All inclusive or eat around town?

[JC Fedorczyk]

Putting together plans for a trip to cozumel end of december. This will be the first time there. In your opinions would it be money better spent if the girlfriend and I went the all inclusive route to cover the cost of food and drink or would it be cheaper in the long run to just hit different restaurants each time we want to eat?

If we go the all inclusive route it would probably be Fiesta Americana. If we go the eat where ever route we would probably stay at Villa Blanca or El Cid Cieba.

Is it expensive to eat and drink in cozumel? My girlfriend swears it would be expensive for us to eat out everytime and to drink at the bars but I've been reading posts that seem to say differently. Any idea on average how much we would spend for an 8 day 7 night trip down there? Fiesta Americana would be 30-45$ per day for the all inclusive portion.

[HammerNoMore]

Eat around town, no question. Food is great and cheap.

James

[ggunn]

Putting together plans for a trip to cozumel end of december. This will be the first time there. In your opinions would it be money better spent if the girlfriend and I went the all inclusive route to cover the cost of food and drink or would it be cheaper in the long run to just hit different restaurants each time we want to eat?

If we go the all inclusive route it would probably be Fiesta Americana. If we go the eat where ever route we would probably stay at Villa Blanca or El Cid Cieba.

Is it expensive to eat and drink in cozumel? My girlfriend swears it would be expensive for us to eat out everytime and to drink at the bars but I've been reading posts that seem to say differently. Any idea on average how much we would spend for an 8 day 7 night trip down there? Fiesta Americana would be 30-45$ per day for the all inclusive portion.

If expense is your only consideration, then the AI route will probably be a bit better, although where you would otherwise choose to eat will of course make a difference. BUT no AI is going to provide you with anywhere near the variety of choices in cuisine and ambiance that you'll have at your disposal in exploring the many excellent restaurants on Cozumel. In short, if you're just eating for sustenance, then the AI will be fine, but if the food is part of the adventure, then eat in town. Guess what I do... ;^)

As to the expense, eating out on Cozumel is in about the same price range that you'd find in any major US city. Save money on beer by buying it at Chedraui.

[parrotheaddiver]

Gordon is right on. We usually go AI for the breakfast and lunches so we don't have to hurry to town to eat before the boat comes or changed out of wet suits to go to town to eat lunch. Plus while sitting around the pool it is nice to get something to drink and not have to pay for each and every drink (soft drinks or alcohol) or snacks like burgers and nacho's. To each his own. The food is usally not a big issue with us but we do enjoy eating in town better than the hotels.

[5615mike]

Way too many great places to eat to go AI!!!......oh, IMO of course.

[Len]

Eat around town, no question. Food is great and cheap.

James

James is right...the food in town is great (at most places) but it's NOT cheap. Eating out on Cozumel is the same as eating out at any major city in the US (or Canada). In fact, you'll find some places very pricey. We go AI for the convenience of pre-dive breakfasts, lunch buffets when you want and, of course, cervesas. We always go into town for a couple of dinners during our 2 week stay and are still money ahead.

[Ron Brandt]

Yep,eat around town. You will not get the true feel for the island if you go AI. This is some of the best food in the world.

Ron

[gdenny]

This is advice from someone who hasn't been yet but just booked a trip for June. Check out Casa Mexicana. They have a breakfast buffet that is supposed to be quite nice, great for get up and dive, and you still get to eat lunch and dinner in town. That's what we're doing. No beach there though.

Then again I didn't make this decision based on $$$

[swsurgeon]

I had a problem with some AI food, so next time I'll be eating at restaurants. If you go with the AI plan, I recommend eating food that you see cooked fresh in front of you. The place I was at had a lot of buffet-style trays of food that were being cooled, stored, and re-heated for the next meal. When problems occur, I suspect that's where some originate. This place usually also had items that you could watch being cooked fresh and those would likely have been a better choice.

People in my group who ate at local restaurants had great experiences.

[Kat]

OK, I have done both the AI & the EP. (European-no food included)

I think Len has got it right. Having the convience of breakfast, lunch & unlimited drinks is the best. You can always go into town to eat, but if you don't feel like it...tada, dinner is right there on the property & it's already paid for. Really, even if you eat in town every night, you'll still be better off with AI. Yes, there are some really nice restaurants. But don't think if you don't hit the top 10 you've missed out on the true Coz experience.

I have done the AI at the FA. The restaurant upstairs for dinner was very good. They had a fiesta night, poolside, with local dances that was lots of fun & we met some great people at our table. It was a blast, but I can't remember how the food was. There was a pick your own cut of meat night, at the outside restaurant, that was excellent too. The FA also has a nice pool w/ a swim up bar.
However, I don't care for the lack of beach. I also didn't like having to cross the road to get to the pier/dive shop/beach/breakfast restaurant. They do have a bridge over the road, but we never used it.

I have also stayed at Villa Blanca & I do not recommend it.