Blue Angel or ScubaClub

[cicopo]

Thank Christi. If you haven't had any issues I'm thinking other ops haven't either.

 

[JFS]

We have a trip with several families in Oct. For the bulk of our trip we have accommodations already set but a couple of our friends want to stay at a “resort” after we leave. They are asking my opinion of BA & ScubaClub which I have never stayed at either. I lean towards BA but seems like lots of longtime BA fans are bailing on them so a little concerned on why. Looking for some opinions from folks who have stayed at both resorts. Also they will not be using the hotel dive ops. Thx

Hotel Cozumel is a great hotel to stay at with pier access for divers. Dive Paradise is the diveshop but allows pickups there from other shops. Nice beach area and closer to town than Blue Angel if you wish to walk to a great restaurant. If you want to stay more south, try the Landmark for 5 star service and the money bar pier is free for boat pickup. Ive seen and talked to lots of ex Blue Angel clients this year at Fonatur Marina along with numerous ex dive staff from BA.

 

[Dogbowl]

Ive seen and talked to lots of ex Blue Angel clients this year at Fonatur Marina along with numerous ex dive staff from BA.

I’ve heard that too. What’s the deal with BA?

 

[ggunn]

I’ve heard that too. What’s the deal with BA?

It's complicated.

 

[rick00001967]

As recent as today, we have never been asked to pay a pier fee at Hotel Cozumel for the hotel guests.

thank you christi. this is very interesting info. i will not name the shops but i was def told there was a pick up fee by more than one. so unless some shops are treated different than others by hotel coz, it means i was lied to in order to try and charge me a few bucks more. i don't like being lied to. it makes me angry. you wouldn't like me when i'm angry. (begins to turn green) haha

 

[Ray and Pam]

We've stayed at Hotel Coz our last 3 or 4 trips, have only stayed at Villa Blanca and Reef Residencies previously.
For us, rooms are fine, good size, TV, nice bathrooms/shower, balcony to dry things, great pool and scenery, good location for walking north or south for happy hours, groceries, etc.
On site dive op, use of lockers even if not diving with them.
We get b/f there, lunch is in the room(mini fridge) and supper is in town.
I also enjoy the shore diving there, easy entrance/exit, good place for checkout dive, best $7 spent for 90 min. afternoon entertainment when boat dive isn't an option.
Ray

 

[cicopo]

I always do a shore dive too to check both my gear (which I service myself) and weight needed. Sometimes I take my camera but not always. This is an album with photos there from a few trips added to it. Some claim it's a bit better in the Scuba Club area but I almost always go south against the current to start my dive.

https://flic.kr/s/aHsmpr4Afy

 

[JFS]

i guess food is always subjective. we loved all the breakfasts. lunches and dinners we always found something we liked. but it certainly is not 5 star dining. that is why it is nice to go into town for some dinners and lunches. adds some more variety. the rooms are certainly only your run of the mill hotel rooms but worked fine for the wife and i. we prefer to usually stay in a studio or one bedroom but when it is an all inclusive we don't need the kitchen etc. as far as storing gear, there is plenty of room to hang gear at the pier. any gear we don't wanna risk getting stolen (like computers etc) we just bring back to the room. or you can store it in the free lockers provided. each to his own i guess.



that is odd. we have stayed twice. every dive op we contacted (besides dive paradise obviously) told us there was a fee for getting picked up there. why wouldn't there be ? why should that resort allow others to use their facilities for free ? maybe the fee was hidden in the prices you were quoted ? or maybe i was given incorrect info. no, can't be. cuz that never happens. haha btw....only dived one day with dive paradise. it was **** show. but we love dealing with Angel at the dive paradise shop on site for all our shore dives there. he is awesome. def a kind soul.

To clarify fees at Dive Paradise. There is no fee at hotel barracuda, no fee at hotel Cozumel. There is a $2 per person fee at the villablanca location if getting picked up by outside shops. I just asked Angel from dive paradise while having an ice cold cerveza at his home. Sunday fun day...

 

[Christi]

thank you christi. this is very interesting info. i will not name the shops but i was def told there was a pick up fee by more than one. so unless some shops are treated different than others by hotel coz, it means i was lied to in order to try and charge me a few bucks more. i don't like being lied to. it makes me angry. you wouldn't like me when i'm angry. (begins to turn green) haha

I don't believe any shops are treated differently with regard to pier fees. We have a VERY active group chat for dive shop owners (as well as a separate one for ANOAAT member shops). Hotel pier fees are definitely something we share on a regular basis and I've never seen anyone posting that they were charged at Hotel Cozumel for Hotel Cozumel guests. Perhaps these dive shops have decided it is their policy to charge pier fees for all hotels rather than trying to keep track of who owes pier fees?? I have no idea - just a thought.

I do know that most operations do not cover the pier fees and encourage guests to deal directly with the hotels for pier fees rather than acting as fee collectors for the hotels.

Currently, the hotels with associated pier fees are:
Villa Blanca (because the pier actually belongs to Dive Paradise)
Park Royal (because they don't actually have a a pier of their own)
Secrets/Sunscape/Reef Residencias
Allegro
Occidental Grand
Iberostar (monthly flat rate including tons of red tape)

Pier fees range from $2 - $5 per diver/day

 

[cicopo]

Oh oh. I will need to make some corrections to an album I put on line a few days ago saying there weren't pier fees at the Allegro or Grand. First time I've heard that. Thanks.