Cozumel Cruise Holidays
The Caribbean Sea island of Cozumel is a hugely popular cruise port of call for ships sailing from turnaround ports in the south east of the United States to the Caribbean.
The island sits just off the eastern coast of the Mexican mainland’s Yucatan Peninsula, opposite Playa del Carmen, to where a regular water taxi service heads to from near the cruise pier.
The island has been developed around the tourism trade and has lots to offer but as is the case in so many Mexican ports, it is scuba diving and snorkelling that is one of the main attractions.
Cozumel is Mexico’s largest Caribbean island but with the majority of the islands close to 100,000 inhabitants living in the main town of San Miquel, it retain and relaxed and quiet atmosphere- although that does depend on the size of your ship and the number of other ships docked.
Aside from its beautiful beaches, the island is home to mangrove forests, coral reefs, Mayan ruins and lots more to keep visitors entertained.
Cruises To Cozumel
Cozumel Cruise Guide
This guide is for those who have already booked a cruise holiday calling into the island of Cozumel and who are wanting to make the most of their time there.
It is also for those who are researching their next cruise holiday and who are trying to decide on whether a stop at Cozumel is right for them or not.
Type of Cruises Available
There are 3 main options when it comes to visiting the port on a cruise; Fly Cruises, Cruise and Stays and No Fly Cruises.
A fly cruise is where you fly to a turnaround cruise port, such as Galveston, Miami, Orlando, Fort Lauderdale or New Orleans, in the southeast of the United States that all have international airport nearby with flights from the UK.
Those port cities listed above also make for great places to spend a few days in a hotel before or after your cruise and if you would prefer to that, there are several Cruise and Stay options available.
For both of those options above, it is possible to take even a round trip from your chosen departure port or there are also options for those wanting to take a repositioning cruise and perhaps spending more time in the Caribbean.
Lastly, it is possible to visit the port on a No Fly cruise out of the UK although these will need you to have plenty of spare time, around 30-40 days, and they do come at a high cost.
Cozumel Cruise Port Location
The island cruise port is found in the city of San Miguel de Cozumel and consists of three different piers, although some ships will need to anchor offshore and tender guests to the Punta Langosta pier.
The main pier is known as the Punta Langosta pier which drops guests right into the heart of centre of San Miguel which makes it easy to explore on your own.
Larger ships docking in the city will need to use the International pier, which is the oldest cruise pier and is located just on the outskirts of town, although the 30 minute walk is flat and made simple by a waterfront promenade.
The third terminal was developed by the Carnival Corporation is solely for the use of ships owned by the company.
Known as the Puerta Maya Cruise Terminal is around 0.5 miles further away from the centre of town from the International pier but the pier has ben developed with tourists in mind.
Cozumel Attractions
There is lots on offer to guests arriving at one of Cozumel’s cruise piers but the majority will likely head to one of the islands fanstic beaches or beach clubs.
From there you can spend the day sunbathing, swimming or you can take advantage of the nearby coral reefs by snorkelling or scuba diving to see everything from turtles to reef sharks.
If you get all of your sunbathing and swimming out of the way onboard your ship, or if neither are your sort of things, there is still a number of options on the island including a visit to the San Gervasio Mayan Archaeological Site that gives you a small insight into Mayan culture.
Another option is to visit the Mayan Cacao Company where you can take a tour and enjoy some locally made Mayan Chocolate.
If you would like to take a walk around the island, a visit to the Faro Celerain Ecological Reserve is a must as not only can you see some local wildlife and take in the incredible views but you can also take the 130+ steps to top of a lighthouse.
Smaller attractions such as visits to local churches and to a bee sanctuary are cheap ways to pass the time.
Cozumel Shorex
Those who want a more remote beach getaway should look for ferry rides to the nearby private island of Isla Pasion, which allows you to get a taste of what it is like to live the life of the ultra-rich.
There are regular ferry services back to the mainland that take you to Playa del Carmen from where you can spend the day exploring on foot or you can head to nearby Mayan Ruins and caves.
Most cruise lines offer the opportunity to head out on boat trips including ones going to secluded beaches to allow you to snorkel.
For the more adventure, other excursions include things such as a submarine trip and ATV off roading or there is the chance to enjoy animal encounters including sea lions and dolphins.
Best Time To Visit Cozumel
It is possible to visit the resort all year around but it is during the winter months when Cozumel has the widest range of ships and itineraries as cruise lines send ships over to the Caribbean from Europe.
Due to the main hurricane season during June to November, we would recommend cruising between December and March to take advantage of the extra ships and winter sun.
Transport
As the whole island is only around 30 miles long and 10 miles wide, there is little need to take any sort of transportation whilst on the island.
The main town is easily reached on foot from most of the cruise piers but there are plenty of taxis for those who cannot walk the distances required.
When cruise ships are docked, is the option to take advantage of tour buses.
Cozumel Cruises From UK
Although the majority of those looking to head over to Cozumel from the UK/Europe will take a flight to Texas or Florida to start there adventure, it is possible to visit the island directly from the UK with no need to fly at all.
There are a handful of cruise itineraries offered each year that sail from the UK to the Caribbean and back again that call into Cozumel.
Cozumel Cruises From Southampton
If you were to book one of those itineraries, you will need between 30-40 days to make the return journey and the chances are that you will set sail from the port of Southampton on England southern coastline.
