A strike in a Mexico cruise port forced Royal Caribbean to cancel its shore excursions for the day.
According to passenger reports, transportation operations in the Mahahual area were impacted, leaving cruise lines like Royal Caribbean unable to run scheduled excursions on Monday, June 1.
"Sat on a bus till 9:30 only to be told all the excursions were cancelled. Couple of the locals told us it was because there were some workers on strike blocking the port exit," shared one frustrated guest on Reddit.
Enchantment of the Seas and Mariner of the Seas were the only two ships in port, though other cruise lines also call at the Mexican cruise destination. This was the first scheduled port visit for both vessels, according to Cruise Mapper.
Mariner of the Seas departed Galveston, Texas, on a five-night Western Caribbean cruise on Saturday, May 30, while Enchantment of the Seas is currently on a weeklong Caribbean voyage from Tampa, Florida. Other ports on the seven-night itinerary include Roatán, Honduras; Belize City, Belize; and Cozumel, Mexico.
Apparently, the protest was centered around profit sharing, with employees working for Mayan Connection claiming that they hadn't received fair compensation.
The workers expressed frustration after the company attempted to offer a compensatory "bonus" following the submission of a tax return showing zero profit, a proposal the workers were not satisfied with, as reported by local news outlets.
Additionally, the employees were also forced to sign a new contract after the company changed its corporate name. This resulted in the loss of seniority and certain economic benefits for the workers.
As such, they restricted vehicle access to the entrance of the Costa Maya cruise port area. This prevented workers and other vehicles from coming or going.
Costa Maya's "Costa Maybe" reputation
Costa Maya isn't the most popular Western Caribbean cruise port, and it has developed a nickname that reflects that unpredictability: "Costa Maybe."
"It's called 'Costa Maybe' for a lot of reasons, mainly the port itself. Shallow dock and high winds have kept my cruises out of there constantly - out of 7 cruises that were supposed to stop there, I've been there twice," commented one Redditor.
Another added, "Costa Maybe is my least favorite port (only behind Progresso). Even with a ship excursion, you [didn't] miss much."
Plus, the cruise port area is highly commercialized and built around tourists. The funneled layout directs passengers into a purpose-built complex of shops, bars, pools, and restaurants. However, it lacks any real authenticity, especially compared to the nearby Mahahual village.
"It's definitely a tourist trap. They try to force people to buy things every step. Can't sit down anywhere unless you buy a drink/food. We spent less than an hour there before I got frustrated and wanted [to get] back on the ship," wrote one Reddit user.
Someone else shared similar thoughts, saying, "Overcrowded. Vendor hagglers everywhere. Cramped port. No thanks."
Still, Costa Maya is a popular cruise stop for guests who want to visit Mayan ruins
Despite its overall reputation, there are some fun ways to spend your day in the Yucatán Peninsula, starting with the Chacchoben Mayan Ruins. This alone makes the stop worth it for many passengers.
Many guests also like heading to Mahahual for a cheap beach day, where it's possible to find all-you-can-eat and drink spots right on the water for less than $70 per person.
Unfortunately, for those who called at the port on June 1, the protest meant a fun day ashore never materialized. Instead, plans were cancelled at the last minute, leaving passengers scrambling to find other plans and make the most of their port day.
Other Costa Maya news
Royal Caribbean's planned Perfect Day Mexico destination was supposed to transform the Costa Maya cruise port into one of the cruise line’s largest private destination investments. However, the plans were rejected by the Mexican government last month over environmental concerns.
According to Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, the Secretariat of Environment and Natural Resources (SEMARNAT) determined that the current proposed location for the Perfect Day Mexico project wasn't suitable. As such, the cruise line was notified that three parts of the current plan were rejected, including one of the proposals for the pier infrastructure.
More recently, Sheinbaum said that government officials were discussing the possibility of relocating the proposed Perfect Day Mexico development — though Royal Caribbean has yet to publicly comment on any updates on alternative sites in the area.
Perfect Day Mexico, which was valued at around $600 million, was set to offer Royal Caribbean passengers access to private beaches, pools, restaurants, bars, an adults-only area, and the line's most ambitious water park project to date.
