The beautiful Yucatan Peninsula attracts cruise ships from all over the world. Cruises to Cancun Mexico from Florida and the U.S Gulf Coast regularly head to the region with most traveling further south down the Mayan Riviera on towards Belize. Typically, ships heading for Cancun arrive just south of the destination at the port of Calica. From there, Cancun is around an hour away by taxi shuttle to the north.

A popular destination for many reasons, the real popularity of Cancun cruises is the draw of 14 miles of immaculate white sandy beaches. In Cancun itself, the beaches are numerous and divided into two separate northern and eastern stretches. The northern serves swimmers, snorkelers and divers with calmer waters protected by the Isla Mujeres. The eastern beaches of Cancun are more reminiscent of the U.S Gulf Coast with bigger swells and an even bigger popularity among visitors. For Cancun cruises arriving at the port of Calica, just south of Cancun, visitors are closer to the striking beaches of Playa del Carmen and Cozumel.

Cruises to Cancun Mexico often involve separate cruises from Cancun itself to the low lying island of Isla Mujeres. Traditionally an island built around the fishing industry, it now serves as a major port of call for people day tripping from Cancun. Activities on the island include snorkeling, scuba diving and good sea fishing. Crossing times to the island via ferry is approximately 25 minutes. The ferry runs every 30 minutes from the dock at Puerto Juarez or Gran Puerto. Day trip cruises From Cancun are also served from the hotel zone but tend to be more expensive.

Cruises from Cancun also serve destinations further south along the stunning Mayan Riviera coastline of eastern Mexico. Most operators run trips to the ancient Mayan ruins at Tulum and to the hub of water sports activity and ecological centre at Xcaret. Visiting the coastline from Cancun lends itself to plenty of opportunities for exploring stunning bays, outlying coral reef and local fishing communities.

There is a chain of shallow coast hugging reefs, deep coral walls and coral reef gardens that stretch from Tulum and the island of Cozumel all the way down to Xcalak. Packed with sea turtles and hundreds of species of fish, each site offers a different diving experience.

To discover your perfect beach along the Mayan Riviera head to Paamul, also a great spot for snorkeling. Most central to the Mayan Riviera is Playa Akumal. Offering perfect natural beaches and great swimming it is also famed for diving and snorkeling. Akumal also boasts an Ecological Centre. At beaches along Soliman Bay and Tankah Bay the rolling surf is broken up by an outlying reef making the waters better for swimming. At Soliman Bay the white beach is lined with palm trees and coconut groves.

The beaches along the Mayan Riviera are a lot less crowded and more community orientated. Visiting the pure and immaculate beaches along this coastline is time well spent as they undoubtedly posses many of the best Mexican beaches to be found anywhere. Beach side accommodation options range from personal villas to all-inclusive luxury resorts.

You can visit the region as part of a Cancun cruise incorporating parts of the Mayan Riviera as day trips or visit longer as part of a larger Caribbean cruise. Excursions from Cancun to explore the best of the Mayan Riviera are generally by land in a private hire vehicle and with a guide should you wish.

Many cruise companies operate Cancun Cruises incorporating the best of the eastern Mexico region. Cruises tend to be between 3-7 days long. However, a few longer duration cruises do operate for 14 days. These tend to be part of a larger itinerary. Most prominent are Carnival, Holland America, Princess, Norwegian and Royal Caribbean. Served by so many cruise operators, competition between them is high. This serves tourists well as cheap cruises to Cancun are easier to come by.