calicant
Contributor
I find it hard to believe anyone could have a bad time at CocoView. We just returned from our first stay at this resort (2 weeks) and everything was great except having to leave. We'll be back.
CCV during January---anyone going there.
- Thread starter Midge907
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Calicant, you don't happen to dove halcyon gear do you? Were you on boat 4 the first week? I met a couple that have the same profile as you, ow cert I Belize, now diving cold water in southern California.
calicant
Contributor
We were indeed on the very same dive boat and able to agree with everything you have said about CocoView! I wish we could have stayed two months rather than two weeks. 
Well glad to "see" you!
ktkt
Contributor
Good news -- I succeeded with my carry-on only packing plan! Bad news -- camera didn't make it on time
OK - I do find it odd that you apparently came here to post just about Cocoview. You had no other postings on the entire board prior to this one. Now, you have a grant total of three posts in the course of 2 days in December - and nothing since. I would take this one person's review with a giant boulder of salt.
OK, just to be fair, I have seen a few other posts about "regulars" getting the best treatment and others ignored. In fact, a local course director in the Chicago area complained about not getting the kind of treatment he thought he should get as a trip leader of 30. We had a group there in June. We invited Deb and Mitch to come talk to us during meals as opposed to waiting around. I stopped into the office and talked to Deb just to hear the story of how they came to manage the place. We drove Mitch a bit crazy because we wanted to night dive every night even when he closed the pool due to conditions. We respected his closing, but grumbled. So, after reading some of the posts before we went, we decided to make ourselves regulars and chat with them and the other staff whenever we could. Result: A great, amazing time at CCV and, later in the year at DEMA, Deb saw me and came up to give me a big hug and she and Doc R. chatted for quite some time before they set up their booth.
Everyone is different and expects something different. Our group tends to make ourselves at home wherever we go and it has worked so far in making friends in lots of places. Can't say enough great things about CCV..that's all.
Rob
Everyone is different and expects something different. Our group tends to make ourselves at home wherever we go and it has worked so far in making friends in lots of places. Can't say enough great things about CCV..that's all.
Rob
calicant
Contributor
We were two people and first time visitors and I found absolutely nothing odd about how we were treated in any part of the day in any part of the resort. We were told where our room was, where the food was served, where the dive dock was and who we would do our check out dive with an hour or so later. We ate quite a few meals over several days with different divers we met without any managers hovering around trying to make us feel important. I think it was near the end of the trip when we met Mitch, who seems like a really nice guy, and we were glad he spent his time managing the resort rather than having warm showers with us! Everything on the dive operation ran like a Swiss watch, the food was good, the rooms were good and it was all good really. CocoView is the kind of place that is so special that ordinary people can feel right at home and special people can feel very ordinary. Either way, it's great diving.
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We've been there maybe 30 times, and mostly for 2 weeks at a time.
Sometimes management ignores me, sometimes I yack with them a lot, sometimes they will even meet me for a dive.
Having such familiarity with the place, I see a bit more into their daily operations, I see past the curtain. Sometimes these managers who we think have a life in paradise are pulling out their hair in chunks. Yet~ we rarely see why they are so pre-occupied.
In any social situation, and indeed that is what we are talking about here, any newbie that walks into the room is likely to be a bit shy/defensive/unsure. We see this issue at SCUBA Clubs all the time. Just like CCV, the Clubs are advised to have a front man or greeter to make the new kid understand that they are welcomed and have at least one person they know. After that, in most cases, it is up to all of us to reach out and meet new friends, make acquaintances with staff... or just decide that they might like a quieter, more solo type vacation.
There are 2 person tables, 4 person, 8, and 12+ tables. Don't be afraid to join a large group if there's room. You might meet a friendly mermaid. As a regular denizen, Herself and I usually sit at a 4 or 8 and see who joins us. We have met some lifelong dive buddies that way.
We have seen attempts to overcome this natural barrier in many permutations- one of the best is the Tupperware party model. They had it down to a science, breaking down natural reticence to let go and expose oneself to others. Many resorts open the week with the least common denominator, an alcohol related party- the Rum Swoozie model. Club Dread has likely the best social model, combining alcohol with silly games- it gets people mixing, but then again, that is what they promise, right?
At real live dive resorts, you don't generally see the alcohol binge welcome party being used. CCV goes out of their way to avoid any over-consumption of alcohol~ no 50 cent beers, etc.... except on Friday night with free rum punch~ when there are any number of guests trying to do the Limbo. They can sleep it off on the plane.
I believe that the surest way to "get attention" like the repeat guests is to become one. If you want it on the first visit, go latch onto the management person of your choice. To a great extent, they are respecting your privacy by not plopping down for dinner- unless you let them know you might like that. This is especially true with the DMs and Dockside Dive Center Instructors- if you invite them, they will join you~ otherwise they don't wish to risk intruding. Staff members do not fit the expected mold of the standard dinner guest. They may have to wolf down their food, they may have to grab their plate and trot off in mid-bite, they may have six side conversations during the meal. Just watch the circus and enjoy the show.
Here's a plan- get into dinner fairly early, sit yourself down at Doc Radawski's table- usually a few paces from the bar- and buy him a Port Royal. This is a very effective trick to lure him into talking to you. Or, you could just bring over some popcorn- that will likely work. Then, just sit and listen.
Sometimes management ignores me, sometimes I yack with them a lot, sometimes they will even meet me for a dive.
Having such familiarity with the place, I see a bit more into their daily operations, I see past the curtain. Sometimes these managers who we think have a life in paradise are pulling out their hair in chunks. Yet~ we rarely see why they are so pre-occupied.
In any social situation, and indeed that is what we are talking about here, any newbie that walks into the room is likely to be a bit shy/defensive/unsure. We see this issue at SCUBA Clubs all the time. Just like CCV, the Clubs are advised to have a front man or greeter to make the new kid understand that they are welcomed and have at least one person they know. After that, in most cases, it is up to all of us to reach out and meet new friends, make acquaintances with staff... or just decide that they might like a quieter, more solo type vacation.
There are 2 person tables, 4 person, 8, and 12+ tables. Don't be afraid to join a large group if there's room. You might meet a friendly mermaid. As a regular denizen, Herself and I usually sit at a 4 or 8 and see who joins us. We have met some lifelong dive buddies that way.
We have seen attempts to overcome this natural barrier in many permutations- one of the best is the Tupperware party model. They had it down to a science, breaking down natural reticence to let go and expose oneself to others. Many resorts open the week with the least common denominator, an alcohol related party- the Rum Swoozie model. Club Dread has likely the best social model, combining alcohol with silly games- it gets people mixing, but then again, that is what they promise, right?
At real live dive resorts, you don't generally see the alcohol binge welcome party being used. CCV goes out of their way to avoid any over-consumption of alcohol~ no 50 cent beers, etc.... except on Friday night with free rum punch~ when there are any number of guests trying to do the Limbo. They can sleep it off on the plane.
I believe that the surest way to "get attention" like the repeat guests is to become one. If you want it on the first visit, go latch onto the management person of your choice. To a great extent, they are respecting your privacy by not plopping down for dinner- unless you let them know you might like that. This is especially true with the DMs and Dockside Dive Center Instructors- if you invite them, they will join you~ otherwise they don't wish to risk intruding. Staff members do not fit the expected mold of the standard dinner guest. They may have to wolf down their food, they may have to grab their plate and trot off in mid-bite, they may have six side conversations during the meal. Just watch the circus and enjoy the show.
Here's a plan- get into dinner fairly early, sit yourself down at Doc Radawski's table- usually a few paces from the bar- and buy him a Port Royal. This is a very effective trick to lure him into talking to you. Or, you could just bring over some popcorn- that will likely work. Then, just sit and listen.
Great advice RoatanMan, last time that I was in Roatan ( 2008 ) I wasn't even staying at CCV and I made the effort to kayak over to have a Port Royal with Doc. Nice picture!
We book divers into CCV and have had excellent feedback.
And Yes, we will take another group there!
We book divers into CCV and have had excellent feedback.
And Yes, we will take another group there!
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