Do you have DAN dive insurance? It's really essential in my opinion. I also take Trip insurance when I leave the US for various reasons, and I get that elsewhere - no from DAN, but dive insurance can save your butt if things for awry.
aven't dived in 1.5 years. I am thinking of doing either a refresher or ppb adventure dive on the first day
Hire a private DM for the first day of diving. This is a good idea for any first timer for Coz, but especially good idea for you. After that first day, you can decide on a second day.
An excellent choice, but then there are dozens of good choices on Coz. If you look over the threads page by page, and read some, you'll narrow it down.
Jeanie has arraignments with a number of hotels so she may know of a last minute deal.
Yes, most dive operators book rooms too, but shopping on your own - I like to start at Kayak.com. It is a busy time but I see availability at a number places downtown where you want to be, close to restaurants, etc.
- Several hostels @ $13-30/night if that's your style.
- Several cheaper hotels in the $30-60 range, if you don't expect much. Do double check their addresses on google maps as the booking sites often have locations wrong.
- Several mid range like Villa Blanca and Casa del Mar for $63-75/night, altho those two are south of town. I travel alone, so I hate paying solo taxi fares.
- Hotel Cozumel is not far from downtown and it's $97/night. The sister hotels to Casa Mexicana are not showing up, but it is at $104/night - excellent hotel & location. Jeanie at 3Ps may find you a better deal, as it's around the corner from them.
- And others costing more.
Normally for an early Cancun flight on the way back I suggest staying in downtown Cancun the night prior and taking the am ADO bus to the airport.
Great approach. If you book away from the bus station, then you'd need taxis after the bus ride in and before the bus to the airport, and those will gouge you for as much as possible. There are hotels at the airport, but even then you get stuck with taxis.