Trip Report One week each: Cozumel Hotel/Dive Paradise, and Iberostar/Dressel Divers

[ggunn]

To be clear, the time back at the resort on the SI is only 5-10 minutes....enough to pee at the near-dock toilet but not to change clothes or get lunch.

The reefs were fine, for Cozumel. Sponge-dominated not lush with corals. Go elsewhere for fields of healthy hard and soft corals. Good fish life, but not that diverse. A few turtles, rays, sharks. No trumpetfush.

 

[Charred]

I always find it fascinating that people think the "short" 30 min boat ride (each way) to the reefs is fine but a shorter taxi from resort to town for a meal is too far. You are not trapped on the resort just because its not walking distance.

Dont compromise on your vacation. Stay at a southern hotel, enjoy the short boat rides and nice resorts and grab a taxi into town when you want a visit/dinner/shopping/walk around. If you pay in peso's its ~$15USD one way.

 

[ggunn]

Dont compromise on your vacation. Stay at a southern hotel, enjoy the short boat rides and nice resorts and grab a taxi into town when you want a visit/dinner/shopping/walk around.

I agree; don't compromise your vacation because of any of it, including the transit times to the dive sites. Stay at an all-inclusive southern resort, or not, depending on the experience you want to have.

 

[Brodydog]

I agree. Don’t compromise on your vacation. Stay in a place that’s feels like home away from home, dive with your favorite dive shop, and eat at all the places you love if that’s your thing.

For us going to Cozumel is almost as much about eating at all our favorite places as it is about the diving. We aren’t beach people. It wouldn’t make sense for us to stay an all inclusive if we’re eating out every day. It really isn’t about transit times. It’s more about what we enjoy and where we want to be. But I understand why some enjoy the AI experience. Everyone has to find their own niche.

 

[craig1225]

We generally spend 2 Two week trips a year at Iberostar. We still go into town a couple times per trip by taxi which is really not a problem. Dressel divers also offers free nitrox, discounted diving when booked ahead of time on their website, and their dives are good for 5 years if you miss dive days. The diving is close which is a huge advantage. We make three dives daily. Easy, convenient and dive masters are great. Where did your group originate from that all came down with covid ?

 

[tursiops]

Where did your group originate from that all came down with covid ?

We did not "all" come down with Covid, just 4 of 13.
The covid showed up at the end of our week, so it is not likely where anyone came from is relevant, but the four who got covid came from Maryland, Virginia, Florida, and Denver, and did not travel together.

 

[craig1225]

We have made several trips to Iberostar since covid and have never gotten covid . Being that we are retired healthcare professionals and take precautions still, when necessary, we have never been sick with it. I think being in town would be a greater risk . Sorry about assuming " all" had covid, but, you did say several people, which sounds like more than 4 of 13. Happy Diving !

 

[scubabuba1944]

To be clear, the time back at the resort on the SI is only 5-10 minutes....enough to pee at the near-dock toilet but not to change clothes or get lunch.

The reefs were fine, for Cozumel. Sponge-dominated not lush with corals. Go elsewhere for fields of healthy hard and soft corals. Good fish life, but not that diverse. A few turtles, rays, sharks. No trumpetfush.

I was diving Cozumel reefs in June. After 20 yrs of diving there, I was disappointed with deterioration of the reefs. We had high winds that limited dives at some of the better known reefs.

 

[NDL_Diver]

... Iberostar (Dressel Divers) said “no shore diving, it’s a Marine Park.” That sounded like BS to us.)

Yes that is correct. A Park qualified dive master is required for all diving in the park limits. Hotel Cozumel is outside the park.

 

[NauticalNick]

Curious about the booking process for Dressel. Did you have to book a package of dives before arriving or were you able to book dives upon arrival to Iberostar?

Generally you get a discount for booking in advance which is something.