Diving options near the Grand Sunset Princess

[O'Malley]

My wife and a couple of her girlfriends are booking a trip to Playa del Carmen in February...and I'm taggin' along for some diving. We're staying at the Grand Sunset Princess but this place is so new (opened to guests this month), I haven't been able locate on a map to determine what dive operator options there may be in the area. Anyone have any insight as to whereabouts of this resort and good diving options? I'm not opposed to renting a car and driving if required. Thanks...

 

[quesara]

Hi O'Malley -

My husband and I just got back from the GSP this morning! We had an awesome time - I'm planning to post a full trip report soon. The resort is really new - there seem to be mixed reports. Our experience left nothing to be desired; the biggest problem with our room was that the safe didnt have batteries (we did hear stories of no a/c and plumbing problems). The pools are great, the beach is great, but the swimming was rocky (was glad to have my scuba boots). Food was *fantastic* and service was great, but they are still a little short staffed. Dont sweat the small stuff, and you'll have a good time.

Anyhoo - dive ops. We took a cab to Playa del Carmen ($14US one way, 15 minutes), and dove with Jason (PlayaCountryBoy) with Fantasea Dive (Scuba Diving, Fishing, Dive Packages, and Extreme Sports in Playa del Carmen, Cozumel, Riviera Maya, Yucatan, Mexico and Caribbean). He lived up to his reputation here on the board; we had 5 fantastic dives. I'm semi-experienced (70+ dives), but my buddy/husband was doing his first dives since o/w certification. Jason totally catered to my request for nice easy dives for him (not too much drift/depth), and his tendency to motion sickness. The second day he chose the dive plan that let us sit on the beach for an hour between dives rather than on the boat. On the third day it was calm enough that he sat on the boat for an hour without a problem. The second dive that day was of course a shallower dive than the 70' first dive, and I loved the fact that we were able to go slowly over the reef. I love hanging out looking in holes for little things and always hated being rushed over a dive site with lots of bommies but no time to look. Anyhow, I'll post the full report in a bit, but Jason definitely has our recommendation!

 

[O'Malley]

Thank you for the information, it's much appreciated...

I am trying to map the Grand Sunset Princess...do you recall what landmarks, or hotels, are neighboring the GSP? I am shooting for 6 days of diving and if there was a reputable dive shop within walking distance, that would be ideal...and most cost-effective. I received an email from Jason a couple days ago; he gets much praise here and if no viable options near the GSP are available, he's among my top choices (that I would need to commute to by taxi / rental car).

Glad to read you had a great time and looking forward to your trip report...

 

[PARADISE HUNTER]

O'Malley,

Sorry no advice on local dive ops. But because the resort is so new, I thought you might want to see some recent traveller reviews.

Here is a link:
Grand Sunset Princess (Playa del Carmen, Riviera Maya) - Hotel Reviews - TripAdvisor

 

[divingtigger]

What we did was go on google maps and enter the address for the hotel and you should get a pretty good idea of where it is (we are staying at the Royal Playa Del Carmen next week). I have a couple dives booked with Jason, from what I've heard it will be a great diving experience.

 

[quesara]

Not sure if you had any luck finding the location. Turns out you should not eat the lettuce (duh); I've been paying Monteczma his dues for a week now (nobody else in the travel group had problems, don't worry).

I can't remember too well what was close by, despite the repeated trips. We passed Secrets Capri on the way to the airport, an Iberostar was next door-ish, Mayakoba (golf resort?), an H10 was a little further north. I think you'd be hard pressed to find a dive op within walking distance. The resort is set a good mile and a bit back from the main highway, so the 'collectivo' buses, which are cheap, are not really an option, especially if you are hauling gear. The resort does run a shuttle, but only at 10 am and 1 pm, so it is not much use either.

I'm assuming you've found the hotel URL by now, but for the benefit of the viewing public: Princess Hotels & Resorts Spain, Mexico, Dominican Republic, Promotions, Meetings, Conventions, online reservation

If I come up with something more useful, will let you know.

 

[O'Malley]

Sorry no advice on local dive ops. But because the resort is so new, I thought you might want to see some recent traveller reviews

Thanks for the link, Playa.info has also been very active with reviews...

I think you'd be hard pressed to find a dive op within walking distance. The resort is set a good mile and a bit back from the main highway, so the 'collectivo' buses, which are cheap, are not really an option, especially if you are hauling gear. The resort does run a shuttle, but only at 10 am and 1 pm, so it is not much use either.

You've nailed one of the questions I haven't, to this point, found an answer to...feasable alternatives to taxi to/from Playa del Carmen. From what you've reported, I concur...neither the collectivo nor the shuttle would really be an option. Browsing another forum, I discovered the resort adjacent the Grand Sunset Princess, the Sandos Caracol, has a dive shop/operator, Scuba Libre. The few reviews of I have read thus far have been very positive and this is certainly an option to consider along with Jason/Fantasea and Dennis/Diablo Divers.

...and advice heeded, don't eat the lettuce :no

Thanks, again, for the info...

 

[Spratman]

Check out Dennis Weeks at Aquanauts Dive Rite Tek Center- scuba, cavern diving, dive instruction, retail on the Mexican Caribbean. Great op, plenty of variety and depending on your experience level, you HAVE to hit the cenotes. Hope you have a great time!

Jack

 

[lmyrs]

O'Malley, where did you end up going and would your recommend? My husband and I are going to be at the Grand Sunset Princess in February and are trying to figure out where to dive from.

I'll message you too in case you don't check this thread.

 

[Shalimar]

Looks like myself and my wife and a few friends are off to GSP in Feb as well... and diving within walking distance would be very desirable esp since I'm the only one of the group that dives. Any info on this would be greatly appreciated!