First Coz trip Review

[mostlyirish]

I can safely say my wife and I will definitely return to Cozumel in the future. We stayed at Sunscapes Sabor. We were fortunate to dive with Blue XT Sea Diving and could not have been more pleased with the service Christi's crew provided. They picked us up at the hotel pier each morning. Pedro and Martin, the divemasters, and Edwin and Nivo the boat captains treated us like royalty the entire trip. I had the good fortune to dive 9 days in a row with Pedro and Martin on alternating days. The crew set up our gear on the first day and had it ready to go every day for the remainder of our trip. They took me to an incredible variety of sites and were able to show me all the critters I requested and many more. Between the divemasters and boat captains the service was terriffic. Due to issues with her back, my wife needs assistance getting into the water and back onto the boat. They made sure she was well cared for. They monitored her closely and helped her adjust her weighting to make her dives better based on her experience level. I got to experience the diving from both of their boats and can say they both meet my expectations for being able to get us to each dive site quickly in relative comfort. Although Bandita II was roomier, I prefered Shamu due to its' simplicity and ease of entering the water and getting back on the boat. They were both good boats. We were provided plenty of bottled water throughout the morning to ensure we styed hydrated.Surface intervals were always at one of the piers along the shore where we could get off and on the boat as desired and we were provided with plenty of great fruit and bread snacks and bottled water. Depspite her discomfort following recent surgery, Christi was very accomodating in setting up our dive schedule and keeping the communication lines open to ensure we were being looked after. I would highly recommend Blue XT Sea Diving to anyone and will dive with them on our next visit to Coz.

Sunscapes was a comfortable resort with very friendly staff. The food was OK to good in some cases. The Mexican restaurant provided very tasty authentic meals which we enjoyed very much. The Italian restaurant was also tasty. The Seaside grill was so-so. Breakfast had the typical buffet faire with an omelet station, scrambled eggs, pancakes and a variety of fruit, bread and sweets. The room (Suite) was large and comfortable and the fridge was kept stocked with beverages of your choice. The only complaint I had was the air conditioning had a confusing remote controller which took too much adjusting to keep the room consistently comfortable. I can recommend it as a family friendly, reasonably priced all inclusive resort. We may try its' sister resort next door "Secrets" next time for some additional space and comfort.

 

[Cozdreamer]

welcome to the addiction called Coz-a-holic! Thanks for sharing your trip report. Continued safe diving to you and your wife.

 

[jonhall]

Nice report. Thanks for sharing. Great place to dive!

 

[DjDiverDan]

Thanks for the report. Just a suggestion, but you might want to consider NOT staying at an all-inclusive next time. Sure, all-inclusive resorts have their place, and their benefits. But you also miss out on the local culture, and, ESPECIALLY in Cozumel, you miss out on the local dining scene, which is really terrific. I very much understand going all-inclusive in a place like Jamaica, where safety concerns make one a little leery of leaving the fenced in compound, or in places like Roatan, where outside dining choices are very limited. And I understand why families with children might go AI, so they know the kids are taken care of and they don't have to constantly hand out cash to the kids so they can eat. But for a single, a couple, or even a group of adults, AI really isn't necessary or (IMHO) beneficial in Cozumel UNLESS (1) You just don't care about the quality and variety of food, or (2) you intend to make a killing by drinking half your body weight each day at the AI open bars. Cozumel is a very friendly, very safe Island, with a wealth of great dining options, in every price range, from the el cheapo taquerias back on 30 and 60 where you can eat your fill of very tasty tacos and wash it down with beer for just a few bucks, and the little family owned loncherias where you can get a huge lunch for less than $6, all the way to the higher-end fine dining places like La Cocay, Kinta and Kondesa. I think if you took a poll of the long-time Cozaholics, you'd find that the large majority avoid AI resorts on Cozumel.

 

[Brules]

Thanks for posting, I am SO glad everything went well with you your wife and Blue XT Sea!

As to the above, don't listen to the anti AI hotel ppl lol. I have been going to Coz for 20+ years and I can safely say, unless you just love hunting for, paying for, converting pesos to dollars and back, & tipping for every meal, snack, water bottle, desert - stay with AI lol. YOu can get ALL the "Cozumel Culture" you want from an AI by going to town as needed.

I go on vacation to do as little as possible (my wife even more so), and that includes keeping track of money, dealing with conversion rates, have to plan out every meal and snack/drink etc etc. If I wanted to work I would stay at home haha!

Just stay at an AI closer to town like I do (Park Royal), get all the benefits of AI, and go to town to get your local fix as needed/as you feel like screwing with it lol.

So tired of the AI haters lol.......#superioritycomplexmuch?

 

[DjDiverDan]

It's not a complex if you really are superior.

 

[Snoweman]

Glad you enjoyed your trip. Coz is my favorite place to dive. Jump in and ride the current (and hide behind a barrel sponge if you need to let others catch up).

I think I will stay at Casa Mexicana for my next stay. It's right around the corner from the dive folks I use and I don't need a beach when trying to maximize the number of dives I do a day. I agree with other posters that you are missing out on a lot of local flavor by not going into local restaurants. But, I can understand the safety and convenience of an AI.

 

[Carlos Diver]

Good report. I stayed at Secrets in December and really enjoyed it. Spent some time at Sabor and I thought it had a nice vibe, though it really needs a swim-up bar so I can get my body weight in booze. I might end up there last minute for my next trip.

I have tried Cozumel before at a hotel, and frankly it wasnt for me. I prefer the AI option, but I wont lecture because I just dont care what other people do on their vacation.

 

[jonhall]

But you also miss out on the local culture, and, ESPECIALLY in Cozumel, you miss out on the local dining scene, which is really terrific. I very much understand going all-inclusive in a place like Jamaica, where safety concerns make one a little leery of leaving the fenced in compound

Think there are ways to get local culture even if one goes AI. It's not just about eating (although that's a big part of it.) Have stayed in Coz where we could purchase a few days AI and then have the rest of the week to explore the local places - best of both worlds!

Because I tend to get places through a time share, it is the reason I don't even look at Jamaica where the AI's run anywhere from $125 to $500+ per person/day as opposed to Coz at $45 to under $100. The most I've paid so far (in Coz) is $53/person/day. Food was fine and had plenty of the local flair.

 

[ggunn]

T
As to the above, don't listen to the anti AI hotel ppl lol. I have been going to Coz for 20+ years and I can safely say, unless you just love hunting for, paying for, converting pesos to dollars and back, & tipping for every meal, snack, water bottle, desert - stay with AI lol.

I am one of those "ppl"; rather than not listening to us, I would advise listening to everyone and making the choice that suits you. AI's are not for everyone, just like staying in or close to town and having lots of choices for meals isn't for everyone.