jmann2380

Hey all,

My wife and I and our 7 month old will be heading to Belmond Maroma at the end of the month and are trying to coordinate transfers and such with the hotel. Belmond quoted us $170 each way for SUV transport w/ a child seat, which I though included a M&G and Fast Track. Upon inquiring it does not and they quoted an additional $320 for this service, which is wayyyy higher than I have paid for it anywhere else. Normally I would totally blow this off due to the cost, however it's our first vacation with our baby and I want it to go smooth.

My question is, I haven't been able to find a single review about this service at Cancun airport. Furthermore I found an 8 page thread on TA that says this service does not exist at this airport and all the sites advertising it are trying to sell a bill of goods they cannot deliver.

Anyone have any experience?

Thanks,
Josh

mike_la_jolla

https://www.entertainment-plus.net/affiliate_1082Yep. Been there done that but not with an infant.

- The price the hotel quoted is absurd.
- You really don't need fast track and it may not exist. Customs isn't too bad at Cancun -- maybe 30 minutes max?
- You cannot get a taxi at CUN. Don't even try. The corruption there is *extreme*.
- I use USA Transfers. The quoted price is $80 for the round trip to/from Belmond Maroma and they have an option for an infant car seat. Make sure to bring $USA cash. I'd tip $5-10 each way.
- If you're flying SWA allow for some extra time on the return. It can be chaos at the check-in counter, even for A-List.

A4K

I have used USA Transfers as well and have had good experiences, but I do not believe you can request an SUV, I have always ended up in more of a van and it doesn't seem like they have an option for a luxury vehicle. Not saying there is anything wrong with the van, just don't expect a luxury car. I agree $170 is ridiculous, they probably add tax + service to that as well so all in you are talking over $200 one way.

When are you arriving CUN? Lines at immigration and customs can be quite long and wild depending on the time of day, especially on certain days and in afternoon when some of the Europe arrivals come in. I am not sure if the fast track service exists, I have never been offered it by any hotel in the Cancun area as an option, including Rosewood, Banyan Tree and Belmond.

jmann2380

We are arriving at CUN at 8:45am on a Saturday morning via United F. We depart the following Saturday morning at 9:40am. I'm just nervous with a 7 month old and reading lots of posts on the internet about 3 hour immigration lines!

I would assume if Belmond is offering the Fast Track service, then it does exist? I just haven't found a single first hand account.

I also know the transfer price is outrageous, however with needing a car seat, I'd rather use the hotel. If something goes wrong they can make it right much faster than I can.

A4K

Mods might want to move this to the Cancun forum. All I can say from experience is at 8:45am even on a Saturday you should have no issues with immigration and customs lines, very few flights arrive terminal 3 that early in the morning. It is the afternoon when things can get a little crazy there. Departure that early in the morning as well will mean a fairly empty terminal 3, most flights depart late morning and afternoon as very few overnight in CUN.

I have no experience with even being offered fast track by the luxury properties in the area and it doesn't sound like anyone else does either, so if you choose the fast track I guess you will have to be the guinea pig and report back!

jmann2380

Thanks, appreciate the insight. Mods can move if they want, I wasn't sure if the regular Cancun board would be as knowledgable on the Fast Track services as this one.

luxtrvlwrks

The service does exist, but I have not used it.

Rosewood Mayakoba is the first hotel that will be offering VIP arrival service to all of their guests, up to four people for $150 total. Perhaps this will help lead the way to lower costs for the service in general, and open it up to more companies offering it.

I agree with others that you should be fine with an 8:45 AM arrival time, but if you are late it could be an issue. April 20 is school vacation week for NYC and BOS public schools. I am not sure about April 27.

Definitely use the Belmond transfer service at a minimum since you will need an early check-in.

jmann2380

Thank you, good to know. $150 is definitely more reasonable than what Belmond is offering. I'm inclined to pay anyway just to ensure a smooth trip. In the grand scheme of things, it's not a huge additional cost. We will definitely be using the Belmond transfer especially considering the early check-in requirement, good point.

RichardInSF

Off to the Mexico forum to see if those folks can add more knowledge.

RichardInSF, moderator, luxury hotels and travel

Orange County Commuter

Why are you stuck on using the Belmond Transfer Service? Seems incredibly high compared to other reliable services. I use Canada Transfers and for a deluxe SUV they want $173 round trip (If you go by van it's much cheaper).

Not sure why the hotel is a better option since they generally have just subcontracted with another provider and marked it WAY up!

currid7

Another tip to look is using Chase points (or even better CNB) through their portal. Prices were reasonable and if you're UR-rich and looking to cut costs, it can be useful. We've done it for PVR, CUN, and SJD.

Valeria Padalka

Hey Josh!

I know this is probably been discussed ad nauseum, however, I saw an article on The Points Guy website where the writer used a Fast Track Service from Universal Sky VIP. The article states that the writer arrived midday on Friday, not sure if thats your case. Service was $200 per person and $75 each additional, kids i believe 50 or free.

There is article on Points Guy if you want to read it. Hope someone finds it useful, I have not used them yet, cus I am flying solo but having kids ot hips of luggage would be different case.