Resorts we should avoid?

[Mike]

You have my official boycott of Park Royal. I toured the place one time and I have no intention of staying there, so I'm in.

The other 3 I have to look up again before I can make a socially conscious stand on them.

 

[cvchief]

It is the resorts job to protect their in-house op, and discourage other ops. If I wanted to stay at CDM (I don't) and dive with Dive House (I have, but probably wouldn't again, only because I like others better), that's cool, but if I wanted to dive with Aldora or Blue XTC, well, I would think I would pay a premium over the house operator. My choice of operator in Coz is way more important than my choice of lodging, though, so I will usually stay where Christie or Dave tell me that they have free pickup.

Well there ya go. Voting with dollars. All I ask.

---------- Post added July 20th, 2013 at 05:11 PM ----------

I can make a socially conscious

Uh, no. I *think* those who are arguing AGAINST me are saying we have to be more socially conscious and not violate the prime directive and interfere with how they operate.

I am suggested you should act in a manner to protect what you like.

 

[Sideways]

---------- Post added July 20th, 2013 at 05:11 PM ----------

and not violate the prime directive and interfere.

Bro! Your inner trekkie is showing

 

[Mike]

Uh, no. I *think* those who are arguing AGAINST me are saying we have to be more socially conscious and not violate the prime directive and interfere with how they operate.

I am suggested you should act in a manner to protect what you like.

Okay, I'm with you, but I want to make it look like I'm socially conscious too, to take some heat off me.

 

[ccannon707]

Gordon, I don't think making a choice where to spend one's tourist dollar is "try(ing) to tell them how to run their country". This is commerce, not law. Granted my choices may not amount to much but it's my choice where and how to spend my money. I prefer not to go to overpriced tourist trap bars like C&C or Margaritaville. They couldn't care less, but I get to make my choice. I think Chief is trying to organize a show of diver preference for the sake of small operators and maybe, just maybe influence this trend via social media and diver $$ preference.. I know one Dive Op (Victor Brito-El Gran Azul) who will not pay dock fees on principle... he will forego the biz instead of picking up at Iberostar. I know I'll get an earful when I next see him about this trend spreading to other piers.

A general comment:

There is a lot of discussion in this forum about whether entities on Cozumel charging for this, that, or the other thing is "right" or "wrong". It is what it is and nothing we say either in here or in person to anyone on the island is likely to elicit a change in any of it. It's also not my place to try to tell them how to run their country.

YMMV.

 

[kkbiker]

I agree that we should boycott the hotels who penalize our favorite dive operators. I've stayed at the Iberostar 6 times and I have gone diving with Scuba with Alyson 6 times. These fees penalize the small operators that we like to dive with. If they stop at multiple hotels to pick up customers, they are charged multiple fees. Some comments mention that it costs money to maintain the docks and therefore the fee for use is reasonable. If you accept that logic, then shouldn't the Iberostar also charge for the use of the pool? At the Iberostar, almost everybody uses the dock to go into the water since the "beach" is solid coral. Why do they get to use the dock for free but I can't use it to go diving? If Alyson pays a years worth of fees, the Iberostar gets $720 but if my wife and I stop coming they lose $1,500 - 1,600 a year. I'm sure Dressel Divers doesn't care if I don't come but does that make economic sense for the Iberostar?

 

[Mossman]

Well he is special, but that is beside the point. Ask him?

While you are at it, ask him how it would effect his business if he had to pay dock fees up and down the channel should more hotels begin to charge.

Affect, not effect. Just a nitpick.

From what I understand, he's happy with limited business. More divers means he has to charter another boat and he does that when necessary. But he's also considered running a second boat full time. He needs to do the math and figure out what works best.

I know that much about his business, yet I have no idea whether he had to pay a fee to pick me (and another diver) up at Secrets. I never asked him, he never mentioned it. He's very good about breaking down the charges at pay time so I can't imagine that he wouldn't have at least mentioned if he had to pay an additional fee to pick up up. But, as I've mentioned before, maybe I am special. After all, if I were a Cozumel dive op, I'd let a famous guy like Mossman dive for free!

 

[cicopo]

Although I am against pier fees at an AI what's the difference in boycotting the resorts vs boycotting the dive ops who will pick up at resorts south of the marina but not from there into the edge of town. Having to pay 2 way taxi fares to get to the marina is far more expensive than pier fees. Many small ops will come up as far as at least the Palace while others won't, but they don't charge less to compensate for your cab fare. i

 

[cvchief]

Although I am against pier fees at an AI what's the difference in boycotting the resorts vs boycotting the dive ops who will pick up at resorts south of the marina but not from there into the edge of town. Having to pay 2 way taxi fares to get to the marina is far more expensive than pier fees. Many small ops will come up as far as at least the Palace while others won't, but they don't charge less to compensate for your cab fare. i

Well that is at least a clear choice for you the diver. I want to stay here and X op won't pick me up but Y will. Clear choice on you and well within the ability of an op to change.

The dock fees are harder on small ops than large and they can't do a think about it.

 

[ronscuba]

The idea of the dock fee, while unpopular, does make business sense. They want you to use the house operator. They want the operator to be fully booked. They make money when you use the house operator. The fee is a way to dissuade you from using someone from the outside.

What if you wanted to bring in an outside instructor for your certification course. Should the instructor be allowed to use the pool for free ? Would you get upset if the resort wanted to charge you or the instructor a fee ?

When you go to a restaurant in your hometown do they let you bring your own liquor ? Some do, most don't. Some charge a cork fee if you bring your own wine.

How does a boat dock get paid for ? The initial cost to build it is an investment. The investment and the recurring costs to maintain it are paid for by the profits of the operations that use the dock.

I wouldn't like to pay a dock fee and I am not saying I agree with it, but I do understand the business decision behind it. Yes, if enough guests complain about the fee, the resort may change their policy. In any business, management needs to balance keeping their customers happy, while also making a profit.