The Trekking Pawns' Diary

As we prepare for our upcoming cruise, one of the most anticipated stops on our itinerary is Cozumel, Mexico. While there are countless ways to spend a day in this vibrant port, we decided to take a step back in time and visit the world-famous Tulum Mayan Ruins. After doing some research and weighing our options, we ultimately booked the excursion through the cruise line, and here’s why. (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: Getyourguide  Things to do in Tulum ) The Excursion: Tulum Mayan Ruins The cruise line excursion to the Tulum Mayan Ruins is advertised as a seamless way to experience one of the most iconic archaeological sites in the world. The tour includes: A 45-minute ferry ride from Cozumel to Playa del Carmen. A 1-hour air-conditioned bus ride to the ruins. A guided tour of the walled city, showcasing restored temp...

Hello, fellow wanderers! The Trekking Pawns here, and we’re officially in the countdown to our next cruise adventure. As we get closer to setting sail, we’re diving into planning how to best use our time at each port. After our first cruise experience in Alaska, we learned a few valuable lessons that are guiding our approach this time around. (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.)  On that Alaskan cruise, we discovered that port days could be a mixed bag. Some stops were magical, but others left us wandering aimlessly, feeling like we didn’t make the most of our limited time. That’s why, for this trip, we’re determined to go in with a solid plan—especially since the places we’ll be visiting are entirely new to us, and let’s be honest, we’re not likely to revisit them individually anytime soon. The Dilemma: Cruise-Booked Excursions vs. DIY Opti...

As travel bloggers, we often get asked how we plan our trips and which sites we trust to book everything from flights to activities. It’s a great question because, let’s be honest, the internet is overflowing with options! We’ve found that using a few trusted sites makes travel planning so much easier, and we’re here to share our go-to platforms for booking flights, hotels, and activities. When it comes to booking our flights and hotel stays, we love using Booking.com and Expedia . Both platforms are incredibly user-friendly and allow us to quickly compare prices and check out flexible dates, which is crucial when we’re trying to squeeze in an extra day or catch the cheapest flight! It’s also handy to have everything in one place—hotels, flights, and even car rentals—so we’re not juggling a million tabs. We’re also big fans of both sites' cancellation policies. Let’s face it, plans change, and it’s nice to know that we can cancel or modify bookings without stress. Having that peac...