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Port day on ship???


CruisinTexan

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We have one day in port that we couldn’t find an excursion that we wanted to do. So we decided that maybe we just stay on the ship and enjoy the quiet and get a pedi or massage!! Have any of you done this? I feel like I might be wasting an opportunity in the post be I haven’t seen super good reviews about Costa Maya, (don’t want to sit on the beach or shop)! We are not party people! If we did get off the ship, it a place you could recommend for lunch? Thanks in advance for the ideas!!

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I've eaten once in Costa Maya and it was just a place right off the Malecon in Mahahual.  I can't even remember the name.  The food was good..I had fresh guacamole and ceviche with homemade tortilla chips but the star was the daiquiri..made with fresh fruit and rum and it had the consistency of a smoothie.  

The immediate port area at Costa Maya is big and there's plenty to walk around and look at with zero investment other than a bit of time.  I don't think that I would pay the prices they charge to eat in the port area, but there were a lot of options.  There's a free pool you can use and there are even flamingos you can see and photograph.  There's a chocolate place that gives samples too.  They have performers and a Mayan Dance of the Flyers show right in the port that you can watch for free.

You can also walk through the port to the exit and take the $4 shuttle to the Malecon in Mahahual and walk the boardwalk and see if anything tickles your fancy.  The shuttle ride is pretty eye-opening as you realize how isolated the port area really is from the residents.  The shuttle drops you off on the street that parallels the Malecon and they try to sell you on trying the beach resorts, but you can just bypass all that and walk up the block to the boardwalk.  The entire Malecon is around 1 mile long end to end and has views like this.

 

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I've walked this both times I went to Costa Maya...it's a cheap and relaxing way for me to feel like I accomplished something at that port.  I'm not one for sitting at the beach or shopping either.  To get back to the port you just catch a cab.  They had plenty of them available along the way.

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I love Costa Maya and I always enjoy going to Mahahual and just hanging out at the Krazy Lobster BUT you do have to put up with the non-stop parade of peddlers trolling the beach, selling their trinkets.  They are NOT aggressive or pushy but they are persistent.  You just tell them "no, thank you" and they will move on but there will be another one right behind them.

If you are interested in having a massage while on your cruise THIS is the time and place to do it.  You can get a 1 hour massage right on the beach for next to nothing.  We used to be able to get them for $20 but I suspect they are more than that now.  The one thing you do NOT want to do is allow someone to "find" you a masseuse.  That will automatically double the price - 1/2 for the masseuse and 1/2 for the "finder".  The massage tables are everywhere up and down the beach.  Just walk up to one of them and negotiate a price.  You will not be sorry.

They also have $1 Coronas !

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Guest toodle68

We did our first on ship port day last year and loved it. We got a cheap spa session and relaxed next to the pool. Something that is difficult to do when so many claim chairs early on sailing days.  The only issue I have is that RC closes some things like flowrider. I would loved to have tried that out with no lines. I think the slides etc were also closed. Not sure why they do it, but it annoyed me..

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On 5/30/2019 at 2:07 PM, CruisinTexan said:

We have one day in port that we couldn’t find an excursion that we wanted to do. So we decided that maybe we just stay on the ship and enjoy the quiet and get a pedi or massage!! Have any of you done this? I feel like I might be wasting an opportunity in the post be I haven’t seen super good reviews about Costa Maya, (don’t want to sit on the beach or shop)! We are not party people! If we did get off the ship, it a place you could recommend for lunch? Thanks in advance for the ideas!!

We have stayed on the ship in a couple ports and loved it.. felt like I had the ship to myself.. no problem getting a chair by the pool.. no line for food.. it was great ?

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On ‎5‎/‎31‎/‎2019 at 11:17 AM, toodle68 said:

We did our first on ship port day last year and loved it. We got a cheap spa session and relaxed next to the pool. Something that is difficult to do when so many claim chairs early on sailing days.  The only issue I have is that RC closes some things like flowrider. I would loved to have tried that out with no lines. I think the slides etc were also closed. Not sure why they do it, but it annoyed me..

I don't remember experiencing this on Marnier during port days. Prety sure both the flo rider and the slides were operating. Was the only time I used them as otherwise the lines are way too long.

 

We usually do have the port day in town and the other half on the ship..it is nice to have a little more room and options with not so many ppl around for sure.

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 We will need to try one this next cruise. Always have felt like we are missing something if we don't go ashore, especially to ports we haven't been to before. Maybe just hit port for a couple of hours on longer stops.

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