We Almost Stayed on the Ship in Costa Maya · Here’s Why

Costa Maya is not one of Christina’s favorite ports, and we had a short day there: everyone back on board by 1:30. So we got off to do a quick walk around, maybe pick up a souvenir, and get back on the ship. Nothing fancy.

That is a slightly unusual way to open a port guide, but it is honest, and it is the right expectation to set for this stop. Costa Maya is a purpose built cruise port village. It is pretty, the water is extraordinary, and there is genuinely not a lot there. Here is what you will actually find, what it costs, and how we spent the rest of the day back aboard Star of the Seas.

Arriving: Only One Other Ship

We came in with just the Celebrity Summit alongside us, which was a change. For the first time on this trip it was not an MSC ship sharing our port.

The water on the way in was genuinely beautiful, calm and clear enough to see fish from the dock, framed by the ship. Some people reported flying fish. We are fairly sure they were watching birds, or remembering a different day somewhere else, but the water was worth stopping for regardless.

What Is Actually in the Port Village

There is a map at the entrance, and it is worth a look because it is the quickest way to see how compact this place is.

The main draws are the pools. There is a large free to use swimming pool with a swim up bar right near the entrance, with really good views of the ship behind it, a small sandy beach area, and loungers. The loungers are not free on their own. The deal is that if you buy food and drinks, the chairs come with it. That is a perfectly reasonable arrangement: snacks, drinks, a chair, and a swim, with a nice restaurant right there.

Further along there is a second pool area, the Swim and Sip, running the same deal on lounger use with food and drink purchase. Our read is that the first pool looks a little nicer, but the second one was much emptier and has more chairs and more sandy area. If you want a quieter spot, that is your pick.

There are also little watchtower structures dotted around that make good vantage points for photographing your ship.

The aviary is there, across a small bridge, and it was closed the day we visited. We could see the signage through the gate. We could not tell whether it was shut for the day or permanently, but Christina would like it on record that she was not imagining it. It does exist.

Beyond that: shops, bars, restaurants, and the flyers. We did our tour, did some window shopping, bought nothing, ate nothing, drank nothing, and were heading back to the ship by 10:30.

The Papantla Flyers, and Why You Should Tip Them

The one thing we would genuinely stop for is the flyers on the tall pole.

Watch what they are actually doing. They climb that ladder with no safety harness at all. At the top they tie the rope around themselves with regular knots, then launch off head first and spin down, hooking their legs around the rope. Then they have to wind the whole rope back up before they can go again.

There is no harness. If his hands are sweaty and he slips, that is it. It is an extraordinary thing to watch and a thankless job to do, so if you stop and watch, put something in the donation bucket. We did.

Being Honest About Costa Maya

There is not a terrible lot to do here. It is nice to get off the ship, see the water, see the fish, look at the flamingos, and do some ship spotting. And then, as Christina put it, it is even nicer to get back on the ship.

Asked what her favorite thing to do in Costa Maya is, her answer was walking into town and then getting back on the ship. That was a joke, mostly.

What is genuinely surprising is how undeveloped the surrounding area is. There is a lot of beach right there and we saw nobody in the water. Snorkeling would seem like an obvious option and we did not see it happening anywhere near the port. We did not look hard at the shore excursions, and if you want a real day out of Costa Maya, an excursion is almost certainly how you get it. Perfect Day Mexico is coming to this stretch of coast, which will change the calculation entirely, but as of our visit you have the village and that is it.

The landscape is flat here, very different from Honduras, which is mountainous. It is closer in feel to Cozumel. And the water, we will say again, cannot be beaten. In water that clear you could reasonably expect turtles, and stingrays are certainly around.

If you are on a short port call like ours, we think walking the village, watching the flyers, and heading back is a completely defensible plan. If you have a full day, book an excursion or plan to spend it at one of the pools with a tab open.

Back Aboard: Chill Island Is the Answer

We got back on and went looking for somewhere to spend the afternoon, which turned into a small lesson in lounger selection.

There are tons of loungers on Star of the Seas, and most of the ones we tried had a problem. Some faced directly into the sun. Most of the ones that did not had nowhere to set a drink, which leaves you holding a glass all afternoon. Some of the shaded spots were genuinely cold, possibly sitting in a wind tunnel.

Where we landed was Chill Island, at the Lime and Coconut frozen edition, and it was the right call. A proper table for drinks, a cushioned pillow, ocean visible on both sides, the big pool right there, a bar with a bar waiter, shady without being cold. Christina crocheted, Tony read his book and did some people watching over at the Swim and Tonic. If you are hunting for a spot on this ship, start there.

The Royal Promenade Parade

Before sail away we went down to the Royal Promenade for the parade, which had an under the sea theme.

The decorations are worth walking the length of the promenade for before it starts. There is a giant pearl inside an enormous clamshell, a yellow submarine down by Sorrento’s, Roman columns, and props set up all the way along, with Atlantis energy throughout. The viewing spots fill up early. Sorrento’s was packed, and we suspect that was more about the chairs than the pizza.

We watched from outside Schooner Bar, across from Boleros and the Pearl. If you want a good vantage point, get there about 25 minutes before it starts.

Dinner at Giovanni’s, and a Surprise

We were genuinely hesitant about Giovanni’s Italian. Jamie’s Italian on the older Royal Caribbean ships was one of the worst rated specialty restaurants we have eaten at, and Giovanni’s occupies a similar slot in our heads.

What changed our minds was Roel, one of the team at Giovanni’s, who approached us a couple of days earlier and talked us into trying it. He had worked at Jamie’s on the Quantum of the Seas, and he told us to give this one a shot.

He was right. Christina had a filet and said it was delicious, as good as she would have expected from Chops Grill. Tony had a seven cheese pizza, which is exactly as heavy as it sounds and was very good. We shared a cheese and meat plate to start, Tony had a Caesar, and Christina had the Giovanni’s house salad, which was the one miss: underdressed and a little dry.

Overall we would recommend Giovanni’s, and we would not have said that going in. We also had the Izumi in the Park takeaway, which was as good as always. We did not try the hibachi or the sit down side.

An Evening in Central Park

Afterwards we sat at the Trellis Bar in Central Park, in a small patio area next to a statue, across from Izumi in the Park and next door to Chops Grill.

Christina ordered a Curaçao Cosmo, which is Malibu rum, blue curaçao, and pineapple juice. Simple, easy, delicious, and pretty. Tony had his old standby.

Central Park at night has turned out to be one of our favorite spaces on any ship. There is a harpist playing down the walkway, a real breeze coming through, and bird sounds that are not real but absolutely sound it. That morning there had been cricket chirps, a rooster crow, and what sounded like geese and ducks flying overhead. It is peaceful in a way we did not expect from a ship carrying 7,600 people, and we would tell anyone to go and sit there.

Our Standing Costa Maya Advice

If Costa Maya is on your itinerary and it is a short call, do not feel any pressure to fill the day. Walk out, look at that water, watch the flyers and tip them, take your ship photos, and go back aboard. That is a legitimate port day.

If you have longer, either book a real excursion or commit to a pool day in the village with food and drinks so the loungers come free. What we would not do is expect the village itself to entertain you for six hours, because it will not.

And if you know what there is to do in Costa Maya that we missed, please tell us in the comments. We asked each other that question out loud on the dock and neither of us had a good answer.