Guests of Sunscape, Secrets & Residencias Reef

[drrich2]

If you read back through the thread, you'll see the customers are NOT what are producing the hassle, nor are they themselves the hassle.

Richard.

 

[ronscuba]

Well, it's really not that simple and not that cut and dry - and piers are federally zoned - so no, they can't actually.

And for what it's worth, we as dive operators provide hotel pier pick-ups as a courtesy, so when that courtesy costs us time, hassle and money - it is not a courtesy we can provide. In MANY
destinations, you load at one central location, like a marina. Of course you are entitled to your opinion and choice.

Well.........Cozumel is different than many destinations since most dive sites are strung along in a row fairly close to the shore. The dive boats go past many hotels and resorts as they travel to/from the dive sites.

So yes hotel pier pickup is a courtesy, but in Cozumel, it is the norm for guest staying south of the marina.

I agree with you on the hassle of Secrets current process.

 

[TiogaTerry]

ive read every single post in this thread and have been watching with interest since day 1. If truly this is an issue of legality, or zone/ordinance, etc, call me an idiot for wasting minutes of your life having to respond. If otherwise, we are talking $2 bucks a day and a 10 spot over the week on top of a trip already costing thousands. This is a foreign country and, generally speaking, the AI traveler wants a hassle free vacation. It is everybody’s hope that the dive ops and hotels will eventually see they both have a mutual interest in keeping that in mind as they struggle with this emotional situation. Perhaps the stand off is that the hotels see us as their customer who uses the dive op and the drive op sees just the opposite. In either scenario mutual resolve needs to be sought out as the traveler desires services from both. To post a list of who will or who won’t provide services will unfortunately & eventually cause the traveler to decide whose customer they primarily are. I hope an amicable resolve is reached and all affected find some comfort in it. Coz is the greatest place on earth and it makes me sad to see that things are not rainbows and butterflies.

 

[drrich2]

If otherwise, we are talking $2 bucks a day and a 10 spot over the week on top of a trip already costing thousands.

And if that's all it was, no big deal. It's not:

Vouchers are now required for each diver/snorkeler/fisherman (anyone getting picked up by a boat) to access the pier at these properties. But it's not that simple.

I have spent over 2 hours of my time the past week just gathering the correct information needed to purchase vouchers and then another 2 hours actually purchasing them for my divers today. It's a ridiculous process. Pay at the bank, then drive to the accounting office at Secrets Resort to present our receipt to pick the booklets up, go through security to gain access to the administrative offices then a 30 minute wait to be given the vouchers - no one seemed to know what was going on. So 4 hours of my time to pay a $2/diver/day pier fee that could EASILY be added to the "resort fee" that resorts around the world assess to cover things like pier maintenance with no impact to their guests or service providers, yet still collect the assessment.

The vouchers are in quadruple form and must be presented to the "Pier Police" in order for your dive boat of choice to pick you up at the pier. One sheet for the pier police when you gt on the boat, and one when you get off the boat - and the dive shop keeps a sheet and the boat keeps a sheet - this is for EACH diver EACH day! The charge is $2usd per day.

If a dive op. has to jump through all those hoops to deliver your $2 to the hotel property nutty enough to create such a convoluted system, the op. is either going to refuse, or have you wade out to them without the pier, or charge you a good deal more additional money.

And think about this; let's say somehow the dive op.s were crazy enough to go along with this. What stops other hotels with piers from deciding they want more money, too, and pulling the same thing?

Richard.

 

[ggunn]

ive read every single post in this thread and have been watching with interest since day 1. If truly this is an issue of legality, or zone/ordinance, etc, call me an idiot for wasting minutes of your life having to respond. If otherwise, we are talking $2 bucks a day and a 10 spot over the week on top of a trip already costing thousands.

Since you have read every post in the thread (as I have) then surely you realize that it's not about the money. If it were, the resort would make the fees as painless as possible for everyone to pay. This is something else.

 

[Dan G]

Since you have read every post in the thread (as I have) then surely you realize that it's not about the money. If it were, the resort would make the fees as painless as possible for everyone to pay. This is something else.

Exactly. If it were just about raising capital for maintenance, then the hotel would just sell their guests chips for $2 to give to the guy at the dock every time we were picked up by an outside op. Charge it to the room and pay at the end of the week. Easy.

 

[RhodeDiver]

Since you have read every post in the thread (as I have) then surely you realize that it's not about the money.

True it is the time, hassle and money of providing good customer service.

hotel pier pick-ups as a courtesy, so when that courtesy costs us time, hassle and money - it is not a courtesy we can provide.

And think about this; let's say somehow the dive op.s were crazy enough to go along with this. What stops other hotels with piers from deciding they want more money, too, and pulling the same thing?

What stops them from all banding together and all of them just charging a fee even with a boycott of this one hotel?

Think about the money a dive shop could make by simply paying the $2 fee while every other shop won't.

 

[mcohen1021]

I'm telling you, the dive ops and customers will just have to challenge it the hard way, with a middle finger and a little defiance.

 

[kelemvor]

We had a great united front at the meeting today and stood firm woth our position that we will not pay the hotels pier fees - period. Somewhere between 20 - 25 operations were represented and represented well! Many others were not able to make it to the meeting due to other commitments but support our efforts and position.

We have them one last opportunity to change their position - I am hopeful but not overly optimistic. We should hear from
Secrets management within the next day or two with their choice.

Will provide a full update when the hotels choice is made.

Hear anything yet?

 

[Dan G]

Well for my part I filled out my Sunscape customer survey and explained that there was no way I'd stay at Sunscape if the dive ops I wanted to use refused to pick up at their hotel. AI is not our usual thing, but it works for a group with teens because they can eat anytime they want (this is critical) and have a pool and beach to hang out on. (we're busy diving)