this thread again.
 
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