Anything like Cozumel Palace outside of Cozumel

[polyester1970]

Does anyone know of a good all inclusive, at least at the level of Cozumel Palace, outside of Cozumel, somewhere with great diving, also somewhere close to North America (can't handle super long flights to Asia).

My wife and I really love Cozumel Palace, but we've been too Cozumel so many times we want to go somewhere different this time. I look around, and it's hard to find AI's outside of Mexico, and a few I find are really expensive like Beaches - Turks & Caicos and Curacao's Lodge Kura Hulanda (which we've stayed at and liked a lot) but their AI package is also a bit pricey ($130/pp/day) - and I've seen a couple in Belize that also seem really expensive. It seems like Cozumel is still one of the better deals and maybe it's just a bit hard to compete with them on price.

So I'm wondering if I've missed anything.

 

[DandyDon]

Asking Coz lovers where else to go? :silly:

"So I'm wondering if I've missed anything." Yeah, Roatan: http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/bay-islands/326013-so-what-happened-my-fantasy-island-trip.html

 

[georoc01]

You are correct in that Cozumel is one of the best values when it comes to AIs. One option may be to stay on the Riveria Maya and stay at one of the other Palace resorts.

Coming from the west coast, the other thing you are going to find is that the travel becomes pretty much equal going to the Pacific vs some of the other Caribbean options.

 

[robint]

If you are looking for Luxury accomodations for cheap prices and good diving.... good luck!

There are lots of places to go, with great diving, but accomdations are rarely luxury, or even close to luxury - Roatan and Bonaire are two examples! Diving is great but you aren't going to find all-inclusives in Bonaire, and you aren't going to find luxury in Roatan. Curacao has some all-inclusives, I think, but they are more $$$ than Coz by far.
There are other destinations in Caribbean with luxury all-inclusives but the diving is mediocre. So, my suggestion - get over the luxury and try a different destination, one with really good diving!

robin

 

[Fin59]

There's somewhere else to go?

 

[deborahdelamar]

Yes, when you consider the whole package -- air, hotel, diving, amenities -- Coz is great bargain destination. You can find other good packages to other locations in Mexico where the diving will be very different -- maybe Baja or the west coast of the mainland? The only other Caribbean area that comes close in dollars are the Bay Islands of Honduras but airfares & flight schedules sometimes kill that idea. You could try a liveaboard or, for a totally different experience, something like Tradewinds Cruise Club, which has trips as far south as Panama with some diving (I can give you more info via PM). Anything in the Hawaiian Islands?

 

[Jim Baldwin]

Liveaboards are very nice and the staff usually going out of their way to make you feel comfortable and spoiled. Coming up after a night dive to hot showers, warmed towels and hot chocolate are just a few of the things that I really appreciated. Oh yeah, the diving. Excellent dive sites and the nice thing is that there no boat rides back to the resort. Go take a nap, download pictures, eat an excellent meal, take a class. Cheap no. But five dives a day, great meals, no humping gear, and no crowded dive sites make for an outstanding experience.

 

[Dave Dillehay]

Dear Polyester1970,

For my wife and I to "get away" is a reverse migration. I suggest that you consider what we do.

It is quite a bit more difficult to get to, but maybe not more expensive than the Palace, but my wife and I often take a "busman's holiday" to Little Cayman Island. In particular, Pirate's Point Resort is a delightful place to stay and the diving at Bloody Bay Wall is as good as much of Cozumel. In many ways it is like the Villa Aldora, a land based liveaboard! Like other Little Cayman Island resorts it is all inclusive but the food and service at Pirates Point is beyond spectacular.


Dave Dillehay
Aldora Divers

PS I have no economic interest there!

 

[robint]

oh, Dave, you just made me think of one place....
Brac Reef Resort, Cayman Brac
That would be as close as I can think of....a friend was there a few years ago, he likes fancy and gourmet food, and he really enjoyed it. He said it was the only Caribbean destination he would consider returning to.

 

[DandyDon]

Okay, I've never stayed at Coz Palace, so sorry if my idea was not comparable. I like Fantasy Island, but the food was marginal and some of the rooms are too.