Fortunately, the cruise ship ports in Mexico bear little resemblance to the border towns. Cancun and Cozumel are both quite modern and definitely oriented to their tourist industry. On both our cruises we participated in the 4X4 Caverns & Beach Exploration (CNC-096), and we’ve been delighted each time. Government regulations are becoming more stringent, even in Mexico, but we were still able to swim in the cave lake. Driving your own jeep definitely adds to the fun! The beach café where we were served lunch was very nice, and the food was good, too. The beach left something to be desired because the bottom of the bay is covered with grass. This isn’t pleasant to walk in. The water stays quite shallow for quite a distance from the shore. This is not a good location for snorkeling. The guides on this excursion are consummate actors and quite fun. For $4 more than the Belize excursion, it was a far better value for me. (Be prepared for a LOT of jeep driving in a standard transmission vehicle.)