The Airport in Cozumel - arrival insanity

[vdoman]

I agree with Mfinley ... it is relatively painless to say "no gracias" or "no thanks." While it may be a bit confusing when first getting out of customs and wondering where to go and how to get to the hotel, these folks have their job and I found they in general they were respectful and respected a "no thanks." As others have suggested, if you are a single or couple, go the the window to the left of the customs exit, but your van tickets, smile at folks, and enjoy the Cozumel atmosphere. Relax, breath deep, and enjoy a different culture.

With the state of air travel today and the stress that comes with that, plus the new experience and hopes that you can get through customs and immigration with the proper paperwork and not having all your stuff searched through. Then coming through that door to at least eight sales guys all trying to get your attention and offering "to help", just adds more stress to the situation because I KNOW they want you to go to their Timeshare sales presentation. All of this with a family of four.

When I arrive to a foreign country (or anywhere for that matter), the very FIRST thing I want to do is ensure my wife's and children's safety. I want to get to my transportation to get to my hotel hoping against all hope that the travel plans and reservations I have made were correct and in place. When the car rental person whom you had personally made the arrangements crystal-clear with, he promised you in an e-mail the day before we travel that he would be there holding a sign with our name on it... is not there, that adds a tremendous amount of stress to the situation. I did not bring my cell phone. So I had to find a public phone, and call the guy. I felt that I got lucky and got it worked out. But as you sit there on the curb, with your wife and kids, it makes you wonder, if the car rental guy messed up or outright lied to me, are my accommodations going to be right? Will I have to try to find another hotel for the night (or for the week)? In our case, we rented a villa.

I read from you "smile at folks, and enjoy the Cozumel atmosphere. Relax, breath deep, and enjoy a different culture". But consider this, I had to leave my family at the curb of the airport in a foreign country. To walk out to a circle to catch a ride to the car rental company. Sounds easy to you, but that was a very hard and stressful thing for me. My wife looked at me, kissed me on the cheek and said "Be safe, and come back to us." She never said those words to me before. I am walking away from the relative safety of the airport (at least I saw a policeman and pointed him out to my wife) to go get into somebody's car... not an official Budget Rent-a-Car van. Had I not saw that policeman, I would have not left my family there. Also, I know my wife has the commonsense to keep herself my our kids out of danger.

I had one last thing going for me. A older gentleman whom I quickly judged to be of good character actually walked me out to the circle and told me that the Budget guy was his friend. I put a lot of faith in that stranger, but after years of managing people, I like to think I can quickly size people up. It actually brings a tear to my eye as I write this, but when I got back with the rental car, this guy told me that he kept an eye on my family the whole time I was gone. He must have sensed my concern and stood guard. I didn't know how to properly thank a guy like that. I must have tried to shake his hand off. I would have given him a quick man-hug, but I didn't know if that would surprise or offend him. My last resort felt cheap to me, but I guess it got my point across to him... I gave him $20. I told him I thought he was the only honest guy in the whole airport. I was hoping that he felt my appreciation more than the $20 bucks. I wanted him to know that what he did was much more valuable than money... he insured my family's safety and expected nothing in return. I will forever remember the kindness of that man and I only hope that one day I can be as good a person as he is. Actually, I try very hard.

Anyway, as I drove away, I had no idea that the guy was going to watch over my family, and my thoughts were - What if somebody drove up and asked my wife if they could help? They say, "Oh, I can take you and your family over to where your husband is!" Then when they get off property, all kinds of ugly things can happen to them. We read about ransom kidnappings now all the time in Latin America. The standard thing to do nowadays is to get kidnap insurance when going to Columbia.

Do you find me paranoid? Do you think I am over concerned? When you have a wife and two kids, one being a young girl, you love deeply and are responsible for... would you agree with me?

The absolute VERY LAST thing I want to do is talk to a sales person about a Timeshare deal. It makes me wonder... why do they try to hit you up at the airport? Do they think you have flown all the way to their island without accommodations ready? Do they actually think you are in the mood to be sold time in a hotel for many thousands of dollars. They prey on the confused. They say "Do you need help?" "Are you looking for something?" they act like they are trying to help you, but they are really helping themselves to YOUR time. So they are deceptive right from the start. Do they really make any sales at the airport? They distract, confuse and mask their true intentions from me... therefore they are liars and they offend me.

Sure, we all learn through experience, but first impressions leave deep memories. I understand what you say about "Relax and enjoy the differences another country has to offer". Of course that was part of the reason we were there. But I think I am like many others when I say that I can't relax until I know my family is safe in a hotel room and all the stresses of travel have melted away. I overheard one of my kids mention the Timeshare salesmen when she was talking to her friend on the phone the other day. I caught my ear, so I eavesdropped a little. That was her first impression of Cozumel... Timeshare hustlers. After that, she talked about the swimming, shopping and the ferry ride to the mainland... then I gave her privacy, but her first thought was of the Timeshare hustlers.

The smartest thing Cozumel could do is make that arrival process more comfortable and less stressful. Here are some ideas I have off the top of my head:

1) Kicking out those Timeshare salesmen.
2) Have all the rental car vendor counters there
3) Have visible pay phones
4) Normal taxi service.
5) An information counter staffed with multi-lingual people who are not out to sell you anything.
6) A bank our money exchange counter with a fair exchange rate.

Then we can relax, have fun and enjoy what another culture has to offer. Please don't tell others to "Just Relax" unless you truly understand the stresses they are going through. That airport is just not friendly to arriving passengers.

 

[vdoman]

Been there lately? They moved the van ticket sales down the hall to the right, then on the left side, a few years ago. And I have had times I thot the TS salesmen were a little pushy, but I guess it's been a long time. My first trip there, I asked one where to buy van tickets and he tried to get me into an office - which seemed wrong to me but I can see some getting suckered.

DandyDon,

Somehow I think you understand and know what I'm talking about. Not only do we just want to get through it all, we don't want to be suckered in the process. Humiliation is a very long lasting impression and when somebody rips me off or suckers me into something, I feel humiliated. Long after a vacation is over, I will remember getting ripped off, stolen from, or otherwise humiliated. Then I may say to myself, "I don't want to go back to Cozumel. I remember getting ripped off there one time."

 

[teknitroxdiver]

You might want to just stay at home in the states. Pretty much every Caribbean tourist destination has timeshare salesmen. Even here, they're strategically placed around downtown as well as at the airport. As for kidnappings and such.......this is Cozumel, not Colombia. While I understand your concern because you had your family with you, your fears and fretting over being stuffed in a trunk and taken....somewhere, are ridiculous here, but unfortunately a common viewpoint among the more poorly-informed visitors. Next time, for sure keep a safe eye out for your family, but try not to be so worried that there are people hiding in the shadows just waiting to kidnap you.

6) A bank our money exchange counter with a fair exchange rate.

What's wrong with the one that's there?

 

[DandyDon]

The smartest thing Cozumel could do is make that arrival process more comfortable and less stressful. Here are some ideas I have off the top of my head:

1) Kicking out those Timeshare salesmen.
2) Have all the rental car vendor counters there
3) Have visible pay phones
4) Normal taxi service.
5) An information counter staffed with multi-lingual people who are not out to sell you anything.
6) A bank our money exchange counter with a fair exchange rate.

Then we can relax, have fun and enjoy what another culture has to offer. Please don't tell others to "Just Relax" unless you truly understand the stresses they are going through. That airport is just not friendly to arriving passengers.

Yep. I never had to endure all that caca at other Caribbean or Latin American destinations - not even Cancun. Cozumel officials do take us for granted a bit. When business is bad like during the swine flu scare, we had a lot of discussion about how bad it was for the businesses and workers there, but I never heard peep from their officials wanting to do anything to make us feel more welcome. The airport is the only place I have a problem, but it irritating. I've learned to deal with all that you listed, but those are very good ideas.

Airports commonly charge rental car vendors fees for doing business, even for picking up customers at the curb, but that's just greed. Cozumel does not need to. The island is generally rich from our tourism. Yeah, there is poverty there, but we didn't cause it, we don't contribute to it, and the origins & continuations are too deeply embedded in their government, culture, and national religion for us to help. It's still so much better than in southern Mexico and the Yucatan Peninsula that migrants come to work there for money to send home.

Cozumel was a popular destination with some before the Bank of Mexico (government) started developing Cancun and the Yuc-Pen 40 years ago, improving the airfield we left there in WWII, and all - but now the government at all levels does count on us and our USD, so it would be nice if they'd allow us to enjoy arriving. Add one more tho...
7) Add immigration officers to speed up that process and have them at their desks before the first plane arrives rather than after the first hundred tourists get in line.

DandyDon,

Somehow I think you understand and know what I'm talking about. Not only do we just want to get through it all, we don't want to be suckered in the process. Humiliation is a very long lasting impression and when somebody rips me off or suckers me into something, I feel humiliated. Long after a vacation is over, I will remember getting ripped off, stolen from, or otherwise humiliated. Then I may say to myself, "I don't want to go back to Cozumel. I remember getting ripped off there one time."

Yeah, the TS salesmen are common in any popular tourist destination. I did a tour once early in my travels when I took my pre-teen daughter (mother of my grandkids now) to Disneyworld. About halfway thru the tour I asked the lovely lady for a ballpark price and when she gave me one, I was dumbfounded - replying: "OMG!? You don't mean it. That is so stupid. There is no investment potential here, it's just an expenditure, and the annual cost of that money plus the uncontrolled fees would easily get me much nicer deals anywhere. Gawd! Take us to our car please." She didn't say a word.

Having your wife and kids with you on arrival in a country with drug killings and kidnappings on record every month, now with one case in Cozumel, I am sure you hated having to leave them at the curb with hopes that you would return. Isn't it amazing that the closest US Consulate's office is all the way in Merida?! You can't even leave your family at an airport cafe while you go get the car anymore as that's now inside the secured area for departing passengers. The arrivals scene really does suck big time I know, even tho we vets have learned to deal with it: "Turn right, veer left, buy your van tickets, pretend you're a sardine in a can wating for the van to get full, all to escape a stupid airport environment." It could be so much better with your suggestions, but - the powers don't care. They expect us to come anyway.

You might want to just stay at home in the states. Pretty much every Caribbean tourist destination has timeshare salesmen. Even here, they're strategically placed around downtown as well as at the airport. As for kidnappings and such.......this is Cozumel, not Colombia. While I understand your concern because you had your family with you, your fears and fretting over being stuffed in a trunk and taken....somewhere, are ridiculous here, but unfortunately a common viewpoint among the more poorly-informed visitors. Next time, for sure keep a safe eye out for your family, but try not to be so worried that there are people hiding in the shadows just waiting to kidnap you.

What's wrong with the one that's there?

Nope, never have that degree of crap anywhere else, and yeah - the risks are known to Mexico and now one multi-death drug murder there in town this year. You try arriving to someplace as stupid as your airport with a wife and kids and see how comfortable you feel leaving them on a curb with no cafe while you seek out a solution to his problem. He posts a real complaint.

And the fees charged for obtaining Pesos at the airport are higher than in town.

 

[vdoman]

You might want to just stay at home in the states. Pretty much every Caribbean tourist destination has timeshare salesmen. Even here, they're strategically placed around downtown as well as at the airport. As for kidnappings and such.......this is Cozumel, not Colombia. While I understand your concern because you had your family with you, your fears and fretting over being stuffed in a trunk and taken....somewhere, are ridiculous here, but unfortunately a common viewpoint among the more poorly-informed visitors. Next time, for sure keep a safe eye out for your family, but try not to be so worried that there are people hiding in the shadows just waiting to kidnap you.

What's wrong with the one that's there?

Sure, I agree, the kidnapping scenario is an extreme... I was just illustrating a point. I wouldn't have visited had I read in the news about kidnapping. But I do have a 13-year-old daughter and very much fear for her safety.

Now I have traveled the Caribbean extensively. Half for work - half for vacations. The Bahamas, Nassau, St. Johns, St. Thomas. I've sailed 38', 42' and 44' mono-hull sailboats through the BVI, Bahamas and from St. Vincent to Granada and back. I've been to Nevis and St. Kitts. I've been twice to Barbados. I've been to Bermuda several times. Too many times to count to Puerto Rico and even to Santo Domingo. I have dove Bonaire, Roatan Honduras and now Cozumel. I was in Cancun in 2007 for work. That is just the east side. I have many more travels from Germany to Hawaii. In all of those airports, I have never seen a spectacle like in Cozumel.

Not to say that I haven't seen airport chaos... it's usually porters wanting to take your bags for tips, or taxi drivers shouting at you to come to them first. I've seen chickens, cats and dogs, donkeys, and goats at the airport. I was once on an airplane with two goats on an island hop. We were going down the runway in the Bahamas to take off when the pilot abruptly aborted the take off and a guy came running from the terminal, duffel over his shoulder, they opened the door and he dove in and then we managed to take off. So I've seen some pretty spectacular stuff.

I can understand the Timeshare salesmen placed around town. I live in Orlando and they are in shopping malls and around tourist destinations. In fact, one of my neighbors is a "roper". I would even agree that two or three Timeshare salesmen would be appropriate there at the airport. But as we recall, there were at least 15. Now that I remember, I asked one of them where the Budget counter was. He directed me over to somebody who asked to see the printed reservation in my hand. Then he said "We can do better than that!" I asked, "Are you with Budget or somehow affiliated with Budget." He said "Let's talk about your reservation, I can get you a better price!" as I walked away. Maybe he could have gotten me a better price, but at that time I had not known my guy was not outside waiting for me. I don't operate like that. I have integrity.

They are lairs and thieves in my opinion. You have been in the country for about an hour and all that time was with Customs and Immigration. Why would I suddenly be interested in a Timeshare? Give the people time to visit. I would think they would be wanting your business as you were leaving and maybe considering coming back.

"What's wrong with the one that's there?" (Bank Booth or ATM)

With all the confusion at the airport, I didn't notice a bank booth. Whenever I paused to look around, all those salesmen would get more excited and would more loudly beckon me over. I had to walk all over looking for a pay phone. They are hidden around a corner by some offices. It's hard to think and stay on track when so many people are wanting your attention.

 

[DandyDon]

Now that I remember, I asked one of them where the Budget counter was. He directed me over to somebody who asked to see the printed reservation in my hand. Then he said "We can do better than that!" I asked, "Are you with Budget or somehow affiliated with Budget." He said "Let's talk about your reservation, I can get you a better price!" as I walked away. Maybe he could have gotten me a better price, but at that time I had not known my guy was not outside waiting for me.

Nah, I don't think so. It was just a way to get you into an office I think. Bait & switch.

With all the confusion at the airport, I didn't notice a bank booth. Whenever I paused to look around, all those salesmen would get more excited and would more loudly beckon me over. I had to walk all over looking for a pay phone. They are hidden around a corner by some offices. It's hard to think and stay on track when so many people are wanting your attention.

Yeah, they do get in the way. If you don't know where you need to go, they prevent you from seeing and lie to you, I know. A good porter helps, but I really don't know how many speak English well?

 

[Mike]

With the state of air travel today and the stress that comes with that, plus the new experience and hopes that you can get through customs and immigration with the proper paperwork and not having all your stuff searched through. Then coming through that door to at least eight sales guys all trying to get your attention and offering "to help", just adds more stress to the situation because I KNOW they want you to go to their Timeshare sales presentation. All of this with a family of four.

When I arrive to a foreign country (or anywhere for that matter), the very FIRST thing I want to do is ensure my wife's and children's safety. I want to get to my transportation to get to my hotel hoping against all hope that the travel plans and reservations I have made were correct and in place. When the car rental person whom you had personally made the arrangements crystal-clear with, he promised you in an e-mail the day before we travel that he would be there holding a sign with our name on it... is not there, that adds a tremendous amount of stress to the situation. I did not bring my cell phone. So I had to find a public phone, and call the guy. I felt that I got lucky and got it worked out. But as you sit there on the curb, with your wife and kids, it makes you wonder, if the car rental guy messed up or outright lied to me, are my accommodations going to be right? Will I have to try to find another hotel for the night (or for the week)? In our case, we rented a villa.

I read from you "smile at folks, and enjoy the Cozumel atmosphere. Relax, breath deep, and enjoy a different culture". But consider this, I had to leave my family at the curb of the airport in a foreign country. To walk out to a circle to catch a ride to the car rental company. Sounds easy to you, but that was a very hard and stressful thing for me. My wife looked at me, kissed me on the cheek and said "Be safe, and come back to us." She never said those words to me before. I am walking away from the relative safety of the airport (at least I saw a policeman and pointed him out to my wife) to go get into somebody's car... not an official Budget Rent-a-Car van. Had I not saw that policeman, I would have not left my family there. Also, I know my wife has the commonsense to keep herself my our kids out of danger.

I had one last thing going for me. A older gentleman whom I quickly judged to be of good character actually walked me out to the circle and told me that the Budget guy was his friend. I put a lot of faith in that stranger, but after years of managing people, I like to think I can quickly size people up. It actually brings a tear to my eye as I write this, but when I got back with the rental car, this guy told me that he kept an eye on my family the whole time I was gone. He must have sensed my concern and stood guard. I didn't know how to properly thank a guy like that. I must have tried to shake his hand off. I would have given him a quick man-hug, but I didn't know if that would surprise or offend him. My last resort felt cheap to me, but I guess it got my point across to him... I gave him $20. I told him I thought he was the only honest guy in the whole airport. I was hoping that he felt my appreciation more than the $20 bucks. I wanted him to know that what he did was much more valuable than money... he insured my family's safety and expected nothing in return. I will forever remember the kindness of that man and I only hope that one day I can be as good a person as he is. Actually, I try very hard.

Anyway, as I drove away, I had no idea that the guy was going to watch over my family, and my thoughts were - What if somebody drove up and asked my wife if they could help? They say, "Oh, I can take you and your family over to where your husband is!" Then when they get off property, all kinds of ugly things can happen to them. We read about ransom kidnappings now all the time in Latin America. The standard thing to do nowadays is to get kidnap insurance when going to Columbia.

Do you find me paranoid? Do you think I am over concerned? When you have a wife and two kids, one being a young girl, you love deeply and are responsible for... would you agree with me?

The absolute VERY LAST thing I want to do is talk to a sales person about a Timeshare deal. It makes me wonder... why do they try to hit you up at the airport? Do they think you have flown all the way to their island without accommodations ready? Do they actually think you are in the mood to be sold time in a hotel for many thousands of dollars. They prey on the confused. They say "Do you need help?" "Are you looking for something?" they act like they are trying to help you, but they are really helping themselves to YOUR time. So they are deceptive right from the start. Do they really make any sales at the airport? They distract, confuse and mask their true intentions from me... therefore they are liars and they offend me.

Sure, we all learn through experience, but first impressions leave deep memories. I understand what you say about "Relax and enjoy the differences another country has to offer". Of course that was part of the reason we were there. But I think I am like many others when I say that I can't relax until I know my family is safe in a hotel room and all the stresses of travel have melted away. I overheard one of my kids mention the Timeshare salesmen when she was talking to her friend on the phone the other day. I caught my ear, so I eavesdropped a little. That was her first impression of Cozumel... Timeshare hustlers. After that, she talked about the swimming, shopping and the ferry ride to the mainland... then I gave her privacy, but her first thought was of the Timeshare hustlers.

The smartest thing Cozumel could do is make that arrival process more comfortable and less stressful. Here are some ideas I have off the top of my head:

1) Kicking out those Timeshare salesmen.
2) Have all the rental car vendor counters there
3) Have visible pay phones
4) Normal taxi service.
5) An information counter staffed with multi-lingual people who are not out to sell you anything.
6) A bank our money exchange counter with a fair exchange rate.

Then we can relax, have fun and enjoy what another culture has to offer. Please don't tell others to "Just Relax" unless you truly understand the stresses they are going through. That airport is just not friendly to arriving passengers.

Seriously,

I won't try to pacify you with saying Cozumel and more specifically the air port is probably a safer place then lots of places back in the United States. For instance maybe any NFL or NBA sporting arena.

But I will say :

I myself would not travel to any country that created this much stress and worry over my personal safety or my familes safety. If the country was such a place that I couldn't leave my wife and kids standing on the curb of an international airport in broad daylight without worrying for thier safety, I would not go there. Simple as that. If I actually believed there was fear for their safety in broad daylight on the sidewalk at that countries public airport I really feel I have no business having them in that country at all.

 

[teknitroxdiver]

What everyone seems to be forgetting about the "kidnapping" that happened here is that it was drug dealers that had fled to here from Cancun that were killed. Unless you're dealing drugs here and crossing the wrong people, you have nothing to worry about.

 

[DandyDon]

What everyone seems to be forgetting about the "kidnapping" that happened here is that it was drug dealers that had fled to here from Cancun that were killed. Unless you're dealing drugs here and crossing the wrong people, you have nothing to worry about.

Let's not go there. I will remind that bystanders have been killed in the mainland problems which are finding their way to the Yuc-Pen and even Isla de Cozumel. I hope it does not ever happen again, but if I had my daughter, grandson and granddaughter with me as a first time arrival there, and things went as bad as his did - I would be very upset, particularly with the irritating people - the TS hawks.

Anyway, his six points are good ones. If the officials gave a damned about their cash cow, they could improve things.

 

[billindenver]

A friend of mine stayed over in Playa two months ago and the resort warned him multiple times not to stray outside the grounds because there had been kidnappings. That is what, 12 miles away? Coz is, in my mind, a sanctuary from such things but at the same time I only know that because I am somewhat of a coz addict so I read in here and keep an eye on the international news. Someone who doesn't do such things could easily think otherwise....and for that matter, the sanctuary is only one kidnapping away from not being such so caution is certainly warranted.

I don't worry about any of that much down here, but then I am not pulling along children....which would quite likely change my whole outlook.