Cozumel travel

[living4experiences]

What is the “camera extortion scam”?
Please explain.

In Cabo San Lucas (Pacific side of Mexico), the corrupt Mexican government illegally targets scuba divers with cameras and housings for a customs tax because you're automatically considered a professional photographer.

Once they find your camera and/or housing and you don't have your receipt for purchase, they will look up the item on the internet for a so-called value and randomly assess a number for the extorted "tax". I've heard of $150 and up, no matter the age of the equipment.

I speak from experience. I've been to Cabo 4 times now. The first 2 times I got the green light and no luggage search. The last 2 times (2021 and 2023), my bags were searched.

In 2021, I had my Olympus TG6 and housing spread around my checked luggage, only making my GoPro an obvious find in my carry-on. Once he found it, he asked if I had other cameras, and I feigned not understanding the question then kept silent. He seemed satisfied with finding the GoPro and waved me through with no extorted tax. The GoPro is known as a recreational camera and, I'm guessing, not subject to the scam.

2023 my luck ran out and my carry-on was aggressively searched. This time I had the camera, housing and GoPro in the carry-on. He took everything out of my bag with his grimey hands and zeroed in on the housing.

As he's doing the internet search, I asked him about what he's doing and said I have to pay a tax. I strongly told him I'm not a professional and I don't have to pay a tax. I had my receipt and was ready to show him. But then he just handed the housing to me and said I could go on.

Maybe since I knew my rights he decided to leave me alone. Whatever the reason, I was not scammed. Cabo sucks and I have no interest in giving them my tourism dollars again. I will never return.

 

[Snoweman]

Whats the best approach? Fly into CUN then take a shuttle to Cozumel? Or do the extra flying time with a stopover and fly to Cozumel directly?

Back when the government used to subsidize flights from CUN to COZ, it was cheap, cheap, cheap to fly - like $40 one way. Now, it's a minimum of $750 one way and you better not have too much luggage.

Delta is starting up flying into COZ in November. If I go there with my wife again, I will probably pay the extra $$$ to fly into COZ. She hates the ferry ride.

 

[Brodydog]

Delta is starting up flying into COZ in November.

I had not heard this. It’s about time they reinstated my direct flight to CZM. Off season prices and Delta Miles needed look pretty darn good too, at least for the week I looked at.

 

[ReefHound]

The ferry duopoly still has not returned to operating the 7AM or 11PM departure out of Playa to Cozumel. This makes it a gamble on getting to the island before 9AM the next day if your plane is scheduled into Cancun after 6:30 PM

Tell me about it. We flew into CUN last Wednesday. Our flight from Houston was delayed 1.5 hours (I seriously thought it was going to be canceled) and despite our private shuttle's best efforts, we missed the last ferry by 5-10 minutes.

We also found hotels were not very motivated to sell a room last minute. We were quoted higher rates to pay in cash than to book on Orbitz so finally we booked online, standing there in front of the clerk. He wanted $80 and we booked for $50. Not his fault, he understood perfectly well that the hotel would have made a lot more money to match the online price in cash since the booking portals take a hefty commission but he did not have the latitude to adjust rates.

We really had no choice though and we didn't do it for the savings. We are working remote (diving weekends) and didn't want to miss working hours. United to CZM departs at 10:15am and arrives about 12:30. By the time we get to our room we've pretty lost the whole work day. Going into CUN we could depart after 5pm (easy to cut the work day a bit short) and be ready to work next am. And so we did but then had to take a "long lunch" to ferry over next day.

Anyway, I thought I'd add a different perspective in that the reasons to fly into CUN might not have anything to do with saving money, but the greater number of flights and flexibility. From Houston, United and SWA have one flight to CZM (and I think SWA is only flying weekends now) versus more than a half-dozen daily into CUN. A missed or canceled flight from CZM means waiting an extra day while in CUN it means waiting a few more hours (unless it was the last one for the day).

And even if I wasn't WFH I could fly into CUN on Friday evening after working that day and be going out on a Saturday morning dive trip while others are waiting for their Saturday morning flight into CZM.

 

[gopbroek]

Yep, I work at DFW and get off at 4PM Saturday and start back at work on Wednesday. Pre covid I could take either a 5PM or 7PM into Cancun after work on Saturday and either ADO down for the last ferry or spend the night in Cancun across from the bus terminal and take the 5AM to Playa. If overnight, I grabbed the morning ferry and was there by 7:45. I would do this often and 3P already had my gear and would meet me at the pier and we would head for the Marina. Slam 2 days of diving and repeat 2 to 4 weeks later.

 

[Tunaman68]

We did that once or twice years ago and saved some money, but I won't be doing it again. Getting to Cozumel wasn't bad; we were on a two week vacation and not in any particular hurry. Getting back to Cancun to catch the flight home, though, was a pain.

I agree, the arrivial leg is easy because it's all 'the beginning of vacay'. Doing it backwards at the end when you are tired and bummed out sucks.

 

[ggunn]

I agree, the arrivial leg is easy because it's all 'the beginning of vacay'. Doing it backwards at the end when you are tired and bummed out sucks.

And that's not to mention that on the way down there is no deadline; you get there when you get there.

 

[Tunaman68]

And that's not to mention that on the way down there is no deadline; you get there when you get there.

Yeah we had a 1am out of Cancun and we thought "let's just go over early and see Tulum and waste the day then we can get to the airport late". By 9pm we were at CUN, dead tired, already had dinner and wanted to sleep more than anything, but still had 5 hours to wait.

The few times that Maya Air was running were great and you still ended up saving time and money, but if the option is only doing the bag drag it's a no bueno for me.

 

[ggunn]

Yeah we had a 1am out of Cancun and we thought "let's just go over early and see Tulum and waste the day then we can get to the airport late". By 9pm we were at CUN, dead tired, already had dinner and wanted to sleep more than anything, but still had 5 hours to wait.

The few times that Maya Air was running were great and you still ended up saving time and money, but if the option is only doing the bag drag it's a no bueno for me.

Yo tambien.

 

[BRT]

Yo tambien.

Tampoco is the word you were looking for.