Dive with Martin? No recent posts...opinions?

[sharky60]

We are booked at the Iberostar in Nov and I am wondering if we can actually avoid going to the Dive with Martin Dive Shop (to save the $35-40 taxi fee) just to pay & sign up.
I was planning on paying for the 5 day package when the boat picks us up from the dock, & signing the liability form at that time. Has anyone been able to do this?

Also, it seems at least one dive shop does not go to the Iberostar for pick up which is BlueXTSea which on their www site state "» Hotel pier pick-up (downtown pier and all hotel piers south of town EXCEPT the Iberostar)". Does anyone know why?

Glenn

As far as I know Martin requires you to sign in and pay at the shop, seems like the one time we stayed down at the Occidental Grand we had to go to the shop and take care of all the business.

It's true, Iberostar charges dive ops other than their own, (which doesn't have that good of a rep. by the way), to use thier pier. So some dive ops won't even bother, others get arround it by picking you up on the beach down from the pier or require you to meet them at the marina.

The hotel also has been reported to not let people make reservations for thier "reservations only" restaurant other than at certain hours during the day, which just happen to fall when your out diving, especially if you are going to dive both mornings and afternoons. and they won't let someone else make a reservation for you either.

I've also heard the rooms don't have much space for hanging equipment and the hotel doesn't want you to use the balconies to try scuba equipment. one guy said he used the tv to hang stuff off of.

Of course this is all second hand and I could be wrong, but I have seen more than one post here address each of these issues.

 

[Glenn777]

Thanks Sharky60
That's too bad that Iberostar have all those negatives, no dive stuff on balcony, poor dive shop & DM communications with divers, a la carte restaurant reservation rules, and of course the no pickup from pier. Unfortunatly I just booked this hotel a few days ago or would be going elsewhere. The booking I made is 100% non refundable.

So, what do I do now?
I'm a little suspicious of Dive with Martin's policy, they say pay 50% in advance, and the balance on your 1st dive. I don't want to pay the 50% in advance, then hear when I sign up, sorry, can't pick you up from the dock. I understand the entrance to the water at Iberostar is not sandy but rocky, not walkable. (we don't have booties)

I'm wondering if anyone who has stayed at the Iberostar recently has used an off site Dive Op. and can give me any more info on this.
Thanks again for your info Sharky60.

Glenn

 

[ggunn]

So, what do I do now?
I'm a little suspicious of Dive with Martin's policy, they say pay 50% in advance, and the balance on your 1st dive. I don't want to pay the 50% in advance, then hear when I sign up, sorry, can't pick you up from the dock. I understand the entrance to the water at Iberostar is not sandy but rocky, not walkable. (we don't have booties)

Glenn

DWM gets consistently good reviews and has the rep of being stand up in their policies; I doubt that they would cancel your dives and keep your money. They may, however, ask that you meet the boat somewhere else other than Iberostar's dock. That may be true about the rocky walk-in at Iberostar, though; many places that were sandy before Wilma are not now.

Have you talked with DWM about this? I would call them if you are having trouble with getting an email response.

 

[Christi]

As far as I know Martin requires you to sign in and pay at the shop, seems like the one time we stayed down at the Occidental Grand we had to go to the shop and take care of all the business.

Most shops will not accept money on the boat. Glenn, the only one that can anwer this is the dive shop you intend to use.

It's true, Iberostar charges dive ops other than their own, (which doesn't have that good of a rep. by the way), to use thier pier. So some dive ops won't even bother, others get arround it by picking you up on the beach down from the pier or require you to meet them at the marina.

It's not the charges themselves that prevent several of us from picking up there. It's all of the ridiculous paperwork that they were requiring. I pay more to use the Aldora pier than Iberostar was charging...so that wasn't my reason at all. However, we have been picking uo there since they reopened so far with no problems.

 

[Glenn777]

Thanks Ggunn, (for you very prompt reply)
I agree, from what I have read, DWM has a very good reputation, I haven't read one negative post re DWM.
We are in Canada, not sure if I would get an English speaking person that would answer the phone.
I did send an e-mail with a few questions, the following was their reply.
===============
we will love to take good care for you .
5 days of 2 tanks boat dive will cost 255 us per person .
free 1 tank boat night dive.
free underwater video.
free advanced location .
6 or 7 divers on each dive boat .
shape and leather on dive boat .
need a 50% deposit to hold the dive services . balance pay on dive boat .
better the hotel iberostart.
reef club has a 2 usa additional to pick divers on there dive pier .
any nes be kind of you to send a reply.
===============
The above was exactly the way the reply was written.
DWM does not say they can NOT pick you up from the Iberostar dock, they write "better the Iberostar" (I had asked them which hotel they suggest Reef Club vs Iberostar).
I'm not sure if the English was a problem or the time the writer has available to respond to questions. A number of the questions to DWM I wrote were not answered.
I don't mind posting the questions I wrote to DWM if anyone would like to see them with respect to the above reply.

I will try another e-mail and ask specifically about pick up at the Iberostar pier and see what they say.

and does anyone understand what DWM's reply means for the following:

shape and leather on dive boat .
and,
any nes be kind of you to send a reply .

Glenn

 

[ggunn]

Thanks Ggunn, (for you very prompt reply)
I agree, from what I have read, DWM has a very good reputation, I haven't read one negative post re DWM.
We are in Canada, not sure if I would get an English speaking person that would answer the phone.

I don't know of any Cozumel dive ops who can't converse in English. I can speak a little Spanish, but don't ask me to read or write anything! Email is good for some things, but a real conversation can be much better for others. I'd call them.

 

[sharky60]

.... It's all of the ridiculous paperwork...

Bureaucracy...does it every time:14:

glenn

I don't understand the "shape and leather" line, but I think what they were trying to say in the last line is e-mail them if you have any questions. They could be using a language translation software. they sometimes have problems with dielects and such.

Leather is cuero and shape is forma, they could have used similar spanish words and the program misinterpreted them.

I don't remember Martin requiring a 50% advance charge, could be a new policy. I can't recall having to send any deposit in advance, again could be wrong, I just don't remember it. Maybe we sent a credit card # for a hold deposit, but I know we payed cash, on site for all our diving, because I remember handing Pancho(?) most of it in $100 bills.

Of course this was all pre-Wilma, we dove with someone else this year because of the hotel package we got.

I do know that most dive ops, on the island want your return business and positive reviews, and will try to do whatever they can to make your vacation all that you want it to be.

As far as the hotel goes, I have also heard good, non-dive realted things about it. People seem to like the food & general service and enjoy the property and make return trip to it. I didn't mean deflate any balloons.

I really believe the dive problems at the hotel will work themselves out in time. companies see what works and what doesn't and adapt or go belly up, and it is stuff that can be worked around without it ruining your time.

Have a great trip and let us all know the gory details when you get back

 

[scubasherry]

and does anyone understand what DWM's reply means for the following:

shape and leather on dive boat .
and,
any nes be kind of you to send a reply .

Glenn

Maybe what they ment was....
Snacks and water on dive boat.
if you have any questions send them a reply to this e-mail

I agree. Perhaps the person who responded to you speaks well enough and understands English but can not write it. I can say some sentances in Spanish but would probably butcher them if I tried to write it down.
Give them a call.

 

[Glenn777]

Thanks Christi, your explanation was very helpful.

It's not the charges themselves that prevent several of us from picking up there. It's all of the ridiculous paperwork that they were requiring. However, we have been picking uo there since they reopened so far with no problems.

Thanks Sharky60,
Sounds like Pier pick up won't be a problem.
I just have to figure out how to avoid the $35-40 US taxi ride to sign up, pay up, and set up the dive pick up schedule.
I can understand why they would have this rule, come to the shop, sign up & pay up, because I'm sure there is someone out there somewhere that would say come to the pier & I will pay you but the person would not be there and in that case a boat, gas, driver, divemaster have wasted time & money and of course this is not right.

I am not that kind of person but how would DWM know that.

Glenn

 

[Fin59]

Thanks Christi, your explanation was very helpful.


Thanks Sharky60,
Sounds like Pier pick up won't be a problem.
I just have to figure out how to avoid the $35-40 US taxi ride to sign up, pay up, and set up the dive pick up schedule.
I can understand why they would have this rule, come to the shop, sign up & pay up, because I'm sure there is someone out there somewhere that would say come to the pier & I will pay you but the person would not be there and in that case a boat, gas, driver, divemaster have wasted time & money and of course this is not right.

I am not that kind of person but how would DWM know that.

Glenn

We always use Martin and just email him and let him know where/when we are staying and the days we want to dive. We go to the shop after we check in at the hotel, but we are usually at Hotel Cozumel which is walking distance or at least a cheap cabfare. When we stay downtown, we just go to the shop early to sign up and pay before diving. If you take a cab to the shop early the first day you dive, you can at least save the fare for the return trip since they will be dropping you off after diving.