AI vs non AI @ Fiesta Americana

[jbjclj]

After 6 stays at FA on the full plan, we decided to try AI this trip. After looking at last year's costs, I decided if we only used the breakfast, lunch and drinks we would spend about the same.
ANALYSIS: 11 Day Trip

Breakfast is great(made to order omlettes), Lunch great (fajitas by the pool are wonderful), great burgers and buffet (some good,some bad) at the Reef. Tendancy to drink more pina coladas and margaritas on non diving days since they are "free"

Hotel Dinner - 2 nites of their buffet. Ok the first time, boring the 2nd. You are allowed to eat 2 times in their lovely restaurant upstairs. Wonderful food and service! HOWEVER, you can actually eat there more often if you ask Luis (matre'd) We ate there 3 times and all were excellent

Cozumel Dining- Casa Denis, Casa La Mission, Prima, Guidos (2x), Ambar......All fabulous.

Bottom line. We spent about $50 more on AI this year and still went out to town 6 times. I could have easily eaten at the fine FA restaurant 2 more times. If you are trying to evaluate AI vs Non AI and are considering costs, hope this helps

 

[diveborg]

Thanks for taking the time to write. I'm headed there in December with my non-diving wife and kids, so we are going with the AI just because it is easier with the kids. I don't know if I would do the AI if they weren't along. I do like adventure eating whereas the others are a bit more reluctant to try much that is new or "different". For example, I like to go to the Japanese grocery store and buy snacks based on the pictures on the packages. I can't read Japanese, so this is adventure food. I also don't speak Spanish, so eating out in Coz will be adventure dining for me. Yum.

 

[Dan Kom]

Diveborg,

You are absoulutly right, AI is the best with kids I do agree...If no kids, I would not go with AI. There are so many places to dine in Cozumel, It would be a shame not to be adventerous and sample what Coz has to offer. Ive been to AI's and some were good, but some were bad. I dont want to risk it and get the bad. Plus a lot of the AI's in Cozumel are way south and a taxi into town is 30-40 bucks RT. Thats just my preference....

 

[melfox26]

Aren't you exaggerating just a bit on the taxi fare costing $30-$40 to town from the Souther resorts? That's 300-400 pesos round-trip or 150-200 each way. I was in Coz 2 weeks ago and stayed at the FA, it was standard 60 pesos (about 6 bucks) to town. I can't imagine it being 3 times that for the more southern resorts, I could be wrong however.

As for the AI option, it definately is a good choice when staying at the FA. Without the AI plan, the dinner buffet by the pool would cost 190 pesos, not at all worth it. Plus the FA is somewhat away from town to be able to go into town for every lunch and dinner. The breakfast buffet at the FA right before getting on the dive boat was great.

Mel

 

[Dan Kom]

Its true, 110 pesos per person from Airport to the very southern resorts. Posted right on the board at the Airport. Less to FA. around 78 pesos. Its very tough when you stay all the way at the southern end of the island.

 

[Texas Diver]

We stayed at the Occidental Grand in April and paid $30 roundtrip for a trip to downtown for both of us, and $18 for both of us for our trip from the resort to the airport.