Looking for best AI in Cozumel

[firstdive2005]

I'll chime in about Park Royal. It is a great place to stay. Food is great and the place is kept immaculately clean. The beack is small but clean. The pools are on the ocean edge. Quite nice. There is entertainment usually every night.
I would like to suggest Scubamaucozumel as a dive op they are located 10 min walk to Villa Blanca. Opal can have you picked up by the boat at the hotel or do a little walk along the ocean. I do both. Depends on the night.
I dive with a lot of friends that bring their kids, we just tailor the dive. Lots of diving 60ft and less. By the way shore dives are free with scubamau. Just email Opal she will fill you in. They are very safety conscious. Hope you have fun. kev

 

[Cozoholic]

We only dive with BXTS

 

[Qnape]

I brought my 14 yr old daughter to the Cozumel Palace with my non-diving wife in February of 2009 for our first dive vacation. I got certified with my daughter last summer in NJ, and got in a bunch of practice dives before going. We did enough diving before going to take AOW so that we would have some deeper diving experience before going to Cozumel.

The Palace was wonderful. I posted a trip report on our experience here (which you should be able to find easily with a search) accompanied by photographs. My wife loved the place so much that SHE - the non-diver, insisted on returning this coming February, which I of course agreed to immediately. There was more than enough at the palace to occupy her time, and she loved the ability to walk around town. We will be there for Carnival this coming February. The drinks and food are great, and unlimited internet and in-room telephone calling to the US were a great additional perks.

For diving, we used BlueXTSea and will use them again next February. I can't say enough good things about them. We hired a private divemaster for the week as this was our first dive trip and like you, I was concerned about safety. While we were told after just two days that we did not need this service, I chose to keep the private divemaster anyway. This resulted in a fantastic set of dives with lots of personal attention and a bit of peace of mind and additional confidence with the additional divemaster. As our skills were very good, the private divemaster spent his/her time pointing out many creatures we otherwise would have missed!

Since then we have completed trips to Utila in April (Utopia Dive village - just my daughter and I - too adventurous for my wife, lol) and Turneffe Island Resort in Belize in August (with my wife - she loved Turneffe Atoll and the resort there!). I posted reviews of each trip in the appropriate forums, also with photos. My point is that diving in Cozumel with BlueXTSea increased our confidence and desire for more underwater experiences!

Palace and BlueXTC were the right choice for us and we can't wait to return in February. The only downside of the Palace is no beach, and my wife - who was leery of this, turned out not to mind at all. The pool was great, the resort intimate for an AI, and service over-the-top. Please feel fre to contact me if you have any questions.

The best news is there are so many good choices out there on Cozumel - both resorts and dive ops. I'm certain you will find a great combination. Safe diving!

 

[pjd]

We just returned from Cozumel. We went with a group from Washington DC for a "cheap and easy weekend" at the Hotel Cozumel and Resort (a very basic hotel, not an AI). Once the group left, we checked into the Palace and stayed for several more days longer. The Palace was simply amazing. You can't go wrong. Great facility, food was fabulous and staff were excellent. We even managed to squeeze in a trip to Coba (Mayan ruins on the mainland) through the Palace, free of charge.

We did 12 dives with Dive with Martin. (divewithmartin.com). They have the reputation of being one of the best dive shops on the island and we would have to agree, based on our experience. They were fantastic. Have fun!

 

[1KWIK_69]

I've been certified since 1990 and done lots of diving, but my main focus is for my son. He got certified on his 10th b-day and done one dive trip in the caymans and a few dives in St. Martin. Very comfortable in water. With that said, safety is still number one and would like to find a dive group that take out smaller groups. Any suggestions. Any that are kid friendly!

I took my son to Cozumel on his first ocean dive trip. He didn't want to go deeper that 60' and got really nervouse when the DM said we would be going to 90'. I reassured him that if he was having any problem what so ever, we would go up. When he saw 117' on his depth guage, he took out his regulator, smiled really big and gave me the OK sign! I'll bet your kiddo feels the same way mine did when he sees that it's really no different other than how long you can stay down.

 

[para_chute]

I definetly recommend Blue Note Diving. Extremely professional, and safe. Blue Note Scuba Diving. They have their own boat, which not everyone has in Cozumel. And they have small groups, and accomodate their clients very well.

Good diving.

 

[1KWIK_69]

I definetly recommend Blue Note Diving. Extremely professional, and safe. Blue Note Scuba Diving. They have their own boat, which not everyone has in Cozumel. And they have small groups, and accomodate their clients very well.

Good diving.

Haven't heard much about them but I'm sure they're really good. Most dive ops in Cozumel have their own boats though.....

I have yet to dive with any shop down there that didn't take great care of us....

 

[5615mike]

Palace is the best! It is also in town so walking to everything is easy. No beach it just has a terrace with pool and ladders into the salty BIG POOL.

Iberostar and Grand are next, both have beaches but are way south and you need a car or taxi to go anywhere.

Next are Wyndham Reef Club, has beach, not as nice as I or G but very acceptable. I'll be there Nov. 7-13.
Fiesta Americana and Hotel Cozumel have AI or a modified version or just the room. FA is on the water with small beach and must taxi everywhere while HC is close enough to town to walk and has a beach smaller than my back yard but big pool.

If price is no object Palace is best. For just nice grounds, beach, and pool for good price Wyndham, Fiesta, Hotel Cozumel.

Check many web sites as there are deals out there right now for other than Thanksgiving week. I just got back wed. and the Island was not crowded at all and many resorts were doing painting and cleanup since they were only about 20% full.

For best AI I would certainly go with Aura over Wyndum...which is no longer the Reef Club its just the Wyndum Cozumel Resort. They have several differnet levels of rooms but the Aura is a small boutique facility on the same complex. The Grand is far better than Iberostar even though they have common ownership. Your close to town requirement really puts you square on Cozumel Palace.

 

[cicopo]

The Iberostar is NOT owned by Occidental. I think you may mean that the Grand & Allegro (also known now as the Holiday Village White Sands Resort) are owned by the same parent company, which is Occidental.

 

[Jax]

The Iberostar is NOT owned by Occidental. I think you may mean that the Grand & Allegro (also known now as the Holiday Village White Sands Resort) are owned by the same parent company, which is Occidental.

Ummm . . . correction, the Occidental Allegro used to be the Holiday Village White Sands. My husband and I stayed there March 2009, and are members of the Occidental First Club.

I would recommend it, but if you like quiet, make sure you do not get rooms near the theater. The diving is right there, where you are picked up at the end of the pier.

Google Earth it.