First Time to Cozumel

[SandyRobinson]

Hi Wrock, in my experience, most of the taxis are reputable but I have found it is best to ask for the price up front. In a couple of instances when I did not, the price has higher than previous fares to the same location. (Hotel Cozumel to the marina is one example.). In some instances the qquoted fare may have been higher than previous trips and I just asked if the lesser amount was OK, and they would say yes. In reality, they got it back with a tip. Seems like the vans may have been a little higher than cars at times but that could be my imagination.

For a trip around the island 20 months ago, we negotiated the fare. I think our negotiated price was about 60% of the initial offer. It could have been 1000 vs 1500 pesos or maybe 1200 vs 2000 pesos. Whatever it was, I added a 20% tip. The driver was nice, courteous, and asked if he could drop his wife and child off at their house before we started which we did.

I asked him to go by several landmarks that were important to me to show my family which he did. then we had a two hour ride. We stopped at one or two bars for a beer, a small souvenir store (where prices are overpriced but definitely negotiable - more so than downtown), and the southern point of the island which had a beautiful view of the ocean and some nice wave action.

 

[DandyDon]

On using a taxi around the island is there any tips you can give me? I know from other travels that sometimes some taxis are more reputable than others. Can you negotiate with taxis in Cozumel?

Ha! Now that you mention it, expect to be overcharged by many. Many others are courteous & honest, and they all look alike. I have the rate cards, but my Spanish is so weak that they don't help me in arguments or even my expectations.

ALWAYS ask for the rate before boarding, and walk away if it seems too high. Finding another one is usually easy. All of the cabs seem to be in good shape and late model tho, no clunkers.

ALWAYS have pesos in small denominations handy. Most use 10:1 exchanges rates on USDs, and most don't have change.

If you think you got a fare rate, the driver runs the AC in the heat of the day, and his cab doesn't stink, go ahead and tip 10%, but I usually don't.

If you negotiate a ride to the ruins, make sure it's roundtrip, or if you want to do a circle tour of the island, agree on the basics.

Getting from the airport to your hotel is by shared van. Ignore the timeshare hawks at the airport who offer to help, ask where you're staying, etc., go to the window to buy your ticket, and if you don't have pesos yet, the exchange rate will be posted. Probably around 14:1. There will be someone outside of the doors to tell you which van is the next going to your destination. I try to get the shotgun seat as I get out at every stop to watch bags unloaded to ensure mine are not unloaded early.​

 

[Stingrayvilla]

Look over our guide to the island restaurants - Best Cozumel Restaurants | 3-day dining guide | stingrayvilla.com

 

[Shawn C]

Employer supplemental insurance varies from employer to employer. Mine offers emergency health care out of country for one month upon departure. It specifically excluded scuba-related accidents. You have to read the fine print for that point. In any event, I get DAN for that reason AND buy supplemental emergency medical care insurance should something occur one month after we depart Canada. I worked in the provincial health department and heard many, many sad stories of people who did not get out of country insurance. These included bankruptcy and hard decisions like taking a seriously injured child off life support.

Reading the fine print is an absolute must. Even after reading, I also called and recorded (with permission) calls to both insurance companies asking specifically about exclusions, diving (fine but only within recreational limits), chamber rides (unlimited), repatriation (for the patient, for the presumably otherwise healthy adult as well as our dependent child - all covered), etc etc. We have good plans and I was satisfied that we have sufficient coverage individually and collectively. - and I hope to never use any of it. If not for our employer plans, we'd be looking at travel insurance (and very likely DAN as well) prior to ever leaving Canada.

 

[kmarks]

Ha! Now that you mention it, expect to be overcharged by many. Many others are courteous & honest, and they all look alike. I have the rate cards, but my Spanish is so weak that they don't help me in arguments or even my expectations.

ALWAYS ask for the rate before boarding, and walk away if it seems too high. Finding another one is usually easy. All of the cabs seem to be in good shape and late model tho, no clunkers.

ALWAYS have pesos in small denominations handy. Most use 10:1 exchanges rates on USDs, and most don't have change.

If you think you got a fare rate, the driver runs the AC in the heat of the day, and his cab doesn't stink, go ahead and tip 10%, but I usually don't.

If you negotiate a ride to the ruins, make sure it's roundtrip, or if you want to do a circle tour of the island, agree on the basics.

Getting from the airport to your hotel is by shared van. Ignore the timeshare hawks at the airport who offer to help, ask where you're staying, etc., go to the window to buy your ticket, and if you don't have pesos yet, the exchange rate will be posted. Probably around 14:1. There will be someone outside of the doors to tell you which van is the next going to your destination. I try to get the shotgun seat as I get out at every stop to watch bags unloaded to ensure mine are not unloaded early.​

View attachment 564391 View attachment 564392

Don, do you have pictures of the rest of the cards, too? Those are much better quality and easier to read than the ones in the stickied post, but the first picture is really only useful if you have the one that lists what is in each zona, and the one that has the fares from Centro to each of the beaches and common tourist destinations is very useful.

Wrock, do you speak Spanish? Even a little bit? The cab drivers are usually very honest, but I've had a couple try to screw me over by making things up. If you can call them on their BS in Spanish you're more likely to get a positive outcome, especially if you can ask them to show you the fare cards (¡Muestrame la tarjeta con las tarifas autorizadas!) to justify what they are asking for. The best thing is to just know the fare ahead of time, tell them where you want to go, get in, get out, and give them exact change (plus a tip if so inclined) and leave it at that. Asking for change is asking for trouble; they never seem to have it.

 

[DandyDon]

Don, do you have pictures of the rest of the cards, too? Those are much better quality and easier to read than the ones in the stickied post, but the first picture is really only useful if you have the one that lists what is in each zona,

Well, here is a closer & enhanced look at the maps. I never knew what Centro meant on this. Maybe someone can tell me. Open these photos in a new tab to enlarge.

Here are the descriptions if you can read Spanish well enough. Open these photos in a new tab to enlarge.

and the one that has the fares from Centro to each of the beaches and common tourist destinations is very useful.

I think this sign is from the ferry dock, which I split into two photos to make it easier to read. Such a rare use of English translations on signs; we have a much higher use of bilingual signs in Texas. Open these photos in a new tab to enlarge.

 

[deepsea21]

Reading the fine print is an absolute must. Even after reading, I also called and recorded (with permission) calls to both insurance companies asking specifically about exclusions, diving (fine but only within recreational limits), chamber rides (unlimited), repatriation (for the patient, for the presumably otherwise healthy adult as well as our dependent child - all covered), etc etc. We have good plans and I was satisfied that we have sufficient coverage individually and collectively. - and I hope to never use any of it. If not for our employer plans, we'd be looking at travel insurance (and very likely DAN as well) prior to ever leaving Canada.

I read the fine print (the entire policy) of the DAN insurance policy and have NEVER purchased it in the 18 years I've been diving. I have my US based health insurance that will deal with it all BUT I also travel with about 4-5 credit cards that each has about a $15K-$20K credit limit. If it were to seriously hit the fan I'll put it all on the credit cards and deal with my US based insurance company later. Also, DAN insurance is only a brand... there is no DAN insurance company... DAN policies are sold by different insurance companies all over the world. Read the fine print.

Some won't dive or travel without DAN insurance and will call me a fool for not carrying it. Maybe I am or maybe they haven't read the fine print. The ONLY reason I would pay for DAN insurance is if I were diving a VERY REMOTE location where the "nearest medical facility capable of providing an appropriate level of care" required a helicopter ride. Those who say DAN offers medical evac back to the states haven't read the policy... The insurance pays for 1 and only 1 medical evac and that is to the "nearest medical facility capable of providing an appropriate level of care" which is usually the closest hospital or chamber. That's your one ride that DAN pays for. DAN isn't chartering and paying for a private medical jet to take you back to the states or subsequent medic evac flights anywhere.

 

[DandyDon]

DAN insurance is only a brand... there is no DAN insurance company... DAN policies are sold by different insurance companies all over the world.

That's true, and I try to remind myself to strongly suggest DAN dive insurance for US & Canada residents. If you decline, fine, but I am not contributing to your Fundme account. I did once, but that's my last exception. DAN North America sells other insurance plans because members asked them to, and it's a member-driven organization (aside from some directors getting rich on the side), but I don't care for any of their others.

It also varies somewhat state to state. Different state insurance departments have approved different changes & rates. Texas has the crappy $30 plan, but Texas politics is another story.

Those who say DAN offers medical evac back to the states haven't read the policy... The insurance pays for 1 and only 1 medical evac and that is to the "nearest medical facility capable of providing an appropriate level of care" which is usually the closest hospital or chamber. That's your one ride that DAN pays for.

DAN dive insurance does not provide that. DAN membership does under TravelersAssit. See several pages of your Virginia handbook. https://media.dan.org/cms/DAN-NUFIC-Master-Handbook.pdf for the cheapest Master plan. Search repatriation.

Repatriation for Additional Care When an Insured Member suffered a Medical Emergency during the course of a Trip for which Emergency Evacuation or Medically Necessary Transfer is necessary, and the Insured Member is deemed medically fit to travel to a different Hospital or medical facility for further care, treatment or evaluation, DAN TravelAssist will arrange and We will pay, up to the Benefit Limit, the Covered Expenses for Transportation to a Hospital or medical facility that is located either: 1. near the Insured Member’s Home; or, 2. near where the Insured Member is living and/or working at the time of the Medical Emergency. Any Repatriation for Additional Care shall be undertaken at the discretion of DAN TravelAssist in consultation with the Insured Member’s treating Physician. Repatriation for Additional Care is limited to scheduled commercial airlines, watercraft, or ground transportation, and DAN TravelAssist will arrange and We will pay, up to the Benefit Limit, the Covered Expenses for such scheduled commercial airlines, watercraft, or ground transportation.

 

[deepsea21]

Dandy, I'm not going to dig deep into the various DAN policies that are sold under nothing more than a brand by all sorts of insurance companies around the world that pay DAN a fee to underwrite that coverage.

As you cut and pasted: "Repatriation for Additional Care is limited to scheduled commercial airlines, watercraft, or ground transportation, and DAN TravelAssist will arrange and We will pay, up to the Benefit Limit, the Covered Expenses for such scheduled commercial airlines, watercraft, or ground transportation."

Bottom line, if someone has a serious medical emergency that can't be resolved at the "nearest medical facility capable of providing an appropriate level of care", that individual will be NOT be allowed on "scheduled commercial airlines, watercraft, or ground transportation".

Dandy, everyone is going to do what they will and what makes themselves comfortable. Based on my personal dive travel destinations DAN insurance offers me absolutely no added level of financial protection. I'd prefer to spend that annual DAN insurance fee on the cost of having my reg serviced (which most don't do and they know it). I'd rather spend $ on eliminating risk than paying for BS insurance. Insurance companies LOVE to sell policies. Have you ever been through the process of collecting on a claim? I think not.

 

[DandyDon]

I'd prefer to spend that annual DAN insurance fee on the cost of having my reg serviced (which most don't do and they know it).

Yeah, I avoid that one. I do service both of my regs every few years, but I hate to, as that's when reg problems follow. My go-to dive Op had to work on my main & pony regs both after my last servicing, but he carries a good toolbox on the boat and does great work.

Bottom line, if someone has a serious medical emergency that can't be resolved at the "nearest medical facility capable of providing an appropriate level of care", that individual will be NOT be allowed on "scheduled commercial airlines, watercraft, or ground transportation".

Nope, but if you search transportation on that handbook, it goes on & on about what they will do. If I am injured or ill in Cozumel in such a way that local services cannot treat me fully, they will indeed provide medical evacuation to the closest facility that can, be that Cancun or Houston. That's under Emergency Evacuation and Medically Necessary Transfer.

Those benefits are all part of membership under TravelersAssist. When I finally hang up my fins, I'll drop the dive insurance, but keep the membership. There are many other benefits to TravelersAssist so I would encourage you to get that even if you don't buy insurance from DAN. I want that DAN medic overseeing my treatment all of the way, be it for dive accident, land accident, boat accident, survivable heart attack or whatever.

I travel alone usually, and I know that my daughter is not going to read the handbook, so I just encourage her to keep calling, asking what else they can do. It'll be on them to offer her travel expenses to come, but I feel they are honest about if asked.

There is also some extra transportation benefit under my dive insurance, as I keep the Preferred plan year to year.

No, I have not needed to file a claim with DAN nor ask them to oversee my treatment and arrange benefits, but there are plenty who have.