I went to Cozumel last year and went on purpose to Senior Frogs. I was wearing a denim shirt with heavy embroidery with their logo. We got free shots for our anniversary and ballon crowns, and I went on stage with staff and other guests to dance! Actually, we wish we had eaten there, because they were less expensive than Hard Rock, where we ended up. I wouldn’t hesitate to go back there - such a great experience!! Sometimes “tourist traps” can be fun experiences!! 👍🏼
Doug, you forgot to include the shops, such as maybe Diamonds International, in some of the cruise line owned ports, that must provide some kind of financial compensation for steering cruisers via the cruise port talks held on board. Let us hear more to this.
(That's Matt, Doug has Cruise Radio with the Daily Cruise News.) Diamonds International is a chain with high end jewelry at lower duty free prices. All items have a lifetime guarantee that they will fix or replace items purchased there. I have friends that seek them out at every port. I don't wear jewelry or watches so I have no use for it.
I often wonder how people can have a bad time at any port. There is such rich culture and history in these places. It is so neat talking to the locals. We have been to many ports. The common phrase we hear is, "No one ever really talks to us. They treat us like we are invisible. They come to our island dont care about the people. No one even says hello.". When I looked around at all the tourist, I could see exactly what they were talking about.
Being Mexican I can say the ports in Mexico I've been to don't look, smell, or taste like the Mexico I know. To pour salt in the wound they're also ten times as expensive.
The people in the port areas are too aggressive and annoying. Why would I want to talk to somebody who keeps shouting at me about the prices of products I accidentally glanced at.
No regrets about an entire afternoon at Maho Beach--drinking beer, eating tacos, hanging out while we waited for the 747 arrival. Our family are aviation geeks so I'd probably do it again. A "tourist trap" is defined as a place where you are misled about what's there and pay an extravagant price. Maho Beach is neither.
LOVE this beach and the plane spotting. Actually got ENGAGED with a Jet Blue 767 flying overhead right at the moment! Going back in October 2024 for our 4th wedding anniversary!
I loved Maho Beach. If you're an aviation geek (like me) it's a great time. The drinks at Sunset Bar were shockingly cheap. Others who don't get as excited as I do just watching planes, might get a little bored after the first few arrivals. The bar does post all scheduled flights, so you know when something good is coming. It was an easy shared van ride from the port.
We did Dunn's River Falls last year and yes there were a lot of people. The guide was rushing us up the falls. The worst part of the Falls was trying to get back to the parking lot through the artisan market.
For Maho Beach, recommend checking a flight tracker app to see when the big planes are coming through. St Maarten is French and Dutch so they have direct flights from Paris and Amsterdam multiple times per week. The Sunset Bar and Grille has the flight schedule each day and what type of aircraft it is so you can get a picture with a 747 right on top of you and then leave. We stayed at the Sheraton Maho Beach and watched people stand on the beach as planes took off and they got absolutely sandblasted with jet exhaust!
Matt, I agree with all of your evaluations. The best thing I can say about Costa Maya is I get the ship to myself or at least less of a crowd. I think the only passengers who visit Costa Maya are first time cruisers, surely nobody goes for a second time. Bill
Maho beach and Atlantis were 2 of my favorite excursions ever. The Southern Most Point is iconic and it’s a beautiful walk over there. I’m not sure “tourist traps” are all that bad. The biggest trap you failed to mention in this video is at Senor Frogs when they pour a seemingly complimentary shot in your mouth only to circle back around with the bill🤣
Gotta say I disagree with throwing the Southernmost Point onto a "tourist trap" list. First, it is absolutely free - so it doesn't really fit into the definition of a tourist trap. Second, yes, I believe that capturing that memory in a photo can be important. Sure, I can find a rock anywhere and give it a smooch, but that won't make it the Blarney Stone, and not every bell that is or has been rung is the Liberty Bell. Sometimes an "almost" substitute just doesn't cut it, and when the real deal is free, and will probably take only a 15 minute wait, I'd say it's worth it. Plus there is a frozen cocktail stand about 100 yards away to help ward off that Key West heat!
It's a trap because it's not the southern most point. The area to the right of it (Whitehead Spit) is slightly farther south. I think it's a Naval base.
I did it and found it enjoyable. The only problem I have is getting to it from the ship. There's walking, taxi, or take a tour that drives all over the island (which you can get on and off all day there). Still I loved it, I really wish Royal would put up what cruise ship actually stops at Key West. I want to go back and take a look at all the other museums they have there.
Actually there is a free bus service, the Duval Loop, with a stop less than a block from the dock, and another less than a block from the Southernmost Point. If you make it back to Key West you might want to check it out. You could ride in air conditioned comfort, round trip, for free. It has, I believe, 18 stops in Old Town Key West.@@ModernMyths
So glad you mentioned Costa Maya. We were there as a alternate stop during hurricane season in 2006 and it was a horrible experience. The port was not built up with the shopping maze you mentioned yet but as we walked along the pier exiting the ship area, it was literally lined with men holding rifles along the entire pier. Pretty scary sight and one we have never forgotten. Even back then the salespeople were very pushy and quite rude. Will never go back there.
We really enjoyed our stop at Costa Maya, but that's only because we booked our own trip to go see some Mayan ruins at Chacchoben which was amazing. The cruise port itself was like a maze or escape the room challenge we had to do to get to and from our vans to do the excursion.
Thank you for this! My wife and I are going on our first cruise next month on Allure of the Seas and your tips have given us great confidence. I saw that Atlantis excursion you mentioned at 2:45 and freaked out at the price, but then we found some more sensible options that matched our interests a bit better.
Have gone to Senior Frogs in Puerto Vallarta and the view was incredible. You are high on a mountain side overlooking the harbor and the food was great including the margaritas.
Costa Maya port😕. It is so stressful walking through. You are constantly chased by the merchants. If I said “No Thank You” once I said it 100 times. The pool water looked scary. If you want all the cheap souvenirs, you will find them there. My suggestion, take an excursion away from the port area. I cruise a lot and have learned never do anything close to the actual port. Get out and explore the less commercial areas.
What I think for costa maya and all shopping piers is get out first have your excursion or explore then on your way back u can look for a little souvenir
I agree with Costa Maya being the definition of Tourist Traps. I remember asking a vendor where the exit was and he said "through here" and shuttled us into the shop. Of course it wasn't the way to the exit, but still pretty funny.
An alternative to Dunns River Falls is Konoko falls. The 2 are nearby, but Konoko gets a very small fraction of the visitors. Climbing is at your own pace and works really well. The falls are shorter, but steeper.
Maho was fun as hell!!! We didn't go out of our way to get there, it was part of a booked tour, spent about 1 hour there and to see the planes coming in so close was actually cool!! Great vlog btw! Dude, there is lots to eat and drink there!!! Did Dunns River Falls, literally from the ocean to the very top, got baptized Jamaican style, I actually enjoyed it and remember this excursion!
Another great video. Will def book Maya Chan if we ever go to Costa Maya. To be fair… sometime I feel like the Royal Promenade sales … watches, jewelry. Etc. … are also a tourist trap but at least you can avoid the promenade. 😂
It always fascinates me how all the little tourist shops in the Caribbean sell virtually the same thing. No one seems interested in trying to create a unique vibe, and sell different product. As far as I'm concerned they're all tourist traps.
For me, it was the Mayan ruins tours; I've taken two. Both were pretty much a wasted day of mostly driving to and from the ruins with very little time while there and no time remaining once returned to port.
Glad you reassured my decision to do Orient Beach instead of Maho Beach on my next cruise. Agreed with Cosya Maya. Get out, grab a cab to Mahauhaul, and go for drinks, beaches, or scuba diving there.
I agree 100% with you. My problem is that my wife Loves Loves Loves these peddlers. She buys everything there selling. Total Junk. I have boxs in our garage full of all this Crap. Never gets used thank god but sits in boxs.
Most excursions at the Dominican Republic are a little shady. I did the Monkey Island Adventure tour. It took almost two hours each way to get there. The roads were pretty narrow at some points. Thank goodness I rested for most of the trip. They neglected to mention (until we were all on the bus and were passed the barbed-wire fence separating the port from the rest of the country) that there's a 100% chance the monkeys will pee on you. They also drag you through a sales pitch about the products they sell after you interact with the monkeys. I still don't regret doing it, but I thought everyone else should know.
I don't know if these qualify as "tourist traps" because they really are amazing places, but there are places so crowded with vendors being in your face that it really takes away the experience. 3 that I come to mind are Chitchen Itza Mexico, Tulum Mexico and the Walled city Cartegena Colombia.
Costa Maya is a subdivision near the village of Mahahual. Costa Maya was actually created for the cruise shop industry. If I did my research right, no one actually lives in Costa Maya. The port is 100% man made just so cruise ships could stop and bring money spending cruisers. Which is why it's such a tourist trap.
I am so glad you included Costa Maya. I slammed RC in my recent review of our last sailing (Allure OTS 10/8-15) for stopping at such a terrible tourist trap. Normally we just stay on the ship. I would much prefer more trips to Progresso. At least there you can take an excursion to Merida, a beautiful city full of rich culture and heritage. Thank you for this video.
Agreed 100%, Costa Maya is a waste of time with greedy people trying to get your money. I was there 3 weeks ago for 1st time, never again. I mentioned this to Royal Carribean in their after cruise survey.
I love going to Maho Beach!! I always hang out at the Sunset Bar, I get there early on my own before all the excursions show up. Cheap drinks, decent food and have always had VERY good service there. I agree, the beach isn't much, but if you are a plane nut - like I am - then it is a very cool place to hang out.
You went to these places at least one time to make these determinations...I think it's fair to allow people to experience these places for themselves...and decide what suits them! Not everybody drinks the same cup of tea! Besides after many visits you become a bit jaded...as opposed to persons doing something for the first time!
I found maho beach to be fantastic. Plenty of flights came in and it was a thrill to stand in line with the runway. My wife did love her visor from jet blast but she did get to drink for free at the bar. 😊
First time to Cozumel (August 2022), Senor Frogs was terrible. It was extremely loud and uninvited physical groping by the waitresses. It was not a place someone like my self can handle. We got up and left, and opted for Margaritaville, which was much quieter and laid back. Those were the only two options we saw.
Going to any US restaurant at a port stop will be an anticipated disappointment. We walked 2-4 blocks out of Cozumel port stop to see a row of tourist-friendly restaurants at nearly half the cost of the port city restaurants. This also applied to gift shops and almost everyone spoke English, too. This was a better experience.
@@InitialDave210 that was the worst port experience for us. It seemed every two feet, there was someone trying to drag you into their shop. There was no opportunity to breathe in peace.
Agree with Matt on Maya Chan Beach being terrific…but if you’re using the MCB-contracted transport, not only do you have to suffer the gauntlet at the port, you also have to walk another quarter mile to the transport pick-up point. And the road to/from MCB is less than unimproved. It’s actually hazardous.
I would agree about Atlantis. We we’re going to go there for our Honeymoon. But the cost was outrageous for a week. We decided on 10 days in Madagascar and still came out cheaper with a much better experience. As for the airport in St Martin. I agree to an extent. If your not an aviation nut, you may find it underwhelming. However I went there when I was 8 and loved it! I’m looking forward to taking my little one on our cruise.
honestly its not just atlantis, but the nassau as a whole. i would actually say pretty much the entire island is kind of a trap. we went recently for a family trip and we went due to my sisters kids and dads health it was just easy to get back to the states if we had to. absolutely insane how expensive it is. our last family trip before the pandemic was whistler BC (highly recomend) . we flew first class from the east coast, stayed at the four seasons in suites for ten days, plus all the activities it was about half the price as the bahamas was (only there for 4 days) also when we were in whistler it was crankworx which is a massive mountain biking event and its the last crankworx event of the year and since whistler is the mecca for MTB it gets busy which means its even more expensive. still with that going on it was still much cheaper
I agree, pretty much with most of your list, but I would like to point out in Costa Maya, one can get a beachside massage in the cruise port for less than half of what one would pay on the cruise ship. I went to Dunn’s Falls as well And I agree it’s OK. It wasn’t as bad as some would say, however it’s really far from the cruise port so it’s like an hour and a half hour- 45 minute bus ride to get there and when you leave the Falls you have to go through a flea market of Locals selling handicrafts who are super aggressive. The Falls were nice. It wasn’t as crowded as all that, but it was a long bus ride there and the super aggressive vendors outside the falls, kind of diminished it in my mind.
Half price???? I have been there twice a tourist trap BUT an hour long massage on the beach was $20. Plus a $5 cab ride each way. And a $10 tip. That’s equals $40. That is one QUARTER of a massage on the ship just saying
Dunn's River Falls is about 5 minutes drive away from the Ocho Rios Cruise Port. It sounds like you went there from Falmouth Cruise Port with is in another parish.
You are half right, I just looked it up and we went to Montego Bay as our cruise port to get to the Falls. That being said the vendors outside the Falls that you have to walk through are what really made the trip unpleasant. Our tour guide warned us about them and the whole bus walked through together. I pity anyone who went there self exploring and went through the vendors unaware
I just got done with a Royal Caribbean cruise this week to costa maya and Cozumel. The port areas at both of them are big tourist traps and was a terrible experience for me(not a big shopping or crowd person). I did go to senor frogs(big mistake). My advice is try to do an excursion at either port or stay on the ship. I also think they take advantage of the tourists by inflating the prices of the items they’re selling at some the stores in the port. You really don’t experience the place you’re visiting by staying in the port.
Was in Key West, although we drove over the overseas highway, was able to get a pictures of that silly monument. There's so many qualifiers to "Southernmost Point" 1) There's a bunch of uninhabited islands to the west and slightly south of Key West 2) The southernmost point on Key West the public can reach is the beach in Fort Zachary Taylor State Park. It's a nice beach shaded with palm trees and isn't a bad place to relax for a few hours while the rest of your cruise is getting drunk in noisy overpriced bars. 3) The southernmost point on Key West period is in a non-public area of south of the park that's owned by the Navy as sort of an annex to the Naval AIr Station. 4) The building that's right next to that silly monument extends farther south that it. I think thie idea is that this is the southernmost point (that we could legally erect a concrete monument on).
Your spot on with most of this. 100% disagree about watching the planes at SXM. There are several bars around the airport...with decent food and drinks. Again, it may not be your thing, but SXM has MANY people who swear by going there every time they go there. Maya Chan beach is a gem at Costa Maya - 100% agree.
No name bar is where alot of crew members go when they are getting ready to go back home from work. There are lots of old name tags on the walls from crew members. I saw it here on YT. Looks pretty cool. For me a place to avoid is the Straw Market in Nassau, Bahamas. It's crowded and the sellers are in your face trying to sell you things. It's annoying and frustrating.
@@PatrickWagzIt's funny how Haiti is basically considered a 3rd world country and yet these ships go there. If I'm ever on a cruise that goes, that will be a ship day for me.
Did Dunns RIver Falls, it was very crowded. Probably would not do it again on a cruise day but glad I did it once in my life. We did not go through the ship, hired outside tour. Best part was the trip to a great jerk restaurant afterwards. We're going back in a few weeks where the group we are going with wants to go to Dunn River Falls, I may skip out. Thanks for the heads up on Blue Hole. We did a tubing excursion last time, that was fun.
I had a good time at Senor Frogs in both San Juan and Nassau. But I'm sure there is better bars out there. In Costa Maya we did the mayan ruins. Had an excursion through the cruise line so didn't have to worry about finding the port exit. Edit: And I agree 100% about Atlantis. Not worth paying all that money for something you only get to experience six hours, and I've heard theres long lines there for the waterslides and everything. I'd rather just book an all-inclusive resort than ever do atlantis.
Or u could just not get extra drinks and have a much cheaper vacation than usual. Ur choices and preference doesnt = tpurist trap experience for everyone
@sonicimperium I got a 7 day cruise for 600$ per person. I can eat more money in food, plus hotels etc than that in just a few days. Cruises are actually really nice ways to vacation
I agree with the other comment; can’t call the Southernmost Point (buoy) a “tourist trap” It’s one of the free things you can do in Key West. Key West itself has become overpriced in recent years no parking and overpriced food but people still flock to it. However, don’t visit the Southernmost Point at night since a woman got raped there a couple of weeks ago and two men a couple of years ago used a discarded Christmas tree and placed it at the buoy and set it on fire. People also urinate on it at nighttime too. Have fun at the buoy and take tons of pictures during the day but it’s free.
I disagree about Maho Beach. My wife loves going to beaches and I love drinking and watching planes. I sit at the bar and she lays on the beach. My favorite stop.
Here's an idea in St. Maarten: go to Johnny's ATVs early about 9 AM (it's about a 5 minute walk from the cruise pier), get an ATV. Go to Maho, see the beach for 10 minutes, say been there done that, and head north. See the whole rest of the island. Takes about 3 hours or so. See the murals along the way. Stop and look at the view. Eat at the smaller local restaurants. No uncomfortable tour bus, no "everybody back to the bus now", no preset tourist trap stops, just explore and have fun. Be sure to take a decent cell phone or GPS receiver with you... not a whole lot of road signs to guide you along the way.
Spot on with Costa Maya.....took me forever to figure out how to get out of there to wander aimlessly through a random part of Mexico in search of authentic food. But mannnn I love Dunn's river falls. Sure its crowded and touristy, but its fun as hell.
Matt, love the channel!! I listen to the podcast regularly on my work commute I must say, I gotta push back on Dunn’s River Falls being a trap because it’s absolutely stunning and not something people like me who are landlocked get to experience on a consistent basis. Yeah it was INSANELY busy, but I don’t remember the crowds when I think back on that trip. Just how beautiful the falls were. With that said, I definitely loved Blue Hole too. Making that jump was Top 10’ scariest things I’ve done in my life. Lol
I have to agree with you too. Dunn's River (although crowded), was probably one of our favorite excursions. My 7yo son loved it too. I also enjoyed Blue Hole. But if you don't like crowds, river tubing in Jamaica was actually quite fun and relaxing! Didn't feel rushed.
I've been to The Blue Hole on the recomndation of a local and it was amazing. We tubed down the river after the falls and it felt like our group were the only ones around.
Blue Lagoon Island is the biggest tourist trap in the Bahamas. Its has no beach to the ocean and is an old industrial canal with old beach toys floating around
Boy do I wish you made this video about a month ago, we were on Adventure at the beginning of October and we didn't have an excursion for Costa Maya planned prior to about 3-4 days before sailing. We like drinking and decided to do some chocolate and tequila tasting thing in the port, and were we sorry...the only good part was that the initial building we were in had AC cranked up...we got one chocolate egg, then tried 3-1oz drinks a guy made using a cheap tequila in a dark room, then we were out the door. No information about how the two were tied together, no historical info, no different kinds of tequila, nothing paired...it was a very strange experience and I am super surprised that it was a Royal Caribbean endorsed excursion. This was our last port on the sailing, and yeah the entire area felt sketchy. We were good with getting back to the boat quickly, and it was kind of a bummer to end ports that way on an otherwise awesome trip. Any future sailings we will avoid an itinerary with Costa Maya on it.
Labadee is the worst. Love the island and activities, but the level of harassment from people trying to drag you into their shops/stalls to get you to buy crap is INSANE. This is a private island owned by RC and they need to put a stop to it.
I ran a Catamaran 3 hr and sunset cruise out of Atlantis, Barbados and La Paz (depending on the time of the year) I sold the boats last year, yea its $450 PP now. I was $250PP or $400 a couple. People were fighting on the dock as to who was first in line.
We will be in Costa Maya next February (2024). So far I haven't found any accessible shore excursions. I use a rollator walker and most bus steps are too steep for me to climb. Many of the Mayan ruins have very uneven ground so even if I could get on the bus, I couldn't get around and see things. It's my understanding the port does have some things to do besides shopping. If its like other ports there will be some free entertainment. Wondering around for a couple of hours is OK with me.
If you don’t want to just stay in the port, get out of the shops and catch a taxi into Mahahaul. I recommend walking a little bit away from the port to get a cheaper taxi if you’re able. There are some GORGEOUS beaches in town, just do some research on where you want to go. There are great local restaurants and hotels in “downtown” Mahahual, but it has grown a lot, so just be sure you know where you want to go. It’s only around 15min from the port.
Agree about the port of Playa Maya - a complete waste of time BUT the nearby Rio Secreto cave system is phenomenal and I only wish the tour (most of which you are partially immersed) was longer. This is a not to be missed natural attraction.
Totally agree about Costa Maya... My least favorite stop in Caribbean. As a former airline employee, I enjoyed Maho beach once..You are correct, the beach itself is nothing close to specactular. Got some cool pics but don't need to go back...
Jamaica dunns River only has you holding hands if you’re with an excursion. When I was younger I went with my parents and sister and we didn’t do an excursion. We had a great time. Just with my family. There were others around of course but it was fine. When my dad saw everyone holding hands climbing up he was glad we didn’t do an excursion. I have pics too. Also I know it wasn’t about Aruba but the one with the airport close, similar to arubas surfside except surfside isn’t as populated (at least when I used to go - my grandparents live there) and the airplanes aren’t quite as close but you definitely see them. Nice place. We went their often when I would spend 2 months in Aruba. Southernmost point.. I went there.. on a weekend when I went to the keys for my friends wedding. Waited until it was getting dark and we were driving up to a key closer to Miami and stopped by. No one was there which was great. Got out of the car, took a pic, and on our way.
Literally, Costa Maya is an entire tourist trap. I'm not happy it's a stop. There is nothing to do with my child. Not spending over $100 for a waterpark. Beach it is, like we don't get enough of that in FL
Nothing to do? Bacalar lagoon, rafting, Mahahual, and mayan ruins? Has more to do than most stops and that isn't counting the beaches. Yes the port sucks.
@@Stelletti I'm clearly not counting the beaches, completely unappealing. I have a 5 year old, so there's nothing to do with small children unless it's the beach.
Our RCL ship had an island stop, can't recall if it was Coco Cay or some other island. When we got there, we were fed a luncheon gratis via the ship cost, and were given one drink free. You could walk the island, sun or swim. The day we were there, we had the lunch and then heard the waters had jellyfish that stung several of our ship mates badly. Later, the skies opened up and it started to rain. We hoped it would stop so waited. Finally deciding it was not going to stop we waited for the tenders, a long wait in pouring rain to take us back to the ship. We stayed away from the Atlantis hotel. Later, we went to go shopping at the famous Straw Market, but a fire had started and we went back to the ship to watch from the dock. Consequently, we spent little money on this cruise.
Maho beach was a fun one time spot. There is a nice restaurant right on the beach and there are plenty of beach chairs. I totally agree it’s a one and done deal, but worth the one time. We had fun.
Thanks Matt, however you could have mentioned expensive day at coco cay. I will never take a cruise that stops there again. It is literally a trap wanting to squeeze as much money as possible out of cruisers.
Oh, that's interesting. I never spent any money there and have a great day. I don't feel like people are trying to squeeze money out of me when I'm there. If you mean the amusement stuff, I just simply walk past that and go to the beach that I want to enjoy for the day.
So much to do there for free. It's a great day typically. Never have had a problem with it actually. Same for Labadee. Labadee they can be a bit pushy in the market but yeah. Grab a chair and enjoy the beach and have some free food. No biggie for either private island.
Any chain anything! If there is a store in each port, I avoid it! I even saw a Diamonds International (aggressively pushed jewelry store on my Caribbean cruise, with a store in each port) in JUNEAU ALASKA. Go to the independent stores; the artists' consignment stores--anywhere but what you're being pushed to do. Next cruise will be Western Caribbean and Mexico; am looking for suggestions.
The real problem is that enough people keep paying these ridiculous prices for ANYTHING! The same reason as to why cruise prices are what they are now. Some people I swear the prices couldn't be high enough and they still want to pay more!
On my SymphonyOTS cruise next summer, Atlantis Aquaventure is $40 more for adults and $60 LESS for kids than Thrill Island. Meaning Atlantis is $80 CHEAPER than Thrill Island for me and the kids. On top of that, Atlantis has more to offer. But Atlantis is the trap? lol
We went on Mariner recently and brought our own snorkel gear. We paid for one floating mat and had a blast snorkeling and then hanging out in the pool. Free lunch, free chairs, free entertainment in the pool. There are definitely expensive options there but if you utilize the free options you can have a wonderful day with little cost.
@@christygoettel645 I’m not saying you can’t avoid spending money at Coco. But when a cabana for the afternoon is more than a cruise price, it’s fair to point out. Look, he quoted a price in the mid $400 range to go to Atlantis that included a dolphin encounter. The dolphin encounter is getting near $300 alone. Add transfer, admission, and I think other considerations, compared to a $2000 an afternoon cabana I think it’s unfair to call out Atlantis without admitting that Coco is at least as bad if not worse.
@@KyleXB exactly! As much as I love RCCL, Coco is a MUCH WORSE ‘tourist trap’ than average. Fwiw, I am willing to admit Coco can be done on the cheap. But if you have kids, you know you’re dropping at least $300 between the water park and sun dries.
My first time out of the country will be the stop at Costa Maya off the Mariner in March 2025. My first cruise. And really, my first adult vacation. I was planning on just walking around the port and doing the tourist stuff because i dont know how anything works. I thought, walk off the ship, see what's there, shop a bit, walk back on the ship. Keep it easy. After reading all these comments, im not so sure!
another restarurant that has gotten worse through the years with mediocre and very expensive food is the hard rock cafe, the atmosphere is great if you love rock and roll and the merchandise is cool but the restaurant is very dissapointing, I would call it also a tourist trap.
I’m glad you mentioned señor frogs. The one in Cozumel was so weird. Bad food, average drinks and … English music?? I asked the waiter where the Spanish music was and he goes “well we want to pander to the Americans on the cruise”. I heard sweet Caroline like 18 times. I was shocked lol the one in Orlando is 100% better!
as a follow up, could you make a video of your top recommendations on what to do in each caribbean port? same format as this video. thank you!
Parodeejay has a playlist of different ports and what to do at each port in both the caribbean and alaska
I went to Cozumel last year and went on purpose to Senior Frogs. I was wearing a denim shirt with heavy embroidery with their logo. We got free shots for our anniversary and ballon crowns, and I went on stage with staff and other guests to dance! Actually, we wish we had eaten there, because they were less expensive than Hard Rock, where we ended up. I wouldn’t hesitate to go back there - such a great experience!! Sometimes “tourist traps” can be fun experiences!! 👍🏼
Doug, you forgot to include the shops, such as maybe Diamonds International, in some of the cruise line owned ports, that must provide some kind of financial compensation for steering cruisers via the cruise port talks held on board. Let us hear more to this.
Ditto!
(That's Matt, Doug has Cruise Radio with the Daily Cruise News.)
Diamonds International is a chain with high end jewelry at lower duty free prices. All items have a lifetime guarantee that they will fix or replace items purchased there. I have friends that seek them out at every port. I don't wear jewelry or watches so I have no use for it.
100%
Some 'traps" have financial arrangements with lines and wont be criticized.
I often wonder how people can have a bad time at any port. There is such rich culture and history in these places. It is so neat talking to the locals. We have been to many ports. The common phrase we hear is, "No one ever really talks to us. They treat us like we are invisible. They come to our island dont care about the people. No one even says hello.". When I looked around at all the tourist, I could see exactly what they were talking about.
Being Mexican I can say the ports in Mexico I've been to don't look, smell, or taste like the Mexico I know. To pour salt in the wound they're also ten times as expensive.
The people in the port areas are too aggressive and annoying. Why would I want to talk to somebody who keeps shouting at me about the prices of products I accidentally glanced at.
No regrets about an entire afternoon at Maho Beach--drinking beer, eating tacos, hanging out while we waited for the 747 arrival. Our family are aviation geeks so I'd probably do it again. A "tourist trap" is defined as a place where you are misled about what's there and pay an extravagant price. Maho Beach is neither.
I can wait to go there in December
100% agree. We loved spending maybe an hour at the bar nearby and jogging over to take a picture underneath a plane as it was landing.
LOVE this beach and the plane spotting. Actually got ENGAGED with a Jet Blue 767 flying overhead right at the moment! Going back in October 2024 for our 4th wedding anniversary!
I loved Maho Beach. If you're an aviation geek (like me) it's a great time. The drinks at Sunset Bar were shockingly cheap. Others who don't get as excited as I do just watching planes, might get a little bored after the first few arrivals. The bar does post all scheduled flights, so you know when something good is coming. It was an easy shared van ride from the port.
As a fellow aviation geek thanks for this insight. I could watch planes all day while in port and good to know Sunset Beach is decent.
I agree and I work for a major airline as a mechanic...
100% agree - SXM always has us going to watch the planes and having drinks/food.
i’ve been 3 times now i can’t get enough of. it’s a lot of fun . CHEAP BEER AS WELL!
We did Dunn's River Falls last year and yes there were a lot of people. The guide was rushing us up the falls. The worst part of the Falls was trying to get back to the parking lot through the artisan market.
The maze back to the bus where you are being harangued left and right is something else
YES. the number of sexist and racist comments we received on the way back to the bus put such a damper on the day
For Maho Beach, recommend checking a flight tracker app to see when the big planes are coming through. St Maarten is French and Dutch so they have direct flights from Paris and Amsterdam multiple times per week. The Sunset Bar and Grille has the flight schedule each day and what type of aircraft it is so you can get a picture with a 747 right on top of you and then leave. We stayed at the Sheraton Maho Beach and watched people stand on the beach as planes took off and they got absolutely sandblasted with jet exhaust!
Matt, I agree with all of your evaluations. The best thing I can say about Costa Maya is I get the ship to myself or at least less of a crowd. I think the only passengers who visit Costa Maya are first time cruisers, surely nobody goes for a second time.
Bill
It would be cool if cruise lines did a western Coco Cay or Paradise Island private island. It can be done either in Honduras or Belize
I really enjoy Krazy Lobster in Mahahual and have enjoyed multiple visits. It's worth it to navigate the labyrinth to get out of the port.
Maho beach and Atlantis were 2 of my favorite excursions ever. The Southern Most Point is iconic and it’s a beautiful walk over there. I’m not sure “tourist traps” are all that bad. The biggest trap you failed to mention in this video is at Senor Frogs when they pour a seemingly complimentary shot in your mouth only to circle back around with the bill🤣
Gotta say I disagree with throwing the Southernmost Point onto a "tourist trap" list. First, it is absolutely free - so it doesn't really fit into the definition of a tourist trap. Second, yes, I believe that capturing that memory in a photo can be important. Sure, I can find a rock anywhere and give it a smooch, but that won't make it the Blarney Stone, and not every bell that is or has been rung is the Liberty Bell. Sometimes an "almost" substitute just doesn't cut it, and when the real deal is free, and will probably take only a 15 minute wait, I'd say it's worth it. Plus there is a frozen cocktail stand about 100 yards away to help ward off that Key West heat!
Glad I was able to enjoy the Keys and Key West long before the cruise ships were allowed.
Yeah it is obligatory to get the pic at least once
It's a trap because it's not the southern most point. The area to the right of it (Whitehead Spit) is slightly farther south. I think it's a Naval base.
I did it and found it enjoyable. The only problem I have is getting to it from the ship. There's walking, taxi, or take a tour that drives all over the island (which you can get on and off all day there). Still I loved it, I really wish Royal would put up what cruise ship actually stops at Key West. I want to go back and take a look at all the other museums they have there.
Actually there is a free bus service, the Duval Loop, with a stop less than a block from the dock, and another less than a block from the Southernmost Point. If you make it back to Key West you might want to check it out. You could ride in air conditioned comfort, round trip, for free. It has, I believe, 18 stops in Old Town Key West.@@ModernMyths
So glad you mentioned Costa Maya. We were there as a alternate stop during hurricane season in 2006 and it was a horrible experience. The port was not built up with the shopping maze you mentioned yet but as we walked along the pier exiting the ship area, it was literally lined with men holding rifles along the entire pier. Pretty scary sight and one we have never forgotten. Even back then the salespeople were very pushy and quite rude. Will never go back there.
We really enjoyed our stop at Costa Maya, but that's only because we booked our own trip to go see some Mayan ruins at Chacchoben which was amazing. The cruise port itself was like a maze or escape the room challenge we had to do to get to and from our vans to do the excursion.
@james-rd4dq Well you don't really know if its going to be a good or bad experience until you check it out.
Thank you Matt, appreciate the points you made.
Forewarned is definitely forearmed.
Thank you for this! My wife and I are going on our first cruise next month on Allure of the Seas and your tips have given us great confidence. I saw that Atlantis excursion you mentioned at 2:45 and freaked out at the price, but then we found some more sensible options that matched our interests a bit better.
Have gone to Senior Frogs in Puerto Vallarta and the view was incredible. You are high on a mountain side overlooking the harbor and the food was great including the margaritas.
Costa Maya port😕. It is so stressful walking through. You are constantly chased by the merchants. If I said “No Thank You” once I said it 100 times. The pool water looked scary. If you want all the cheap souvenirs, you will find them there. My suggestion, take an excursion away from the port area. I cruise a lot and have learned never do anything close to the actual port. Get out and explore the less commercial areas.
What I think for costa maya and all shopping piers is get out first have your excursion or explore then on your way back u can look for a little souvenir
I agree with Costa Maya being the definition of Tourist Traps. I remember asking a vendor where the exit was and he said "through here" and shuttled us into the shop. Of course it wasn't the way to the exit, but still pretty funny.
😂
An alternative to Dunns River Falls is Konoko falls. The 2 are nearby, but Konoko gets a very small fraction of the visitors. Climbing is at your own pace and works really well. The falls are shorter, but steeper.
Maho was fun as hell!!!
We didn't go out of our way to get there, it was part of a booked tour, spent about 1 hour there and to see the planes coming in so close was actually cool!!
Great vlog btw!
Dude, there is lots to eat and drink there!!!
Did Dunns River Falls, literally from the ocean to the very top, got baptized Jamaican style, I actually enjoyed it and remember this excursion!
$465 to go to a hotel property for a single day? Absurd.
Yeah it has a water park and stuff
If people pay it, they'll charge it.
@@VoiceEnFuegoyou can get into a better waterpark in florida for $100
@jcspotter7322 no argument I just know that's a big part of the draw
no, $465 is for swimming with dolphins, and the day pass is around 200
Another great video. Will def book Maya Chan if we ever go to Costa Maya. To be fair… sometime I feel like the Royal Promenade sales … watches, jewelry. Etc. … are also a tourist trap but at least you can avoid the promenade. 😂
Royal Caribbean is working really hard to get Coco Cay to the top of this list.
The Mel Fisher museum in Key West is well worth it.
Would love to know these for other areas! Alaska, Mediterranean, Pacific ports
It always fascinates me how all the little tourist shops in the Caribbean sell virtually the same thing. No one seems interested in trying to create a unique vibe, and sell different product. As far as I'm concerned they're all tourist traps.
For me, it was the Mayan ruins tours; I've taken two. Both were pretty much a wasted day of mostly driving to and from the ruins with very little time while there and no time remaining once returned to port.
I buy a drink or two at Senor Frogs and just watch people and laugh. I honestly have a good time because they people are always fun.
I had a shot of tequila cost me $20 never planning to ever set foot in one again
@@jcspotter7322 that I do not blame ya for. I go for the goofy mixed drink. Shots are WAY inflated there
Went to Chacchoban for Costa Maya excursion. Very good.
Glad you reassured my decision to do Orient Beach instead of Maho Beach on my next cruise.
Agreed with Cosya Maya. Get out, grab a cab to Mahauhaul, and go for drinks, beaches, or scuba diving there.
Orient Beach is also 'clothing optional',, be aware we'll all be Nekkid.
@@jayroberts9103 Great to confirm. Even better as far as I am concerned.
I agree 100% with you. My problem is that my wife Loves Loves Loves these peddlers. She buys everything there selling. Total Junk. I have boxs in our garage full of all this Crap. Never gets used thank god but sits in boxs.
my wife does the same 🤣
@garouthetiktokinfluencerhu9731 lucky us bro lol
Most excursions at the Dominican Republic are a little shady. I did the Monkey Island Adventure tour. It took almost two hours each way to get there. The roads were pretty narrow at some points. Thank goodness I rested for most of the trip. They neglected to mention (until we were all on the bus and were passed the barbed-wire fence separating the port from the rest of the country) that there's a 100% chance the monkeys will pee on you. They also drag you through a sales pitch about the products they sell after you interact with the monkeys. I still don't regret doing it, but I thought everyone else should know.
Oh no. That's good to know!
we did Monkey Land in march and it was awesome!
If you go to the DR again, check out Iguana Mama excursions. Good value and excellent reputation.
So glad I went to Dunns River Falls back in the 80s when it wasn't so crowded!
I don't know if these qualify as "tourist traps" because they really are amazing places, but there are places so crowded with vendors being in your face that it really takes away the experience. 3 that I come to mind are Chitchen Itza Mexico, Tulum Mexico and the Walled city Cartegena Colombia.
There's actually a line to get a photo at the southern most point in Key West. It gets so bad, it blocks traffic.
Costa Maya is a subdivision near the village of Mahahual. Costa Maya was actually created for the cruise shop industry. If I did my research right, no one actually lives in Costa Maya. The port is 100% man made just so cruise ships could stop and bring money spending cruisers. Which is why it's such a tourist trap.
Can you recommend anything to do with a 5 year old. She's too young to care for history and no beaches.
@@krose318 they do have swim with the dolphins and a bird sanctuary of sorts there. For a fee of course.
I am so glad you included Costa Maya. I slammed RC in my recent review of our last sailing (Allure OTS 10/8-15) for stopping at such a terrible tourist trap. Normally we just stay on the ship. I would much prefer more trips to Progresso. At least there you can take an excursion to Merida, a beautiful city full of rich culture and heritage. Thank you for this video.
Agreed, Costa Maya is a waste of a stop.
Absolutely love Merida.
Agreed 100%, Costa Maya is a waste of time with greedy people trying to get your money. I was there 3 weeks ago for 1st time, never again. I mentioned this to Royal Carribean in their after cruise survey.
I liked Costa Maya. We went on one of those pyramid tours. Thought it was great.
Agree costa maya is a waste of time and tourist trap.
I love going to Maho Beach!! I always hang out at the Sunset Bar, I get there early on my own before all the excursions show up. Cheap drinks, decent food and have always had VERY good service there. I agree, the beach isn't much, but if you are a plane nut - like I am - then it is a very cool place to hang out.
You went to these places at least one time to make these determinations...I think it's fair to allow people to experience these places for themselves...and decide what suits them! Not everybody drinks the same cup of tea! Besides after many visits you become a bit jaded...as opposed to persons doing something for the first time!
Yup, I went there and regretted it
The Skyride in St. Martin. It takes you to an area where the only thing you can do is eat and shop. Plus the ride up is only about 2 minutes.
Ive heard about that one!!!
I found maho beach to be fantastic. Plenty of flights came in and it was a thrill to stand in line with the runway. My wife did love her visor from jet blast but she did get to drink for free at the bar. 😊
First time to Cozumel (August 2022), Senor Frogs was terrible. It was extremely loud and uninvited physical groping by the waitresses. It was not a place someone like my self can handle. We got up and left, and opted for Margaritaville, which was much quieter and laid back. Those were the only two options we saw.
Going to any US restaurant at a port stop will be an anticipated disappointment. We walked 2-4 blocks out of Cozumel port stop to see a row of tourist-friendly restaurants at nearly half the cost of the port city restaurants. This also applied to gift shops and almost everyone spoke English, too. This was a better experience.
@@InitialDave210 that was the worst port experience for us. It seemed every two feet, there was someone trying to drag you into their shop. There was no opportunity to breathe in peace.
Agree with Matt on Maya Chan Beach being terrific…but if you’re using the MCB-contracted transport, not only do you have to suffer the gauntlet at the port, you also have to walk another quarter mile to the transport pick-up point. And the road to/from MCB is less than unimproved. It’s actually hazardous.
Mannnnn Matt... you TOTALLY nailed it on this list... haaaa!!! I have done all of these over the decades and you're 100% correct!
I would agree about Atlantis. We we’re going to go there for our Honeymoon. But the cost was outrageous for a week. We decided on 10 days in Madagascar and still came out cheaper with a much better experience. As for the airport in St Martin. I agree to an extent. If your not an aviation nut, you may find it underwhelming. However I went there when I was 8 and loved it! I’m looking forward to taking my little one on our cruise.
honestly its not just atlantis, but the nassau as a whole. i would actually say pretty much the entire island is kind of a trap. we went recently for a family trip and we went due to my sisters kids and dads health it was just easy to get back to the states if we had to. absolutely insane how expensive it is. our last family trip before the pandemic was whistler BC (highly recomend) . we flew first class from the east coast, stayed at the four seasons in suites for ten days, plus all the activities it was about half the price as the bahamas was (only there for 4 days) also when we were in whistler it was crankworx which is a massive mountain biking event and its the last crankworx event of the year and since whistler is the mecca for MTB it gets busy which means its even more expensive. still with that going on it was still much cheaper
I agree, pretty much with most of your list, but I would like to point out in Costa Maya, one can get a beachside massage in the cruise port for less than half of what one would pay on the cruise ship. I went to Dunn’s Falls as well And I agree it’s OK. It wasn’t as bad as some would say, however it’s really far from the cruise port so it’s like an hour and a half hour- 45 minute bus ride to get there and when you leave the Falls you have to go through a flea market of Locals selling handicrafts who are super aggressive. The Falls were nice. It wasn’t as crowded as all that, but it was a long bus ride there and the super aggressive vendors outside the falls, kind of diminished it in my mind.
Half price???? I have been there twice a tourist trap BUT an hour long massage on the beach was $20. Plus a $5 cab ride each way. And a $10 tip. That’s equals $40. That is one QUARTER of a massage on the ship just saying
Most aggressive vendors in the world. We felt physically threatened at Dunn's Falls.
Dunn's River Falls is about 5 minutes drive away from the Ocho Rios Cruise Port. It sounds like you went there from Falmouth Cruise Port with is in another parish.
You are half right, I just looked it up and we went to Montego Bay as our cruise port to get to the Falls. That being said the vendors outside the Falls that you have to walk through are what really made the trip unpleasant. Our tour guide warned us about them and the whole bus walked through together. I pity anyone who went there self exploring and went through the vendors unaware
I just got done with a Royal Caribbean cruise this week to costa maya and Cozumel. The port areas at both of them are big tourist traps and was a terrible experience for me(not a big shopping or crowd person). I did go to senor frogs(big mistake). My advice is try to do an excursion at either port or stay on the ship. I also think they take advantage of the tourists by inflating the prices of the items they’re selling at some the stores in the port. You really don’t experience the place you’re visiting by staying in the port.
Grab a taxi and go to Mr Sanchos at Cozumel.
We went on a snorkeling excursion that stopped at Maho beach for about 30 minutes. I do agree it is a "one and done" BUT we did it that one time.
LOL you are so on point with these. I have to say though that I love Key West and do enjoy the souther most point.
Was in Key West, although we drove over the overseas highway, was able to get a pictures of that silly monument. There's so many qualifiers to "Southernmost Point"
1) There's a bunch of uninhabited islands to the west and slightly south of Key West
2) The southernmost point on Key West the public can reach is the beach in Fort Zachary Taylor State Park. It's a nice beach shaded with palm trees and isn't a bad place to relax for a few hours while the rest of your cruise is getting drunk in noisy overpriced bars.
3) The southernmost point on Key West period is in a non-public area of south of the park that's owned by the Navy as sort of an annex to the Naval AIr Station.
4) The building that's right next to that silly monument extends farther south that it.
I think thie idea is that this is the southernmost point (that we could legally erect a concrete monument on).
Your spot on with most of this. 100% disagree about watching the planes at SXM. There are several bars around the airport...with decent food and drinks. Again, it may not be your thing, but SXM has MANY people who swear by going there every time they go there. Maya Chan beach is a gem at Costa Maya - 100% agree.
That is so true about Coasta Maya we couldn't find our way out😂😂
We kept asking how to get to cab stands and they lied to us 3x 3 different people to keep us in the port. Never again.
No name bar is where alot of crew members go when they are getting ready to go back home from work. There are lots of old name tags on the walls from crew members. I saw it here on YT. Looks pretty cool. For me a place to avoid is the Straw Market in Nassau, Bahamas. It's crowded and the sellers are in your face trying to sell you things. It's annoying and frustrating.
Same kind of aggressive selling in Labadee Haiti. It was the worst.
@@PatrickWagzIt's funny how Haiti is basically considered a 3rd world country and yet these ships go there. If I'm ever on a cruise that goes, that will be a ship day for me.
Awwww we love Maho Beach… we pick itineraries based on a stop in St Maarten, and we head there for the day, our fav cruise excursion by far 😊
Absolutely most unique beaches in the world! And got engaged there with a jet overhead! Going back for anniversary.. lol
I am going to sail to Nassau and Puerto Costa Maya in January. Thanks for letting me know about those pitfalls.
Maho Beach is worth going ONCE for about an hour, maybe less. Costa Maya cruiseport is incredibly terrible.
My wife and I went to senor Frogs in Nassau and it was absolutely fantastic, we had a blast!
I was thinking about going there for lunch. I'd like to know about a good place, walking distance to the port, to eat some Bahamian food.
The actual most southern point in the continental USA is Ballast Key, ten miles away, which is a wildlife refuge that has limited access for people.
I didn’t even think the Costa Maya port had an exit! I walked around the whole thing twice before just getting back on the ship frustrated
Did Dunns RIver Falls, it was very crowded. Probably would not do it again on a cruise day but glad I did it once in my life. We did not go through the ship, hired outside tour. Best part was the trip to a great jerk restaurant afterwards. We're going back in a few weeks where the group we are going with wants to go to Dunn River Falls, I may skip out. Thanks for the heads up on Blue Hole. We did a tubing excursion last time, that was fun.
Noted for costa maya, we did Dunns river falls while not on a cruise and it was fairly quiet and excellent
Was about to type “go where the crew goes” but you called it at 5:30 👏🏽
I had a good time at Senor Frogs in both San Juan and Nassau. But I'm sure there is better bars out there.
In Costa Maya we did the mayan ruins. Had an excursion through the cruise line so didn't have to worry about finding the port exit.
Edit: And I agree 100% about Atlantis. Not worth paying all that money for something you only get to experience six hours, and I've heard theres long lines there for the waterslides and everything. I'd rather just book an all-inclusive resort than ever do atlantis.
Well, you didn't mention it, but at least you showed it at least 27 times. Diamonds International!
I’m so glad to finally hear you say something on the cruise is ridiculously expensive, I was thinking I was just a cheap ass !
if you do Duns River make sure you go up behind some one with a nice rear end bc you gonna be looking at it for over an hour
Isn't the entire cruise experience pretty much a tourist trap? $30 extra per person per day to drink decent coffee and carbonated beverages?
No.
Because you are willingly booking and know what you are getting.
The places listed in the video are just garbage.
Or u could just not get extra drinks and have a much cheaper vacation than usual. Ur choices and preference doesnt = tpurist trap experience for everyone
@@rachelkim4457 You completely miss the point...
Drink package is 9$ a day per person. But honestly the tea, juice and coffee you get complimentary is more then fine.
@sonicimperium I got a 7 day cruise for 600$ per person. I can eat more money in food, plus hotels etc than that in just a few days. Cruises are actually really nice ways to vacation
Uh I don’t want to be a stickler, but southern most point is for the contiguous United States. The actual southern most point is in Hawaii.
I agree with the other comment; can’t call the Southernmost Point (buoy) a “tourist trap” It’s one of the free things you can do in Key West. Key West itself has become overpriced in recent years no parking and overpriced food but people still flock to it. However, don’t visit the Southernmost Point at night since a woman got raped there a couple of weeks ago and two men a couple of years ago used a discarded Christmas tree and placed it at the buoy and set it on fire. People also urinate on it at nighttime too. Have fun at the buoy and take tons of pictures during the day but it’s free.
I disagree about Maho Beach. My wife loves going to beaches and I love drinking and watching planes. I sit at the bar and she lays on the beach. My favorite stop.
Maho Beach and the water slides at Atlantis is worth doing once.
11:06 the guy looks like he heard the narrator 😂
Here's an idea in St. Maarten: go to Johnny's ATVs early about 9 AM (it's about a 5 minute walk from the cruise pier), get an ATV. Go to Maho, see the beach for 10 minutes, say been there done that, and head north. See the whole rest of the island. Takes about 3 hours or so. See the murals along the way. Stop and look at the view. Eat at the smaller local restaurants. No uncomfortable tour bus, no "everybody back to the bus now", no preset tourist trap stops, just explore and have fun. Be sure to take a decent cell phone or GPS receiver with you... not a whole lot of road signs to guide you along the way.
Spot on with Costa Maya.....took me forever to figure out how to get out of there to wander aimlessly through a random part of Mexico in search of authentic food. But mannnn I love Dunn's river falls. Sure its crowded and touristy, but its fun as hell.
omg just came back from Costa Maya! So true. We were circling the area trying to escape to return to the ship. not doing that again!
Matt, love the channel!! I listen to the podcast regularly on my work commute
I must say, I gotta push back on Dunn’s River Falls being a trap because it’s absolutely stunning and not something people like me who are landlocked get to experience on a consistent basis. Yeah it was INSANELY busy, but I don’t remember the crowds when I think back on that trip. Just how beautiful the falls were.
With that said, I definitely loved Blue Hole too. Making that jump was Top 10’ scariest things I’ve done in my life. Lol
Agreed... been there twice, and have a framed picture of Dunn's River hanging over my fireplace.
I have to agree with you too. Dunn's River (although crowded), was probably one of our favorite excursions. My 7yo son loved it too. I also enjoyed Blue Hole. But if you don't like crowds, river tubing in Jamaica was actually quite fun and relaxing! Didn't feel rushed.
I've been to The Blue Hole on the recomndation of a local and it was amazing. We tubed down the river after the falls and it felt like our group were the only ones around.
Blue Lagoon Island is the biggest tourist trap in the Bahamas. Its has no beach to the ocean and is an old industrial canal with old beach toys floating around
I like Senor Frogs. It's a place to drink a few before you go back on the ship. And since it's close to the ship, I wont be a pier runner.
It's also a franchise that some people have experienced in the US and love it!
I am old and I liked it too.😂
Boy do I wish you made this video about a month ago, we were on Adventure at the beginning of October and we didn't have an excursion for Costa Maya planned prior to about 3-4 days before sailing. We like drinking and decided to do some chocolate and tequila tasting thing in the port, and were we sorry...the only good part was that the initial building we were in had AC cranked up...we got one chocolate egg, then tried 3-1oz drinks a guy made using a cheap tequila in a dark room, then we were out the door. No information about how the two were tied together, no historical info, no different kinds of tequila, nothing paired...it was a very strange experience and I am super surprised that it was a Royal Caribbean endorsed excursion. This was our last port on the sailing, and yeah the entire area felt sketchy. We were good with getting back to the boat quickly, and it was kind of a bummer to end ports that way on an otherwise awesome trip. Any future sailings we will avoid an itinerary with Costa Maya on it.
Maho beach is a favorite destination of mine bc I’m an aviation geek. Definitely a niche thing though.
Labadee is the worst. Love the island and activities, but the level of harassment from people trying to drag you into their shops/stalls to get you to buy crap is INSANE. This is a private island owned by RC and they need to put a stop to it.
been to labadee 6x and never had anyone harass me or anything. wierd
If you go to the market area you can get pulled into the local market which is very aggressive. Just avoid the market and no one bothers you.
@@TommyH1975 lol you’ve never tried to walk through any of the market areas then
I ran a Catamaran 3 hr and sunset cruise out of Atlantis, Barbados and La Paz (depending on the time of the year) I sold the boats last year, yea its $450 PP now. I was $250PP or $400 a couple. People were fighting on the dock as to who was first in line.
We will be in Costa Maya next February (2024). So far I haven't found any accessible shore excursions. I use a rollator walker and most bus steps are too steep for me to climb. Many of the Mayan ruins have very uneven ground so even if I could get on the bus, I couldn't get around and see things. It's my understanding the port does have some things to do besides shopping. If its like other ports there will be some free entertainment. Wondering around for a couple of hours is OK with me.
If you don’t want to just stay in the port, get out of the shops and catch a taxi into Mahahaul. I recommend walking a little bit away from the port to get a cheaper taxi if you’re able. There are some GORGEOUS beaches in town, just do some research on where you want to go. There are great local restaurants and hotels in “downtown” Mahahual, but it has grown a lot, so just be sure you know where you want to go. It’s only around 15min from the port.
Agree about the port of Playa Maya - a complete waste of time BUT the nearby Rio Secreto cave system is phenomenal and I only wish the tour (most of which you are partially immersed) was longer. This is a not to be missed natural attraction.
Totally agree about Costa Maya... My least favorite stop in Caribbean. As a former airline employee, I enjoyed Maho beach once..You are correct, the beach itself is nothing close to specactular. Got some cool pics but don't need to go back...
Sir. Maho Beach was awesome 😂 you have to go to the other end where the bigger bar is and watch the planes fly in.
Jamaica dunns River only has you holding hands if you’re with an excursion. When I was younger I went with my parents and sister and we didn’t do an excursion. We had a great time. Just with my family. There were others around of course but it was fine. When my dad saw everyone holding hands climbing up he was glad we didn’t do an excursion. I have pics too.
Also I know it wasn’t about Aruba but the one with the airport close, similar to arubas surfside except surfside isn’t as populated (at least when I used to go - my grandparents live there) and the airplanes aren’t quite as close but you definitely see them. Nice place. We went their often when I would spend 2 months in Aruba.
Southernmost point.. I went there.. on a weekend when I went to the keys for my friends wedding. Waited until it was getting dark and we were driving up to a key closer to Miami and stopped by. No one was there which was great. Got out of the car, took a pic, and on our way.
Literally, Costa Maya is an entire tourist trap. I'm not happy it's a stop. There is nothing to do with my child. Not spending over $100 for a waterpark. Beach it is, like we don't get enough of that in FL
Totally agree. The more we complain and refuse to go ashore, maybe they will listen, especially if we stop spending our money there.
Costa maya is a bad stop. When there are several ships it REALLY SUCKS
Its terrible and RC shouldn't stop there.
Nothing to do? Bacalar lagoon, rafting, Mahahual, and mayan ruins? Has more to do than most stops and that isn't counting the beaches. Yes the port sucks.
@@Stelletti I'm clearly not counting the beaches, completely unappealing. I have a 5 year old, so there's nothing to do with small children unless it's the beach.
Our RCL ship had an island stop, can't recall if it was Coco Cay or some other island. When we got there, we were fed a luncheon gratis via the ship cost, and were given one drink free. You could walk the island, sun or swim. The day we were there, we had the lunch and then heard the waters had jellyfish that stung several of our ship mates badly. Later, the skies opened up and it started to rain. We hoped it would stop so waited. Finally deciding it was not going to stop we waited for the tenders, a long wait in pouring rain to take us back to the ship. We stayed away from the Atlantis hotel. Later, we went to go shopping at the famous Straw Market, but a fire had started and we went back to the ship to watch from the dock. Consequently, we spent little money on this cruise.
Much appreciation for this vid! You are spot-on!
Glad it was helpful!
Maho beach was a fun one time spot. There is a nice restaurant right on the beach and there are plenty of beach chairs. I totally agree it’s a one and done deal, but worth the one time. We had fun.
Thanks Matt, however you could have mentioned expensive day at coco cay. I will never take a cruise that stops there again. It is literally a trap wanting to squeeze as much money as possible out of cruisers.
Oh, that's interesting. I never spent any money there and have a great day. I don't feel like people are trying to squeeze money out of me when I'm there. If you mean the amusement stuff, I just simply walk past that and go to the beach that I want to enjoy for the day.
I have been there many times and never spent a dime. They have free pools and beaches, they do have things that cost money, I wouldn't call it a trap.
Coco Cay is definitely not the definition of a tourist trap, so much to do there and don't have to pay anything extra...not unless you want to
There are inflated prices there on certain things but LOTS to do for free.
So much to do there for free. It's a great day typically. Never have had a problem with it actually. Same for Labadee. Labadee they can be a bit pushy in the market but yeah. Grab a chair and enjoy the beach and have some free food. No biggie for either private island.
Any chain anything! If there is a store in each port, I avoid it! I even saw a Diamonds International (aggressively pushed jewelry store on my Caribbean cruise, with a store in each port) in JUNEAU ALASKA. Go to the independent stores; the artists' consignment stores--anywhere but what you're being pushed to do. Next cruise will be Western Caribbean and Mexico; am looking for suggestions.
I totally appreciate this list Matt..
Senor frog was fun when I went in cozumel.
The real problem is that enough people keep paying these ridiculous prices for ANYTHING! The same reason as to why cruise prices are what they are now. Some people I swear the prices couldn't be high enough and they still want to pay more!
Comparing the prices of Atlantis to Coco Key . . . Which is the overpriced rip off, honestly?
On my SymphonyOTS cruise next summer, Atlantis Aquaventure is $40 more for adults and $60 LESS for kids than Thrill Island. Meaning Atlantis is $80 CHEAPER than Thrill Island for me and the kids. On top of that, Atlantis has more to offer. But Atlantis is the trap? lol
We went on Mariner recently and brought our own snorkel gear. We paid for one floating mat and had a blast snorkeling and then hanging out in the pool. Free lunch, free chairs, free entertainment in the pool. There are definitely expensive options there but if you utilize the free options you can have a wonderful day with little cost.
@@christygoettel645 I’m not saying you can’t avoid spending money at Coco. But when a cabana for the afternoon is more than a cruise price, it’s fair to point out. Look, he quoted a price in the mid $400 range to go to Atlantis that included a dolphin encounter. The dolphin encounter is getting near $300 alone. Add transfer, admission, and I think other considerations, compared to a $2000 an afternoon cabana I think it’s unfair to call out Atlantis without admitting that Coco is at least as bad if not worse.
@@KyleXB exactly! As much as I love RCCL, Coco is a MUCH WORSE ‘tourist trap’ than average. Fwiw, I am willing to admit Coco can be done on the cheap. But if you have kids, you know you’re dropping at least $300 between the water park and sun dries.
My first time out of the country will be the stop at Costa Maya off the Mariner in March 2025. My first cruise. And really, my first adult vacation. I was planning on just walking around the port and doing the tourist stuff because i dont know how anything works. I thought, walk off the ship, see what's there, shop a bit, walk back on the ship. Keep it easy. After reading all these comments, im not so sure!
another restarurant that has gotten worse through the years with mediocre and very expensive food is the hard rock cafe, the atmosphere is great if you love rock and roll and the merchandise is cool but the restaurant is very dissapointing, I would call it also a tourist trap.
I’m glad you mentioned señor frogs. The one in Cozumel was so weird. Bad food, average drinks and … English music?? I asked the waiter where the Spanish music was and he goes “well we want to pander to the Americans on the cruise”. I heard sweet Caroline like 18 times. I was shocked lol the one in Orlando is 100% better!