Cozumel pirate ship dinner cruise

What the evening is

The Cozumel pirate ship cruise is an evening aboard a replica of a 17th-century Spanish galleon, run by the operator Barco Pirata Cozumel. It lasts about 3.5 hours. A pirate crew stages a show with stories and sword fights, serves dinner, runs games with prizes and hands the deck to a live DJ. The operator calls it the first pirate show and dinner tour in Cozumel and says it has run for more than 20 years. Treat that as the operator's own claim. What you can rely on is the format: one ticket, one ship and one night with the main parts built in. Guests also come across from Playa del Carmen by ferry, and the operator returns them to the pier for the ferry back.

What the ticket includes

These are the parts of the night that the standard ticket covers. Read the full list on the booking page before you compare this cruise with another Cozumel evening, because the open bar and the dinner are part of the ticket, not add-ons. The order of the evening is the crew's call on the night, so do not plan around a fixed running order. The ticket also lets one infant board free with a paying adult. Because everything sits on one ticket, you book one date and one start time, and you do not juggle separate reservations for dinner, show and drinks.

• Dinner, with two dinner options
• A premium open bar
• An interactive pirate show with sword fights
• Games and prizes
• A live DJ with party music and lights, and reception entertainment

What costs extra

Four things sit outside the standard ticket. Tips are not included. Transportation is not included, so you arrange your own way to the pier. A dock surcharge is paid in cash on the day, in US dollars, and the booking page states the amount. The Deluxe Open Bar is an upgrade, not part of the standard ticket. A pirate shop sells souvenirs if you want one. Plan for these extras before the night, and keep a little cash in your pocket for the surcharge, so nothing surprises you at the pier. When you compare this cruise with another evening, add those extras to the fare, and decide in advance whether you want the deluxe bar or a souvenir.

Premium or Deluxe open bar

Every ticket includes a premium open bar. The Deluxe Open Bar is an upgrade that raises the drinks to premium bottles, including champagne. It makes sense if you want a particular spirit or a champagne toast on the night. If you drink beer or cocktails, or nothing at all, the standard bar covers you. One guest who bought the basic ticket wrote that the crew would not let you run out of drinks, and another noted that non-alcoholic drinks were served as well. Guests must be 18 to drink alcohol, so a family group can enjoy the night without the bar.

The dinner

Dinner is served on board. The operator calls the cruise a pirate show and dinner tour and describes the meal as a gourmet dinner, and the ticket lists two dinner options. Guests in the reviews praise the food, and one said it was the highlight of their trip. Menus change, so this guide names no dishes. The booking page shows the two options and how to choose yours. If you have dietary needs, raise them with the operator through your booking rather than assuming the kitchen already knows. Treat the meal as part of the evening and not a separate restaurant booking, because it is served on the ship as part of the same ticket.

The show and the crew

The interactive pirate show runs on stories, sword fights, games and dances. The word to notice is interactive. The crew pulls guests into the action, and reviewers describe a funny crew that makes everyone comfortable joining in. The ticket lists games and prizes alongside the show, and the DJ and the lights belong to the same evening, so you are not stuck in a seat watching a stage. If the sword fights make you curious about the real weapons and flags behind the costume, the guide to cutlasses and the Jolly Roger covers them.

Read next: Cutlasses and the Jolly Roger

What guests say

The cruise holds a 4.8 rating from 171 reviews at the time of writing. Guests also rate the guide 4.9 and value for money 4.7 out of 5. Reviewers praise a funny, welcoming crew, good food and an evening in which everyone joins in. Some call it the highlight of their trip, and others did the cruise a second time or planned to come back. One reviewer called it pricey but worth it. One reviewer who normally gets seasick wrote that they did not feel nauseous, which is one guest's account and not a promise. Read these as guest impressions, not guarantees, because the crew, the menu and the programme can change from night to night.

How it compares with other Cozumel nights

Cozumel offers other ways to spend an evening. A separate operator sells a lucha libre show of about two hours at the Barriecito venue, with a welcome margarita and a shared arena. The main plaza in San Miguel has a fixed stage where locals and visitors gather for music and dancing on Sunday evenings, and the town has many restaurants, bars and outdoor stages. The pirate ship is the one that puts show, dinner and drinks on a single ticket and takes them out on the water. Scuba diving, snorkelling and charter fishing are the island's other main draws, but those are daytime activities, and the evening is where the pirate ship fits.

Read next: Cozumel after dark: what else to do

Families and groups

One infant boards free with a paying adult, and any additional infant needs a children's ticket. Wheelchair access is listed for this ticket. Reviews describe a group of nine that included children, and a family that brought a three-year-old and a twelve-year-old and called it the highlight of their trip. The host or greeter speaks Spanish and English, so mixed-language groups are covered. For a large party, book together so that everyone is on the same date and the same sailing. The evening includes a DJ, lights and dancing, so plan for younger children to be up late.

Booking, dates and weather

Select a day in the calendar to see its start time and ticket options. Reserving costs nothing at first, and cancelling at least 24 hours ahead brings a full refund. The cruise operates in rain. It does not run in severe weather, or when there are not enough reservations. Cozumel lies in the path of Atlantic hurricanes during the June-to-November hurricane season, so keep your dates flexible if you travel then and check the calendar again close to the day. The provider on the booking page is Barco Pirata Cozumel, the operator named in this guide.

Who this isn't for

This is the wrong night for a quiet dinner or a calm sunset sail, because the evening is loud, with a DJ, dancing and games. It also does not suit anyone who must be back on a cruise ship at a fixed time and have no margin, because the evening lasts about 3.5 hours. Nor is it a history tour. The show is theatre, and the history of Cozumel's pirates lives in the guide to the island's past on this site, which separates what happened from what the crew performs. Skip it, too, if you would rather spend an evening ashore at your own pace, because the ship sets the pace for the whole 3.5 hours.

Read next: Cozumel and the Caribbean pirates