Carnival Cruise--Mexico--Stay aboard??

Question

We are taking a 4 day cruise in September for our honeymoon to Key West and Mexico.

When we arrive in Mexico, should we just stay on board and lounge around or do you think we should actually do something in Mexico?

I saw a travel episode that stated when the cruise is docked, sometimes it's better to just stay on and take advantage of activities on the ship.

We are porting at Calica, Mexico.

Answer 1

Whichever floats your boat so to speak :)

When you are in port, the souvenir shops are closed as well as limited activities on the ship.

Where abouts in Mexico?

There are BEAUTIFUL lagoons in Mexico (Xel-Ha being one of them) as well as some Mayan ruins.

Check out cruisereviews and cruisecritic sites and your excursion list and see what sparks your interest.

Answer 2

I presume that you are going to Cozumel, Mex on your cruise. If that's the case you should get off, if no more than for a couple hours to do a little shop looking. Don't bother with an island tour as there is nothing really worth going to see. We did that and were disappointed. The shops there specialize in selling jewelry and leather products. You can go to a beach as an excursion but the Cozumel beaches are best known for snorkel and scuba.

Now if you want to really see something exciting (and assuming your ship makes the tours available) take a tour to the mainland to Chichen Itza or Xcarat. Both are very nice tours but cost big bucks.

When ships are in port and most passengers get off there are not a lot of activities going on. However, you can really find and enjoy a quiet spot on the sun deck and/or the pools and hot tubs. While in port all of the ship's shops and its casino will be closed. So its kinda like go do something exciting or just enjoy some quiet time and spend less money.

Oh, if you wanna check your emails or use the internet, Cozumel is a good place to get really cheap internet access. When we docked there last November we found an internet cafe near the dock that was charging just $3.00 an hour (vs about $15 an hour on ship)

Answer 3

You won't see anything of Mexico if you don't get off the boat.
When I have been cruising, there were no or limited activities during the time the ship was docked. Carnival offers tour packages for every port. When I went to Cozumel, for example, I swam with the dolphins. Pricey, but worth it.
Go to the Carnival website and find out what they offer and book some excursions. If you don't have the extra bucks, it is perfectly safe to wander around the towns sightseeing and shopping. Then again, you could just sit around the pool on the ship.

Answer 4

If you are going to Cozumel, I would definitely recommend going ashore. The shopping there is good, and the island is great to see. If you want beaches, they have a free publc beach that is also good. We got an island tour for $15 each. It was over two hours, and well worth it. Don't accept from the first cab driver you see.

If you are going to Playa del Carmen, or Progresso, they are generally only good for going on Mayan ruin tours, so I would stay on board the ship.

On the Inspiration, they had very few organized activites on board when the ship was in port. But the lounging aroung is still good.,

Answer 5

You could stay inside, but why not get out and see Calica. Around the port sucks, although you can get some good deals on souveniers, but there's so much more to do (snorkeling, scuba, catamaran, parasailing, bars, shopping, touring the Mayan ruins, beaches, TONS of things). Prior to porting, you'll have a debriefing, where they'll tell talk about what all you can do at port and the activities. You can opt to buy activities from them or go find your own...it's cheaper to find your own, but if you buy from the ship, if anything happens, you're guaranteed not to get left behind, plus, you'll meet others from your ship. Enjoy your time in port, don't waste it on the ship. BTW, some areas on the ship close down in port.

Answer 6

I have done it both ways...there are lots of neat, interesting things to see in Mexico, and you will be able to find some really nice, inexpensive goodies to buy. If you stay on board, you will not be board. The ship continues to provide activities all day, and sometimes native dancers/musicians come on board to perform. I enjoy the shopping and performances, and sometimes nothing beats a really good book and a lounge chair out on deck.....

Answer 7

You do whatever you feel like doing. If you want to get off the ship you could do some excursions or just lounge at the beach. If you stay on the ship you can lounge at the pool. Whatever your choice is will be a good one.