Cozumel Vacation Do's and Don'ts (Fun)

[tom_n_tacoma]

Do: dive a lot, smile a lot, get off Melgar and go into town
Don't: get on a scooter, be impatient, be cheap

 

[joel smith]

WOW I have just learned that i am a pod person Ihave 53 dives since cert 12.5 months ago we will be diving coz for the first time in nov from a cruise ship. we are already planning a week long dive trip next year , weve never been there but really looking forward to it guess im going as a pod.

OK, OK, I have been a "pod" person AND in Cozumel! But guess what....this pod and her pod husband got turned on to diving because the cruise ship stopped in COZ and we did an introductory dive! Had we never been on that cruise we probably we wouldn't have known the beauty of the undersea world of COZ. After we got back home we signed up to get scuba certified and have been to COZ on repeated trips (not associated with a cruise). I can't wait to get back to Cozumel in November AND I'm proud to have been a pod!

 

[joel smith]

YES I guess Im a pod , going to coz for the first time in nov, Well be diving with Aldora, maybe this trip will be so good Iwont be a pod anymore.

Oh boy Josh, you couldn't be more wrong. Next time you go to Cozumel make friends with a local and ask them to personally tell you about how life was during the swine flu out break in 2009, when the cruise ships stopped coming and locals went broke, needed hand outs from employers to keep their families fed. The island just about shut down and the locals never want to see anything like that again.

Cruise ships are the life blood of Cozumel today, the dive industry isn't even on the financial radar.

Need I also remind you how cheap divers are?

You'd also be amazed at how many divers who come to Cozumel and stay for a week today, first discovered Cozumel on a cruise.

 

[joewr]

Hi, Gang,

Let's see if I have even more "dated information"! This might be a "No" item.

Back in the day, we used to use travelers checks when we went to Cozumel. However, about 3 years ago, places like Chedraui were reluctant to accept them. And if you made a mistake on the check, you could not just correct it because, they said, the banks would not accept that. Thus, you had to write a new check and get a refund from the travelers check company.

So, now we take cash, but used credit cards whenever possible.

Since we dive with a small owner-operated outfit (6-pack boat), and he does not take credit cards, we pay him in cash. That means we take a lot of cash with us since we rent a house and have to buy groceries at places that do not take credit cards, either. The house has a safe...and that is nice.

My message, though, is that if you are diving with a small outfit, check to see how they want to get paid. It could be that cash is their only option. But you should check. I have no idea as to the policies of the larger outfits like the Dive House, Papa Hog, etc., but it would be good to check if you plan to use travelers checks.

Does anyone have more current information regarding travelers checks? My information is 1 1/2 years old...:blinking:

joewr...cash is king...and I am happy to invite the king to my house anytime...

 

[WoodyLompoc]

Joel Smith

Do: Wear a dive t-shirt. Make sure you cut a few holes in it and wash it about twenty times before you arrive on the island. Be sure you are wearing said shirt when you step off "the Pod". Most of the real people (divers) will believe you are one of us.

Also Do: Make sure it is NOT a Cozumel shirt. It MUST be from another destination. (Only divers with a world of experiences are accepted.)

Please note: The above is an "attempt" at humor.

 

[driftin' by]

Does anyone have more current information regarding travelers checks? My information is 1 1/2 years old...:blinking:

Good point. I just learned my dive op of choice doesn't take them anymore either... I guess like the old adage: "Discover Card never discovered Mexico." We can now add; "Travelers Cheques don't travel to Mexico anymore."

Now my dive op of choice will now take PayPal without adding any convenience fees that PayPal imposes on them. Additionally, with PayPal, your paying in good old US greenbacks so no possible conversion penalties when using credit card.

 

[Mike]

WOW I have just learned that i am a pod person Ihave 53 dives since cert 12.5 months ago we will be diving coz for the first time in nov from a cruise ship. we are already planning a week long dive trip next year , weve never been there but really looking forward to it guess im going as a pod.

Cool. Just show up at Aldora like I do with a 3 foot tall drink glass and a balloon animal hat.

 

[Darol]

Holy $hit, I'm a Pod person too..... U.S.S. Bowen F.F.1079 P.O.2