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I will note that you do not have to drag your luggage from CUN to Cozumel. Most of the distance it is carried on the bus or ferry. As such, the extra hauling of luggage by you is minimal.
Ha! You don't know my van guy. I remember last time saying, we are never gonna make the next ferry and he said, 'you want to make it?' Buckle up and go. We passed everyone and we made it.
That's not to say the bus and ferry is unpleasant. It's not. I sort of like doing it on the way to the island.
I just hate getting back to Cancún in time for a flight and dealing with the departures process there. On the island, we go to breakfast then head to the airport to check in when the lines are short to non-existent and check any suitcases if we have any, then back to the house to lounge with a beer in the pool.* We get back to the airport an hour before departure time and only have to go through security. That gives me several hours more to enjoy the island than if I were to go through CUN.
I agree with ggunn that getting from CUN to the island takes about 2-3 hours. My record is 2 hours from wheels-down to collapsing on the couch, but that took epic timing and I go with just a messenger bag and no checked luggage. ....... and I don't live cvchief's jet-setting lifestyle with the MAYAir thing.
I do know your van guy now, and I can believe that..
You know my van guy is awesome. Last time I brought a wash down pump for a friend on the Island. Aduana tagged me to pay duty on it. No problem. Just went to the window and paid. VERY easy. However in the process of preparing reciepts, Aduana laid my passport to the side and I left without it. Of course I realized it outside.
So began the fight with the contract security guard who would not let me back in. I couldn't get him to call the Federal Police for nothing. After about 45-60 minutes of using an outside phone to call Aduana and fooling with the security guard (that is the really short version. The long version is PAINFULLY long), my van guy said 'what's the problem?" I told him and he was on that security guard like a K9. He verbally beat him until he finally agreed to call someone from the airport. Of course the ASUR guy said, "well just go get it." Anyway, that trip was no where near 2 hours. Point being my van guy handles all sorts of issues....
What I said above notwithstanding, that can happen at the CZM airport as well, though fortunately it's not as common. A few years ago our flight arrived third in a group of four and they only had two kiosks working. My mom who had arrived on another flight an hour and a half before us was still in line. We stood in line at CZM Immigration significantly longer than it took to get there from HOU. They wouldn't even serve us beer!I like it. That being said, I have learned DO NOT save a few dollars and arrive in Cancun later in the afternoon. Apparently the entire world arrives in the afternoon. Last trip we couldn't get a jetway and deplaned on the tarmac and used a bus. Then I think they literally drove the bus around a little bit before coming back to near where we stared and dumped us in a line of 5 million waiting for immigration. That sort of sucked. Earlier in the day is much much better.
What is the earliest you can safely make a flight out of Cancun? What's the latest arrival time in Cancun you can typically have and still catch the ferry to Cozumel?