Summer time ends on November 2 and clocks go back an hour in the U.S. and Canada, but the time in Cozumel won't change, so watch out for different differences between cruise ship time and island time.
If you're arriving on a cruise ship then understanding the difference between ship time and local time can be very important, especially if you book one of our Cozumel shore excursions.
The south-east of Mexico, including Cozumel, is in a special time zone that does not change the clocks for Daylight Saving Time in the spring or fall. This affects the time difference between Cozumel and the U.S., Canada and other parts of Mexico, as well as cruises' onboard "ship time" in some cases.
SHORE EXCURSION TIMES MADE EASY
We will work out the tour time that best fits with your ship's port times when you book one of our Cozumel shore excursions. Contact one of our Local Experts before you make your reservation and we'll be pleased to help.
Different cruise lines have different ways of deciding what time their ships take. Carnival and Royal Caribbean (RCCL) cruise ships usually go with the time of their homeport and stick with it, whereas Norwegian cruise ships change their onboard time during the voyage, to match the local port they are arriving to.
The itineraries cruise lines give passengers display ship times, so cruisers should remember this isn't necessarily the same as the local Cozumel time.
Cozumel is on U.S. Central Time until November 2, 2024 (during U.S. Daylight Saving Time) but then will be on U.S. Eastern Time from November 3, 2024 to March 8, 2025 (during U.S. winter time).
Here's a quick reference guide to help you work out what time it is...
Arrival to Cozumel | Ship time |
March 10 to Nov 2, 2024 | Carnival and RCCL from Florida 1 hr ahead. e.g. 10am onboard is 9am in Cozumel. Carnival and RCCL from Texas/Louisiana Same as Cozumel time. Norwegian Same as Cozumel time. Disney and others. Varies, check with cruise line or contact us. |
Nov 3, 2024 to March 8, 2025 | Carnival and RCCL from Florida Same as Cozumel time. Carnival and RCCL from Texas/Louisiana 1 hr behind. e.g. 9am onboard is 10am in Cozumel time. Norwegian Same as Cozumel time. Disney and others. Varies, check with cruise line or contact us. |
March 9 to Nov 1, 2025 | Carnival and RCCL from Florida 1 hr ahead. e.g. 10am onboard is 9am in Cozumel. Carnival and RCCL from Texas/Louisiana Same as Cozumel time. Norwegian Same as Cozumel time. Disney and others. Varies, check with cruise line or contact us. |
Nov 2, 2025 to March 7, 2026 | Carnival and RCCL from Florida Same as Cozumel time. Carnival and RCCL from Texas/Louisiana 1 hr behind. e.g. 9am onboard is 10am in Cozumel time. Norwegian Same as Cozumel time. Disney and others. Varies, check with cruise line or contact us. |
March 8 to Oct 31, 2026 | Carnival and RCCL from Florida 1 hr ahead. e.g. 10am onboard is 9am in Cozumel. Carnival and RCCL from Texas/Louisiana Same as Cozumel time. Norwegian Same as Cozumel time. Disney and others. Varies, check with cruise line or contact us. |
Nov 1, 2026 to March 13, 2027 | Carnival and RCCL from Florida Same as Cozumel time. Carnival and RCCL from Texas/Louisiana 1 hr behind. e.g. 9am onboard is 10am in Cozumel time. Norwegian Same as Cozumel time. Disney and others. Varies, check with cruise line or contact us. |
Find out about Cozumel shore excursions for cruise ship passengers or more about Cozumel cruises and cruise lines in general.
Disclaimer: we confirmed this information at the time of writing but cruise lines may change their policies and reserve the right to change ship schedules, so please use this information as a guide only and check with your cruise line or listen for announcements once onboard your ship if you want to be sure.