A Day from Cozumel to Tulum: Shore Excursion Adventures with the Trekking Pawns

-

Cozumel was a tough call for us. With so many tempting options — snorkeling, beach lounging, or a historic journey to the Tulum Mayan Ruins — we debated our choices right up to the night before. (The activity that we really wanted to do was the Atlantis Submarine!)  Between Cozumel itself and the easy ferry access to Playa del Carmen on the mainland, this area felt like a destination in its own right. If we ever plan a trip off a cruise, this region is high on our list for a proper return visit.

Since we had beach and snorkeling excursions planned at other stops, we decided to seize the opportunity and visit the famous Tulum ruins through a cruise ship-organized shore excursion. Yes, we knew it would be more cost-effective to go independently using local vendors or platforms like GetYourGuide. But with only 8 hours of dock time, we didn’t want to risk missing the ship. Too many unknowns = too much stress. And, as we learned, there were definitely some perks to booking through the cruise line.

(Disclaimer: Some of the links on here are affiliate links and I may earn if you click or buy on them, AT NO EXTRA cost to you. Hope you find the information here useful! Thanks.) 


The Excursion Kick-Off: Smooth (Mostly)

We received our excursion tickets in our stateroom the night before, which instructed us to meet at the theater by 7:30 a.m. There, staff gave a quick briefing about the day’s schedule before sending us off to the ferry.

One hiccup? They suddenly announced we needed passports and government-issued IDs — a detail not mentioned on the ticket. We had only brought our cruise cards! So, one of us rushed back to the cabin to grab our passports. Ironically, no one checked IDs all day, not even when we re-boarded. Maybe it’s just a safety net in case you miss the ship?


Luckily, the Winjet ferry left from the same dock as our cruise ship — a major convenience! When we’d researched beforehand, we saw that the regular public ferry terminal was a 20-minute walk away and around $30 USD per person. This private ferry for cruise guests was definitely a perk — it followed the ship’s schedule and spared us from navigating public transport.

The ferry ride? Choppy. Some passengers got seasick, but the crew was incredibly kind and handed out plastic bags and assistance with no judgment.


The Great Water Bottle Hustle

As the ferry docked, a vendor boarded and started selling liter bottles of water for $6 USD, claiming they’d be up to $10 USD at Tulum. Some people bought it, but we brought our own, thankfully.

Well... turns out that guy was a total hustler. Not only were drinks $1–$2 USD at the Tulum site, but we weren’t even allowed to bring plastic bottles into the ruins — only reusable bottles were allowed to help reduce litter. And the tour bus provided complimentary water! Live and learn, right?


From Playa del Carmen to Tulum

Upon arrival at Playa del Carmen, we grouped up with our specific excursion and our guide walked us through the lively city streets to our private tour bus. Playa was buzzing — with locals, street vendors, and travelers alike — and had an energy that made us wish we had more time to explore.

From there, we rode to Tulum (more on that in a separate post — stay tuned!). But what really stood out was seeing how Playa del Carmen is a destination for Mexican vacationers too. It wasn’t just international tourists. We passed families with suitcases, couples headed to hotels, and tons of people heading to the beach. It made us feel like we were in a vacation town that was loved by locals — not just cruisers.

Post-Ruins Free Time

After our ruins tour, we had an hour of free time before the ferry back. The designated meeting point was a clean, air-conditioned shopping mall — a great spot for restrooms and shade.

But we opted to do what we do best: explore. We walked straight to the beach. The water was warm and a little murky, but still a welcome sight. Vendors tried to sell us everything from hats to jewelry, but we kept our eyes on the ocean. We dipped our toes in and just took it in.


Back to the Ship: Watch the Ferries!

One last heads-up: not all ferries go to the same place. As we headed back, guides were calling out, reminding people to double-check which ferry they boarded. The local ferry went to the regular terminal, while our cruise ferry went straight back to the ship. Thankfully, crew checked cruise cards before boarding.

Oh! One more helpful tip: NCL lets you borrow complimentary towels for the day — a great perk to save packing space.

Would We Do It Again?

Absolutely. While the day had some minor hiccups (overpriced water, ID confusion), we were so glad we saw Tulum — and doing it through the cruise line gave us peace of mind about timing.

Would we go back to Cozumel and Playa del Carmen without the cruise? 100% yes. Now we know:

  • Where the public ferry is

  • How to get to Playa del Carmen

  • That there’s way more to explore than we had time for

The Mayan ruins were amazing, but the before-and-after experience gave us even more insight into how we like to travel.

Coming soon: our full post on the Tulum ruins themselves! Have you explored the area independently or through a cruise? Let us know what you thought!
—The Trekking Pawns


 

Location: Cozumel, Quintana Roo, Mexico

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Exploring Storyville: The Scandalous Past of New Orleans’ Jazz and Red-Light District

-
Image
As part of our pre-trip journey into the rich and colorful history of New Orleans, we’ve been reading The Seamstress of New Orleans . The novel has been a fascinating guide, weaving together the city’s iconic culture with its complex history. One place that keeps popping up in the book is Storyville, a district infamous for legal prostitution and gambling. Intrigued, we had to find out if this place truly existed—and wow, what a story we uncovered! (Disclaimer: Some of the links on here are affiliate links and I may earn if you click or buy on them, AT NO EXTRA cost to you. Hope you find the information here useful! Thanks.)  (Photo: Amazon ) The History of Storyville Yes, Storyville was very real. From 1897 to 1917, this legalized red-light district was the beating heart of New Orleans’ nightlife. It was named after Alderman Sidney Story, who ironically didn’t intend for his name to become synonymous with debauchery. The district was bordered by Iberville, Basin, St. Louis, and No...
Read more

Getting Around Nice with Public Transportation: A Seamless Experience!

-
Image
As The Trekking Pawns, we’re all about making the most of our travels—and that includes figuring out the easiest and most affordable way to get around! During our time in Nice, France, we discovered a few public transportation options that made exploring the Côte d’Azur a breeze. With the city’s modern contactless cards from Lignes d’Azur , getting around has never been easier. Here’s a quick rundown of what we learned and how we plan to use these options during our French adventures. 1. "Ma Carte" : The Ultimate Go-To for Regular Travelers We love the convenience of the "Ma Carte"! This personalized contactless card can be reloaded with ease and comes with your name and photo, so it feels like your very own travel buddy. For just €2, you get a reusable card that allows you to purchase and top up occasional tickets or season passes. Plus, if you ever lose it (we’ve all been there), you can get it replaced along with all the tickets you’ve purchased. Super convenient...
Read more

Pros and Cons of Using the Lignes d’Azur App and Cards in Nice, France

-
Image
(In the upper right corner, click the flags to change to the language of preference.) As part of our ongoing adventures here in Nice, we’ve been experimenting with different ways to navigate the city’s public transportation system, specifically the Lignes d’Azur metro and bus networks. While playing around with the Lignes d’Azur Tickets app, we discovered some interesting pros and cons, especially compared to other transit systems we've used (looking at you, Paris Metro!). The Lignes d’Azur Digital Metro Card: A Pleasant Surprise One of the standout features of the Lignes d’Azur app is that the digital metro card doesn’t require data to work. This is a game-changer for us! Normally, when traveling, we try to limit our data usage to keep ourselves more immersed in the moment rather than constantly scrolling through social media or updating ourselves on the latest news. The fact that we could access and use the app offline meant one less thing to worry about and more time for explo...
Read more