Traveling to Cancun? Right now…..[2021]

Hola Besties,

I just got back from 10 days of traveling to Cancun.

I had to see what it’s really like – after the press had Mexico circling the bowl for a year.

Here is my take after staying at 7 resorts in 10 days.

• The Airports
  • I had a few stops in the US before I got to Cancun< – I was in Spokane/Denver/Salt Lake City/Dallas Ft Worth/Hartford/Phoenix
  • ALL were busy.  And there were very few parking spaces.
  • People are traveling. Guess they don’t have a TV.
• The Flights
  • • So I was on like 7 flights total.  At different times of the day including a red-eye
    • The flights are PACKED.
    • The airlines don’t have lots of planes, extra flights, or open seats lying around.
    • This means that if your plane has a mechanical you are screwed.  It happened to me.
  Related:
  [Jake’s Tips] Flight Interruptions? Don’t Be a Victim…
  • They are VERY serious about wearing your approved mask.  No bandanas or stretchy things you pull up.
  • Bring breath mints.  Being in a mask for 6 hours after Linguini a la garlic is worse than water torture.
  • And download the Airline App for whichever airline you’re on.  It’s a time saver and gives you free stuff like movies.
• Arriving at CUN airport
  • Since Canada and the EU are just starting to drop 747’s full of speedo-stretching man-buns, my arrival was a breeze.
  • Short lines, happy airport staff.   They want tourists.
• Transferring to the Hotel
  • This is where it gets sketchy.
  • Be sure you choose a reputable transfer company.  Think Lomas/USA/Amstar.
  • There are 4 different construction projects that can cause you problemo’s  Here is a link to more info on them  Cancun Road Construction
  • Cabs are hard to find at the airport.  At least that was what I was told when my transfer company did not show up.
• The Hotels
  • The name of this website is ‘Best All-Inclusive’, not Cheap All-Inclusive – so your experience may vary.
  • Every hotel I was at ( Playa del Carmen, Puerto Morales, Hotel Zone & Playa-Costa Mujeres) was very concerned about health and safety.
  • But masks and restrictions are much more relaxed now
  • BTW – get used to using QR codes.  They don’t like to pass out menus or property maps because they don’t want to touch them.
  • Most resorts have their own app, be sure to download it.   It’s the best way to get info without looking like a Luddite.
  • Also, food was good.  Most all restaurants are open every day and room service took longer than usual.  But things are improving day by day.
• Uber, don’t Cab it between hotels
  • Cabs are right at the resort and getting a ride is smooth and expensive.  It cost me $15 to take a cab a bit less than a mile.
  • Cabbies have this little chart with microscopic print that gives you the rates (if you can see them).
  • Uber works great for about 25% of the price, but they cannot come on the property.  You have to meet them outside the gates.
• Return transfer to the CUN Airport
  • • Make sure you reconfirm your transfers back to the airport.
    • As I said, transfers were the only sketchy part of my trip.
  Related:
  [Tip #5] – Airport Transfers – Don’t get taken for a ride
• Leaving Cancun Airport
  • Ok….this is where it gets weird
  • There are 2 things they want you to do.  Pay a VisitTax and fill out a ‘Questionaire of Certification of Risk Factors in Travelers’
  • No, I am not day drinking….that is what they call the questionnaire.
  • Here are the online forms will need to fill out:
    Related:
    [UPDATE] Total Confusion over New Quintana Roo Tourist Tax
    • So that is what I did and no one asked me for anything or bugged me about it.  Your experience may vary.
    • The next is the Questionnaire of blah, blah ,blah.   You can scan a QR code and fill it out online – or they give you a small piece of paper with .0001 font that no one could read
    • It asks you if you have been in contact with farm animals, and for your airline and flight number.  I filled that out but no one asked me for it.
  • So…..when I got to the person who checks passports/boarding passes etc before you get strip-searched, I slid right through.
  • BTW…at the Cancun airport, you don’t have to take your shoes off.  Just in case you are wearing any after draining your minibar before leaving.
• The flight back to the US
  • Uneventful this time.   Having flown on American, United, Southwest, and Delta……I found the Southwest and Delta flight attendants were the happiest.
  • Not that it is important since everyone wears a mask and is lubed up with GermX.
  • Tip for blowing through Customs ……get the Mobile Passport app.  It’s free and you have a special line at Customs.  I found it to be faster than the Global Passport that costs $85.

So, that’s how it looked from the Back Seat.

I can tell you people are traveling (to Cancun and elsewhere!) like crazy.

There are some scorching deals out there.

5 star resorts going for prices that I have never seen before – and the resort staff are so happy to be working again.

Hope this info helps.

Saludos mi travelito’s

~~Jake

P.S.  I have to give a shout out to Check PricesMajestic Costa Mujeres.  Costa Mujeres is the new hot spot.  No seaweed that I saw and the beach is the best in Quintana Roo.  You can walk for miles on firm, flat, white sand.   They are building a ton of new resorts out there (Riu has 3).  You will begin to hear about it if you haven’t already.  Way better than Akumal or Tulum IMHO.

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