Mask-wearing remains the rule in many places around the world. This also was the case in Nassau, in the Bahamas, where this cruise began on Saturday. One of the things that was immediately noticeable upon walking off Adventure of the Seas in Cozumel on Wednesday was that everyone was wearing a mask. The list of tours available included trips that brought snorkeling by catamaran or boat dune buggy riding, dolphin encounters and beach breaks. (Photo by Gene Sloan/The Points Guy)Īmong the common Cozumel tours that weren’t available on this sailing were scuba diving, semi-submersible and Atlantis submarine trips helmet dives Xcaret theme park visits and monster Jeep tours. An ATV tour of the jungle in Cozumel on Wednesday. This one did end up operating as planned, despite intermittent rain and lightning in Cozumel on Wednesday. Once on board, I tried again by booking the four-hour “ATV Ride and Beach Relaxation” excursion ($70.99/£51). But I received an email just two days before the cruise telling me it had been canceled. I initially signed up several weeks in advance of the sailing for a “Mayan Ruins, Island Tour and Beach” excursion – $71.99/£52 for adults $47.99/£34.60 for children – that would last just over four hours. On this week’s sailing, there were fewer than a dozen, and one didn’t end up operating. On a typical Royal Caribbean cruise that includes a stop at Cozumel, there are more than 50 excursions available to purchase through the ship. One of the big changes you’ll find if you visit Cozumel in the near future is that the range of tours is greatly diminished. Related: 6 changes we’ve seen as Royal Caribbean restarts in the Caribbean Fewer tours are available But for the past 15 months, the island’s cruise arrivals have been at zero. Cruise ship arrivals support a robust tourism economy. In a normal year, Cozumel is the most-visited cruise port in the Caribbean, drawing more than 4.5 million cruisers. Around the cruise pier, merchants selling jewelry, tequila, traditional blankets and other souvenirs seemed almost desperate for business, pleading even more than usual with passing cruisers to stop in their stores. While some tourist attractions, restaurants and shops are back open, others remain closed - particularly in the downtown area. What I found was a tourist hotspot just beginning to emerge from an economic crisis brought on by the downturn in global travel caused by the pandemic. The biggest #cruise destination in the #Caribbean – – welcomed a cruise ship ( #AdventureoftheSeas) for the very first time in 15 months. It’s the first vessel from any line to visit Cozumel since cruising in the Caribbean shut down in early 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.Įverybody just take a moment and think about what a milestone day it was today in the comeback of cruising. I arrived in Cozumel on Wednesday aboard Royal Caribbean’s Adventure of the Seas - the first Royal Caribbean ship to restart operations in North America. Cozumel, it seems, has gone a little disinfectant crazy. You’ll also be urged to sanitize your hands more times than you can count. Mask-wearing is mandatory for now both for visitors as well as locals, and the local authorities are enforcing the rule. Most notably, as I experienced personally this week as one of the first people to visit Cozumel by cruise ship in 15 months: You’ll have to wear a mask at all times when touring on the island - or doing just about anything else. And the rules for touring have been tweaked a little. The tours for cruisers in Cozumel, Mexico began running again on Wednesday - the first day the island destination had seen a cruise ship in more than a year.īut the range of tour offerings isn’t what it used to be.
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