Newbie Questions

[tubbyka]

My wife and I are discussing our next summer vacation. Roatan has been suggested to us for many reasons, safety/price being at the top of the list. We usually dive Cozumel every summer and love the AI experience and have gotten addicted to that side of life. We are spoiled on Cozumel and love it, but I want to try another place and still get my bang for the buck. We did our first liveaboard to Kona this past summer and were spoiled rotten, but funds don't allow 2 teachers to do this every year. So, here's a little about us and some questions:

We want an AI place, mainly for food/drink whenever we want. We only really drink a few alcoholic drinks all week, but mostly snack and drink soft drinks. Entertainment doesn't matter to us. We will most likely wake up, dive/lay by the pool/beach, snack, and then bed around 9-10pm. We'll go out looking on the island, but shopping and sightseeing aren't big for us. We want safe, quiet, small resort, and nice people to dive with/be around. Small resort, decent food, attentive staff, and good diving. That's all!

1. How is the Mayan Princess resort? It is highly recommended and seems like what we want.

2. I'm going with the primary purpose of diving. She will dive 3-4 times all week, where I will be doing 2 a day, maybe 3 some days. My wife just wants to hang by the pool/beach and dive every other day, one dive a day.

3. How is the dive op at Mayan Princess, Mayan Divers? All other posts look good. Small op, but all signs point to good folks and safe.

4. How is the diving in comparison to Cozumel? Vis, boat ride, marine life, big animals? Shark Dives possibly?

For our budget and what we like, this place looks like a winner. We have also discussed CocoView, but she doesn't like the accommodations and non-stop diving approach. Airfare needs to go down, as it's about $850 from DFW. The Mayan Princess online deal right now is AI, 7 nights, 11 dives, $999 per person. Looks like a great deal if airfare will go down.

Thanks in advance for advice and assistance! Happy New Year!

 

[Doc]

... I'm going with the primary purpose of diving. She will dive 3-4 times all week, where I will be doing 2 a day, maybe 3 some days. My wife just wants to hang by the pool/beach and dive every other day, one dive a day.

Any dive operation on Roatan can fulfill that 2-a-day schedule. Most 3-a-day operations will grind-up most of your day, versus your spending any time with her. AI Resorts are the usual exception, where 3x are fairly easy along with some family time.

4. How is the diving in comparison to Cozumel? Vis, boat ride, marine life, big animals? Shark Dives possibly?

You really might want to do a quick here on :sblogo:

To "compare" it to Cozumel is kind-of a waste of time. Honestly- most people who go there are into the party scene with diving as a secondary concern. the true SCUBA denizens who are here at SB who like Cozumel... they are a rare exception to the rule. To describe what Roatan is- that is a worthy pursuit, but then again, fairly available by a search here.

Your resort choice has had some seriously mixed reviews as to consistency of service and predictability, and the dive op is not all that highly regarded, but gets passable comments. Mayan Princess will keep everyone happy (enough), and on Roatan, that is a tall order indeed. It's a resort that offers diving.

What will you see? This absolutely depends upon the skills of your DM (read paragraph above), the dive sites that this well situated resort choses to take you to (South or North/West, more likely the latter) and sheer blind luck. Understand that the true attraction of Roatan is simply not "big animals". There is much more here, but not very visible to many.

You can access the Shark/Dolphin dive offering from any place on Roatan. A Hammerhead was seen off of a Cruise Ship dive at AKR on 12/28. Sightings in the wild take time and getting logged dives. Until then, you can go dive a lot or pay the ticket and go for the ride.

For our budget and what we like, this place looks like a winner. We have also discussed CocoView, but she doesn't like the accommodations and non-stop diving approach.

CCV pretty well sucks for the non-diver. For the diver, it simply can not be surpassed. Diving an easy 5x a day and a room on stilts over the water~ it can be an idyllic setting for even the non-diver.... but there will be no lying about the pool in the shade. It's a dive resort.

Airfare needs to go down, as it's about $850 from DFW.

So I guess that means we won't be seeing you. Don't expect any big discounts... Sorry to say.

 

[Mike]

Honestly- most people who go there are into the party scene with diving as a secondary concern. the true SCUBA denizens who are here at SB who like Cozumel... they are a rare exception to the rule.

I've been going to Cozumel for over 12 years and have honestly never heard it described as a party scene ever before, but there's a first time for everything and everyone is entitled to their opinion. Cancun as a party scene, sure. Cozumel... well... unless the locals are having their Sunday night together with bands and 60 year old women and little children dancing in the main square, the place pretty much rolls up the sidewalks at 8:00pm. West End on Roatan has more late night bar scene then I've ever seen in San Miguel.

We want an AI place, mainly for food/drink whenever we want. We only really drink a few alcoholic drinks all week, but mostly snack and drink soft drinks. Entertainment doesn't matter to us. We will most likely wake up, dive/lay by the pool/beach, snack, and then bed around 9-10pm. We'll go out looking on the island, but shopping and sightseeing aren't big for us. We want safe, quiet, small resort, and nice people to dive with/be around. Small resort, decent food, attentive staff, and good diving. That's all!

1. How is the Mayan Princess resort? It is highly recommended and seems like what we want.

2. I'm going with the primary purpose of diving. She will dive 3-4 times all week, where I will be doing 2 a day, maybe 3 some days. My wife just wants to hang by the pool/beach and dive every other day, one dive a day.

You've pretty much described the Mayan Princess. I've stayed there a few times, it's right on the beach, is safe and secure. Gated entrance with Roatan required shotgun weilding gaurd. Great pool, very quiet except for cruise ship days when the beach gets taken over by cruise shippers, but you'll be diving anyways at that time. It's a bitch to book your vacation there. They do everything by email and it can get frustrating sometimes. However, it's a really nice place. Attentive staff - well probably not, but depends what you mean. They are nice enough, but you're not going to see much of them. If you need some extra towels or have a problem with the room the front desk will get on it. If you need a drink the bartender will make it for you. Other than that you're not going to see too many others, an occasional waiter might make a round by the pool once or twice a day...

As an AI? There are few AIs on Roatan that are going to get rave reviews for their food. We've gotten the breakfast package and eaten ala carte at the restaurant here and there, but mostly will eat off site as much as possible.

3. How is the dive op at Mayan Princess, Mayan Divers? All other posts look good. Small op, but all signs point to good folks and safe.

Mayan Divers is a nice dive op, safe, good folk running it. We've grown bored with them though, they seem to really be mostly interested in dive training now (guess everybodies got to make a living), for me after diving so much in that area I'm a bit over diving Mandy's eel garden 5 times in a week. They will put out a lot of mixed company on the boat with snorkelers, divers, and divers in training and while they will put you in the water with dive masters for each group, the location chosen gets dumbed down too much for the lowest common denominator for me. We will stay at the Mayan Princess again, but I'll be looking to dive next door with Banarama next time, they seem to be more in tune with advanced divers. But don't get me wrong we've had wonderful times with Mayan Divers, great people, very safe, but for us it's just time to move on. Anja the owner is a great lady, but she's not diving much anymore it seems and is now pretty much concentrating on growing the dive business

4. How is the diving in comparison to Cozumel? Vis, boat ride, marine life, big animals? Shark Dives possibly?

Cozumel is drift diving, deeper diving, longer boat rides, way more fish life. Our last trip to Roatan this November, it appears to me the lion fish have really taken their toll on the north side reefs. Much different DM attitude about lion fish on Roatan then in Cozumel. I saw multiple HUGE lion fish on every dive. They only get that big by eating everything in site and unfortunately it was very obvious compared to our last trip just 2 years earlier that the fish life are way, way down. DM I ran into there don't seem concerned at all about the lion fish. In Cozumel the DM whack everyone they see and I can ever recall seeing a lion fish in Cozumel even 1/2 the size of the ones in Roatan, they just aren't getting a chance to live long enough in Cozumel.

Boat rides are very short. 5 minutes- 10 minute rides are the norm. Groupers were mating on Pablos dive site while we were there so there were quite a few, but I never saw any large groupers like 2 years ago. No sea horses this time either. DMs who said they'd been working there for 2 years told me they've never seen a sea horse their entire time there. So don't expect the Cozumel experience. If you've never been to Roatan you'll have fun, and enjoy it, its a nice place to go to with some good diving, but not great diving in my opinion.

For our budget and what we like, this place looks like a winner. We have also discussed CocoView, but she doesn't like the accommodations and non-stop diving approach. Airfare needs to go down, as it's about $850 from DFW. The Mayan Princess online deal right now is AI, 7 nights, 11 dives, $999 per person. Looks like a great deal if airfare will go down.

Thanks in advance for advice and assistance! Happy New Year!

Diving is cheap there, no doubt. I think you'll really love the Mayan Princess (awesome pool!), you'll be pretty happy with the diving with Mayan Divers too. Just go into it not expecting Cozumel, go into it with a little lower expectations. But, great pool and you'll be on an awesome beach. Both of which are way above any you'll find on Cozumel.

Drinks are better next door at the Tippsy Turtle beach bar, they always have a great drink special every day. Don't miss the fire dancers and crab racing.

At the Mayan Princess, I always upgrade to a beach front room. You are literally 20 feet off the water. Always ask for a 2nd floor room, for the view and better privacy. 1st floor beach front rooms, the 2nd floor person as to walk on their patio on the way to their room.

 

[salth2owannabe]

We have gone to Anthony's Key the last two years. My wife is pretty much a non-diver and does the snorkel boat once or twice/day. They have good service and good food and I have had nothing but great things to say about the staff. They have a pool on the key with a pool bar and enough scheduled items to keep you as busy as you may want to be. The diving is easy and the boat rides are short. The drinks are not included, but they offer a 2 for 1 happy hour most every day of the week either at the upstairs bar or the pool bar. The drinks are very reasonable to begin with so I don't mind having to pay their full price anyway. We've been happy there and I wouldn't hesitate to return. The key superior rooms are very nice and each has a deck near or over the water.

Can I also ask about the AIs you prefer on Cozumel? We've considered giving that try as we are in the Pacific NW and the flights are easier and cheaper for us to get there. You can drop me a pm if you'd like. Thanks in advance.

 

[DeputyDan]

Having been to both - Cozumel is better suited to your list of requirements.
You might look at the Marriott in Curacao. It is not an AI but will meet the rest of your requirements.

 

[tubbyka]

Great advice everyone. We may end up going back to Cozumel if we don't feel great about Roatan.

Salth, I'll pm you.

 

[RickyF]

Another AI resort on Roatan that deserves consideration is Barefoot Cay. Great food, highly regarded dive op, pool and great staff. Has more of a family feel to it. It's located on the south side about ten minutes from the airport away from the hustle and bustle of the west end. Dive op does three dives a day and have very attentive DM's. I have been there for the last four years and loved it. I am going to Cozumel this May for the first time just to go somewhere different.

 

[Mike]

Great advice everyone. We may end up going back to Cozumel if we don't feel great about Roatan.

Salth, I'll pm you.

Don't miss Roatan. Cozumel will always be there.

Do your research and figure out what's the most important to you. The choices on Roatan are easy to make if you prioritize what you want. For instance if you want to dive your ass off, then your choices are obvious, you book with one of the dive centric resorts, like Fantasy Island or CocoView. If you want to tone down dive quantity of your trip then the next level is Anthony's Key or Barefoot Cay... if you want a more "vacation with diving" experience but want the "resort" life then you look to West Bay - Mayan Princess, Infinity Bay, Henry Morgan... if you want to tone the resort experience down a bit then you look at the more "rustic" places....

If you've never been there and been to Cozumel a bunch of times, go to Roatan and experience it.

 

[Doc]

Don't miss Roatan. Cozumel will always be there.

Well said. Roatan is changing (for the worse) every day. See it now, just like Utila.

Success ruins everything.