Progreso: a 4 mile pier, a mile of malecón and the Maya an hour away.
Progreso is the beach town of the Yucatán, on the Gulf of Mexico 22 miles north of Mérida, and the port is famous for one thing before you even land: the pier runs about 4 miles out to sea, the longest in the world, because the water is that shallow. Ships berth at the Terminal Remota at the far end and free shuttle buses run you to the town terminal two blocks from the malecón in about 15 minutes. From there the day splits three ways: the beach clubs and seafood of the waterfront, the colonial squares and museums of Mérida, or the Maya at Dzibilchaltún, Uxmal or Chichén Itzá. SmartCruiser lists every cruise that calls at Progreso from every line, priced with taxes and fees included, with the sailings that carry SmartCruiser bonus onboard credit or instant savings at the top.
Three ways to do Progreso
Stay on the malecón, spend the day in Mérida, or go for the pyramids; the buttons filter the list of sailings below.
The malecón, beach clubs and El Corchito
- The free shuttle drops you at the town terminal by the municipal market; the malecón is a 5 minute walk, more than a mile of paved waterfront with open-air seafood restaurants, massage tents (about $20 for 30 minutes) and craft stalls
- Beach clubs along the sand give you a lounger and umbrella for a minimum spend of about $10 to $15; the ship’s beach-break packages run $90 to $120 and are not needed
- El Corchito ecological reserve is a 5 minute taxi away: a boat through the mangroves to three freshwater cenotes with raccoons and coatis on the boardwalks, about $10, two hours; flamingo boat tours leave from the same docks in winter for about $25 to $35 per boat
Best for: families, first-timers, anyone on a short cruise
Mérida in a day
- Auto-Progreso express buses leave the town terminal every 20 minutes for the 45 minute ride to Mérida, about $5 round trip; the ship’s Mérida tours run about $75 to $95 with a guide and the shuttle problem solved
- Plaza Grande is a 5 minute walk from the Mérida bus station: the 16th century cathedral, the Casa de Montejo, the Governor’s Palace murals and the shaded cafes under the arcades
- Paseo de Montejo is the boulevard of mansions and the Gran Museo del Mundo Maya; rides across town by Uber or Didi cost under $7, and take the bus back rather than a rideshare
Best for: couples, culture lovers, repeat visitors
Dzibilchaltún, Uxmal or Chichén Itzá
- Dzibilchaltún is 25 minutes from the shuttle stop: the Temple of the Seven Dolls, a Spanish chapel and the open Cenote Xlacah you can swim in; about $28 entry, $40 to $50 round-trip taxi, or $85 to $110 through the ship, 3 to 4 hours
- Uxmal is about 1.5 hours south, the Pyramid of the Magician and the Governor’s Palace with half the crowds of Chichén Itzá; entry about $30, ship tours about $100 to $130
- Chichén Itzá is 2 hours each way and a 7 to 8 hour day for the Castillo pyramid and the great ball court; about $165 to $195 through the ship, and this is the one to book through the ship because a late bus means a missed sailing
Best for: history buffs, bucket-list travelers, longer port days
Progreso cruises: SmartCruiser picks first
Every cruise that calls at Progreso from every line, priced live with taxes, fees and port expenses included. The picks at the top are sailings where booking with SmartCruiser gets you something extra: instant savings or bonus onboard credit. Below them, every other sailing that stops here, with full sorting by home port, line, month, length and price.
SmartCruiser picks
Sorted by what you save, biggest firstEvery cruise that calls at Progreso
Stack any filters, then pick a sortPrices are per person, double occupancy, in US dollars, and include cruise fare, taxes, fees and port expenses as published by the cruise line at the moment you load this page. Fares are capacity controlled and change daily; the fare is confirmed when you book. Flights, hotels and transfers are extra unless the line’s offer says otherwise. SmartCruiser instant savings and bonus onboard credit are provided by SmartCruiser on top of the cruise line’s price and are not available when booking direct; amounts are per stateroom, vary by stateroom category and are shown for the lowest category offered. Special SmartCruiser rates are pricing SmartCruiser holds on that sailing for its clients, with extra onboard credit; you book your own stateroom and travel on your own. Senior fares apply to guests 55 and over; resident fares need proof of residency in a listed state or province at check-in; police and fire fares apply to active or retired police, fire and EMT personnel with ID. Qualifier-fare savings are measured against the best fare the cruise line offers the general public for the same stateroom category on the day the list was pulled, updated weekly.
Home ports that sail to Progreso
Pick a home port and the list above filters to cruises leaving from there.
Things to do in Progreso
Town is a free bus ride, Mérida is a cheap one, and the ruins get better the further you are willing to go.
Which lines call at Progreso?
Carnival’s Gulf ships are here every week, and the port is dredging to 47 feet so bigger ships can arrive from 2027.
When to go
The Yucatán is hot all year; winter brings dry days and windy cold fronts called nortes, spring is the hottest season, and June to November is the rainy and hurricane season.
Progreso questions we answer every day
Where do ships dock in Progreso and how far is it to town?
Ships berth at the Terminal Remota at the far end of a pier about 4 miles long, the longest in the world, built because the Gulf is only a few feet deep for miles offshore. You cannot walk the pier; free shuttle buses loop every 15 to 20 minutes and take about 15 minutes to the Auto-Progreso terminal in town, two blocks from the malecón. The last shuttle back leaves about an hour before all-aboard, so be at the town terminal 90 minutes before.
How do I get around and what does it cost?
In town everything is on foot or a $5 to $10 triciclo pedicab. Mérida is the Auto-Progreso express bus from the shuttle terminal, about $5 round trip, every 20 minutes, 45 minutes each way. Taxis wait at the terminal for Dzibilchaltún (about $40 to $50 round trip) and El Corchito; agree the fare and the pickup time first. Uber and Didi work in Mérida but not reliably in Progreso, so come back on the bus.
What money, language and time zone should I expect?
Mexican pesos are the currency, but US dollars are accepted along the malecón and at the pier shops at a rough rate; pesos buy more in Mérida and at the markets, and there is no ATM at the terminal, so use one in town. Spanish is the language and English is common in the tourist areas. The Yucatán stays on Central Standard Time all year, so it matches Texas and Louisiana ship time in winter and runs an hour behind in summer; check whether your ship keeps ship time or local time before you go ashore.
Is Progreso safe?
Yes. The Yucatán is consistently rated the safest state in Mexico and the U.S. State Department keeps it at Level 1, exercise normal precautions; tourist police in white and blue patrol the malecón. The real risks are the sun and heat, uneven sidewalks and traffic around the pedicabs, and the clock: anything beyond Mérida needs a ship tour or a guide who knows your all-aboard time.
What is the best excursion and should I book it through the ship?
If you have never seen a Maya city, Chichén Itzá is the one, and it is the one to book through the ship because of the 2 hour drive each way. Dzibilchaltún with a cenote swim is the best value and the easiest to do on your own, and Mérida by express bus is the best cheap day in the Western Caribbean.
Do I need a passport for Progreso?
On a round trip from a US home port (a closed-loop cruise) US citizens can sail with a government photo ID plus an original or certified birth certificate, but we recommend a valid passport; it is the only document that lets you fly home from Mérida if you miss the ship.
Are taxes and fees included in the prices here?
Yes. Every price on SmartCruiser includes the cruise fare, government taxes, fees and port expenses. Flights, hotels, shore excursions and gratuities are extra.
Talk to a Progreso cruise specialist
We know which Galveston and New Orleans sailings give you the longest day in Progreso and which carry SmartCruiser bonus onboard credit; call to check availability and book. Monday to Thursday 9 to 6, Friday 9 to 5, Saturday 10 to 6 ET.