My First Cruise

The beach was free!! The water was crystal-clear, with very tiny waves lapping at the shore. It was perfect conditions to snorkle in (I recommend bringing your own snorkle equipment--mask, tube, and flippers). You can get it cheap, rather than use old rentals. There was an abundance of fish to check out. Bring crackers with you to feed them!! The best part was that there wasn't any tour guide there to tell you where to go or come back in. The beach was beautiful and clean as well. When we had gone, there was just another group of people on the beach.

It was lots of fun. You first paddled tandem in clear kayaks and stared through to the bottom at the fish you passed over. Then you came back to shore and got snorkel equipment. With this excursion, you got two free drinks (mixed drinks, beer, or nonalcoholic beverages). Transportation was provided through a taxi.

The group that went was huge and there were hundreds of other people that went in different groups. Make sure you wear a comportable bathing suit and bring WATER SHOES because that is what you'll be walking through the rainforest and carrying a tube in. It is a long walk (over a mile) in the heat but seems to pass fast. The trip down the river in the tubes was refreshing. Make sure you have a partner because you have to hook your feet on their tube. The river is slow moving at many points so you need to paddle a lot. Afterwards, lunch is provided at "Cheers, with a tropical twist." There was chicken and coleslaw with so fruit drinks. The food was absolutely amazing--the coleslaw was the best I've ever had. Many different grades of hot sauce were also available for use. Try the free sample of cashew wine at the bar; it is awesome.

We wanted something to do because Costa Maya looked pretty beat, unless you just wanted to shop. We booked through this woman running a stand. We were able to talk her down to like $15 a person because we had our own equipment. We had to provide our own transportation to the location and had trouble finding where we were supposed to go through all the shacks.

The boat was very crummy. The only good thing was that the tour guide was nice and knowledgeable. But if I had my choice, I would have stayed on the boat.

The shops in the area were very stingy, and the people working them were begging you to buy things. You could haggle for things, but I found it very annoying.

The place was packed. If you like a party scene where you can dance, get trashed, meet guys, and have a good time, this is the place. But it does get very hot, so don't feel self-conscious about stripping down to your bathing-suit top, ‘cause everyone else is. The music played is the kind played in dance clubs up here.

You need to get a shot from the women going around. They shove the shot down your throat, shakes your boobs, bends you over, and spanks your ass while blowing a whistle. Then she puts the shot glass in your cleavage for you to keep. Watch out for the man going around with a paddle spanking anyone who is willing. (Don't worry, he is just doing his job).