Goodbye Cozumel; Lets Try It Again Next Year

[DandyDon]

Good report Don, sounds like you managed a good time despite the 'total destruction' some have reported. I too stayed at Caribe Blu and dove with Blue Angel when up there in Dec. and want to know where you loaded on the boats at? Did they have the pier behind the pool rebuilt yet? We had to load from the big dry dock pier next door or had to load at the boat harbour down the way when work was going on next door. They were just finishing the pool repairs and starting on pier foundations when we left day before christmas eve.

Yeah, it's fine. Let me see if I can post a pic of it....

If your posts are missing from this thread, it's because they were part of or responses to the hijack about a term someone found offensive.... further posts about that or about this action will be removed as well. If you have a complaint about this moderation, feel free to do it via PM

Thank you to those who brought the thread back on track

Thanks again for your help.

 

[Harro10]

Just a quick shuttle story (that is the only form the airport transport I have used). I was in the back seat of the shuttle next to a young couple on their honeymoon. The driver was having trouble fitting all the luggage into the back. There was one large hardcase that he was having a particular problem with so he jammed it in full force. It went over the top of the back seat and hit the woman next to me in the back of the head and nearly knocked her unconscious.
Maybe I will look out the front of the airport to how far the taxis are before I buy my shuttle ticket next month.

 

[jpomerantz]

If your posts are missing from this thread, it's because they were part of or responses to the hijack about a term someone found offensive.... further posts about that or about this action will be removed as well. If you have a complaint about this moderation, feel free to do it via PM

Thank you to those who brought the thread back on track

Thanks - it was WAY out of control.

 

[Web Monkey]

Regarding cabbies jacking-up fares in Cozumel, I haven't really seen it. Like another post stated, a guy trying to get an extra buck or two is not worth getting concerned about.
Wages in Cozumel and other places in Mexico are very low and I always try to be generous to drivers, waiters, maids, DM's, boat crew,and street musicians.
One thing I've noticed more than questionable cab fare is the low-tipping and no- tipping dive tourist. They fly in on a jet with thousands of dollars worth of dive gear, stay in hotels and eat in restaurants while on vacation, but are too tight to pull out a few dollars here and there for tips. Rather than bring up the one or two guys that may

That's the part I didn't get. The cab fare to the Caletta was like $5, and it was right after the hurricaine. The driver ended up taking me 4-wheeling though all sorts of mud and potholes down a few different dirt roads, while I tried to find the boat.

Considering that at home it costs me $30 for a 6 mile ride on a smooth, paved highway, from work to the car dealer to pick up my car when it's being fixed, I didn't think it was such an awful thing to give the cabbie in Coz a few extra bucks for driving me around though the mud and rocks looking for the boat.

Terry

 

[Christi]

This all sounds great in theory, but things have changed since Wilma.

Airport road is torn up, literally...not from Wilma, but they are installing storm sewage and a better drainage system. The construction crew currently has the road torn up right at the airport exit, so the only way out of the airport is temporarily the entrance as well. The walk is further AND, the taxi's aren't coming around picking people up around the airport anymore.

When I was at the airport on Monday last week, and again Tuesday of this week, there were shuttle vans at the airport exit/entry waiitng for tourists who thought they would "beat the system." They were turning people around who had walked out to the street with their luggage and they ended up in vans anyway...only now all hot a sweaty and even later than they would have been if they had just gotten a shuttle ticket in the first place.

The shuttles have caught onto this...so spend the $8 to $15 dollars (fare is based on where you are staying and is clearly posted where you purchase the tickets) and take the shuttle from the airport. It doesn't take them THAT long to fill the vans.

 

[NadMat]

Thanks for the pic Don. Here is what it looked like in mid Dec.

Yeah Christi, the street to the airport was all dug up when we were there too, but as my 60 something dad was along(and funding this dive adventure), walking to Caribe Blu with bags was never even considered, And personally, even without him along I would not have attempted to walk. Cost of ride is well worth it. I prefer to do my wandering around in SM without baggage in tow, much more enjoyable. Although what I would like to see is a yellow bike project stand at the airport (or even just rental of the cool 3 wheeled cargo bikes you see all over Coz). Maybe I'll retire and move down and open me a stand....

 

[DandyDon]

Thanks for the pic Don. Here is what it looked like in mid Dec.

Yeah, the owner said there were a lot of fish that got washed into the pool by the storm - quite dead from lack of water circulation. Bet that was awful cleaning them out.

Yeah Christi, the street to the airport was all dug up when we were there too, but as my 60 something dad was along(and funding this dive adventure), walking to Caribe Blu with bags was never even considered, And personally, even without him along I would not have attempted to walk. Cost of ride is well worth it. I prefer to do my wandering around in SM without baggage in tow, much more enjoyable. Although what I would like to see is a yellow bike project stand at the airport (or even just rental of the cool 3 wheeled cargo bikes you see all over Coz). Maybe I'll retire and move down and open me a stand....

I bet that'd go over well - another U.S.American coming in to take jobs away from strong unioned cab drivers. Sur-r-r-r-e...!

 

[NadMat]

I bet that'd go over well - another U.S.American coming in to take jobs away from strong unioned cab drivers. Sur-r-r-r-e...!

That's ok, I wouldn't be working very hard at it, would be out diving all the time anyway. The only times I would probably show up to open stand would be in bad diving weather, or when just had to take a break and unload some nitrogen from system.

 

[HammerNoMore]

The shuttles have caught onto this...so spend the $8 to $15 dollars (fare is based on where you are staying and is clearly posted where you purchase the tickets) and take the shuttle from the airport. It doesn't take them THAT long to fill the vans.

Or you can do what I'm doing....Flying into Cancun, paying $150 to DITA RT, paying for a ferry and catching a cab from there. Sounds like a pain but even with the expenses involved with getting from Cancun to my hotel I'm still saving over $400.

Maybe when I retire I'll start a limo/luxury yacht service direct from Cancun airport to your Coz hotel....then again, maybe not .

James

 

[DandyDon]

Or you can do what I'm doing....Flying into Cancun, paying $150 to DITA RT, paying for a ferry and catching a cab from there. Sounds like a pain but even with the expenses involved with getting from Cancun to my hotel I'm still saving over $400.

Maybe when I retire I'll start a limo/luxury yacht service direct from Cancun airport to your Coz hotel....then again, maybe not .

James

Continental would fly you RT to Cozumel for $459 including taxes on one look on Sidestep. Do you really have a difficult time finding good Coz fares?