ScubaBOBuba:
I am going to be in Cozumel on a cruise ship at the end of the month. I have not dove Cozumel in about 15 years and would like to take in a couple dives for the day the ship is in port. I have had notriously bad experiences with dive operators sponsored from cruise ships. I will carry my mask and fins (possibly regulator) but would need to rent the rest. Pick up and drop off at the ship will be necessary. Any enlightened suggestions as to a good operation and how I can contact them?
---Bob
Bob,
Pick-up and drop off from the ship is only permitted by the cruise ship operator, and even then it depends on which pier you come in on...we have three ship piers.
If you come in at the International pier, Dive with Martin has a shop very close by, but you will have to contact them to see if they can accommodate your ship arrival time.
If you don't come in at Puerta Maya or Punta Langosta, you will have to take a taxi somewhere to meet your boat at one of their designated pick-up spots OR dive with the cruise ship sponsored opertor.
If your ship arrives later than 8:00am, you may also find your choices extremely limited unless you leave late enough to do an afternoon dive or if you charter your own boat or have at least four people in your group.
Many logistical issues with cruise ship scheduling, so if you know your ship name and arrival time, you'll need to provide that to the operations you contact.
Out of curiosity, you say you last dove Cozumel 15 years ago...when was your last dive and how frequently do you dive. What type of diving do you like to do? Knowing your experience level and the type of diving you like will also help people make better suggestions towards sprcific operations for you...believe it or not....they're not all the same
