Spencer1 Posted February 20, 2023 Report Share Posted February 20, 2023 I chose Allure of the Seas (Roatan/Costa Maya/Cozumel) because my 14-yr old daughter wants to snorkel (she has never been) and I loved West Bay Beach in Roatan that I went to many years ago. She also wants to zipline though, so I'm trying to figure out how to best use the three stops to do what. Priority #1 is good snorkeling experience and #2 is zipline. 1. Is the zipline at Chankanaab open right now? 2. How do these ziplines compare: Awesome Flight Cozumel/Eco-Park Cuzam (Cozumel)/Chankanaab (Cozumel)/South Shore Zipline (Roatan)/PIrates of the Carbbean Canopy (Roatan)? 3. If Roatan is the best stop for zipline AND snorkeling, how to do best do both? 4. Is West Bay Beach getting too crowded to snorkel at? Anywhere else in Roatan better? Recommendations for a good snorkel excursion company? 5. Is it better to make our way to these places on our own or reserve now and sign up with an excursion company (I won't do through cruise ship though)? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jbrinkm Posted February 20, 2023 Report Share Posted February 20, 2023 We snorkeled at all three last April. Cozumel was my favorite, but perhaps not the best for a beginner because the water is a bit cold and there is more of a current, even near shore. I've heard absolutely wonderful things about snorkeling in Roatan, although we didn't see much where we went near French Key. The water was warm and very clear and very shallow and really lovely to float around in, but in that space there were mostly lobsters and conch rather than fish. We're doing another cruse on Allure this coming April with the same ports, so we booked a full day private tour in Roatan that includes a three reef snorkel and a zipline adventure (Jungle Top). Private tours where you choose your agenda are common in Roatan and there are several tour companies that are recommended over and over. We had a fabulous experience with Roatan Getaway Tours (really loved their quality snorkeling gear too!) last year with our trip we booked through Viator, so we went with them again directly for our upcoming trip. Very reasonably priced. Where Royal docks isn't really build up or easy to navigate around so I would highly recommend booking ahead of time. Most reports I've read say that Roatan is the best place for ziplining, but Ecoparque Cuzam gets great reviews in Cozumel. We have reservations to do ATVs and paintball at that location in April so I've been reading about the facility and people seem to enjoy the zipline quite a bit, but I think Roatan would still be better. I think with a full day in port, you'd be able to easily do the zipline and the snorkeling in Roatan. If your daughter really enjoys the snorkeling in Roatan, she may want to also go in Cozumel, where some of the best snorkeling can be found from shore in the Chankanaab - Money Bar stretch of the island, after she's gotten the hang of it. We found that the water conditions were rough in Costa Maya for snorkeling. We did see a ray there, however, not too far from shore! We saw different things in each of the different places. Hope that helps. Happy to answer more if I can! ChessE4 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spencer1 Posted February 21, 2023 Author Report Share Posted February 21, 2023 Thanks for the detailed response, this is very helpful! I'm thinking maybe we'll do a zipline/snorkel combo in Roatan. I could not find the specific excursion you booked on viator for Roatan, since that sounds like a good one. Maybe it's booked already? Also, any recommendations for Costa Maya then? My daughter isn't interested in the ruins. I figured maybe just catch a cab to a nice beach a few miles away from port, but perhaps I should reserve something now? And then once we get to Cozumel, maybe we'll go to Chankanaab for the snorkeling, if she's still up to it. So, won't book that now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jbrinkm Posted February 21, 2023 Report Share Posted February 21, 2023 The one I booked on Viator was just the easy snorkel & animal sanctuary combo, not a zipline. Sorry I was unclear. We booked the half day easy snorkel and AJ's sanctuary tour last year on Viator, the operator offering the tour was Roatan Getaway Tours, and we really enjoyed the tour and the company. So, we booked them again privately for the full day coming up in April that will include the zip line and more advanced snorkeling (3 reef). I recommended ziplining on Roatan because I've seen the zipline question asked a few times before and most people say that Roatan has the best ziplining of the three because it is a hilly island with lots of tree cover, whereas Cozumel is flatter and dryer. When you look at reviews for a few of the ziplines on Roatan, they get stellar ratings. Roatan Getaway Tours goes to Jungle Top but South Shore Canopy looks great as well (although closer to Mahogony Bay rather than our Port). So you can go straight to Roatan Getaway Tours website to check it out if you want, or people also have recommended Explore Roatan or Bodden Tours as well. Just to get a sense of price, we're paying $120pp for a full day tour that includes: transportation for the whole day, admission to the zip line, admission to AJ's animal sanctuary, the three reef snorkeling trip and a stop at the chocolate factory (pending time). Their policy is to have you back at the ship 2 hours before departure. We went to their website, filled out what we wanted to do for a private tour, they got back to me fairly quickly (I found them very responsive by email), I clarified some questions that I had, and we put down a deposit for the April tour, with balance due the day before the tour (we should know weather). The half day that we booked on Viator last year was $50pp, so the extra $70 this year is for the private transport (not a shared van with others), the extra half day of driving, the extra two snorkeling spots added, and the admission to the zip line park. It honestly felt really reasonable to me, although it is an expensive day for my family of 4! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jbrinkm Posted February 21, 2023 Report Share Posted February 21, 2023 So quickly about Costa Maya since I've already gone on and on Three main things to do in Costa Maya - stay in the port with restaurants/bars, shopping, a pool and an aviary & just go back to the ship early go to the Mahahual which is a crowded beach area near the port (still probably need to taxi but it is only 5 min) with limited sand/water access, vendors will come by to try to sell (not aggressive but constant), you could go out with a snorkeling boat from there but I found the water to be a bit rough, you can do AI or PAYG depending on which one you choose, or you can just walk along and check it all out - if you decide to go to the Mahahual, I'd recommend a lot more research beforehand because there are restaurants to avoid and ones that are more appealing to the people on these boards. There are also inexpensive massages offered at some of these places. Book with a place a little out of town to have a better relaxing beach experience, such as Maya Chan or Hayhu, but at a slightly higher cost than the Mahahual There used to be a really fun water park with some zip lines at this port but it closed during covid and hasn't reopened. The ship is also sometimes really nice when everyone else is off! Since we only did a half day tour last year, we were back on the ship a little after lunchtime and very much enjoyed the almost empty hot tub in the solarium, overlooking the island! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spencer1 Posted February 23, 2023 Author Report Share Posted February 23, 2023 Thanks for the specific detail. This is very helpful! I booked our Roatan trip, I'm looking forward to it! I checked with Maya Chan and Hayhu, there are both full. There are three cruise ships in port that day and the other two arrive at 7 am, whereas we are at 8 am, so, it might be tough to find a spot anywhere. Would you suggest just taking our chances somewhere in Mahahual? I like you're idea about enjoying the ship to ourselves, but I also hate to miss seeing a place I haven't been to before. And for Cozumel, I'm kind of thinking I should hold off on booking anything now to see how my daughter likes snorkeling in Roatan and Costa Maya first. She may be burnt out on snorkeling, but also might want to do a whole lot more. I also worry about missing out on something because we didn't book it. Have you been to Chankanaab? Do you know if we can just show up on our day there or think I should reserve something? Or, any other ideas? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jbrinkm Posted February 23, 2023 Report Share Posted February 23, 2023 Glad you booked your Roatan trip. I really think it is the best call to do both of those activities on Roatan, even if it feels like the other stops won't have as much for you to do. It is a beautiful island once you get outside of the immediate port area. Cozumel - Do you know how many ships are there that day? I am not an expert on Chankanaab, having only been there twice and the first time was probably 20 years ago, but I would think it is big enough that it wouldn't sell out. It is a national park, rather than a typical beach club (which tend to be found further to the south on the island, where the beaches are sandy but the snorkeling isn't great). The stretch of Cozumel with good snorkeling from shore is rocky and typically has metal steps to get into the water rather than a gradual sand descent, but that is what leaves the water clear and easy to see all of the colorful fish that come close to shore. It was pretty empty when we were there last year with 4 ships in port. Costa Maya - Some people enjoy the Mahahual, I really didn't care for it. Some people pay for all inclusive and stay for a full day, some people just stop at one PAYG (Krazy Lobster is often mentioned), have a few drinks and some nibbles, and then head back. Some people just walk along the Malecon to take in the sights and then head back. I'd recommend just reading through some of the other threads about it to help you make your decision. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jbrinkm Posted February 23, 2023 Report Share Posted February 23, 2023 Well, I neglected to mention two other things that people sometimes do in Costa Maya. I really kept thinking other people would jump in with some answers as well, LOL... Bacalar is a lagoon (i.e. Seven Colors Lagoon) with some activities, tubing maybe, I'm not sure exactly what all is offered there since I've never been. There are also some Mayan ruins - Chacchoben - that people seem to really enjoy. Both of those are a bit further away and would be a pretty full day tour. The Mayan ruins especially are something that would be difficult to find on any of your other port stops since Costa Maya is on the mainland of MX (there are some on Cozumel but not as nice). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spencer1 Posted February 24, 2023 Author Report Share Posted February 24, 2023 I had not heard of Bacalar, thanks for the suggestion. My daughter is not into history (yet!), so no interest in the ruins. For Cozumel, there are four ships in port on our day, which appears to be slightly lower than average. Have you ever been to El Cielo? Seems like a pretty beach, but perhaps like you say, the snorkeling is better further north at Chankanaab. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jbrinkm Posted February 24, 2023 Report Share Posted February 24, 2023 I haven't been to El Cielo but probably if you post again with a question specifically about it, people will chime in! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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