Planning 1st Trip...Please Help???

[jimbob]

My wife and I are about to complete our certification course and we are planning a trip to Cozumel. We stayed at the Allegro last year but are planning on staying some place different. We are wanting to stay someplace that we can shore dive as well as do some trips out on a boat. We have been looking at the Reef Club and Iberostar. We are wanting to do the all-inclusive gig for cost reasons this year. Would someone please help me out? Any suggestions for resorts, dive shops, and some do's and don'ts would be great for us cherries. Thanks alot.

Jimbob

 

[jepuskar]

Hey JimBob,

I just got back from Las Brisas resort in Cozumel on Sunday after a 2 week stay. I dove with Dive Paradise for those two weeks also.

I highly recommend both of them....they have a great all inclusive package..includes drinks, meals throughout the day, bicycles, pool, ping pong, tennis, kayaks, and a diving package usually is included.

Check out www.bayadventures.com

You can shop around at that site too for prices/packages. From my recent experience, Las Brisas and Dive Paradise are a nice combination.

jason

 

[dnhill]

JimBob,
I have stayed at both Iberostar and Reef Club this year.
I prefer Iberostar as a resort for the following reasons:
1. Rooms nicer
2. Majority of rooms are closer to pier than Reef Club
3. Food better than Reef Club - my son got sick at Reef Club as did others that reported same on flight back.
4. Mini-bar in room that is included. You don't have to go to town to by bottled water if you desire it or pay a lot for it. They also have beer and sodas in room, nice touch.

Reef Club advantages:
1. Closer to town and therefore less expensive taxi ride (it was $13 from Reef Club last week and I think it was $18 from Iberostar)
2. I'm still thinking of another reason......

On both occasions I obtained a pretty good rate using Funjet "hot deals." I leave from Houston and there is usually a deal (last weekend Friday -Monday all included for $299 plus taxes each for Reef Club.

Dive operations - both have on-site dive ops, but it is my preference to use others that have smaller boats. It is not really a big deal that the boats are faster because both are close to most of the southern dive sites. My preference is Aldora or Living Underwater as they suit my diving wants.

I hope this helps, if you have other questions - let me know

dhill

 

[ednedfred]

2nd year in a row staying @ the Iberostar. Will be there next week 6/6 - 6/12. Hotel is great & nice beach.

A piece of advice for you, my recommendation is not to use the dive staff @ the Iberostar (Dressel Divers). Dove with them once last year and it was a mess. Majority of my dives have been with Blue Angel and have had great results.

If you do wind up staying @ the Iberostar try to go to their Mexican restaurant one night. It's really fun.

Hope this helps.

 

[redacted]

the southern resorts offer little to none. You can't even get tanks from Reef Club operator - Sand dollar.

I suggest you take a look a Scuba Club Cozumel - a small resort about a mile south of town that caters to divers. Their "all-inclusive" is rooms, meals, and diving. Their prices are a bit on the high side but the dive op is excellent if you want easy, fun diving with fairly liberal limits. Shore tanks are readily available. And if you get tired of their back yard, take a taxi about 1/4 mile south and drift back to resort. If you don't mind overhead boat traffic, there is the norther end of villa blanc reef (sponge, little coral) if you go out about 100 meters into 35 to 45 ft.

Brisa (sp?) right next door to SCC and Fiesta Americana futher south would be a couple other options with some shore diving opportunities.

 

[jimbob]

Thanks so much guys, but sorry to say our plans have changed at the last minute. We caught a better deal going to Dominican Republic and staying at the Natura Park Resort. I guess I can ask the same questions as before. Thanks again for all of your replies. The advice was excellent, and will use it for the next trip to the Coz. We just couldn't pass on this deal, and had some really positive feedback from some friends that had been there.

 

[Rescue Diver68]

We will look forward to your trip report from Dominican. Don't forget to post pictures too.