The Carnival Mardi Gras (and other cruise ships) usually stops at Costa Maya during their 7 Day Western Caribbean itinerary. Head over to Mahahual for a fantastic time on a small budget. Mahahual is about a 10 minute taxi ride from the Port and cost $4 USD PP. The beach is over a mile long and has numerous restaurants, vendors and excursions etc all reasonably priced. You do not have to pay extra for chairs, tables, umbrellas, kayaks etc and you can get a one hour full body massage on the beach for $20 to $40 depending on how many ships are in port. I recommend the "Big Mama" restaurant and beach area. Their Seafood Fried Rice is amazing, at $23 USD, it serves 4.
