Just booked 1st trip to Coz --- need advice on the "bag drag" from/to Cancun

[VicScubaVentures]

Scuba Club Cozumel won the hunt for a place to go for my first Coz experience.
I'll be going over the 1st week of July, 2013.

Airline tix to Cancun are much cheaper (save $400 r/t), and I'd rather spend the money on vacation than on airfare.
Getting to Coz isn't a problem ... I've literally got all day to get there and I'm quite familiar with busses and ferries so they don't scare me.
Getting back to Cancun for the flight home is where the time pressure hits and my anxiety levels increase - I'm familiar with busses and ferries, so the thought of relying on either / both to get me somewhere by a specfic time (or bad things happen) isn't a pleasant thought.

If I book a flight leaving CUN between 12 and 1pm on a Saturday, when would I have to leave CZM (by ferry) to get to Cancun airport with enough time to make a plane?
I'm afraid the answer to my question may well be, "Friday night."

Other option is to fly one-way to Cancun and save the bucks, then fly one way home direct from Cozumel ...but... if I don't want to overnight in Houston, connection times are 1.5 hours and I'm not sure that's enough time to clear customs / immigration _and_ find my way to the connecting flight.

Anyone with experience or advice ???

Thanks,
C.

 

[Ron Lee]

Check current schedules here

www.tinyurl.com/7m3r6

I would be at CUN about 900 AM. That means a bus at 700-800 AM or so and a ferry at 600 AM.

Another option is to overnight near the airport like the Courtyard Marriott.

 

[MMM]

My brother sometimes flies into Cancun and often, on the way back, spends his last night in Playa del Carmen for a slightly easier morning. Lots of fairly inexpensive hotels there.

 

[BettyfromToronto]

Good choice on SCC. It's our 2nd home. Going in 3 weeks for the third time this year. You're gonna love it.

 

[jplant]

Take the early mayair flight from coz to cun. Can't remember the time but check their website. 20 min flite, last yr about 70 bucks. You can book online. They shuttle you from domestic to intl terminal inCUN.

 

[cvchief]

Do what we do: Use a van to get to the ferry going down and take Mayair back. We took the 1100 Mayair, landed at 1120 checked in, rushed through the airport, bought a couple of bottles of Xtabentun (at the downstairs store with all the lines too), got a sandwich from Johnny Rockets and got on the plane home at 1300. It was a rush, but doable. If you want plenty of time, take the 9 am Mayair. (Negotiate Mayair tickets on chat for a better than rack rate deal...)

Of course I am a devotee of the Church of "NEVER EVER leave La Isla to the LAST possible moment and have dates picked for the next trip." (Orthodox sect....)

 

[Budgirl]

I would leave on the 7 am ferry (check the schedules) you will probably make it to the airport by 10:00 am which should give you plenty of time. Worst case is you have to wait too long for the bus and end up paying for a taxi (I think they run around $40). I wouldnt panic though, we have done it several times with no issues. You could also check out flying from Cozumel to Cancun via Maya Air ($58/each way) - still cheaper than returning from Cozumel thru Houston.

The bag drag is pretty simple...the toughest part is getting thru the maze of timeshare sharks before you finally make it to the bus - you will be saying a lot of "no gracias"!

 

[VicScubaVentures]

So a follow up question about Maya air .... looks like they have a 44# baggage restriction. My camera gear, dive gear, and clothes for a week are much closer to 80# (give or take 20%). How realistic is it to take the puddle-jumper flight with an over-size and over-weight duffel bag (I don't travel with a "suitcase" - all my dive gear and clothes go into a very large soft-sided bag -- think hockey gear bag), a small backpack and an over-the-shoulder duffel. At $3/lb over 44#, I could easily rack up $100 in baggage fees. Otherwise, Maya sounds like a good possibility.

 

[cvchief]

I would go on the site and chat with them. If you get a discounted seat, maybe worst comes to worse, you could buy a second seat?

 

[mjatkins]

I take the United flight out of Cancun at noon on a very regular basis (2 -3 times per month lately) and I am a fan of Mayair if I'm only taking carry on. If you are over weight with your luggage it can get very expensive. There isn't an 8am ferry, and the 9am doesn't get you in to the airport in time. I end up on the 7 am ferry for that flight, and just resign myself to a couple of hours sitting at Bubba Gump's in the airport. I woould also advise you to show up at the ferry a little early, and buy your bus ticket from the ADO stand that is on the Cozumel ferry pier. I have found it to be very helpful, since a few times they have sold out the next bus while I was on the ferry.