Key Aspects:
- A recent cruise guest shelled out $150 after falling victim to a taxi scam in Costa Maya.
- The taxi driver lied to convince the guest to pay extra to visit a private beach instead of the famous Krazy Lobster restaurant.
- Other cruise guests said that they had also encountered drivers who tried to lure them elsewhere at a premium.
A recent guest of MSC Seascape is warning her fellow passengers to look out for taxi scams while visiting Costa Maya, Mexico.
The passenger recently visited the Royal Caribbean-owned port with the intention of dining at the famous Krazy Lobster restaurant, but was convinced by her taxi driver to change her destination.
Unfortunately, the driver’s alleged lies caused the cruiser to shell out a whopping $150 USD when it wasn’t necessary. The Krazy Lobster is just over two miles from the Costa Maya Cruise Port and the 10-15 minute ride should have only cost about $5 per person each way.
“For those of you going to Krazy Lobster in Costa Maya please still go regardless of what you hear after you get off the ship. We got scammed and paid 150 dollars to go to a different beach because they said Krazy Lobster was dirty and full of seaweed,” the guest posted on Facebook.
“After paying to go to a private beach they took us 150 yards further and it was horrible. Walked down to Krazy Lobster and it was not full of seaweed nor was it any dirtier than the rest of the beach. Scammed. Don’t fall for it,” the guest warned.
Other cruisers also reported that their drivers had tried to convince them to change their destinations as well, attempting to lure them with private beaches and all-inclusive resorts that sounded too good to be true.
It’s unclear which specific sailing the guest was onboard for, but the MSC ship visits Costa Maya weekly as part of 7-night Western Caribbean itineraries that are based out of Galveston, Texas.
Taxi Scams in Costa Maya
It’s not uncommon for cruise guests visiting Costa Maya to encounter taxi scams, including being lured to further destinations or encouraged to pay a premium to visit subpar private beaches or resorts where the driver would get a kickback.
There have also been reports of taxi drivers refusing to take smaller groups and holding out for larger parties in order to maximize their profits.
“The taxis at the port in Costa Maya are selectively forcing full capacity in their cars and refusing to take two or four people, because the cars hold six,” another former guest of MSC Seascape shared on Facebook.
“People even offered to pay more and they are ignoring them. Walk past the gates. A bunch more cabs beyond the gates, and they will not fight you on occupant size. $5 per person,” they advised.
While these two passengers both sailed onboard the 5,877-guest MSC Seascapeplenty of other ships contribute to bringing more than 2.8 million cruise guests to the busy port annually.
In addition to MSC Cruises, brands like Royal Caribbean, Carnival Cruise Line, Norwegian Cruise Line, and Celebrity Cruises, are common callers. But no matter which ship guests are sailing on, they should stay alert for potential scams.
Taxi Scams Around the World
This isn’t the first time that Cruise Hive has covered a taxi scam, and it won’t be the last. Taxi scams have plagued cruisers around the world for years.
Last year, guests disembarking in Port Canaveral, Florida, warned their fellow passengers about scammers pretending to be taxi drivers who charged guests exorbitant rates after picking them up from the cruise port.
Later in 2025, one cruiser who disembarked from a sailing in Athens, Greece, found themselves overcharged by a driver who refused to communicate and tacked on extra fees. For example, the driver charged a fee for handling the guest’s luggage, which is abnormal.
These are just a couple examples that prove that cruise guests need to stay vigilant no matter where they are, whether they are visiting Costa Maya or somewhere else entirely.
