Note: I am sailing on a 5-day Mexico cruise aboard Carnival’s oldest ship – Carnival Ecstasy, a trip that costs only $14 per day in cruise fare. Each day I cover the experience, giving you an inside look at what it’s like to navigate this journey.
You can view other days here:
This morning welcomed the second – and last – port on this 5-day cruise, when the ship docked in Progreso. (It also marked the “towel animal” invasion of the pool deck, if you’re into that, though it certainly looked a lot less than usual.)
This has been a day I have been looking forward to since I booked this cruise. In addition to booking the cruise itself, I also booked a special excursion. In fact, the excursion cost more than the cruise fare I paid!
This excursion was officially called “Underground Caverns & Shaman Ceremony” and if I remember correctly, it cost 85 dollars per person. The walk takes you from Progreso to swim in two cenotes (pronounced “see-no-tays”).
Cenotes are basically freshwater sinkholes that cover the Yucatan. They contain crystal clear water that is often connected to other cenotes via underground caves. It’s a unique thing to experience and something you can’t do anywhere else but here.
In addition, the trip also featured a traditional “shaman” ceremony to ask the gods for permission to swim (what happens if they say “no” today?!) and a local-style lunch.
I’ve swum in a cenote before, but it’s been over a decade. Needless to say, I was excited.
As the ship docked, a group of about 20 of us piled into the waiting bus and headed down the four-mile-long pier that leads to the town of Progreso.
Normally, a bus ride is just a must between getting from Point A to Point B. And most of this trip was just that as we hit the highway with the tour guide telling us about what was in store for the day .
However, there were also some interesting pictures that caught the eye. First, the bus headed to Merida, which is a large city in the Yucatan. It’s big and modern, complete with many of the American stores and restaurants you know—Office Depot, Walmart, Church’s Chicken. There are also major car dealerships for every car you can imagine, including Mercedes-Benz, Toyota and Kia.
But then we started to get a little off the beaten path. We passed through small towns like Acanceh, and the cenotes were just outside a small town called Cuzama. These towns were small and despite being only 30-45 minutes from Merida, they were a world away.
Small dogs roam the streets. Churches dominate the town squares. Small, family-run bodegas dot corners selling food and drink, and there are even small meat markets that hang fresh cuts in the open air. It’s definitely not Merida, with the Mercedes-Benz dealership.
I hadn’t expected it, but the trip was an interesting look at the “real” Mexico outside of the tourist areas… and even the stark differences between urban towns and rural towns that are only minutes apart.
In total, the trip took about two hours before we arrived. From there, we were each given a life jacket and snorkel gear for the day.
Now, reading the reviews, I saw that many people mentioned riding a bike from the main building to the cenote, which is about a quarter of a mile away. Today was not like that. Instead, there were several railroad-type carriages on small tracks that went down the street and around the corner.
We loaded eight people into a cart and then each was hitched to a horse. The driver then gave the order and the horse started walking down the track, easily pulling the cart. I have to say, it’s the first time I’ve ever ridden a horse-drawn railway car.
The first cenote we reached was called Chacsinkin (don’t even ask me how to pronounce it). But before we entered, a small ceremony was held under an arched tree. There, the shaman burned incense, spoke both in his native Mayan language and in Spanish, thanking the gods and asking them to protect us. At some point he blew into a snail shell that had turned into a horn.
To be honest, it felt a bit strange as it felt a bit like a show put on just for tourists rather than a legitimate ceremony. However, when in Rome.
From there, it was time to take our first look at the cenote. This particular place has a hole in the ground that is about 15-20 meters wide. Go down the wooden steps and the cave is basically shaped like a bell. And at the base – about four stories down – is the most beautiful clear water you’ve ever seen.
To get into the water, you can choose to walk down some stairs that go down into the blue or jump off. I’m not a fan of cold water and I know the best way to get used to it is to just dive right in. get over the initial shock, it was quite refreshing.
It’s hard to describe what it’s like to swim in a cenote like this. The water is beautiful, the area is enclosed and the only light comes from the hole in the ceiling. It’s something 100% unique and really makes you appreciate the things Mother Nature can do.
We swam for 30-40 minutes and then entered a second cenote. At this point, it was only a 2-3 minute walk to the next swimming hole. In this case, a massive staircase was carved out of the rock, leading down to the water’s edge. A short walk through a carved tunnel opened into the cave.
This time it’s not so much an enclosed cave as an opening, complete with a large tree balanced on the edge with roots reaching down into the water. This spot was deeper than the first, with our guide telling us it was 80-100 feet deep. As a result, the water looked a little darker, but still absolutely clear.
After another swim session, it was time to get back on the horse-drawn carriages back to the main building, where the restaurant was located.
Lunch was included in the excursion and thankfully it wasn’t some hot dog and hamburger buffet like you see on many excursions. Instead, there were some fresh, locally made tacos, as well as a Mayan-style empanada. It was extremely good and full of flavor; by far my favorite meal of the entire cruise.
After lunch, it was time to get back on the bus for the long journey back to the ship. We arrived just a few minutes before we were due to board, and with a walk through the port “gacha” of vendors trying to get us to buy something at the last minute, it was back on board.
As the ship left the harbor, a wall of dark clouds rose from the south. No doubt we left just in time to avoid a massive storm.
Interesting observations
- This was the first Thursday of the college football season. Returning to the ship after a day in port, I was disappointed that no game seemed to be showing anywhere. There is no sports bar. Cabin TVs don’t have games and TVs around the ship show tennis and baseball. For a ship sailing from Alabama, it just feels wrong.
- I think for a ship of this size (and age), a three or four day cruise is ideal. This cruise is for five days and tomorrow is a day at sea. I’ll be honest – I’m not sure how I’m going to get through the day. There’s not much to do outside of the casino, hang out by the pool or have a drink. It’s not the worst way to spend the day, but I definitely like being more active on cruises. Let’s see what the day will bring.
Tomorrow the ship is at sea.
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