Coco View Resort - Roatan

[dkent]

We have a group trip scheduled for May 2004. However, just had a friend return from their last week and most people either had stomach cramps or diarrhea.

Here are some of the things that our friend indicated from his trip:

- Overall, the resort is nice, but the food is average.
- Wall diving is great, but other sites are just average.
- Would probably not recommend CoCo View to someone else because of all of the cases of cramping and diarrhea. And, some cases were severe enough where people could not dive!

I would welcome anyone's comments that have had a recent visit to the resort. We are seriously considering cancelling the trip and looking for a different destination.

Regards.

 

[lakesdiver]

I've been 11 times. Most recently last Feb.
2 comments on my experience.

1. I've never had the cramping/diarrhea incidents reported to you.
2. Roatan is a place for little critters. Go fast and you miss what it offers. Go slow and there's lots and lots of stuff to see. One of the old mgrs. of the dive op said: "If you move, you're a predator. If you stop, you're a curiosity." Proved to be true.

 

[Dee]

For my 5th trip. This year we had 26 people in our group. Not a single person had stomach problems or diahhrea. In the previous 4 years, there have been minor instances.

Keep in mind that upset stomach can be caused by alot of things. Roatan IS a 3rd world country with food and spices that you may or may not be familiar with. If your normal diet doesn't contain many spices or seasonings, in other words a bland diet compared to others, you can have a reaction. They use a different type of grease and oils, that can cause an upset. The eggs they use are fresh, fertilized eggs, and some people aren't used to them. So yes, the food can cause these reports of upset stomach but that doesn't mean the food is bad, unclean, unhealthy, etc. just different.

When you travel to other parts of the world you have to expect some changes and be prepared for them. Usually a dose or two of Pepto Bismol will settle your stomach and you'll have no more problems. A visit to the drug store for some meclizine will save you days of diahhrea misery. But of course, there are going to be those cases that will miss a day or two of diving because of it. You hear about the people who have these problems but what you don't hear about is the thousands upon thousands who go there every year with no trouble or problems at all.

If you're truly concerned, by all means cancel your trip and go somewhere else. But I can guarantee you that every resort and hotel in the Caribbean, and elsewhere, have had these same type cases.

I'd suggest somewhere in the United States where you think it's safe and you can be sure you won't get sick. However the last time I had food poisoning was in Key Largo, Florida so maybe you shouldn't go there either!

 

[Al Mialkovsky]

While I haven't been there a local dive shop goes twice a year with a group. I've never heard anyone complain about CoCoview from that group. They all have raved about it.

 

[Drewpy]

DKent- Dont cancel the trip.... I was there in march and had heard of the reports in undercurrent-we did not have any problems at all with sickness etc. and knew no one who did!
Like Dee said - its no better anywhere else!
The food was just ok-but I am a food person(Chef) and am very picky in the food department!Didnt care for the cattle call dinner lines and the salad bar got old in a hurry..fish always overcooked etc.....I wont bore you.
The diving is great and for the most part the resort and staff are wonderful!

 

[SeaHunt]

Perhaps you should read this article:

http://www.undercurrent.org/UCnow/articles/CoCoView200305.shtml

Having never been there I'll defer to those that have but, buyer beware...something is obviously going on.

Jim

 

[kkrepps]

The Undercurrent article has been beat to death. Before you take it as gosple that

....something is obviously going on.

Read this Terry Evans on being seriously misquoted by Undercurrent BTW, we got back from CocoView 14 June 03. Great time, no stomach problems with us or anyone we talked to at the resort.

 

[Dee]

I couldn't find that thread.

SeaHunt once bubbled...
Having never been there I'll defer to those that have but, buyer beware...something is obviously going on.

Jim

There's definately something going on and I suspect it's a smear campaign. There's been too many unsubstantiated accusations from questionable sources.

If you want to defer to those that have been there, then listen to all of us who are stating that there were no problems.

 

[kkrepps]

The link in my post is to a thread in Rodale's message board. Here's the raw address: http://www.scubadiving.com/talk/read.php?f=1&i=738503&t=735871 Or do a search on the Rodales board over the last couple of months with the key word "coco view" there's been lots of vitrol spilled over the subject.

I have no idea why Ben Davidson and Undercurrent seem to be in the middle of this but it always seems to circle back to them or a "I heard from someone, who talked to a buddy, who had a friend at work.......":wacko:

 

[busted]

IS this a common problem with Undercurrent?