We are taking a family cruise, and will have four non-diving children of ages 5-11 with us. We will be on Cozumel for one day only. We want to take them to a sandy beach and see if there is a dive shop on premises to take out a few divers in the family while the rest play on the beach., The divers also want to hang for a short while at the beach with the kids, so we would like to go to the same place. Does anyone have any suggestions? A resort like the Allegro is ideal, but I don't know if they take "day trippers" there and am having a hard time connecting with them. Have any of you done a trip like this with such a mixed group? We also considered Chankaanaab, as you can do a sweet little shore dive there in a cenote, but the beach is a rocky climb into chest-deep water. Thanks for any help you can give me.
Cozumel Cruise Diving and Beach for Kids?
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If you are on Carnival, they use the international pier. Dive With Martin is by far the most convenient. We chartered our own boat for $400 us for 4 divers so we didn't have to worry about meeting a set departure time. It takes FOREVER to get off the cruiseship. DWM is about a block walk from the pier. Once we got there, we were on the boat within 10 minutes and had 2 great dives with plenty of time for shopping afterwards.
STAY AWAY FROM THE CATTLE BOATS that pack 20 divers on a boat. They cater to cruisers. I don't know if Sandollar is still the company that books the cruise sponsored trips, but I have heard horror stories about them. Several other dive operators will have later departures for cruisers, just make sure your on a boat with no more than 6 divers. Aldora, Blue XTSea, Blue Magic, Tres Pelicanos, and Living Underwater are some operators frequently mentioned on these boards. I have dove with Aldora and Blue Magic as well before and both are great.
If your ship comes to the downtown pier, (Disney?)it opens up lots of operators that are based downtown. You can always catch a cab to your operator. Vans are available for a group. One possibility might be Aldora who spends their surface interval at a beach club. The non-divers may be able to take a cab to the club and do the beach thing while the divers do their thing. Blue Magic spends their surface interval at a beach with no improvements, but I think it is prettier.
DWM did our surface interval on the boat. Keep in mind if you have at least 4 divers, you can probably get your own boat and anything is possible, it just depends on what you want to pay.
Email several of the dive operators and see what they suggest. Cozumel is quite possibly the friendliest place I have ever been in Mexico, Every operator I have ever used was genuinely concerned about us having a great time. Tell them what you need and I'm sure they will work to accommodate you.
safe travels and Merry Christmas!
jay
STAY AWAY FROM THE CATTLE BOATS that pack 20 divers on a boat. They cater to cruisers. I don't know if Sandollar is still the company that books the cruise sponsored trips, but I have heard horror stories about them. Several other dive operators will have later departures for cruisers, just make sure your on a boat with no more than 6 divers. Aldora, Blue XTSea, Blue Magic, Tres Pelicanos, and Living Underwater are some operators frequently mentioned on these boards. I have dove with Aldora and Blue Magic as well before and both are great.
If your ship comes to the downtown pier, (Disney?)it opens up lots of operators that are based downtown. You can always catch a cab to your operator. Vans are available for a group. One possibility might be Aldora who spends their surface interval at a beach club. The non-divers may be able to take a cab to the club and do the beach thing while the divers do their thing. Blue Magic spends their surface interval at a beach with no improvements, but I think it is prettier.
DWM did our surface interval on the boat. Keep in mind if you have at least 4 divers, you can probably get your own boat and anything is possible, it just depends on what you want to pay.
Email several of the dive operators and see what they suggest. Cozumel is quite possibly the friendliest place I have ever been in Mexico, Every operator I have ever used was genuinely concerned about us having a great time. Tell them what you need and I'm sure they will work to accommodate you.
safe travels and Merry Christmas!
jay
nodakdive
Contributor
Deep Blue often does their surface interval at Paradise Beach Club. The have food, ocean toys, a huge pool, etc. You could get a van from the ship to Paradise, have the shop pick you up there, do a tank, do the SI at Paradise, do the second tank, and then have them drop you back at Paradise where the whole group can take a van back to the ship whenever. As Jayfarmlaw mentioned, let them know what you want to do and they'll try to accommodate if they can. Deep Blue Cozumel Diving: Deep Blue Cozumel
Go to Playa Palancar and take a combo diving/snorkeling trip. If that does not work then perhaps have the non-divers to to Paradise Beach where there are water toys and have the dive op you choose drop you off there after the dives.
Cozumel Excursions | Paradise Beach | Cozumel Mexico
Aldora does a beach surface interval and might be willing to stop off there.
Cozumel Excursions | Paradise Beach | Cozumel Mexico
Aldora does a beach surface interval and might be willing to stop off there.
Sunscape hotel on the southern end does day passes (at least as of this last November). I would verify. It's a AI with good beach and snorkeling.
Could/should be other southern hotels that do the same. I would think day passes are organized by the cruise ship - never done it.
Sunscape an onsite dive op - Dive House. Their advertised prices are higher than the boutique style dive op I use. Strange.
You may be able to arrange another dive op to pick you up/drop you off at Sunscape. Actually you would use the wooden pier in front of Secrets. You would have to contact the dive op separately and orgainize pickup times.
Other option is to use a southern beach club. There are some large ones and they have parasailing, jet ski's, snorkel trips but I have not ever checked out dive shops at them. They might be there. Lot's of cruise ship people go to them.
We have stopped at Paradise Beach for SI's. It looks good but again, I have not checked out their dive options. Some have piers and some not.
Could/should be other southern hotels that do the same. I would think day passes are organized by the cruise ship - never done it.
Sunscape an onsite dive op - Dive House. Their advertised prices are higher than the boutique style dive op I use. Strange.
You may be able to arrange another dive op to pick you up/drop you off at Sunscape. Actually you would use the wooden pier in front of Secrets. You would have to contact the dive op separately and orgainize pickup times.
Other option is to use a southern beach club. There are some large ones and they have parasailing, jet ski's, snorkel trips but I have not ever checked out dive shops at them. They might be there. Lot's of cruise ship people go to them.
We have stopped at Paradise Beach for SI's. It looks good but again, I have not checked out their dive options. Some have piers and some not.
Have to agree with Ron Lee. Palancar Beach would meet the non-diver and diver needs. The non-divers could stay on the beach and have fun while the divers go right out to the reef with a short boat ride since Palancar is inside the marine pack. I have heard really good things about their DM but I haven't used them before.
Don't even get me started on their fish tacos!
Don't even get me started on their fish tacos!
Queen Triggerfish
Contributor
Does anyone know what dive shop is at Palancar Beach? And do you know if they have scheduled boat times or just take the boat out when they get a few people?
I get in at 11:00 on the 26th and am trying to find an afternoon dive option for me and two friends. We're diving with Tres Pelicanos, but might not make it for their 1:00. We might try to get on Dive Paradise's 3:00 boat. I also thought we could just shore dive somewhere and like the idea of combining it with lounging at a beach with a beverage after the dive. So Playa Palancar sounds good for that?
Queen, I would email them and ask. Another option: aldora.com
Email them and see if they will do a boat just for you. That way you go when you are ready. Be paid up so that they can drop you off at a suitable beach after your dives. Taxi back to ship.
The one thing I would research is when the beach clubs close and taxis are no longer available. It may be that your beach time is the time between dives with Aldora. No adult beverages during that time.
I see you arrive on the 26th (of December?). It gets dark early so a long lounging on the beach after dives may not work unless other beach clubs are open after dark.
---------- Post added December 21st, 2015 at 09:53 AM ----------
What cruise line are you on? I do not see an 1100 AM arrival on 26 December.
---------- Post added December 21st, 2015 at 09:58 AM ----------
I do see an 1100 AM arrival on Norwegian Getaway on 25 December. Punta Langosta pier predicted per Cruise Port Insider data. Walking distance to Aldora office.
Email them and see if they will do a boat just for you. That way you go when you are ready. Be paid up so that they can drop you off at a suitable beach after your dives. Taxi back to ship.
The one thing I would research is when the beach clubs close and taxis are no longer available. It may be that your beach time is the time between dives with Aldora. No adult beverages during that time.
I see you arrive on the 26th (of December?). It gets dark early so a long lounging on the beach after dives may not work unless other beach clubs are open after dark.
---------- Post added December 21st, 2015 at 09:53 AM ----------
What cruise line are you on? I do not see an 1100 AM arrival on 26 December.
---------- Post added December 21st, 2015 at 09:58 AM ----------
I do see an 1100 AM arrival on Norwegian Getaway on 25 December. Punta Langosta pier predicted per Cruise Port Insider data. Walking distance to Aldora office.
Queen Triggerfish
Contributor
I'm not on a cruise (the OP is on a cruise though). My flight arrives around 11:00. But since I am only there for a few days, I want to maximize my diving by maybe getting out on the afternoon of arrival. And actually, it's more for my friend than me. I'm there a few days longer than she is.
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