Cozumel, a well known island in Mexico. Mostly known for showcasing its crystal clear waters, white sand beaches and all around relaxing vibes; it is no wonder that this is a dream destination for a lot of tourists traveling to Mexico. Luckily, there are a few options for getting to this island! I will briefly mention the top there here:
Small Plane
- This is the most expensive option but also the quickest. It can also be a little harder to coordinate depending on what flights and times are available.
Catamaran Snorkeling Tour
- This is the medium priced option, can be fun but also puts you on a time limit. These Catamaran tours are day trips so you only get a couple hours on the island. If you want to explore the ocean, snorkel and just relax on the beach for a little bit this is a great option. It's like a party boat, and you can get it private with just your friends for extra cash. If you want to stay for a whole day or night this is not your best option.
- *Note that I think these are more readily available for Isla Mujeres than Cozumel because Cozumel is a bit farther out.
Ferry
- By far the most affordable option of the three, and the most flexible. Ferries run every hour and there are two different ferries to choose from. The orange ferry (the Winjet) or the yellow ferry (the UltraMar).
In this post we will specifically focusing on the two types of ferries offered and what you get for each of them. My boyfriend and I experienced both and are going to give a review of our experience to help you select the best method of transportation for your next trip! Let's do this!
The Orange Ferry: WinJet
The WinJet! Our first ferry experience in Mexico was on this ferry! We took this ferry over to the island of Cozumel for our overnight stay, and here is what we think you need to know:
Cost: We paid about 10 USD a person for a one way ride to Cozumel, which honestly we didn't think was that bad. Like previously stated, it is by far the cheapest option out of your three methods of transportation to get from the mainland to one of the islands.
Crowds: This baby was PACKED! We arrived about 20 minutes prior to when our ferry was about to leave, and although we made it on the boat in plenty of time the seating situation was pretty intense. The line to get onto the boat was very long and by the time we got on there, there were only a few seats available. Everyone was packed in like sardines, and some people were standing. I think some of this could have been avoided had we arrived early, if you were one of the first people in line you would probably have more options and get to select where you wish to be seated. But for us, it was a bit of a claustrophobic experience.
Ferry Size: The ferry size was adequate, but it is the smaller of the two so you feel the roughness of the sea more than you would on a bigger ferry. I do have to keep in mind, that I was seated on the lower level, so that could play a factor as well. However, I am not someone who usually gets motion sickness or sea sickness, and on this ride I felt very nauseous the entire time. If you are someone who does get this way regularly, I recommend coming nice and early so you can sit as high up as possible. *Note that they do have puke bags if you need them.
Offers: While we were on board they did offer snacks and beverages. Those pringles were a lifesaver when it came to my nausea! But other than that we didn't notice anything specific. In addition, we did not hear of any seat upgrade or class upgrade options. They may be available but none were made known to us on our journey.
Rating: 3.5/5 : It got the job done! It got us from Playa del Carmen to Cozumel at an affordable price. The journey took about an hour, and we felt safe on the trip. The down sides were that it was so packed, that it was a little small so I felt the waves and it made me seasick. I am curious to know how many areas of this would be different if we had arrived even earlier.
The Yellow Ferry: UltraMar
The UltraMar! Yes I know, it looks tiny in the picture, but I swear this ferry is even bigger than the WinJet! It just so happens that where we had to wait in line, this is the best shot of it that I got. This was our second experience of ferry on our Mexico journey. I was really dreading the trip back to Playa del Carmen, because I was fearful of becoming seasick again. We had heard that the UltraMar offered upgraded first class seating, (more on that down below), and we were hopeful that maybe if I got to choose where I sat, we could mitigate any seasick symptoms that could arise. So let's get into to our experience on the UltraMar!
Cost: The prices between the Winjet and UltraMar are very similar, if not exactly the same. If you are trying to select a cost effective way to get to Cozumel, and that is your only concern, either ferry is a fine option.
Crowds: Wow what a difference! Let me begin by saying maybe there were factors that influenced this. Maybe it was less people because we were on Cozumel, a smaller island, versus Playa del Carmen. Maybe the time of day in which we were leaving was not popular (we left the island around 3 pm), maybe it was the day we were traveling (we were leaving the island on a Sunday). Or maybe it was that we upgraded to first class and there was more space. Regardless of the reasons, the crowds were far less during this experience. Both in the line and on the actually ferry. Like I said, we had upgraded to first class, so there was plenty of seating there, but I did talk a walk around the non first class cabin and honestly the seating was still nice in there. The seats were bigger, comfier, and a little more spaced out so you felt way less claustrophobic than on the Winjet.
Ferry Size: As previously stated, this ferry is the bigger of the two. I don't know if you can tell from the image above, but it has a top deck that is completely outside, as well as the interior decks indoors. It is spacious, and it's bigger size made it a much smoother ride, where that hour felt a lot more like 25 minutes.
Offers: This ferry, just as the Winjet did, offers snacks and drink services. It also offered cocktails, at least in first class. Speaking of first class, IT OFFERS FIRST CLASS. Now I know what you're thinking..."Steph, I am not that boujee...I do not need a first class ferry ticket for an hour ride". But HEAR ME OUT! It only cost us 5 USD to upgrade. Yes you heard that correct only 5 dollars to be considered first class. You let me know where you will find a cheaper upgrade. Not to mention that it is so worth it. The seats were huge, spaced out, comfortable, some had tables. A lot of them had charging ports. There were TVs, air conditioning, music and a waiter who came and brought us our drinks. Because yes I needed a lemon margarita in first class. *Note that you have to pay for the drinks, they are not included in the upgrade. Also, the first class seating has an indoor and outdoor option right on the front of the boat, so you can choose to sit wherever makes you more comfortable, and yes the waiters do go to the outside section as well. Also, you even have your own separate line while waiting for the ferry, so you are around less people and have less wait time from the get go! One last thing, they also offer something called open ticket. That means that your ticket is valid for six months in any day or time of the same route purchased. So let's say you miss your ferry, or you decide to stay an extra couple of days. You don't need to buy another ticket, you can use the one you previously bought and have not used yet! *I am unaware if WinJet offers the same!
Rating: 5/5: Honestly I don't think they could have made the journey more pleasurable. It was comfortable, quick, and affordable. I couldn't ask anything more of my transportation.
So there you have it! Cozumel's two ferry options in a nutshell! Good luck and enjoy your trip! When you go let me know which one you chose and how your experience went!
Until next time,
Steph
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