Roatan, Puerto Costa Maya, and Cozumel - excursion recommendations please!!

[Cruise_fanatic]

Going on Harmony of the Seas in late Feb/early March 2024... I'm looking for excursion recommendations in Roatan, Puerto Costa Maya, and Cozumel. I definitely want to book through RC, I just get worried about not making it back to the boat on time and I would rather pay more $$$ just for peace of mind (also yay for Black Friday sales going on right now!). I think the beach visits with open bar sound fun but I've heard mixed feelings about those excursions at these locations. I'm not super into snorkeling, had some bad experiences with past excursions, but would be willing to try again if multiple people rave about a certain one. Thank you in advance for any recommendations as I am very indecisive and like to do a lot of research when it comes to this stuff!

[JohnK6404]

1 hour ago, Cruise_fanatic said:

Going on Harmony of the Seas in late Feb/early March 2024... I'm looking for excursion recommendations in Roatan, Puerto Costa Maya, and Cozumel. I definitely want to book through RC, I just get worried about not making it back to the boat on time and I would rather pay more $$$ just for peace of mind (also yay for Black Friday sales going on right now!). I think the beach visits with open bar sound fun but I've heard mixed feelings about those excursions at these locations. I'm not super into snorkeling, had some bad experiences with past excursions, but would be willing to try again if multiple people rave about a certain one. Thank you in advance for any recommendations as I am very indecisive and like to do a lot of research when it comes to this stuff!

Welcome!

Start here:  Best shore excursion in every Caribbean cruise port | Royal Caribbean Blog

[AandD]

if you like the animals do Easy Roatan Monkey and Sloth thru Royal. Paradise beach Cozumel. it was our first time at Paradise beach, and they have my business. Price is right, food good and nice beach. It is not that far from the port and plenty of taxis to go back and forth. When Maya chan beach is open, that is where we go in Costa Maya. 

[ChessE4]

If you are willing to get wet, the Amazing Secret River out of Cozumel is amazing. You must take ferry to mainland and walk/swim through cavern.  In Costa Maya, we liked Chacchoben.

[Ryan79]

Costa Maya = Maya Chan all day long and twice on Sunday.

[jbrinkm]

2 hours ago, Ryan79 said:

Costa Maya = Maya Chan all day long and twice on Sunday.

I didn't enjoy the Mahahual beach clubs so although we didn't make it to Maya Chan on our second time to Cost Maya (booked, but missed port stop due to high winds and cancelled for sargassum additionally...), I did a ton of research beforehand and would tend to agree with this. Or it looks like the water park has reopened so if you like water slides and zip lines, you could try that. 

Cozumel had good snorkeling and beach clubs (different parts of the island). There are a few commonly recommended AI Beach Clubs further south on the west side of the island where there are sandy beaches (up closer to the pier is rocky and has the snorkeling), depending on what you like (quieter, nice pool, etc.). Many people see to also recommend the bar hop tour.

Roatan has so many options - this is one of my new favorite places. Beautiful island once you get just a little away from the port. You probably want to have something lined up in advance here as the area around the port is not super user friendly. Ziplines in the tree canopy, beaches, snorkeling, animal sanctuaries, so many choices! We liked Roatan Getaway Tours for a private excursion but people also often recommend Victor Bodden as well. This is what Roatan Getaway Tours offers:

[Suzy85]

I am by no means a seasoned cruiser. On my first visit to Costa Maya in March, we went to Maya Chan. The meeting point outside the cruise port was incredibly easy to find. The service was phenomenal. It really was the tropical paradise you imagine a vacation being. Transportation there and back was taken care of as part of the reservation. We got back in plenty of time for all aboard. I researched extensively before booking (like you, afraid to not get back to ship in time), and I could not fine one bad review of this place or issues getting back in time.  We used Bodden Tours and customized our own tour in Roatan (held some sloths and ate some chocolate and I'd do it again for sure). We booked through the ship in Cozumel and did the cooking thing with the beach time and open bar after. The cooking part of that was nice, but the resort was just okay. It was very busy. The pina coladas were meh. 

[MO & LO on the go!]

We have the same cruise itinerary/ship but the end of January/beginging of February 2024.  Also curious to see what people recommend 

[Cactus527]

We did RC's Turquoise Bay snorkel/kayak excursion in Roatan. The drive over is beautiful, and the island itself is stunning to see in the 40 minute ride out there. The resort itself is okay, I wasn't super impressed with the restroom facilities or the food (it was only during a certain time and was mediocre). Snorkeling and kayaking were also at set times - if you didn't do it then, you didn't do it. However, I WILL say the swings in the water were a big hit, the beach is beautiful (lots of chairs both in the shade and not), drinks were plentiful, and the tour guide on the bus was very informative. I would actually recommend the all inclusive option (RC offers several to Turquoise Bay) as it's in a better location on the beach. Cabanas were for resort guests only when we were there in July 2023. 

[recogneyes]

On 11/9/2023 at 6:47 PM, AandD said:

if you like the animals do Easy Roatan Monkey and Sloth thru Royal. Paradise beach Cozumel. it was our first time at Paradise beach, and they have my business. Price is right, food good and nice beach. It is not that far from the port and plenty of taxis to go back and forth. When Maya chan beach is open, that is where we go in Costa Maya. 

Paradise Beach and Maya Chan are our go to's as well!

[tonyfsu21]

Just walked off Wonder this morning after completing this same voyage (again). We had an awesome time at Nachi Cocom beach club in Cozumel and I recommend it (along with paradise beach). The pool at the end of the pier in Costa Maya is a destination. There were multiple dining options, massive pool and lots of shopping. I still haven’t ventured to Maya Chan but I’m also not a fan of mainland Mexico. The pool is an excellent place to spend a few hours especially if you have kids. IMHO Roatan is kind of dumpy but we enjoyed the Jolly Roger snorkeling on a catamaran. I haven’t really found anything else redeeming on that island and personally don’t want to pet monkeys or sloths while on vacation. The only downside to the Jolly Roger tour was the bus ride back and forth was not as efficient as a tour where the catamaran picks you up on the pier by the ship. Overall great experience though at all stops. Also, it looks like they are building a costa maya style pool destination at the Roatan port which might be ready.   

[OCSC Mike]

33 minutes ago, tonyfsu21 said:

The pool at the end of the pier in Costa Maya is a destination.

There's a small beach club there (Nohoch Kay) we went to once and I'd love to go back but every time we're there the ship leaves at 2pm and I can't see going just for the morning. We'll either walk around the pier (lots of stuff there like you said) or just stay onboard. Same 2pm departure on my next 2 Western Wonders.

[ScottD]

We LOVED Roatan Fun Tours- they have a ton of packages and VERY inexpensive. We got a private driver and he took us all over the island, got to see some parts that you maybe wouldn't see normally.  You can pick and choose if you want to skip stops or stay longer at others, we did a "Sloth\monkey tour, Local craft shop, chocolate factory, rum factory, which we skipped for longer time at the chocolate and craft shops, and a stop at a beach with a little bar\restaurant for lunch. Then stopped at the Roatan sign for pics on the way back to the ship. We basically told him when we were ready to go back, and he took us.  We really loved seeing some of the back country side (and, yes, you'll see some of the very run down\poor areas, as well) of the island. 

[OCSC Mike]

@ScottD Your tour sounds very similar to what we have planned, just with a different operator. We enjoy seeing where the locals actually live when visiting somewhere for the 1st time, not just the tourist areas. Then when we go back we may just do some sort of snorkel/beach/boat/whatever type experience.

Since my wife is a teacher, we’ll be stopping at a local school with some school supply donations.

[ScottD]

1 hour ago, OCSC Mike said:

@ScottD Your tour sounds very similar to what we have planned, just with a different operator. We enjoy seeing where the locals actually live when visiting somewhere for the 1st time, not just the tourist areas. Then when we go back we may just do some sort of snorkel/beach/boat/whatever type experience.

Since my wife is a teacher, we’ll be stopping at a local school with some school supply donations.

Very cool. Yeah, the guy showed us a little of everything- where the few rich people live, and learned that they have a few Bojangles on the island, all owned by the same guy, lol. But then we saw some REALLY poor areas, complete with kids climbing trash piles looking for stuff to sell. So it was definitely a little eye opening.  We went into a small local store for some drinks, and also hit a convenient store at a gas station, complete with an AR Armed security guard outside which really threw my kid for a loop, ha.  

[OCSC Mike]

17 minutes ago, ScottD said:

Very cool. Yeah, the guy showed us a little of everything- where the few rich people live, and learned that they have a few Bojangles on the island, all owned by the same guy, lol. But then we saw some REALLY poor areas, complete with kids climbing trash piles looking for stuff to sell. So it was definitely a little eye opening.  We went into a small local store for some drinks, and also hit a convenient store at a gas station, complete with an AR Armed security guard outside which really threw my kid for a loop, ha.  

Yep, that's kinda what we have in mind. I may skip the AR guarded Wawa though, lol.

Funny you mention Bojangles (never ate there btw but we have them here). I told our guy we didn't want a long sit down lunch but I'd like to grab a quick bite if there's a food stand/cart type place with local food and he said no problem. I've mentioned how picky my wife is though so unless they have a Honduran version of like a plain cheese quesadilla or arepa (something with dough/batter and cheese, no spices, no meat unless it's chicken breast), she won't eat anything. Now I know I can get her Bojangles (which is embarrassing but if she's hungry she's gotta eat something).

Was the chocolate factory worth going to? Seems a bit touristy but it's chocolate.

[ScottD]

1 hour ago, OCSC Mike said:

Yep, that's kinda what we have in mind. I may skip the AR guarded Wawa though, lol.

Funny you mention Bojangles (never ate there btw but we have them here). I told our guy we didn't want a long sit down lunch but I'd like to grab a quick bite if there's a food stand/cart type place with local food and he said no problem. I've mentioned how picky my wife is though so unless they have a Honduran version of like a plain cheese quesadilla or arepa (something with dough/batter and cheese, no spices, no meat unless it's chicken breast), she won't eat anything. Now I know I can get her Bojangles (which is embarrassing but if she's hungry she's gotta eat something).

Was the chocolate factory worth going to? Seems a bit touristy but it's chocolate.

It was ok...the one we went to (apparently there is two of them) was called Mayak chocolate and was more of a big store with a little area in the back where they made it. We got some nice souvenirs there.. they had a box you could buy then fill it with various flavors, so we loaded up on a bunch of mini bars to give to the kids on the block.  This chocolate place was also in the same area as the local craft shop, which was cool- everything was made from recycled metal and glass that they cleaned up from the beaches. The gas station store did have a Blimpie and a pizza hut type thing all built in, so it COULD be an option for your wife if Bojangles isn't it, lol.  This was also in the same intersection as the chocolate factory. This was apparently a pretty popular area, between the shops and a big hotel shaped like a turtle down the street. 

Heres a picture I just found online, which looks to have been taken from the Chocolate shop... you can see the sign for the chocolate on the left, the gas station on the right and the hotel turtle across the street...lol... 

[OCSC Mike]

3 minutes ago, ScottD said:

The gas station store did have a Blimpie and a pizza hut type thing all built in

LOL, thanks, that's even more embarrassing.

Thanks for the chocolate factory info. Cool looking hotel.

[TammyDurkee]

We went on a Royal Caribbean Dolphin VIP Experience and found the meeting place in the Cozumel Port area very close to the COZUMEL sign where everyone gets the "touristy" photo. There is an RC guy walking around with a royal blue polo on who will be glad to point out any shore excursion meeting point, if you can't find it. Even though it is booked thru RC, I believe the excursion company was ToursRUs, and they put us in taxi shuttles fee included in RC booking price but do tip your driver and tour guide they work hard (10 people per shuttle), and in 10 min, they had us to Chankanaab Parque Natural where the dolphins are. When you get the VIP experience, you get to touch the dolphins, 2 dolphins will give you a Superman ride by 1 dolphin pushing each of your feet so that you rise out of the water, they have the dolphins dance in front of each person while you pet the inside of their fins, then you get a 2nd ride holding onto their dorsal fins with your hands and they pull you 50 feet or so, don't be surprised if you have to wait for 5 minutes a couple times for the dolphins to do some hanky-panky, apparently they are very amorous and try to make babies all day every day. Then you go to another enclosure where you touch a Manatee (Manatee = 800-1200 lbs, compared to dolphins 400-800 lbs, I was surprised by the large sizes of both, because I had only seen pictures before), and be sure to listen for when the tour guide says the last Sea Lion show is, because that is included too, but we missed it by 11 minutes, because our tour had so many people (50+) that we couldn't hear the guide very well. This excursion has the ocean to swim in or a fresh water pool, and the fresh water pool had a swim-up bar, which I believe you said you might be interested. The VIP experience has an included buffet, but honestly we would have preferred to buy a hamburger in the area where the people who didn't pay the higher VIP price went. We were the 2nd RC excursion group, and I believe our buffet had been out under heat lamps since the earlier excursion. I put it in the RC survey Oct 2023, so maybe they will have fixed the buffet by then, or go to the early excursion where the food will be fresher.
We highly recommend while in port, see if you can find the store in port that has a deal where if you buy 2 Vanilla bottles (1 ltr each) then you get 1 free!! It is the MOST FRAGRANT Mexican Vanilla and SO MUCH BETTER than vanilla in the USA!! This port store also had buy 2 chocolate bars and get 1 free, but the supply was almost sold out that day, and we didn't want white chocolate which is NOT real chocolate, also didn't want chocolate with hot pepper inside, so we bought the LAST 1 bar of Milk Chocolate for a friend and have not had the chance to give it to him yet, but by Christmas, we should have feedback as to whether the chocolate bar was good or not!!

[KJ777]

On 11/26/2023 at 3:51 PM, tonyfsu21 said:

IMHO Roatan is kind of dumpy

@tonyfsu21 we were just in Roatan last Thursday (maybe, my days are messed up) with Wonder.  I agree with you on Roatan but it does look like they're trying to improve the infrastructure and improve the port.  It was also a very gray, rainy and overcast when we were there.  We did the sloth/monkey thing but weren't able to do the glass bottom boat due to the weather.  They took us to the chocolate store instead.  

[tonyfsu21]

1 hour ago, KJ777 said:

@tonyfsu21 we were just in Roatan last Thursday (maybe, my days are messed up) with Wonder.  I agree with you on Roatan but it does look like they're trying to improve the infrastructure and improve the port.  It was also a very gray, rainy and overcast when we were there.  We did the sloth/monkey thing but weren't able to do the glass bottom boat due to the weather.  They took us to the chocolate store instead.  

I can tell you what sealed the deal for me. At the end of the snorkeling excursion we took a slow ride on the catamaran through a cove about 300 yards from where we were snorkeling and saw enough garbage and human feces to make you want to throw up. It’s apparent they empty raw sewage into the ocean as it was floating everywhere. Very nasty poop filled water. I’m just glad we were far enough away to not snorkel through it. 

[SpeedNoodles]

 

[KJ777]

@SpeedNoodles agreed!  This was not an excursion picked by me, nor would I have picked it. 

[SpeedNoodles]

1 hour ago, KJ777 said:

@SpeedNoodles agreed!  This was not an excursion picked by me, nor would I have picked it. 

And I don't want to shame anyone, but rather just share the facts.  I know most people don't mean any harm.