Which dive op to use in Cozumel?

[Bison]

I contacted Dive with Allison, but she responded that she is unable to pick up divers at the cruise docks any longer.

All good things come to an end. Guess I'll be making changes for any future cruises to Cozumel. Thanks for the update.

 

[timetraveler]

Bison, You might not be able to find another independent dive op that picks up at the ships' piers. This is what Allison said in her email to me:
"I don´t pick up at the cruise ship piers. The only dive operators that are allowed to pick up at the
cruise ship piers are the dive operators sponsored by the cruise ship companies. That law changed way back after 9/11."

 

[yle]

This is what Allison said in her email to me:
"I don´t pick up at the cruise ship piers. The only dive operators that are allowed to pick up at the
cruise ship piers are the dive operators sponsored by the cruise ship companies. That law changed way back after 9/11."

Be sure you're phrasing your request properly. None of the dive boats are allowed to pull up right next to the cruise ships. And there are two places where the cruise ships dock: the big international pier (where all the Carnival ships dock) south of town, and PL (where you'll dock) right in town. There is a small pier, big enough for about four dive boats, just a block north of the PL pier. You should Google Earth it and get a visual; it's midway between PL (cruise ships) and the ferry pier (from Playa del Carmen). This is the small dive boat pier that Deep Blue and many of the other shops in town use for their boats, and a lot of the dive ops seem to pick up there.

Otherwise... if you ask a dive op "can you pick us up at the ship?" you'll likely get a lot of "no's". But if you ask if they can take you diving and then ask how you get to them, they'll probably tell you to grab a taxi for a 5 minute ride. Many of the dive boats are docked in the marina south of town (also south of the international pier.)

Picking up and dropping off shouldn't be an obstacle to your diving in Coz; the taxis are all over, relatively cheap, and everything is a few minutes ride.

 

[claymore]

BLUE ANGEL had or has a boat that boat that went out at 10:00am that works well for cruise divers, time yo get off the ship catch a cab to the ops location do your dives and get back to the ship with a time buffer.

 

[SusanMarie]

In the past we've dived with Blue XTSea, but this time we're arriving by ship and won't dock until 8AM. There's no way we could get to the harbor on time. We sail again at 4PM, so afternoon dives are not possible. Our ship, the Rotterdam, is supposed to dock at Punta Langosta. I already contacted Aldora Divers and was told that our ship's schedule prevents them from taking us out. We've had some bad experiences on cruise ship dives and would rather avoid them.
Can you recommend a Cozumel dive operation whose schedule might work with our ship's - preferably one that picks up in town?

Sand to Sea Adventures caters to Cruise divers. Let me know if you want more info.

 

[SusanMarie]

I have used Sand to Sea Adventures Cozumel for the past several years. Contact Cindy through the web site by googling Sand to Sea Adventures Cozumel or searching for the site on Facebook. She will set you up with a divemaster named Fernando. They use a small boat so you won't be diving in a large group. We meet at Marina Fonatur which will cost about $12 by taxi for one way, per cab, not person.
If you have 4 people, then Salty Endeavors might work for you. They do a private charter for one rate of $400. Here is the link to his web site: Half-Day Charter a Private Boat in Cozumel - Salty Endeavors
Good Luck!
Irene