Paddles:
Hi Paddles!
I've just returned from my stay at Moon Palace! We had a wonderful stay, although the resort is a little too secluded for my tastes. You'll never have to leave the resort if you don't want to, but if you do want to leave, it can be a bit of a hassle, expense, and/or both. It was perfect for some much needed R&R and the food was excellent!!!
My boyfriend & I did our OW check-out dives with Dive Puerto Morales and had a really wonderful experience!! Puerto Morales is just about 15-20 minutes south of Moon Palace ($16USD cab ride, one way). Our instructor and divemaster were great ~ very attentive, helpful, thorough ~ and they made sure we saw lots of stuff and enjoyed ourselves (thanks again Cat, Brett, and Carlos!!). We had also had some trouble with how our LDS had handled our referral paperwork, and Cat was extremely helpful. I would certainly dive with them again and recommend them to others.
We also went for a day trip to Cozumel... The diving was great, but getting there (especially from Moon Palace) was more of a hassle than I'd go through again. We first took a cab from Moon Palace to Playa del Carman ($40USD one way), then took the ferry to Cozumel ($18/round trip ticket, per person). And then the same routine in the opposite direction at the end of the day ~ in transportation alone we spent $116... The diving itself was great (saw several turtles, HUGE lobsters, eagle ray, etc.) but I think the guys at Dive Puerto Morales spoiled us and we missed them by the end of the day!! =) I'm glad we did it, because I'd snorkeled there before and really wanted to dive there, also because I love Cozumel and wanted my boyfriend to see it, but it was an exhausting day.
Also, why we took a cab: you can't catch a bus from Moon Palace. You'll have to either get to Cancun proper (north of the resort) or Puerto Morales to catch the bus. You can take a free shuttle from Moon Palace to one of the other Palace resorts in Cancun, then try to take the bus down to Puerto Morales or PDC, but... ugh, that's a hassle too, and the free Palace shuttle only runs 4 times a day (and you have to get on the return shuttle back to the resort 4 hours later so you'd end up taking a cab back anyhow), plus it was full when we rode it (not much room for gear and we brought all our own gear).
Okay, sorry to be so long-winded, but since I just returned, this is all fresh in my mind. Also, don't worry to much about being out of the country - everyone there is so friendly and helpful, and I've always found that if I attempt to speak a few phrases in Spanish, the people there will practically bend over backwards to help you. Post or PM me if you have any other questions that I could answer, and HAVE FUN!!!
Just look em up on the net, they have an phone number, call them and set up your own vacation and then stand back and enjoy it.
