Kingdom Konsultant Travel Blog

If you’re sailing a Western Caribbean itinerary that includes Cozumel, you could do the normal things on the island (exploring, shopping, etc.). Then again, you might get the chance to see one of the Seven Wonders of the Modern World, Chichen Itza, which is close enough to visit while in port. Chichen Itza, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is one of the most popular tourist attractions in the world. While cruising on Royal Caribbean’s Wonder of the Seas, I booked an excursion to these legendary Mayan ruins through the RCCL app (Chichen Itza Ruins: Augmented & Virtual Reality). Be ready for a LONG day, because you’re getting off the ship at roughly 7:30am local time & returning between 4:30 – 5:00pm. At 7:00am, we met inside the Royal Theater on Deck 4 to sign in. The process was quick, providing you had everything they requested prior: Sea Pass Card Government-issued photo ID (passport, driver's license) Some additional items you’ll want to bring: Water Sunscreen Motion si...

I've spent both of my Cozumel port days at Playa Mia Resort. The first time was in 2018, where I did a cooking class before spending a couple hours at the beach with my adult only fellow travelers. Most recently, I went on a beach excursion on the Disney Magic in December 2022 with my 'Ohana sister and her two girls, ages 6 and 7. In 2018, we were up bright and early and had a small group that left right on time to our excursion. It was easy to stay together and our tour guide was great at pointing out places to have drinks or shop after our excursion, and the pathway to the bus was quite clear. In 2022, our excursion started officially at 10:45 and we were miraculously 15 minutes early and one of the first in line to wait. Which we did, for about 45 minutes. We were clearly waiting for exactly one late family for our excursion to start, which was a bit of a bummer, but it does happen sometimes. Once it was our time to go, it was a bit of a cluster to keep track of who was in o...

Costa Maya is a popular Western Caribbean port of call for cruise ships, but I often get asked what is there to do there. The Mayan ruins are very popular but I have done them twice and the thing about ruins, they don’t really change.  You can read about Agent Stacy's experience with the ruins here . The other popular options are water related, with all inclusive resorts or Bacalaar Lagoon trips being the most popular. After extensive research, we decided to give Maya Chan All-Inclusive a try. Your Kingdom Konsultant agent can book this for you, as it is not offered through the cruise lines. The road to Maya Chan Since the Port of Costa Maya is privately owned, it is heavily controlled. They want you to stay in this immediate area and spend money on their shops and amenities and they don’t let independent tour operators in. We had directions and a map from Maya Chan showing us where to go to meet their representative. It is a bit of a walk and a little confusing to get out of the p...

Lucky for us, the Mayans were wrong in their prediction of the end of the world in 2012.   However, they were extremely successful thousands of years ago in building amazing temples and other buildings that formed the basis for large cities throughout the Yucatan Peninsula.   For those of you lucky enough to sail on a Western Caribbean Cruise with a stop at Costa Maya, you can see for yourself just how amazing these cities were. Most stops in Costa Maya last a short 4-5 hours, which is the perfect amount of time for an excursion to the Chacchoben Mayan City.   The tour starts off with a 1 hour ride aboard an air conditioned coach bus from the port through the jungle and farmlands of the area.   For many people, this is an eye opening bus ride through very poor and rural areas of Mexico.   These villages and rural areas are much different from what we are used to seeing in the resort areas of Mexico.   During the bus ride, your tour guide does an e...

Have you ever caught yourself thinking, "I'd like an easy vacation with beautiful views and relaxation but also plenty to do?" I know I have!  All-inclusive resorts can be the answer you are looking for!  With accommodations, dining, and many activities included, the ease of an all-inclusive vacation can't be beat.  The Iberostar Cancun is a great choice for adults and families alike, as they have numerous options that will please all ages on their trip. The resort has a beautiful main building and several villa buildings all around so there are accommodations to suit any party. Additionally, there are numerous pools and of course a wonderful beach to relax on.  The hotel boasts 6 restaurants to choose from for all your dining needs.  They came at no additional cost but did require an advanced reservation to enjoy. The hotel also has a fitness center and spa. If that doesn't sound like enough, there is also nightly entertainment to enjoy. Finally, you can a...