Recommendations

[Kat]

Not a doubt in my mind...Cozumel. Great diving, w/ incredible vis.
Top side is beautiful too. Check out the Mayan ruins, very cool. You can find all types of hotels to fit your price range. From top of the line, to moderate, to budget. And night life is what you make of it. Want to party all nite-go to Carlos & Charlies downtown. Want to dive early in the morning-stay at your hotel and hang out for the evening. No casinos but lots of fun!

 

[caymaniac]

Try Stella Maris-Bahamas or how about the Turks and Caicos, on Provo you have great beaches, great restaurants and Caicos adventures would be very good.

Dive Safe,
Caymaniac

 

[Elisa]

I recommend staying at El Presidente in Cozumel. The beach is lovely, the diveshop and boats are right in the hotel, and the DOs are great. Ask for Luiz, he really helped my BF and I get comfortable with diving.

Yes it's the nicest hotel in Coz but it's not that expensive compared with hotels of similar quality in Cayman. Only bad side is that it can be expensive to get to Coz.

Have fun!

 

[clive francis]

You can always try Jamaica, Negril or Montego Bay.

check my site for a link to the shop in Negril, they do accomodation and transfers as well

 

[Rich]

if you want privacy...go to st john...you can rent a car and do the beaches. they are almost abandoned until noon so they can be all yours....

if you both dive, there is a dive shop on st john that can rent you tanks and you can have some very nice diving... you might look into the westin resort for a place to stay.

if you go to st thomas, look into the Rennaisance (sp?) hotel. i just spent 7 days there for $98 a night using my AAA membership. the Chris Sawyer dive shops caters to that area and is 10 min walk from the hotel area.

Food can be costly on both islands unless you eat at a "local" place

 

[scubaleg]

"if you want privacy...go to st john...you might look into the westin resort for a place to stay."

My wife and I spent a week on St. John this summer. We stayed at the Westin and WILL NEVER GO BACK! The accomodations were mediocre for the price, and the service was HORRIBLE! The diving in St. John is okay - not spectacular. But, a must-do dive is the RMS Rhone -- it's an all day trip but very well worth it.

I would agree with previous posts that Cozumel, the Fl Keys, and Bahamas are all better destinations.

 

[bhines]

I just returned from a week of diving in Cozumel. I stayed at the Allegro Occidental Resort. The Dive Palancar operation was first class in their divemasters, boats and operation. The only problem I had was with their photographer. He went to 242 ft and screwed both of his computers on a dive to 90 feet for the first dive of the day. I told the operators that he was giving a bad example to new divers who might think it is cool to follow him. He makes excellent videos, but his diving is extremely dangerous. He was using a BC that had to be 25 years old, an AL80 tank and no redundent air supply. the divemasters don't even watch for him anymore.

The food at Allegro was very good. You have to make a reservation to eat at Caruso's Italian restaurant and men must wear long pants. I told them this was ridiculous. The food was no better than the buffet next door. Breakfast was the best laid out meal of the day. 4 U.S. sailors were there for two days and were in typical drunken fashion at the pool at night. Wrestling and fighting at the bar until the security had to break them up.

All in all the old Allegro seems to be better than the new one they have next door.

Bob Hines