Looks like we will be there at the same time! dtatt & atatt w/3 non diving kids; 6/11-6/22 at the Palace diving with Scuba Mau.
I can't wait to here your comparison of the two hotels.
We'll definitely have to meet up after I check in. Drinks are on me
I went back and forth on this. Originally I wanted to split the time between the Occidental Grand Royal Club and the Palace but was shocked to see the Royal Club asking almost as much as the "special" rate the Palace gave me. There's no comparison IMO. Food is much better at the Palace and the Royal Club is all garden view. No hot tub. "Premium" alcohol only available through the Royal Club restaurant which is a pain if you're no in the vicinity. Who are they kidding?
So I decided to downscale with a decent rate at El Cid on their "elite" all-inclusive plan which guaranteed better booze and food selections than the regular AI. Oceanview room. But TripAdvisor reviews were decidedly mixed. The ocean view is really a cruise ship view. Crowded beach when the cruisers are in town. And something about baby cockroaches.
Then I remembered Secrets just opened. Found a pool view rate for a price halfway between the Palace and El Cid. Then decided, why risk a noisy pool with distracting buxom women in bikinis when I really want to look at the sea. Oceanview Suite is exactly $5 more per night than the Palace Oceanview Jr. Suite. Completely different restaurants, with a French and a seafood, versus Italian and "Asian" at the Palace. I get bored with the Palace restaurants after one night each, so this will work out better IMO. I'm just worried that I might like Secrets better and wish I had stayed there the entire 8 nights. But I loved the Palace and I'm rooting for it. Therefore I'll be highly critical of Secrets, especially noting any area where they fall short of the Palace (no hot tub!) (no liquor dispenser!), but I truly hope they're both wonderful experiences, equal but different.
Using United air miles as a non-elite is getting tougher and tougher. I was trying for saver rate business class and kept getting mixed cabins, mostly with the check-in leg at LAX or ONT in coach which would mean hefty fees for extra bags and my 65 lb camera case. Finally found one that was the opposite, biz class LAX to IAH, then coach IAH to CZM. Works for me. I don't mind 2 hours in coach as long as my heavy bags are already checked through. No overnight in Houston for a change, but we have a 5:15 am flight out of LAX. That sucks. Return flights options were even worse until I found an interesting one: CZM to Montreal to LAX on Air Canada biz class. They allow 70 lb bags with no fee, biz class on both legs and it looks comfortable enough, only downside is 10 hrs in the air versus 5.5 hrs. But if I'm just reclining, eating, watching movies, and drinking free booze all the way, who cares? And hopefully there's poutine in the Montreal airport during our 2-hr layover. Not sure how it will work with immigration, whether we have to clear Canada first then turn around and clear U.S. ICE? Hopefully not. The Canadians don't like me.
June 2013 "Back" Roll:
atatt & dtatt (+ 3 kids), June 11-22, Cozumel Palace, Scuba Mau
Mossman, June 14-22, Secrets/Palace, Living Underwater?
