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Stacy
Trip Date 12/12/2017 Posted On 05/02/2018 17:36:46 |
Destinations | Cruises | Walking | Cozumel | Mexico | Liberty of the Seas | Shopping | International Pier
Because of the previously announced changes to our itinerary (delayed departure from the Port of Galveston and cancellation of our Grand Cayman port of call), our port hours in Cozumel, Mexico were changed from 7:00 AM - 4:00 PM to 9:30 AM - midnight. With the elimination of our Grand Cayman snorkeling excursion, we decided to book an excursion through Royal Caribbean for our extended day in Cozumel, and after reviewing our options, we settled on the four hour Starfish Sanctuary & Palancar Reef Snorkel which had a planned 10:45 AM meeting time and 11:00 AM departure time. Although I thought that we were finished receiving disappointing news during this cruise, the red flashing light on our phone called our attention to an 8:13 AM voice mail message informing us that our recently booked excursion had also been cancelled due to the water and weather conditions. Oh well, snorkeling on this trip was just not meant to be! We passed on the option to book a replacement excursion and opted to just roam around the shops in the port area keeping an eye out for possible Christmas or birthday gifts.
If your Western Caribbean cruise docks at the International Pier in Cozumel, and you are up for some surfing (the internet kind) and maybe a little shopping or drinking or snacking, you can get off the ship and spend as little (or as much) of your time and money as you would like.
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International Pier Mall
Upon disembarking our ship, we wondered if our decision was a bad one due to crowds since we were greeted with the view of three Carnival cruise ships in addition to the two Royal Caribbean ships also docked.We walked toward the International Pier security exit and, let me just say, "let the selling begin".
Almost immediately we were approached by vendors urging us to "come in and just take a look" or "come see the best deals" and informing us of "free tequila tasting" and "the best prices", etc., etc., etc. Although we were in Cozumel just over a month ago, we did not make it to this shopping mall as we were docked at the Punta Langosta Pier (with a dedicated shopping area) on our last visit. Other than the constant and bothersome begging for business, the International Pier Mall was large enough to accommodate the passengers from the two Royal Caribbean ships without feeling overly crowded (the three Carnival ships docked at Puerta Maya had yet another separate dedicated shopping area). The mall had a large variety of shops selling traditional souvenirs, clothing, accessories (including shoes, hats and hand bags), Mexican vanilla, liquor and jewelry in addition to a drug store, snack shop, Margaritaville restaurant and restrooms ... oh, and free internet too!
The mall was adorned with various statues and, for the holiday season, a Christmas tree.
There were several "palapas" (tiki huts) housing shaded benches for taking a relaxing break amidst all the shopping.
Walking back toward the security entrance to the pier following several hours of shopping, we had a great view of our ship and realized how large she was as compared to her sister ship, the Royal Caribbean Vision of the Seas.
After people watching from the benches between the two ships, we retreated back to our cabin to rid ourselves of our single shopping treasure and begin our search for lunch - after all, it had been over four hours since our last meal!
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Falmouth, Jamaica
If your Western Caribbean cruise includes a port of call in Falmouth, Jamaica and you are interested in some bargains, check out our post titled "A Pleasant (albeit Rainy) Day in Falmouth, Jamaica" for some ideas for your day.Cozumel, Mexico
What's your favorite way to spend a day in Cozumel?
Total Fitbit steps today: 11,390
Weather:77F Mostly Cloudy
International Cruise Terminal, Cozumel, QROO, M'xico
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