Watch a hyperlapse of the world's largest ship, Symphony of the Seas.

If you are looking for a relaxing day in Cozumel, Mexico that offers fun in the water and much (if not all) included in your price, there are plenty of resorts to consider.

If you were to ask me, the gold standard for all-inclusive day pass spots in Cozumel has been Nachi Cocom, but on a recent Royal Caribbean cruise stop in Cozumel, our family tried to make a last-minute reservation and Nachi was sold out.  After spending some time researching our options, we decided to give Iberostar Cozumel a try.

Description

Iberostar Cozumel is a five star family friendly all-inclusive resort, located on the western side of Cozumel in the same area many resorts (like Nachi) are found. A taxi ride will take about 10-15 minutes to reach Iberostar Cozumel.

Iberostar is a family of all-inclusive resorts that you can find around the world.  In fact, most of the guests you are likely to encounter at Iberostar Cozumel are resort guests, rather than cruise ship guests. 

We purchased a day pass to Iberostar via Resortforaday.

The resort itself is a large, sprawling retreat.  The lobby area is located in an enormous open air atrium, where you receive wristbands to identify yourself to staff around the resort.  Despite the fact you are a day guest at a hotel resort, admission to Iberostar Cozumel gets you access to essentially everything and anything a resort guest would get, minus a hotel room.

The grounds at Iberostar are immaculate and sprawling.  Not only is there a beautiful collection of flora to see anywhere you walk, you will also find flamingos, peacocks, and other beautiful animals along the way.

Your day pass includes:

• Access to Iberostar from 8am to 6pm.
• Unlimited meals & snacks at your choice of open establishments. This includes breakfast and lunch.
• Unlimited drinks (alcohol & non alcohol)
• Full access to beach
• "Lake style" pool and separate kiddies pool
• Lounge chairs and towels
• Kids Club with supervised activities for ages 4-12
• 3 Lit Tennis Courts plus 1 multi-purpose court for basketball or volleyball
• Activities program by the pool and beach.
• Use of snorkeling equipment ($2 USD fee for Marine Park not included)
• Kayaking and catamarans
• Fitness Center
• Complimentary Wi-Fi

If that sounds like a lot, that is a lot to be included with a day pass. While I think most cruise passengers are primarily interested in beach or pool time, coupled with drinks and meals, there are lots of activities you can take advantage of as well. 

Iberostar describes its pool as "lake style" and it is indeed massive.  It is essentially three main pools, along with a rather large kiddie (shallow) pool that all intertwine.  The result is one of the loveliest resort pools I may have ever been to at any resort in the Caribbean.  

There is a swim-up bar in the middle, lounge chairs in the shallow end of the pool, basketball hoops, and plenty of room to relax. In short, it is an impressive pool.

Naturally, Iberostar offers a large white sand beach area.  The pool is close enough to the beach that you can fairly easily walk between the two areas.

Admission to Iberostar Cozumel gets you unlimited food and drink during your stay.  There are a few restaurants around the resort that you may visit and enjoy.  Something that distinguishes Iberostar is the fact breakfast is served along with lunch later in the day. The food is served at any of the buffet-style restaurants, with one large restaurant and a grill located within steps of the pool and beach.

Much of the food offered is American fare, with a few Mexican dishes thrown in.  The menu at Iberostar rotates on a daily basis, with the idea that resort guests will be there for a week or so, and thus, get different choices each day to mix things up. As a result, the exact menu you get may differ depending on the day.

Unlimited alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks are available as part of admission.  There are roaming waiters around the pool and beach area, along with the aforementioned swim-up bar, and some bars around the resort you can visit.

Comments

For a family looking to enjoy a relaxing day at a beautiful resort, Iberostar Cozumel fits the bill nearly perfectly.  It is an impressive resort that rivals many all inclusive experiences we have had in the region.

In general, we enjoyed our time at Iberostar and had a fun day splashing, eating, and drinking. I was truly impressed by the resort grounds and what they offered.  In fact, I found the assortment of activities very impressive.  Yoga, aquatic aerobics, archery, tennis, skeet shooting, snorkeling, etc.  Where most day pass resorts are limited to a beach, pool and snorkeling equipment, Iberostar shines with its rich array of things to do.

I had two gripes about my visit to Iberostar that prevent it from being my top choice for a day pass option in Cozumel. 

We arrived right around 9am or so, and already 65-75% of the pool chairs had been reserved.  There were not people actually there, but the "chair hog" situation was worse than anything I have seen on a Royal Caribbean ship.

Second, the lunch offered was fine, but lacked Mexican cuisine that I think many (including myself) look to enjoy while in Cozumel.  The lunch offered consisted mostly of American food, with a taco making station that was sufficient.  There were no quesadillas, guacamole, chips, or salsa to enjoy during our visit.  The flip side to this issue is my children had no problem chomping down on burgers and hot dogs all day long.

The level of service in terms of getting drinks while lounging was more than acceptable.  Roaming waiters took drink orders and once the initial surge of drink orders subsided, it was quite easy to get refills.  Of course, the assortment of bars around the resort means getting one on your own is easy enough.

Inevitably, I have to compare Iberostar Cozumel to Nachi Cocom resort, because Nachi has been my go-to recommendation for a while.  Iberostar's grounds and range of activities exceed what Nachi offers.  The quality and variety of food is better at Nachi, and Nachi's personalized waiter approach is still a preferred method in my opinion.

In terms of cost, Iberostar Cozumel cost us just about the same as most other all-inclusive day pass resorts in Cozumel. We paid $72 per adult and $36 for kids 3-12.

Overall, Iberostar Cozumel is a beautiful resort that is a good choice for groups that are looking for a phenomenal pool day, and/or lots to do around the resort, in addition to all the food and drink they care to enjoy. The reserving of chairs and food selection may or may not be an issue during your visit.  Our family certainly had a fun day at Iberostar and would love to return again just for that pool.

Our newest podcast episode is out to help give you a quick "audio escape" to a Royal Caribbean cruise!

Episode 244 is available for downloading, where a first-time Royal Caribbean cruisers talks about his experience relative to past Disney Cruise Line sailings.

Fred Hazelton tried out Anthem of the Seas and while his family had a good vacation, there were aspects of the cruise that bothered him.  On this week's episode, Matt, Fred and Billy from CruiseHabit.com discuss Fred's experiences and talk about how it all stacks up.

Here’s the podcast page for Episode 244. And don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast via RSS, Stitcher or on iTunes!

Take a listen and as always, let us know what you think! Please rate and review the podcast on iTunes and leave your comments below!

Royal Caribbean announced its 2019/2020 cruises in and around Australia. Bookings for the 2019/20 Australia summer season open on Tuesday April 10, 2018.

The 2019/20 season will kick off with the arrival of Radiance of the Seas to Sydney on October 9, 2019, Ovation of the Seas on October 20, 2019, and Voyager of the Seas will begin her season with a three-night sampler cruise on November 30, 2019. Together, the three ships will offer 61 sailings, ranging from two to 19 nights, and sailing to nine different countries including Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, French Polynesia, New Caledonia, Singapore, Indonesia, the USA and Vanuatu.

Ovation of the Seas returns for her fourth and longest season yet down under, following her maiden season in Alaska in the Northern Hemisphere summer.

Ovation of the Seas, will offer guests a range of South Pacific, Australia and New Zealand itineraries – including five incredible New Zealand and South Pacific hybrid sailings, nine New Zealand voyages and new 18 and 19-night sailings between Sydney and Hawaii calling in Papeete, Moorea and Bora Bora in French Polynesia.

Voyager of the Seas returns to her homeport of Sydney after a one-year hiatus, fresh from a multi-million dollar revitalisation in late 2019. She will replace sister ship Explorer of the Seas, which returns to cruising in Europe and the Caribbean in 2019/20.

“Voyager of the Seas will be making her grand Aussie comeback in 2019, boasting a stack of new features following a multi-million dollar makeover – all part of our Royal Amplification programme, which will see us invest US$900 million in modernising our fleet,” said Adam Armstrong, managing director Australia and New Zealand.

Australia’s second largest ship, Voyager of the Seas will be back to focus on South Pacific and Sampler voyages, with a range of two to 14-night sailings. Along with onboard amenities like the FlowRider surf machine, rock-climbing wall, ice-skating rink, Broadway-style shows and full sized sports court, she’ll boast plenty of brand new features yet to be announced, all destined to appeal perfectly to the Australian market. She will also offer more short “sampler” sailings than ever before – ideal for the new-to-cruise – as well as a six-night Tasmania sailing, an eight-night Queensland sailing and two epic repositioning voyages between Singapore and Sydney.

Radiance of the Seas returns for her ninth season and will offer her usual New Zealand program as well as an expanded range of South Pacific sailings calling to destinations such as Noumea, Mystery Island and Port Vila.

As well as her additional eight to 11-night South Pacific sailings, Radiance of the Seas will sail a three-night Sampler cruise, a 16-night Top End sailing from Sydney to Fremantle, and an epic 18-night Bottom End sailing from Fremantle to Sydney. Guests can also cruise on six, 9 to 13-night New Zealand sailings and two 18-night Hawaii repositioning sailings.

Royal Caribbean announced a new cruise cancellation policy that will go into effect on all bookings made on or after April 8, 2018.

The policy change is aimed at encouraging guests to finalize their bookings earlier.  The cancellation policy adjustments announced, "were decided upon in an effort to better align with industry standards and to make the schedule simpler and more concise."

The change impacts both individual, NextCruise, and group reservations created on or after April 8, 2018.

Royal Caribbean last updated its cancellation policy in February 2016.

Royal Caribbean informed guests booked on an upcoming Radiance of the Seas sailing their sailing has been cancelled as a result of needed repairs.

The cruise line announced the upcoming 11-night cruise on Radiance of the Seas departing April 6, 2018 will be cancelled in order to conduct necessary repairs on the ship's Azipod propulsion system, which impacts the ships’ speed and ability to deliver future scheduled cruises.

Repairs to Radiance of the Seas will take place from April 6 to April 17.

Royal Caribbean will release this week its Seasonal Caribbean & Northeast cruises.

Royal Caribbean Crown & Anchor Society members can begin booking sailings on April 3, 2018, with the general public available to begin booking on April 4, 2018.

• Adventure of the Seas
• Brilliance of the Seas
• Explorer of the Seas
• Independence of the Seas
• Rhapsody of the Seas
• Serenade of the Seas
• Vision of the Seas

Vision of the Seas will offer double the Panama Canal offerings before heading to San Juan for her Caribbean adventure, including stops at a new destination for Royal Caribbean, Punta Cana, Dominican Republic.

Adventure of the Seas will visit the Caribbean from Fort Lauderdale, with 6 and 8 night itineraries to destinations like Grand Cayman, St. Thomas, San Juan and beyond.

Explorer of the Seas will return to the United States, offering 5 night Western Caribbean and 9 night Southern Caribbean adventures sailing from Miami.

Both Anthem of the Seas and Grandeur of the Seas will offer stops at the newly refurbished CocoCay, with 7 and 8 night itineraries in Fall 2019.

Watch a timelapse video of the world's largest cruise ship, Symphony of the Seas, sail away from Barcelona, Spain for the first time.

No fooling here, we have a round-up of all of this week's Royal Caribbean cruise news!

WIthout a doubt, this week's Royal Caribbean news can be summed up in one word: Symphony. 

Royal Caribbean took delivery of its fourth Oasis Class cruise ship, Symphony of the Seas, this week at a ceremony at STX France in Saint-Nazaire, France.

Symphony of the Seas is the 25th ship in Royal Caribbean's fleet, and is listed at 228,081 gross registered tons, measures 238 feet tall and spans 1,188 feet long. She will welcome 5,518 guests at double occupancy in 2,759 staterooms, including 28 additional balcony rooms that overlook the ocean or signature Boardwalk neighborhood.

Symphony of the Seas' first sailing took place on March 31, 2018.

Royal Caribbean News

• We shared as many new photos from all over the ship as we could find.
• Royal Caribbean released a video commemorating the delivery of Symphony of the Seas.
• Royal Caribbean released new aerial photos of Symphony of the Seas at sea.
• Royal Caribbean released a new smartphone app update this week.
• Entertainment will be at the heart of the fun things to do onboard Symphony of the Seas.
• A video sneak-peak look at the Flight show on Symphony of the Seas shows what makes this show so cool.
• Check out this photo tour of the Ultimate Family Suite on Symphony of the Seas.
• Ovation of the Seas is helping to test a new navigational system.

Royal Caribbean Blog Podcast

The 243rd episode of the Royal Caribbean Blog Podcast is now available, and we are reviewing Matt's cruise on Rhapsody of the Seas.

In this episode, Matt is back from Rhapsody of the Seas and talks about what he thought about his first time on a Vision class ship, the activities he tried onboard and how is shore plans worked out.

Please feel free to subscribe via iTunes or RSS, and head over to rate and review the podcast on iTunes if you can! We’d appreciate it.

Royal Caribbean Around the Internet

Ship Monk shared a photo tour of Symphony of the Seas.

Page Six reported on Star Jones' wedding, which took place on Anthem of the Seas.

Cruise Habit took an in-depth (kale infused) look at cruise ship safety.

Happy Friday! This may be a holiday weekend for many of our readers, so grab your matzah or chocolate bunny and let's enjoy some great Royal Caribbean photos that our readers have shared!

Kinny Lee found this photo while on a scavenger hut on Allure of the Seas.  This looks like one of the Small Wonders hidden on Allure.

Twangster shared this photo from Harmony of the Seas of the Ultimate Abyss entrance.

Kathy Harris took this photo during her Mediterranean cruise.

Arnt Jakobsen took this photo from Labadee, while visiting on Labadee.

Don and Meg shared this photo from their Oasis of the Seas excursion at Almaplena Eco resort in Costa Maya, Mexico.

Here's another photo by Don and Meg of Freedom and Oasis of the Seas while in Cozumel.

Allen Shaffer took this photo during a beautiful day in Skagway, Alaska.

Thank you to everyone for sharing these great photos.  If you want to share your own photos for a future blog post, use this form to send them in to us!