An anti-anti-Cozumel AI rant...

[Canucklehead]

... wouldn't stay that far from town, ..... wouldn't want an AI on Cozumel

It may just be me, but I detect a distinct bias against both resorts on the southern end fo the island and All-Inclusives in the Cozumel forum. I mean, I don't think I've ever seen anyone say "I wouldn't want to stay at a downtown hotel that wasn't AI", but there are many cases where someone jumps in with an anti-AI comment, especially when someone is asking for recommendations on where to stay.

I understand that people have preferences, and many don't care for AI's, for whatever reason. No offence meant to the poster in question (yours just happened to be the one that got me going), but what does location and hotel type have to do with the fact that a hotel (that happens to be an AI) is charging people to use their (private) pier?

Relevant thread: Cozumel

 

[redacted]

After trying Fiesta Americana (old days w/o AI) and PLG in my first 2 trips, we made the last 11 trips to AI resorts and prefer that route. But we go to Cozumel for the diving, not the fine dining.

 

[getwet2]

I think people don't like to stay so far from town because they consider it a waste of their vacation time taking cabs every where. On the other hand if you just stay in town on your vacation how are you going to know what the rest of the area is like. You have to get out and see things other then just the town.

I don't mind taking cabs and don't always consider it a waste of vacation time, there's lots to be learned from the cab drivers and you meet some very interesting and friendly people and if you just do a little planning it's not usually a problem.

As for AI, some people don't like the feeling of being tied to one place for dinners and drinks. When we travel we usually go last minute so when we figure out the prices for AI and non AI it's usually a very good deal. We don't let AI tie our hands for where we want to eat or drink, if we're in town and hungry, we eat, if we want to go drinking in town one night we go. Lots of people we met at our hotel switched to AI after they did some math and found out that after they had already paid for 6 drinks throughout the day that AI would have already paid for itself, they only did that for the first day. It's also nice not to have to pull out your wallet everytime you get a drink or something to eat, just leave it in the safe and walk around in your shorts, no problem.

Sometimes the food at the Hotel isn't the greatest but you never know until you try and they usually have something you like at some point in the day. We've travelled lots and gone both ways, I'm talking about AI and non AI not anything else. We like both but we've gone AI the last few vacations because it's worked out cheaper that way.

To each his own, or as I just learned recently YMMV.

 

[getwet2]

After trying Fiesta Americana (old days w/o AI) and PLG in my first 2 trips, we made the last 11 trips to AI resorts and prefer that route. But we go to Cozumel for the diving, not the fine dining.

That's for sure.

 

[Dan Kom]

Well, then heres to the AI argument....In Cozumel, almost all major hotels are going AI. Why, beacuse they make money at it pure and simple. Plaza las Glorias, the last of the Non-AI are closing till the 23rd of Dec to go AI. The El Presidente, Coral Princess, and Maybe the Fiesta Americana are last on the to not be considered AI. Its just sad that these establishments are now compounds and outsiders cant walk in and buy a drink and see the beach and water...

 

[HammerNoMore]

Well the poll is flawed. I love AI's and anywhere but Coz I would do one. However, on Coz, going AI has a lot of disadvantages you don't find anywhere else.

No choice in the poll for me.

 

[JPG]

Well the poll is flawed. I love AI's and anywhere but Coz I would do one. However, on Coz, going AI has a lot of disadvantages you don't find anywhere else.

No choice in the poll for me.

Can you expand on why AI on Coz has disadvantages, and what are they? Thanks,

 

[HammerNoMore]

Can you expand on why AI on Coz has disadvantages, and what are they? Thanks,

Well for one thing, if I'm on vacation I like to eat well, I mean really well. So if I go AI, I want to know the place has at least one high quality sit down dinner option that includes a decent wine selection. I wouldn't do AI unless it was 4 or 5 stars. The AI's on Cozumel that call themselves 4 or 5 stars are more like 2 or 3 stars.

Second, as the original poster mentioned, the big AI's in Coz are mostly far north or far south. Far north is a horrible place to be if you want to dive, and far south is a horrible place to be if you want to enjoy town.

Finally, there are a ton of wonderfull restraunts in Coz. Many that I still haven't had the opportuntity to try. The food is excellent and cheap. If you go AI there, you wind up paying more for mediocre food instead of less for excellent food and you never get to meet/enjoy/interface with the locals.

James

 

[Scubaguy62]

Well for one thing, if I'm on vacation I like to eat well, I mean really well. So if I go AI, I want to know the place has at least one high quality sit down dinner option that includes a decent wine selection. I wouldn't do AI unless it was 4 or 5 stars. The AI's on Cozumel that call themselves 4 or 5 stars are more like 2 or 3 stars.

Second, as the original poster mentioned, the big AI's in Coz are mostly far north or far south. Far north is a horrible place to be if you want to dive, and far south is a horrible place to be if you want to enjoy town.

Finally, there are a ton of wonderfull restraunts in Coz. Many that I still haven't had the opportuntity to try. The food is excellent and cheap. If you go AI there, you wind up paying more for mediocre food instead of less for excellent food and you never get to meet/enjoy/interface with the locals.

James

It's definitely a question of preference. I haven't been to Coz in 3 yrs., but when I went, I did an AI at the infamous Costa Club (I don't know what they call themselves now). It was ok; not glamorous, but it certainly worked well when we were doing three or more dives a day. Something about not having to worry about being pressed for time and where I'm going to have a bite that makes it all worth while.

However, I share the sentiment about the restaurants in DT Coz and the unbelievably cheap cost of good food. My buddy and I went to this seafood restaurant just west of the Down Town Plaza and had a 3 kg (6.6 lbs) snapper (that's a big fish), 3 dos XX's each, plus all the trimmings for less than $25.00 (U.S.), which included a generous tip.

 

[Wristshot]

Canucklehead,

(and I LOVE that name!) For some people that AI is the way to go. For expample, if you have teenagers that can eat their weight in food every hour, an AI would be a good idea. For people that don't want to "wander" then an AI can be like a grounded cruise ship. If that is what you are looking for, then that is super!

However, let me just point out that if you read the reviews from people coming back from Cozumel, there are two major recurring themes in almost every report: 1) the great dives and 2) the restaurants. If you read a lot of the reports you will see that most of the people that pay for AI still end up going out for at least some meals. That certainly tells me something.

I read a lot of the Cozumel reports as I am always trying to learn how to improve on my experiences on my next visit. I don't see many people slamming the food at AI's, but the recurring comments seem to suggest that the food tends to be mediocre at best at most AI's, and the selection is pretty limited. For some people that is unacceptable, for others, they don't care. Again, it all depends upon what is the "big knob" for you and yours.

Southern? Northern? Depends upon what you are looking for in your Cozumel vacation experience. Some people want to hang out in luxury, some people value the island experience more. Personally I think it would be a shame to go to Cozumel and not get a true feel for some of the island culture and charm, but that's just me. I stay in a small hotel in town, and I walk every where. My buddy didn't like the walking so much. I like to explore some of the local eateries (especially for lunch) where you get authentic and economical food. He prefers the more tourist oriented restaurants and (shudder!) MacDonald's. Yes, he insisted that we go there one night. (I did not eat.)

I just have a natural aversion to paying for taxis when I can stay close enough to walk to things. Of course, to each his own.

The charging for use of the private pier is definitely a hot button for many people. I can see both sides of the issue. They paid for the pier, and they want you to give your diving dollars to their dive operation. You paid to stay at their hotel, and you want the freedom to dive with whoever you choose to. My American business sense would tell me that they should figure out what their dive operation is not providing so that people would not choose to use other dive operations, but it is not in America, so things are a little different.

One of the beauties of Cozumel is that there are hotels and dive ops and restaurants etc for everyone's budget and priorities. Each just needs to find ones that match up well with their "needs". Regardless of where you stay or how much (or little) you pay or what you eat or whether you walk or take a $40 taxi ride, we all get to dive some fabulous dive sites!

Variety is great, and I can find space at restaurants and on dive boats because other people like other choices!

Look how many people go back to Cozumel year after year after year. That certainly tell me something!

Just my random opinions,

Wristshot