Cozumel Mayan Ruins Excursion Reviews

It was a long day but a lot of fun. Very well run and very interesting. The beach break was great and the food was good. There was very little time to shop.

Provider: Royal Caribbean International

The Ruins was coordinated well from meeting the guide to checking in and driving to the site. Be forewarned though, the ruins are replicas and I think the site was constructed as a tourist attraction . Still, I like to learn a bit about the history and culture was nice to get out and walk, they provided lots of breaks and cold water.

Provider: Royal Caribbean International

Excursion took too long, at over $100/person, they offer you a snackpack of tuna fish, and crackers with a fruitpunch pouch as a "lunch" for a 6hr outing? Plus you can no longer climb up the Mayan temples for pictures. Of course, all the promotion pics for the excursion show someone enjoying scaling the temples with their families. Apparently they did away with that "8yrs ago". Plus you have to take a speedboad ferry to get to the destination. I was fine, but many passengers got sick on the ferry; the crew felt it necessary to pass out barf bags. Once again, between actual excursion and all the long commuting, we didn't have time to enjoy the beautiful beaches of Cozumel.In hindsight, we should have made this port a beach day and just hung out in town and on the beach. Cozumel was probably the nicest Port of the 3 on this Western Caribbean cruise.

Provider: Royal Caribbean International

Tulum's ruins are impressive, and the beach is beautiful. Had a great Mexican lunch as well.

Provider: Norwegian Cruise Line

We all went on the Tulum excursion in Cozumel which was not pleasant. The ferry ride made many people sick, the tour guide/salesperson on the bus was very interested in persuading us to make certain purchases from specific retailers , and we took a mandatory 20 minute stop at a gift shop five minutes before getting to Tulum. Once there, the ruins were cool but the best part (which redeemed the trip) was the beach. It was the most beautiful beach I've ever seen. We swam until time for the bus to leave.

Provider: Norwegian Cruise Line

Booked NCL's Tulum tour. DO NOT attempt to do this yourself! There is a ferry crossing and a long bus ride involved, and I wouldn't trust myself to get back to the ship on time! The ruins are both gorgeous and interesting--beautiful seaside setting. Lovely beach for a quick cool off--wish I'd had more time there. Lots of iguanas to watch.

Provider: Norwegian Cruise Line

Not as large or developed as the ruins in Belize City. Guide was well informed.Claimed to be mayan and spoke to us in that language. That gave an authentic flavor to the trip. Walking was on rocky uneven land. Ruins were foundation type rock. No big reconstructed buildings. After the ruins stopped at a restaurant/gift shop with a beach across from it. No real purpose in this stop.

Provider: Carnival Cruise Lines

amazing guide

Provider: Norwegian Cruise Line

Mexico is always good it seems. From the moment I disembarked it was great. The excursion to the ruins was fascinating, the guide knew a lot and conveyed it well. The island is itself interesting and seeing it was great. I will return for a holiday just in Cozumel alone. The port was good with an little market so i didn't miss out on going into town, though I would have liked to do that. Got the fish tacos i had been craving. And some cool souvenirs: there were some unusual ones lurking among the general tat. Mexico is just a feel-good place. I don't know if it's the air, or the people, but its just a wonderful place to be.

Provider: Royal Caribbean International

Tulum is beautiful and the main temple is well preserved. Very enjoyable day.

Provider: Norwegian Cruise Line

CZK9 San Gervasio Ruins: not much to see here. Just a few piles of rock in a very small area. Per our guide, "The area is privately owned, and will not let anyone in to excavate any more of the property." A good guide is very important here, as there is not a lot to see, but the stories that a guide can tell, can at least make it enjoyable.

Provider: Celebrity Cruises

Since we hadn't seen any Mayan ruins on previous Cozumel stops, we went this time. If you have no strong interest in seeing ruins, don't go. It is a long day starting off with a motion sickness testing ferry ride to Playa Del Carmen. Remember you have to take that Ferry back too. Many people suffered. Thankfully we didn't and had a decent day even though it was a bit cool. This prevented the beach break, after seeing the ruins, from being as enjoyable as it could have been.

Provider: Royal Caribbean International

We booked an Ancient Culture/Mayan Ruins/Island tour with the Cruise Line. Our guide "Mike" was amazing and shared his knowledge of the area and it history with us as we made our way to the Ruins on the Island. He gave us a guided tour through a nice portion and told us of the history of the Mayan culture and its practices. It poured the rain while we were here but we were able to ride out the worst of it under one of the shelters protecting one of the building. I really enjoyed the history and walking where the Mayans walked. After 1.25 hours here we drove over to the Eastern undeveloped side of the Island and saw the coast line and beaches. We made a brief stop for 1/2 hour to walk on the beach and use the facilities and grab a bite to eat if needed. The areas where we were had no power, he told us that after Hurricane Wilma, the government gave up and would not repair/rebuild on that side. After we made it back to the port, Mike told us that if we went to Three Amigos for food and drink, we would get free Margaritas with his name tags we were wearing. Food and drinks were amazing, and we still had 2 1/2 hours left to explore the shops in the port area.

Provider: Carnival Cruise Lines

Our tour was fantastic!! This was the main reason for coming on this cruise-- after coming to Cancun or Cozumel many times we Finally got to see the ruins. They were beyond amazing--- most memorable thing of the whole trip.

Provider: Princess Cruises

Tulum was nice if not incredible after Chichen Itza. I think it may not be as amazing now (although this was the first time I've seen it) because you can't get close enough to the ruins to take photos with the dramatic blue, blue Caribbean in the background. The water is indeed gorgeous and the guide was friendly and informative if a bit un-involving. The tour took all day, so perhaps do your souvenir shopping on the way to Tulum (a 20 minute break) or right after seeing the ruins. If you're not into shopping, you should have ample time after seeing the ruins to swim or have lunch (there's a good, inexpensive restaurant very near where the buses park). If you're out of a shape, touring Tulum can be a longish walk and rather hot,so be careful and bring water and bug spray. The ferry from Cozumel to the mainland is comfortable. Best thing about Cozumel appears to be the water, so next time I'll probably try the beaches of Playa del Carmen.

Provider: Carnival Cruise Lines

Really worth the money!

Provider: Carnival Cruise Lines

COZUMEL: If you cannot find something to do here then something is wrong. Take an unexpected excursion or simply grab a taxi downtown and shop. During my time in port I was told that Donald Trump is planning on building a resort in Cozumel in the upcoming years, so enjoy it while you can for the culture and history Cozumel offers. EXCURSIONS: I've taken the TALUM tour in 2011 as well as coverage for the AMAZING SECRET RIVER 2010 & Sept 2012. Please check them out!! The excursion I chose this trip was the MAYAN RUINS, TEQUILLA tasting and BEACH excursion. (4.5 hrs) This was a very fun excursion and worth the price. We travelled by charter bus to "PEE-PEE" station gift shops. Ive been here in past years on other excursions and they apparently have expanded adding a short walk through park like setting and describe how Tequila is made. Ending the path is a TEQUILLA TASTING area with the option to purchase bottles of spirits. They are pre-wrapped for luggage transport and the staff was very friendly. Back on board the charter bus to the next stop: SAN GERVASIO MAYAN RUINS located on Cozumel island. You are in the center of a jungle setting and may want to pack a small bug spray to keep the flies and gnats away. These ruins are not as grand as the mainland locations of TALUM or CHICHEN ITZA, but still a nice visit. Although small, these "Ruins of Fertility" have their own historical contributions to offer. We were told that SAN GERVASIO purchased the land but did not realize he had also purchased the Mayan Ruins that were concealed in the thick jungle. After his death he donated the site to COZUMEL as a historic park which is now run by the National Institute of Anthropology & History. They will charge a small fee to bring in professional video recording equipment but small iPhone or still photo cameras are free. Finishing up we boarded the charter bus and headed to the beautiful beach at PLAYA PUNTA SUR. I was at this beach a few years ago and they have built up the facility nicely. I believe it was 2007 when I was here last. Now there is a nice bar, outdoor eating facility, relaxing wading pool, Hammocks and a MASSAGE HUT located right on the beach. If I had enough time after eating I would have indulged in the massage on the beach, but unfortunately took advantage of the sunset for photos. You will want to pull out the bug spray as the mosquitoes start to stir at sunset. We arrived back at the Port around 7:15-7:30. Enough time to do some quick port shopping. I managed to jump back on the ship, take a quick shower and change then head to my scheduled sit-down dinner at 8:15. I could have went back ashore to walk around and shop for souvies since we left at 10pm, but I've been to this port so many times I opted to stay on board.

Provider: Carnival Cruise Lines

Good..but would have preferred to go to a remote beach rather than the Playa beach on the tour.Mayan ruins were excellent..we left the group and walked them all,rather than just part of them,which i would suggest doing. Cozumel seems to be all about shopping for nick knacks sadly none of them that inexpensive these days as with most ports or markets on such islands but! Go do it if you find time!

Provider: MSC Cruises

The seven-hour excursion started with a 45-minute high-speed catamaran ride from the Cozumel port to the Mexican mainland, Playa de Carmen. A bagged snack of chips, banana, cupcake, and water was provided as we entered the bus. The -filled, air conditioned bus ride made a brief stop at a non-descript craft shop on the way to the ruins for some shopping and a chance for a restroom break. The tour guide spoke nonstop about the history of the area as well as Mayan history during the bus ride which made the time pass quickly. Upon arrival at the ruins, we were briefed on what to expect and where to meet (Dairy Queen) at the shopping area when it was time to depart. It was a brief seven-minute walk to the actual ruins but we were not forewarned that the guide meant at Olympic walking speed. I recommend spending the $2 for the roundtrip train ride. The tour inside the walled city included an explanation of each portion of the ruins. In addition, armed with a stick, the guide explained the Mayan counting system by drawing in the dirt. While waiting for the catamaran ride back to the Cozumel starting point, the tour guide took us to a local's taco stand. As he stated, "Tacos here are $1 each and $5 each over in Cozumel." The tour guide was of Mayan decent and was well versed in Mayan, Mexican, and US history. I strongly recommend this tour for photographers and history buffs.

Provider: Holland America Line

Long tour. Great fun to see the temple, and climb it. A bit of a hike (over a mile) to get in from the entrance of the park. The bus stopped at a place on the way to the park to let us go to the bathroom, and to try to get us to buy very badly overpriced souvenirs. (c'mon... $20 for a small stone turtle carving, you have got to be kidding me). Lunch was served to us at 4:00 PM. We got back onto the ship by 7:00 PM, and they had held the ship for us, and the ferry load of us coming back from playa del carmen. Lunch in the cavern was cool, but there was obviously a lot of damage done by man to the cavern. It consisted of salad, rice, beans, corn tortillas, chicken, and fish. Dessert was rice pudding. Each diner got a choice of 1 soda or water for a beverage.

Provider: Royal Caribbean International

The Catamaran from Cozumel had no outside deck and many inside became seasick really quickly. The interior smelled of sick within 5 minutes of leaving cozumel. There was a walk of about 1km to the bus, and our elderly parents struggled with this aspect as it was very hot. The air conditioning on the coach only worked slightly and only on the left hand side, so those on the right had no air, warm or cool. The P.A. system on the coach was poor so that the intro to Tulum was inaudible. The radios for use in the ruins themselves did not work on the correct channel and had to be left behind. Again the ruins were very crowded with holiday visitors and it was hard to hear the tour guide who had a monotone type of delivery. We received an email from RC telling us that we could only take a camera and bottle of water into the ruins, so we left our bags on the coach as instructed. My daughter came back to find her wallet had vanished. She had taken her money and credit cards out, but her student card, drivers licence, and other loyalty cards were in the wallet. The tour company DID not want us to report the missing item to the police, and for insurance purposes this was something we HAD to do. It took a great deal of determination to get them to direct us to a tourist police post, and used up all our free time before catching the vomit-comet back to the ship. We have had better tours

Provider: Royal Caribbean International

We repotted to the Metropolis Theater where every one who was going on an excursion was given a sticker so they would no who was being transferred to the mainland we were then escorted off the ship first and transferred to a dedicated ferry which brought us the Play Del Carmen where we met our tour guide Andres who brought us to our motor coach for our 90 minute drive to Coba which was one of the many Mayan cities located through the Yucatan Peninsula it was very interesting as we were given a tour of the ruins than we got back on the coach and brought back to Playa del Carmen where we were brought to a restaurant that was in a former cave for lunch and a Mayan Cultural Show and were than brought back to the ferry for transfer back to the Navigator. The trip would have been better if the lunch and show were replaced with a stop where we could have had lunch have done some shopping

Provider: Royal Caribbean International

Hubby did ruins with half of the kids. They loved it.

Provider: Royal Caribbean International

Guide was knowledgeable, but had a bit to much history in it so at times was dry. But the tour on the island was very interesting so we learnt and saw a lot.

Provider: Carnival Cruise Lines

We took Myan Ruins tour and guide was good. The problem with this tour is that the guide talks a lot at each location and you end up standing for over an hour. Kids on the tour were bored quickly and went on ahead to explore on own. Older people also went ahead as had trouble standing for such long period.

Provider: Carnival Cruise Lines

We went to Tulum ruins and then Xel-Ha water park. It was fun!! Our guide was super professional and nice, she explained a lot about the culture and history of the places, really gave us a wonderful explanation. Xel Ha is basically an "aquarium" where it is possible to swim with the fishes and do a lot of activities. The food is super good and all included!! We recommend it!

Provider: Costa Cruises

Tulum Ruins Excursion made for a long day. The ferry ride was choppy as described in other review. They provide a small lunch but our daughter got sick on the ferry over. We thought she could bring her beverage and the lunch items (which needed no refrigeration) back to the ship at the end of the tour. Be warned security will not allow any food or drink back on the boat even if you brought water from the ship and did not drink it during the excursion.

Provider: Royal Caribbean International

Went to Chitza Nitza. Walk to ferry, ferry ride, walk to bus, 3 hour bus ride, crummy Subway lunch with sugar soda (not even water), great tour guide on bus and at ruins, best ruins we've been to off ship, reverse trip back. Ferry was waiting for us and went to dock next to cruise ship. Got to dinner at 7. Loved the ruins and worth the bus ride. I would take food off the ship, even if you have to bring granola bars from home or little boxed cereals from ship. Also make sure you buy bottled water while you are in Chitza Nitza. It is a long ride back and they do not give you more water.

Provider: Royal Caribbean International

Living History - Mayan Traditions and Island Tour - CZN9 Tour guide was an hour late for over sleeping. The first stop was called the Pee Pee Station. Honestly, I thought we stopped there for a bathroom break!?! Ends up that it is really a Tequila Factory store. The Tequila Factory store was where the main attraction took place. Most of the techniques and demonstrations were shown with a small billboard with a similar replica in place. Very disappointing. The black rock formations were the highlight of the tour, but again it was at a shopping location. The final stop was to "travel the modern hotel district." The tour guide talked about beads (or something) and then explained that they could be purchased at a specific shop - then said that he owned it. SMH

Provider: Royal Caribbean International

One of the most excellent land excursions that I have ever taken. Guide was wonderful and thorough.

Provider: Carnival Cruise Lines

We did the Mayan Ruins of Tulum in Cozumel. Angel was fantastic and very knowledgeable about the Mayan culture and the ruins. The ruins reminded us of Pompeii. It is hot and humid. Make sure you bring sun screen, hat and a bathing suit. The ocean is right next to the ruins....and a nice dip is a wonderful way of cooling off. We had fish tacos at one of the local restaurants at the end of the tour. They even gave us cold rags to cool off our necks and body before we got on the bus.

Provider: Carnival Cruise Lines

Mayan ruins were OK, but tour ended early and was mostly beach time.

Provider: Carnival Cruise Lines

The boat ride from the ship to the busses was pretty rough - people actually got sick on the boat. Angel was our guide for the ruins of Coba, and while he was very nice (with the exception of his constant use of Mis Amigos which made him seem disingenuous), it was our consensus that he should have given us more information on the actual ruins we were seeing (what was the building we were actually next to?), instead of droning on about unrelated info, and then speeding us through the actual temple area. There was so much travel time for this trip, the amount of time at the ruins was minimal to start with. Thank goodness this was booked through Carnival, as we were late getting back to the ship. Oh - one final thing - very glad that we didn't buy the cheesy necklace from "poor locals" that Angel pushed the entire time. What a scam!

Provider: Carnival Cruise Lines

I was really looking forward to this excursion, I love looking at ancient structures and how they've weathered time. We met our guide Alex in the main area as soon as you got off the boat and boarded a big bus. We made a pit stop at the peepee station to use the rest rooms and see a native house and small show. Then we continued to the San Gervasio ruins. I loved seeing the ruins and even hand prints from the Mayan times, however, I was a little disappointed they were so small. Only a few buildings/temples and walkways. After the ruins we shopped a bit in the square outside the ruins, some shopkeepers were a little pushy but they had some nice souvenirs. Afterwards, we were driven to a white sandy beach, there were a few shops there as well as a bar and grill. We were the only group there and had the beach to ourselves and had a great time

Provider: Carnival Cruise Lines

We did the living Mayan History tour. It was nice they took us to a Mayan Village, then to the beach and to Mayan artist village. The tour guide Barb was very knowledgeable and explained alot of things about the Mayan people.

Provider: Royal Caribbean International

The guide spent too much time talking. We saw very little of the ruins.

Provider: Carnival Cruise Lines

Absolutely wonderful excursion. This is my 5th time in conzumel, and every time I've been here, I've had a great excursion.

Provider: Carnival Cruise Lines

please see above

Provider: Norwegian Cruise Line

We loved Coba. The only ruins you can still climb. Just remember if you climb up, you need to get back down. An amazing experience but a physical challenge and dangerous. No waivers, but coming down can be downright scary.

Provider: Celebrity Cruises

ANGEL DE JESUS best tour guide! Got into history, politics, astronomy, culture and did it all with humor. I can't count how many times he said mi amegicos. Ruins were great sorry though I couldn't climb them. Fish tacos at Frosty's not to be missed, Fast service great prices!

Provider: Princess Cruises

Cozumel is a favorite of ours and we thoroughly enjoyed the Tulum Maya ruins and tour. We paid for a ticket on a trolley that was not able to take us nearly as far as we would have liked. This is NOT, and I repeat, NOT AN EXCURSION for anyone who has any physical limitations whatsoever. You walk up and down steps and even if you stay on the very nice paths provided, it is still a VERY VERY LONG TREK. We had refreshments at Frosty's, right near where the tour buses park.

Provider: Carnival Cruise Lines

Great guide but information overload on Mayan history. Time too short at the beach.

Provider: Carnival Cruise Lines

Walk to bus was too long and on uneven sidewalks with traffic whizzing by. Overall, excursion was worth it and we're glad we did it.

Provider: Royal Caribbean International

Norwegian needs to ditch the company that they contract with for the Tulum tour. Before you even get to Tulum they stop for a "bathroom" break at what reminds me of an Indian mall tourist trap along Interstate 40. It's this big building full of overpriced touristy junk, AND you don't even have enough time to buy anything because of the huge line. Second, the Tulum tour itself is very rushed. Our guide was very knowledgeable about Mayan history and culture, but I feel like a lot was left out. Tulum is also very crowded, which I feel spoils the magnificence of the ruins themselves. If you've never seen a Mayan ruin before, check it out, but if you've seen some of the other, bigger sites, skip this one. The tour group rushes you through it; you barely have time to really marvel at what is before you. For a full review, see my blog at http://lincolnmemorandum.blogspot.com

Provider: Norwegian Cruise Line

We booked the Tulum Ruins and Beach Break that included lunch. See my full cruise review for full description. I would recommend the Tulum Express over the more expensive Beach Break one--you get more time at the ruins and you get to explore Playa Del Carmen. My 3 rating here is because our tour had to be compressed because we lost time getting into port, so we only had an hour at the ruins. The lunch was OK (but we probably could have gotten something just as good or better in Playa del Carmen) and, while the beach was beautiful, we didn't get there til almost 5 p.m., so no high-in-the-sky sun and it was too rough to swim. They should have cut the beach part short and given us more time at the ruins. But, our tour guides, Alessandro (Alex) and Mario, were excellent, informative, funny, and filled in the travel time on the buss with lots of fun tidbits about life in the Yucatan.

Provider: Celebrity Cruises

* This review is for the Holland America Tulum and Beach Break Excursion* This was the excursion we most looked forward to but ended up liking least. It was an 8 hour excursion and we spent LESS THAN AN HOUR at the actual ruins. It took a while to get to Tulum (45 minute ferry and 1 hour bus ride). Then about 30-45 min once we got off the bus due to various unnecessary holdups. We asked the tour guide twice whether he would take us everywhere or if we should go off on our own if we'd like to see everything. He reassured us that Tulum is very small and we'd see everything, so we stuck with him. He spent a long time at the entrance talking about stuff you could read in a book, and only took us to the main areas of the ruins. Then we got 5 minutes of free time before heading back. I snuck off to explore on my own a bit and saw gorgeous, deserted parts of the ruins that we had not gone to. Explored these for a bit and finally jogged back to the bus to make the "strict" deadline that the guide claimed we'd be leaving by. My husband and I were THE FIRST people on the bus - the guide had somehow lost everyone else and spent the next 20 minutes herding them from the souvenir shops to the bus. Overall, we only got to very quickly walk through the ruins and didn't even get to visit the beautiful beach at Tulum. We were surprised, since our excursion was supposed to include a beach break. Turns out they decided to drive us about 20-25 minutes further away to a nondescript restaurant for a buffet of food (it was okay, nothing special) and our break would be on the restaurant's beach, which was not nearly as nice as the Tulum beach. We didn't have too much time at this spot either. I really don't understand why we had to drive further away from the port to eat - neither the beach nor the food were anything special. Given that time is a luxury, they should find a place to eat that's on our way back to the port - how is this not obvious to the tour operator? They should also be honest about the limits of the guided tour, especially if people ask. Overall, not worth the time, money and hassle, next time I would just hire a cab or something to take me to the ruins independently :/

Provider: Holland America Line

Armando our tour guide was great. Only complaint was the heat. Very Very hot. Bring lots of water.

Provider: Royal Caribbean International

Learned a lot more about the Mayans than I thought we would. Very fasinating.

Provider: Celebrity Cruises

Below average tour guide. He was hard to understand. An older Mexican caballero who probably would've better working something else or doing nothing and enjoy his retirement. Tried to be informative but it was obvious that he struggles with his presentations...

Provider: Royal Caribbean International

Mosiah was amazing and Tulum was beautiful. We really enjoyed this tour and he had so much information regarding the solstices and how the Mayans built their temples, etc. It was an amazing tour.

Provider: Independent Operator

Port #3 Cozumel. We didn't spend much time (or any really) in Cozumel due to our Tulum excursion. We walked directly to the clipper which took us to mainland (Playa del Carmen) then boarded a tour bus to the Tulum ruins. Once at Tulum, we took a tractor-ride to the site. It took almost 2.5 hours in travel time to arrive, so we had to rush a little to see the ruins, hit the beach (which was pristine but an aerobic stair climb for those out-of-shape). Tulum was nearly as impressive as the beach. The flora and fauna were captivating, however the "vendors" are really aggressive upon entering and exiting the site. Be polite and say "Gracias" even though you really want to say "go away." It actually works. We had fish tacos at Frosty's. They were "muy bueno!" The guacamole was plentiful with not too many tomatoes or onions. Lunch cost $26, expensive for Mexico but convenient and delicious. The whirlwind Tulum trip totally exhausted me. I felt it was too much "travel" to cram into one day. I wouldn't recommend it except for the uber-easy-going personality types (like my husband)- or the die hard "bucket list" types.

Provider: Carnival Cruise Lines

Hubby and I have been to Coba and Tulum. We knew this wasn't going to compare but we wanted our kids to have a taste of visiting ruins. It was very nice. The boys were entertained by all the iguanas and the girls were at an age where they really could apprecate what they were seeing. There are some great photo ops here. Bring a tripod, I ended up tipping over a garbage can to sit my camera on...no one else was around. They also charge extra to bring in a video camera. $4. I wouldn't recommend flip flops as the paths are full of roots and broken rocks and stones. Had a very nice time there.

Provider: Independent Operator

It was wonderful and informative - rain was horrible but nothing can be done about that. Guides were amazing - provided us lunch which we didnt expect.

Provider: Royal Caribbean International

COZUMEL - Outstanding! I took the Coba excursion (I think the actual name is something like "2012 Mysteries of the Maya"). Wow! I'm glad I chose this over Tulum. Coba is older and you can climb the big pyramid all the way to the top. The excursion also include buffet lunch at the Alux Restaurant which is in a cavern and concluded with a pre-Hispanic culture show. It was breathtaking - both the restaurant and the performance (see the pics in the slide show http://tripwow.tripadvisor.com/tripwow/ta-0459-aea2-6f3e?ln ).

Provider: Celebrity Cruises

I paid 38 dollars to go see the ruins of san gervasio and go to the Caribe resort beach, which was not worth it. The ruins were nice, but expensive. 8 dollars nonnegotiable. What really frustrated me was the lack of competition at Puerta Maya, where our ship docked. There were only two competing lines, and neither was able to negotiate on their prices, which were excessively high. I would have preferred a place with independent operators who could have lowered the price. I had two choices. Get screwed really hard by the cruise line, or get screwed by the duopolisitic excursion agencies.

Provider: Independent Operator

Good, very educational

Provider: Celebrity Cruises

Just ruins. Once OK. Would not do it again... they're just ruins.

Provider: Norwegian Cruise Line

This was supposed to be our relaxed port. After doing a bit of windowless shopping at the port we took a cab ride to the ruins. Honestly it was an expensive snooze. Then we came back ate lunch at the Cafe Cafe (that can't really be the name can it??? See the pics below) across from the port. The food was good. Next DH bought he and his bf _____ cigars as a gift. Prior to getting back on board we went to Fat Tuesdays to just relax and have a drink. We watched the water as the bar was really empty. This was a cool day.

Provider: Independent Operator

Lots of walking, it felt like about a mile back and forth to the ruins. It was raining at first so they give you umbrellas, but they are all broken. Metal arms were dangerous, had to work to keep from poking people with them. The ruins were beautiful, watch out for the fire ant hills in the grassy areas. Don't miss the view by the gulf the walk up there is optional, I didn't go at first due to knee problems, but decided to climb the hill after a break in the shade and it was well worth it. Got some of the best pictures up there. Awesome!

Provider: Royal Caribbean International

If I could just BE at Tulum, I would give it a 5, but I really did *not* like the boat trip to Playa del Carmen. I had to concentrate not to get sick. They were passing out bags like they do it all the time, and people were throwing up. Also, the bus trip is kind of long. Playa del Carmen is beautiful, though, and Tulum is beautiful. If you go to Tulum, go down to the beach; it's great fun. My one regret is I didn't get to pet the little monkey they took your photo with (for a price) in the bus station area. Another thing about the bus station / shops area -- someone posted signs to a "restroom" leading you through a maze of little shops. When you finally get to the restroom, you have to pay someone to get in. Save your coins and eat in the nearby restaurant where they'll give you coins to go use the restroom. Oh, and when you go to the store that sells obsidian, make sure what you buy actually *is* obsidian. I found a little frog figurine I thought was obsidian and couldn't believe how cheap it was. After I bought it, I realized it was just black glazed ceramic. I don't blame anyone but myself-- I just warn my fellow traveler to check what you're buying.

Provider: Norwegian Cruise Line

Not impressed. Much too sterile. The visit to a Tequila factory made up for it.

Provider: Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines

The Tulum Ruins were outstanding and more than we expected. The local tour guide was personable and informative. The boat ride to the bus was horrible. The bus ride to the ruins was average. The 'shopping' area at the ruins was terrible. Would take this tour again.

Provider: Carnival Cruise Lines

Long drive but a life long dream to see it.

Provider: Royal Caribbean International