Iberostar Cozumel dock fees!!!!!

[BTravlin]

The pier is part of an AI resort and should be included in the cost of staying at the resort. It's true the resort incurs a cost to build and maintain the pier but the same can be said for the pool, the restaurants and everything else on the property. It is just another cost of doing business and should be included in their overhead when calculating how much to charge their guests for AI lodging. The resort has 360 guest rooms so the cost of maintaining the pier spread over all the guests staying there during the course of a year would hardly be noticeable. The fact that they are not doing it this way just goes to show their real motive is to steer divers to the onsite dive op.

 

[billindenver]

Unless the Iberostar has changed the information from last week, it is not $2 or $3 dollars per person per day. They want a minimum $50 dollars a month from operators, and they have made it very clear they do not want their guests to pay this.

The Marine Park fee is $25 pesos, exactly $2 dollars right now at $12.50mx for $1 USD. So I doubt $3 dollars will cover the Park fee AND the Iberostar fee, I do know that some operators here will charge divers (and snorkelers) $2 dollars per day for the park fee, then will NOT give people the wristband at all, or will give them 1 wristband and tell them "it's good all week", in which case they are pocketing the money. If you are charged $2 dollar PER DAY for park fee, then you should be getting a NEW wristband each day, and I know that is not the case with several ops.

Let's see:

20 divers dive for 5 days, each pay $10 dollars for 5 days of park fees, the Op. collects $200 dollars, gives out 20 wristbands (tells them it's good all week, put it on your BCD they say....) which cost them $40 dollars. That would leave $160 dollars, not bad extra income, you can pay the dock ransom, and still have a few bucks for whatever left over, AND you made your client believe YOU paid the dock fee.

I am not saying DWM is doing that. I do know some Ops do exactly that.

DWM didn't do anything like that the week I dove with them. They were a very professional, very enjoyable dive op that I can recommend to others without reservation.

 

[pidgiepoo]

DWM has always given us a new wristband daily when I've dove with them.
I believe they will continue to use $2.00 out of the $3.00 they collect to pay the marine park fees, and use the other $1.00 for the dock fees. IMO
Antonio--thanks for clearing up the information about the fees. Originally, everyone heard they were charging $3.00/day. Now according to you, it's actually a flat monthly fee to be paid by the ops. Looks like it will be up to each op if they are going to use the IB dock...or am I wrong about that?

 

[pidgiepoo]

DWM didn't do anything like that the week I dove with them. They were a very professional, very enjoyable dive op that I can recommend to others without reservation.

Ditto !!!!

 

[rossandmaureen]

It is certainly the right of the Iberostar to do as they wish. It is their property and, if they wish to pursue a policy of nickel and diming that will ultimately do little more than alienate guests, by all means full speed ahead. Perhaps we can all make suggestions that will add some incremental revenue such as a surcharge for the taxi’s and rental cars that use the driveways, an extra few dollars for delivery pizza that originates off site, a percentage added to the jewellery and souvenirs we buy in San Miguel instead of from the on-site vendors and how about a charge if I get my laundry done elsewhere because it is cheaper. They are free to adopt any business model they want and I don’t have a right to tell them how to run their operation.

Of course the flip side is that the consumer is equally free to choose who to patronize. While it was posted that many casual and first time divers may not base their choice of accommodation on who they wish to dive with, a great number will; and the loss of business, while perhaps a small percentage overall, can still be significant. No business can afford to lose good will or customers and I would suggest that the Iberostar will suffer more than dive operators who band together to fight this fee.

It is also our absolute right as consumers to take sides on an issue and to participate in an internet campaign of spreading accurate information about a hotel property that has adopted a policy that will negatively affect us as divers. While I recognize that some posters use this forum to spread mis-information and one sided opinions, the postings by Antonio don’t fall into this category. He noted a change in policy, asked for our support and, for the most part, is receiving it.

As to the suggestion that his pleading is self-serving…I think that this policy has long-term implications for the diving that we have come to expect in Cozumel. Compared to many other destinations where we have to taxi or shuttle to a dive op and pay higher prices, we have been spoiled in Cozumel. I like being spoiled! If this becomes the trend with hotels and condos and dive operations are compelled to capitulate then prices will rise or divers with preferred dive ops will be forced to make their way to the Caleta or other locations to connect.

I have no idea whether or not the lionfish invasion could have been stopped with earlier intervention…I do think this invasion into our pocketbooks and in our freedom of choice can be turned back by keeping this fight alive. For my (small) part I will refuse to stay there or to recommend it to friends. ScubaBoard’s contribution could be a permanent sticky listing all of the properties that have a pier charge so that each individual can make an informed decision.

 

[ggunn]

It is certainly the right of the Iberostar to do as they wish. It is their property and, if they wish to pursue a policy of nickel and diming that will ultimately do little more than alienate guests, by all means full speed ahead. Perhaps we can all make suggestions that will add some incremental revenue such as a surcharge for the taxi’s and rental cars that use the driveways, an extra few dollars for delivery pizza that originates off site, a percentage added to the jewellery and souvenirs we buy in San Miguel instead of from the on-site vendors and how about a charge if I get my laundry done elsewhere because it is cheaper. They are free to adopt any business model they want and I don’t have a right to tell them how to run their operation.

Obviously, it's not about the money, at least not the dock fees themselves. It's about the Iberostar striving to make it such a hassle to deal with ops other than their resident op that most folks will just cave and dive with Dressel rather than fight it. It's the only heuristic I've seen that fits all the observable facts when applied.

If they had a pet taxi company you'd probably see them charging a fee for other taxis to use their driveway.

 

[BTravlin]

Ross & ggunn are both spot on. It's not a business model I would adopt. If I was running the IB I would work with the onsite OP to offer the best overall dive service possible and spoil the divers such that they wouldn't want to dive elsewhere.

 

[Willar]

I have no inside knowledge and this is simply my opinion. I'd bet you 1 peso that Dressel has put extreme pressure on Iberostar as part of the operating agreement. Dressel has to pay "rent" to operate there. Iberostar gets a commission on Dressel's revenue. Whe revenue is down due to the economy Dressel complains about outside operators and demands the fee on competitors. Iberostar needs to keep Dressel onsite and happy to keep customers happy, they implement the fee as a revenue source and to help Dressel.

I most clearly side with Iberostar on their right to charge when they own the pier. It is their property, they can charge for its' use. I'm not saying it's a good idea or I like it, simply I will always defend their right to charge if they want since they put out a very significant amount of money to build and maintain the pier. And if a hurricane destroys it they have to rebuild it, those other dive ops sure as heck won't pitch in to help them build it unless they are required to pay a fee.

Yes, all customers of Iberostar must decide if they are happy with Dressel or want to go elsewhere. I'd guess most hard-core divers don't stay there except when traveling with non-divers who want the other amenities of Iberostar. I'm likely to stay there with my family since they all want the pool, kayaks, Hobie Cats, spa, etc. while I will be happy to get my 10 dives with the on-site operator since it's the easiest solution for a few dives. Or I might call another recommended local dive op and ask if they want to pick me up. If they don't, I'll call another until I find one who will. If a dive op doesn't want the hassle, fine, they can find customers elsewhere. If I don't like Dressel I'll let Iberostar know I will not return due to dissatisfaction with the dive shop and I'll try something else next time.

Each business operator must make choices on how to find customers. If they choose to not to pay for yellow pages then they won't get the people who read that book. If they don't pay the dock fee, they don't get those customers. Simple. We all make choices on how to pull in customers and sometimes we choose to not deal with the more expensive source. Just like some hotels choose to not sell through various outlets. Each dive op will have to make their choice. If they get few customers there then it would be stupid to pay the fee. But don't whine about how "unfair" it is, just go build your own pier.

 

[pidgiepoo]

OK--someone needs to smack me because I'm a traitor....I just booked the IB in June. Prices here in Ohio dropped from over $1,200/person to $799/person for a week. To get 7 days of AI at the IB for less than $800, I'm willing to pay the extra dollar to DWM for the dock fees. The IB hotel is now charging less than the others I was considering staying at. Guess I will remain loyal to IB awhile longer as long as they offer deals that are hard to turn down, and because I feel the op I use found a compromise that works for me as far as the dock fees are concerned.IMO

 

[BTravlin]

No need to feel like a traitor as it's your hard earned vacation dollar and you need to do what's best for you.