Casa del Mar vs. Scuba Club

[Duke Boyd]

Will do!
Any from the group part of the Tulsa Aquanauts?

Not with us. We are a group that works for or retired from the Muskogee regional office of the Department of Veterans Affairs. We generally camp at Tenkiller, where we dive, and associate with Gene's Aqua Pro Shop which is very close to our usual camp sites. He has been going to Cozumel for more than thirty years and takes very good care of us. BTW he's 83 and will also be diving.

 

[DandyDon]

Also, I was checking Villa Blanca out on Expedia after reading your post (just in case some friends want in at the last minute), it seems nice. I'll be back later in the summmer for another 4-5 days - I'll have to post a Villa Blance vs Scuba Club Cozumel : )

So how does Scuba Club compare in prices to Casa del Mar? Looks like SC only sells packages including food and diving, like August only, Single: 7 nights lodging with 6 days diving $979 + tax = $1116 - air not included, so more like $1700 or more with air.

Casa del Mar and Villablanca are both lower cost hotels, running around $71-74/night including taxes, but much better booked with the Orbitz 200entertain air and hotel discount for a week. A quick glance at PHX-CZM for the week in Aug I'm going shows it's hard to get there from there of course, but...

US Air with overnight going: $605

US Air with overnight going, either CDM or VB private room with the discount applied: $681-693 including taxes - kinda like buy one night and get six free. :shocked2:​

The air and VB package includes full breakfasts, so add $350-400 for six days 2-tank diving = $1040-1090. That's about $600 or so less, doesn't include lunch and dinner - but I can eat for a lot less than that. Ok for the record I did upgrade my VB room to the huge one, for like $8/night but that option is up to $14/night for that week, partly because we bought two of the room already. :cool2:

Now, SC may well be worth the extra money, but usually these comparison threads are comparing similarly priced ideas.

BTW, I personally think that Expedia really sucks, IMO. I use Sidestep.com (Kayak.com) for initial shopping, and they can include Expedia searches automatically, but I've never seen that site do well in price shopping for the same properties or flights. This is kinda off topic, but we've been thru so much on this thread - hope you don't mind the question and comparisons.

 

[robint]

yes, Scuba Club is worth the extra $$$. I can say that having stayed at both.
Why?? The food at SCC is great, sometimes bordering on gourmet! Breakfast is all you can eat buffet, lunch is off a menu with an all-you-can_eat salad bar, and then full meal in sitdown restaurant at night include appetizer, main course, and a luscious dessert. The food alone makes up the difference in price!
Then the fantastic dive op, nice boats all with shade and bathrooms, the shore diving facilities, and all rooms being oceanfront.... that is why the extra $. We also like that there are only divers staying there (some non-diving spouses) so the atmosphere is very different.

You can also walk to town from SCC, not really from CDM. We have stayed at 5 different places on Cozumel. As I said, we have done both and we won't stay anywhere on the island now but SCC. We loved it that much. Worth every penny, and then some!

robin

 

[jhayes75]

Why?? The food at SCC is great, sometimes bordering on gourmet!

I thought the food at CDM was excellent. I haven't eaten anywhere else, so I can't compare. The grouper dish is one of my favorites as well as the steak.

 

[DandyDon]

yes, Scuba Club is worth the extra $$$. I can say that having stayed at both.
Why?? The food at SCC is great, sometimes bordering on gourmet! Breakfast is all you can eat buffet, lunch is off a menu with an all-you-can_eat salad bar, and then full meal in sitdown restaurant at night include appetizer, main course, and a luscious dessert. The food alone makes up the difference in price!
Then the fantastic dive op, nice boats all with shade and bathrooms, the shore diving facilities, and all rooms being oceanfront.... that is why the extra $. We also like that there are only divers staying there (some non-diving spouses) so the atmosphere is very different.

You can also walk to town from SCC, not really from CDM. We have stayed at 5 different places on Cozumel. As I said, we have done both and we won't stay anywhere on the island now but SCC. We loved it that much. Worth every penny, and then some!

robin

Well, almost $100/day more is a stretch for me, almost as much as my total there expenses/day including diving, room and food - but it's an isolated comparison and I have cheap tastes. Boats with heads are typically slow boats but when you need one, they're nice to have. Ok so I guess the general answer to my question is no they are not similarly priced if one does good shopping (you're an Expedia user too tho :grinjester. The two times I stayed at CDM were with an overpriced group operator, but I've learned cheaper ways to get the same property and as a bonus avoid that group's drama parties.

I may spend some time in the Grump Old Divers forum. :grinbandit:

 

[kmurray719]

The air and VB package includes full breakfasts.

Just FYI the breakfast that is included at Villablanca consists of two eggs (fried or scrambled), toast, juice and coffee. Anything else is extra. It was enough for me, but I was definitely ready for a good snack by my SI. You can also apply the cost of the included "American" breakfast ($3 or $4, I don't rememer which) to any other menu item .

 

[robint]

Well, almost $100/day more is a stretch for me, almost as much as my total there expenses/day including diving, room and food - but it's an isolated comparison and I have cheap tastes. Boats with heads are typically slow boats but when you need one, they're nice to have. Ok so I guess the general answer to my question is no they are not similarly priced if one does good shopping (you're an Expedia user too tho :grinjester. The two times I stayed at CDM were with an overpriced group operator, but I've learned cheaper ways to get the same property and as a bonus avoid that group's drama parties.

I may spend some time in the Grump Old Divers forum. :grinbandit:

Not just the food, Don, remember that the SCC rooms are all oceanfront. CDM rooms are not, they are all across the street from the water, and most you can't even see the ocean. That, plus the fact there were no children running around, yeah - worth every cent to me. When I go on a dive trip I want to hang out with other divers, from all over the world, and either dive or chat about diving.

robin

 

[robint]

Just FYI the breakfast that is included at Villablanca consists of two eggs (fried or scrambled), toast, juice and coffee. Anything else is extra. It was enough for me, but I was definitely ready for a good snack by my SI. You can also apply the cost of the included "American" breakfast ($3 or $4, I don't rememer which) to any other menu item .

SCC breakfast.... coffee, tea, cereal, breads, milk and juices out before 7am. At 7am the line forms for hot entrees, you can get as much of anything as you want - eggs (usually several different types), pancakes or french toast, some Mexican entrees like empanadas or such, hash browns, also bacon and sausage or some other meats.... Then there is the salad bar with fresh fruit of all kinds - mangos, pineapples, bananas, papayas... Eat, eat, and eat and some people do going back for seconds and thirds of everything. Everything is included in your meal package at breakfast.

Lunch is either a 'special' of the day (a mexican dish of some sort) which is posted at breakfast, or you can order off the menu (all types of mexican dishes, burgers, sandwiches, etc). There is also a salad bar with salads, and also desserts from the night before. Not included is tea, soda, or adult beverages (you sign for those and pay at end of week).

Dinner is posted at breakfast also and you tell the lady there you room number and what you want for dinner entree. Drinks are same as at lunch.

menus:
here is one dinner menu

appetizer - choice of soup or a salad
main course - choice of 3 options or a vegetarian option (didn't get a photo of that)
dessert - choice of 2 options or ice cream

another nights menu

one night the meat option was steak, most nights there was a chicken dish and a seafood dish. I didn't have a thing this year that I didn't love. It was all good.

we were told that if you didn't want one of those items you could order something off the lunch menu.

robin

 

[robint]

oh, and one night each week they do a Fiesta out on beach... it is all you can eat buffet of Mexican food.

robin

 

[DandyDon]

Holy Overfeeding, Batman

I think T'd take the Lite option, altho I didn't see it priced. Their prices are difficult to find. But then, we'll see how I like the cheap digs at VB. CDM's room are roomy and nice, even tho not oceanfront - mattering little when I sleep, and their AI option is so cheap with beer included.