Question about Royal Caribbean Cozumel excursion to Tulum

I thought that one of the main benefits to taking the cruise line's
excursion was that you did not have to worry about getting back late and
missing the ship. This was said to be especially important when
venturing far from the port. Yet, here is the description from the Royal
Caribbean site of their excursion to the Mayan ruins at Tulum. NOTE THE
LAST SENTENCE ABOUT GETTING BACK TO THE SHIP.


snip
Tulum Mayan Ruins Express

Approximate Duration: 6 Hours 30 Minutes
Adult: 75.00 (USD)=A0=A0|=A0=A0Child: 65.00 (USD)

Majestically perched above the turquoise Caribbean, lie the ruins of the
ancient Mayan City of Tulum. After an early breakfast, you'll board a
ferry for a trip from Cozumel to Playa del Carmen. During the one-hour
bus trip to Tulum, a guide will brief you on the sights you are about to
see. At Tulum, an English-speaking guide will take you to visit the
ruins, considered to be the most important on the Yucatan Peninsula. The
centrally located public, administrative, civic and religious buildings
are ringed by a protective wall on three sides and the sea on the other.
The site was occupied as far back as 600 A.D. However, it was most
densely populated around 1200 A.D. You will be struck by the
pyramid-shaped El Castillo, sitting atop a forty-foot cliff, which
dominates the city. The nearby Temple of the Descending God, provides an
equally excellent insight into the architecture of the Mayan people, who
reached considerable heights in the Arts and Sciences, only to decline
and vanish for no apparent reason. You will visit these and many others
of the more than sixty structures of the ancient fortress. You will then
be taken back to the pier for a return ferry trip to Cozumel. Please
note that this tour will end downtown, not at the ship. It is the guests
own responsibility to return to the vessel.
end snip

Has anyone been on this excursion? Could they comment on getting back to
the ship?

Did this tour last March.
As you noted, the tour after the ferry ride ends in downtown area. You will
need a taxi to return to ship dock. Make sure, repeat, make sure that you
know which dock your ship is at, in order to give the correct location to
the taxi driver.
Van in Texas




"Jeff Gersten" wrote in message
...
I thought that one of the main benefits to taking the cruise line's
excursion was that you did not have to worry about getting back late and
missing the ship. This was said to be especially important when
venturing far from the port. Yet, here is the description from the Royal
Caribbean site of their excursion to the Mayan ruins at Tulum. NOTE THE
LAST SENTENCE ABOUT GETTING BACK TO THE SHIP.


snip
Tulum Mayan Ruins Express

Approximate Duration: 6 Hours 30 Minutes
Adult: 75.00 (USD) | Child: 65.00 (USD)

Majestically perched above the turquoise Caribbean, lie the ruins of the
ancient Mayan City of Tulum. After an early breakfast, you'll board a
ferry for a trip from Cozumel to Playa del Carmen. During the one-hour
bus trip to Tulum, a guide will brief you on the sights you are about to
see. At Tulum, an English-speaking guide will take you to visit the
ruins, considered to be the most important on the Yucatan Peninsula. The
centrally located public, administrative, civic and religious buildings
are ringed by a protective wall on three sides and the sea on the other.
The site was occupied as far back as 600 A.D. However, it was most
densely populated around 1200 A.D. You will be struck by the
pyramid-shaped El Castillo, sitting atop a forty-foot cliff, which
dominates the city. The nearby Temple of the Descending God, provides an
equally excellent insight into the architecture of the Mayan people, who
reached considerable heights in the Arts and Sciences, only to decline
and vanish for no apparent reason. You will visit these and many others
of the more than sixty structures of the ancient fortress. You will then
be taken back to the pier for a return ferry trip to Cozumel. Please
note that this tour will end downtown, not at the ship. It is the guests
own responsibility to return to the vessel.
end snip

Has anyone been on this excursion? Could they comment on getting back to
the ship?

The return bus from Tulum drops you off at the ferry and they make sure you
board in plenty of time.

As I recall, when I was there the ferry landing to where the ship was docked
was a 5-10 minute walk. But I certainly can't say where you will dock when
you arrive.

They do serve Cokes and beer on the bus on the return trip!

Mike

"Jeff Gersten" wrote in message
...
I thought that one of the main benefits to taking the cruise line's
excursion was that you did not have to worry about getting back late and
missing the ship. This was said to be especially important when
venturing far from the port. Yet, here is the description from the Royal
Caribbean site of their excursion to the Mayan ruins at Tulum. NOTE THE
LAST SENTENCE ABOUT GETTING BACK TO THE SHIP.


snip
Tulum Mayan Ruins Express

Approximate Duration: 6 Hours 30 Minutes
Adult: 75.00 (USD) | Child: 65.00 (USD)

Majestically perched above the turquoise Caribbean, lie the ruins of the
ancient Mayan City of Tulum. After an early breakfast, you'll board a
ferry for a trip from Cozumel to Playa del Carmen. During the one-hour
bus trip to Tulum, a guide will brief you on the sights you are about to
see. At Tulum, an English-speaking guide will take you to visit the
ruins, considered to be the most important on the Yucatan Peninsula. The
centrally located public, administrative, civic and religious buildings
are ringed by a protective wall on three sides and the sea on the other.
The site was occupied as far back as 600 A.D. However, it was most
densely populated around 1200 A.D. You will be struck by the
pyramid-shaped El Castillo, sitting atop a forty-foot cliff, which
dominates the city. The nearby Temple of the Descending God, provides an
equally excellent insight into the architecture of the Mayan people, who
reached considerable heights in the Arts and Sciences, only to decline
and vanish for no apparent reason. You will visit these and many others
of the more than sixty structures of the ancient fortress. You will then
be taken back to the pier for a return ferry trip to Cozumel. Please
note that this tour will end downtown, not at the ship. It is the guests
own responsibility to return to the vessel.
end snip

Has anyone been on this excursion? Could they comment on getting back to
the ship?

Good point! The group I was with thought to walk back to the ship from the
ferry. After all, we could see several cruise ships only a few minutes walk
away. Wrong! Our ship was docked approx a 30 minute walk away. The taxi
drivers were in abundance though - they kept trying to entice us with their
friendly honking. But we persevered...the ship simply HAD to be around that
next corner!

""Van" Van Doorne" wrote in message
...
Did this tour last March.
As you noted, the tour after the ferry ride ends in downtown area. You
will
need a taxi to return to ship dock. Make sure, repeat, make sure that you
know which dock your ship is at, in order to give the correct location to
the taxi driver.
Van in Texas




"Jeff Gersten" wrote in message
...
I thought that one of the main benefits to taking the cruise line's
excursion was that you did not have to worry about getting back late and
missing the ship. This was said to be especially important when
venturing far from the port. Yet, here is the description from the Royal
Caribbean site of their excursion to the Mayan ruins at Tulum. NOTE THE
LAST SENTENCE ABOUT GETTING BACK TO THE SHIP.


snip
Tulum Mayan Ruins Express

Approximate Duration: 6 Hours 30 Minutes
Adult: 75.00 (USD) | Child: 65.00 (USD)

Majestically perched above the turquoise Caribbean, lie the ruins of the
ancient Mayan City of Tulum. After an early breakfast, you'll board a
ferry for a trip from Cozumel to Playa del Carmen. During the one-hour
bus trip to Tulum, a guide will brief you on the sights you are about to
see. At Tulum, an English-speaking guide will take you to visit the
ruins, considered to be the most important on the Yucatan Peninsula. The
centrally located public, administrative, civic and religious buildings
are ringed by a protective wall on three sides and the sea on the other.
The site was occupied as far back as 600 A.D. However, it was most
densely populated around 1200 A.D. You will be struck by the
pyramid-shaped El Castillo, sitting atop a forty-foot cliff, which
dominates the city. The nearby Temple of the Descending God, provides an
equally excellent insight into the architecture of the Mayan people, who
reached considerable heights in the Arts and Sciences, only to decline
and vanish for no apparent reason. You will visit these and many others
of the more than sixty structures of the ancient fortress. You will then
be taken back to the pier for a return ferry trip to Cozumel. Please
note that this tour will end downtown, not at the ship. It is the guests
own responsibility to return to the vessel.
end snip

Has anyone been on this excursion? Could they comment on getting back to
the ship?

On Thu, 8 Jul 2004 14:43:15 -0400, (Jeff
Gersten) wrote:

I thought that one of the main benefits to taking the cruise line's
excursion was that you did not have to worry about getting back late and
missing the ship. This was said to be especially important when
venturing far from the port. Yet, here is the description from the Royal
Caribbean site of their excursion to the Mayan ruins at Tulum. NOTE THE
LAST SENTENCE ABOUT GETTING BACK TO THE SHIP.

It was my understanding that if you're signed on with a ship
excursion, they will try their best to find you if you are not back on
time. Whereas, they will not even try if you sign up independently.

Now, an independent tour group salesperson also told me that what I
just said was an "urban legend", that cruise ships do not want to
leave anyone behind because it would give them a bad name. He may
have just been telling me that to purchase their tour.

We came close to finding out in Belize, but luckily the ship's tour
bus broke down and so our independent group was able to get back to
the ship before their own group did, and so we didn't have to worry.

David