Isn't that called stealing?
Is going up to the buffet line twice considered stealing? I'm sitting here at a café where my espresso with a shot of 43 liqueur is free. Would it be stealing if I ordered another? I ordered two appetizers at lunch today, was that stealing? Is it stealing when someone uses two towels at the pool?
I think you miss the meaning of "all inclusive".
---------- Post added June 17th, 2013 at 02:23 PM ----------
Mossman's been to Cozumel before. Maybe the thrill of urban adventure kinda went away?
Seventh dive trip here, actually (not counting the time I came over from Cozumel on the ferry for four quick dives). The last three and this one were at AIs. I spent an evening here in December from a cruise and ate at Le Chef and Guidos, had drinks at Wet Wendy's and the No-Name bar.
There are iguanas walking around all over the place here. There are restaurants right on the beach. Birds fill the trees. Somehow, to me, that is more natural than staying in town and listening to taxis honking, smelling car exhaust, and watching the cruise crowds shop at one of the four branches of authentic Diamonds International, and dining at restaurants owned by ex-pat Americans and Canadians.
---------- Post added June 17th, 2013 at 02:26 PM ----------
I'm way more comfortable with the Cozumelenos than I would be with Mossman's "
90% of the people here are from Texas or the deep south: non-stop twang, muchos tattoos and goatees, and absolutely no understanding of how to behave in a civilized society."
And I doubt his ai will have tacos de lengua that will compare to El Pique or the taco de Pulpo at Camillo's that I crave, so I'll stick to my cheap hotel in town. To each their own 
Yum, french kissing a dead cow. And I prefer to watch my octopi on the reefs instead of eating them.
---------- Post added June 17th, 2013 at 02:32 PM ----------
We like to dive, but we also like to go to Mexico, and by doing that, we feel our lives are richer for it. It really is a wonderful country filled with wonderful people.
And someone would recommend an AI because, why was that again??
Then I advise you visit Mexico some day instead of a tourist trap. I spent two weeks in Cuernavaca living with a family there, have visited Mexico City three times (once traveling by train from Mexicali, via Guadalajara), and drove to Puerta Vallarta and back from L.A. I know a tiny bit about the country.
---------- Post added June 17th, 2013 at 02:33 PM ----------
Well if you play your cards right, you can get an extra breakfast without paying.... classy.
Just for you, I'll order three tomorrow.
---------- Post added June 17th, 2013 at 02:34 PM ----------
You might want to start checking your air before you dive. There are many Texans living and working in Cozumel, at dive shops and tank deliveries!:cool2:
Huh? I thought it was only native Cozumelenos here, for that truly authentic Mexican experience.
---------- Post added June 17th, 2013 at 02:41 PM ----------
I stayed at Secrets in May. It is everything that Mossman is saying it is. Wife and I always ordered plenty when we got room service, but the dinners at the restaurants were always better. Because it is not a buffet, you can order as many entrees as you like. Besides the food and the short boat ride to the reefs, my wife and I really enjoyed speaking with the workers in Spanish. Between making them laugh and learning some new Spanish we had a great time. Plus our room was freaking fantastic. I think we stayed in the room right below Mman with direct beach or pool access. Oh, and the snorkeling off of the beach was freaking amazing from the anemone and sea urchins to the pelicans and mostly in regards to the four foot ray that was hanging around in 5 feet of water one of the days.
I can see the pull toward staying in town and experiencing the town of Cozumel. My wife doesn't.
As far as the other clientele at Secrets, yes there were a lot of Texan's there. Some were good and some were bad.
Thanks for reminding me about the friendly employees here. Jorge, the bartender at the Preferred Club lounge gets lonely since he has to kick everyone out who isn't staying at a Preferred Club room. Which leaves me to talk to him and tip him (he earns $9/day plus his almost non-existent tips). Of course he's not really authentic since his family is from Merida, not Cozumel
The portions are deliberately small here so people don't over order and waste food. They don't bat an eye when you order more. I'm sure that if they considered it stealing, they'd have called security on me like they did with the Texans last night who were making their usual noise right below my room until 12:30 a.m. Nothing like hearing a Texan call for drinks at the top of her twangy voice so the entire hotel could hear her order. And it was an order, not a request. Classy.
I know there are good Texans. For all I know, there might even be some bad Californians. However, the Texans downstairs from me were definitely not the good kind. Fortunately it seems they went home today. It was actually quiet by the pool. I could even sit outside and read without having to wear ear plugs.
---------- Post added June 17th, 2013 at 02:54 PM ----------
So, to each his own. It has been my understanding that most of the AIs on Cozumel have food service which can be described as mediocre at best. I'm sure that there are exceptions, but I'd still miss the variety available in the many, many fine restaurants on Coz.
i do take offense to Mossman's derogatory remarks about Texans - I've been a Texan for over 30 years now, and many Texans are some of the nicest, friendliest, and most refined people you'll find. Yes, there are a few redneck hicks in Texas, but that's true of any State. I'm more offended by people whose idea of a vacation is to stay semi-inebriated for just as much of the time as possible while avoiding any real interaction with the culture and people of the places they visit. If I wanted to hang around those folks, I'd just book a cruise.
I live in L.A., the greatest restaurant city in the U.S. besides NYC. We have entire neighborhoods of various cultures: Koreatown, Little Tokyo, Little Saigón, Monterey Park (Little China). And we're known to have a few Mexicans in town too. I can get variety at home.
But I'll agree with you about lousy AIs. When I stayed at Fiesta Inn (now Hotel Cozumel), I ate out every night, just using the AI privileges for breakfast, lunch, and watered down drinks made from liquors poured out of plastic bottles without labels. Cozumel Palace and Secrets are definitely of a different caliber. The Grand Marnier topping off my Don Julio margarita was poured out of an authentic Grand Marnier bottle, for instance, and the bartender opened a new one while I was standing there so I'm pretty sure they don't just refill them with cheap triple sec.
Also, the food can be better in town. Cozumel eats have gotten much better than when I first came here in 2000.
But I do take offense to your derogatory comments about the friendly people I've been interacting with here. I know Jorge is fake since he's really from Merida and has only lived here 18 years, while some of the authentic ex-pats from Texas may have lived here longer, but I'm sure he would take offense to being called inauthentic to his face. Or maybe not. His English probably isn't good enough to understand the Word inauthentic, which is why we've been talking about culture, local politics, etc. primarily in Spanish.
And I'm really not sure what you mean by culture. I mean there are some Mayan ruins on the island (been there, done that) and a museum. But how much culture does one find shopping at Diamonds International or eating pizza at Guido's? How much culture does one find at Jimmy Buffett's Margaritaville or drinking a margarita at Wet Wendy's that more resembles a fruity slurpee? Maybe I just don't get it. Maybe Jorge can explain it to me in Spanish. I'll go over and ask him right now. My semi-inebriation is starting to wear off.
