Presidente Hotel/Dive Paradise April 15-20 Trip Report Part 1 of 3

[ReefHound]

I would have been absolutley, but my gf has less than 10 open water dives under her belt and while shes a very good diver, Im not going to put her in a situation where shes diving over her ability. I was fine diving with the cattle boat. When she gets more experience, we can book more individualized ops. I could have just taken my oc gear with me, but i didnt spend 10k so I can have the rebreather in the closet. Besides, I like diving it and dont miss OC at all.

I don't see the point of using a rebreather on a cattle boat where the dives are relatively shallow and led by a DM. I understand you want to dive your RB but you sure put yourself (and your GF, who was supposedly your first priority) through an awful lot of added hassle and expense for it.

 

[Praxus]

Yeah I agree, sounds like a big hassle to use the rebreather. Whats the advantage when you're diving with a group like that?

You tipped the cab driver 5 bucks for a 5 dollar cab ride? No wonder they love americans LOL. Plus your 20 dollar tip to the DM for each dive equals what I PAID for each dive on my last trip to Roatan - rental gear included. No to mention that 40 dollar breakfast. Geez I wouldn't pay that at home, let alone down south!

Anyways its always cool to see a nice detailed trip report.

I'm gonna try diving cozumel in december; will be interesting to see how it compares to Roatan. I think I'll just stay at the Iberostar and dive with Pro-Dive.

 

[Christi]

I started feeling better that afternoon, so I called Dive Paradise back and asked if we could dive the 2 tank afternoon dive. She told me they needed 4 people to make the dive, and she had 2 others from the mainland that were supposed to dive, but she wasn’t sure yet. She asked me to call back at 12:30 to see if they were going to go or not. We decided to go eat lunch, and since my gf loved the spicy cheese dip at La Choza so much, we went back there. Lunch got over about 1:00 so I called Dive Paradise only to be informed that there was no more spots on the boat as it had filled up. I was like ????. Lucy explained that I was supposed to call at 12:30, and I didn’t so they sold the spots to other people. Now, I maybe asking too much here, but earlier the boat might not even go out since they didn’t have enough people. I explicitly stated I wanted to go out with my gf and do the dives. Why is it my responsiblility to call them to see if they are going out? Its my vacation. Shouldn’t they call me?

This goes back to the point of how hard it is for dive ops to reach guests. If you expect them to call you, then you would have to sit around in your room right? You weren't in your room, so just how were they supposed to call you, even if that was their policy?

She had told you to call back at 12:30. You didn't. How did she know you hadn't made other plans if she had no way to reach you and hadn't heard from you? Is she supposed to hold the spaces just in case you come back or call? The afternoon boats leave at 1:30 so I don't know how much later you expected her to wait? Now had you called at 12:30 and she told you your spaces had been given away, then I could understand you being upset with them. For stuff like that, there is a very small window of opportunity.

I do understand the frustration, but I think in that instance, your frustration was misdirected. I simply don't think it's fair to find fault with them in that case since she did ask YOU to call back. You're right, it is your vacation...we don't expect you to be sitting around in your room waiting for a phone call...and precisely why it's easier and more practical for YOU to make contact with the dive shop rather than for us to try to reach 12 or 20 or 100 divers in case they want to dive in the afternoon which may or may not be a deviation from the original schedule...which in your case, it was a deviation from your confirmed dive schedule with them.

I decided I needed better cold medicne so we walked around town until I found a pharmacy and asked for some sudafed. The clerk found some but it was a bottle and not pills. She rang it up on the register and said it was $85. I was like..uh..85 pesos? And she says “no, us dollar”. I about crapped myself.

I don't blame you! I've never seen Sudafed for more than $9 on the island. I think there was a language barrier there...even if the other person was a local...it's just not possible that Sudafed would be $85 USD...and it's not any cheaper if you have a prescription. If she was ringing it up on her register...it couldn't have been in dollars...everything is priced in pesos. She probably didn't understand your question and was trying to reply in her very limited English that, "No, not US dollars."

 

[ggunn]

...I've never seen Sudafed for more than $9 on the island. I think there was a language barrier there...even if the other person was a local...it's just not possible that Sudafed would be $85 USD...and it's not any cheaper if you have a prescription.

Do they still sell Sudafed (or any unadulterated pseudoephedrine) OTC in Mexico? You have to get it at the prescription counter and sign for it now in Texas, and I remember some sort of brouhaha a couple of years ago over Sudafed in a tourist's luggage either in the CZM or CUN airport. Since it is a precursor for methamphetamine synthesis, most places are tightening down controls on it. I use it while diving; I wouldn't have a prob with waiting to get it there if I could be sure it was readily available.

 

[Christi]

Do they still sell Sudafed (or any unadulterated pseudoephedrine) OTC in Mexico? You have to get it at the prescription counter and sign for it now in Texas, and I remember some sort of brouhaha a couple of years ago over Sudafed in a tourist's luggage either in the CZM or CUN airport. Since it is a precursor for methamphetamine synthesis, most places are tightening down controls on it. I use it while diving; I wouldn't have a prob with waiting to get it there if I could be sure it was readily available.

I haven't looked for it in awhile, but I've bought some since Wilma and it was $8 or $9...I didn't have a prescription.

I remember the tourist problem with it...it was an excessive amount...not for personal use.

 

[pennypue]

Holy Cow. $4600???

Tell ya what....give ME the $4600 and I'll make the arrangements!!
Let me know if you ever need a new girlfriend.

(I also think that if she's that new to diving you need to be more attentive UW, and you should be on OC too. Unless she's a brainic scientist/medical professional that understands po2....)

LOVED the report. Your level of detail was great. I spit all over when I read "..........don’t go along main street when the cruise ships are in town, its like a damn cattle run. And I mean that literally. I have never in my life seen so many big people at the same time. It was almost surreal." Amen.

 

[Cozdreamer]

Thank you for all the detail I can gleam info from in your report! Lots of lessons to learn, so thank you for your honesty! I wish I had the $4,600 to head to the island, that would be 2 trips for us for hotel/air/diving/meals. Good and safe diving to you and your girlfriend. It's a great sport to enjoy together.

 

[Mawg]

I wish I had the $4,600 to head to the island, that would be 2 trips for us for hotel/air/diving/meals.


About 5 years ago, IIRC, I saw a deal in the Houston Chronicle Travel section for the Plaza Las Glorias in Cozumel. Air, hotel for 4 nights,taxes and transfers for 360.00 per person. One of the best deals I've ever gotten. It was great being across the street from the Chedraui. I can also remember the same deal at the Fiesta Americana once for 515.00 per person. In both cases , the deal was good for only about a 2 week window so you had to be ready to go quickly. Pack in a Yard-O-Beef, Brick-O-Cheese and a grande bag of your favorite pretzels/snacks and head for the plane.


Cozumel is a wonderful vacation at any price.

 

[driftin' by]

About 5 years ago, IIRC, I saw a deal in the Houston Chronicle Travel section for the Plaza Las Glorias in Cozumel. Air, hotel for 4 nights,taxes and transfers for 360.00 per person. One of the best deals I've ever gotten. It was great being across the street from the Chedraui. I can also remember the same deal at the Fiesta Americana once for 515.00 per person. In both cases , the deal was good for only about a 2 week window so you had to be ready to go quickly. Pack in a Yard-O-Beef, Brick-O-Cheese and a grande bag of your favorite pretzels/snacks and head for the plane.


Cozumel is a wonderful vacation at any price.

Maybe this belongs in another thread but we've got you beat. For 7 nights in December 2004 we stayed in Playa del Carmen at Iberostar Paraiso for only $599 per person! It was AI and included non-stop RT airfare from Cleveland Ohio. We stumbled across the deal on FunJet's website while comparing prices for a trip we were planning in January/February timeframe. Having stayed there before, we could instantly book it without researching it. Oddly, it wasn't a blowout sell they were having, a last minute special or the kind of deals you get in the heart of hurricane season... just a normal deal where you pick the dates and resort and it gives you a price. After booking, we checked the price again and it had gone up to over $1300 pp.... The price my cousin paid in order to join us.

 

[mstevens]

Well, we're having a great time at the Presidente currently. We're not paying anything like the room rate mentioned above, and wouldn't really dream of eating here - we're more the Camilo's or el Pique types. We also would never dive with Scuba Du unless it were free, and perhaps not even then.

This trip we'd planned to dive with Dive Cozumel. We emailed back and forth, then the week before leaving phoned to confirm details. Finally, we phoned the day before leaving just to be extra-certain. As instructed, we called Roly's cell phone upon arrival and left a message. We also phoned the shop and their toll-free US number (using the free in-room internet and Skype, that's a free call, but you wouldn't want to do that on the room phone!) and left messages. We never heard back, and didn't leave the room until 9 p.m. We phoned all the same numbers the next morning at 7 a.m. and left messages. Finally, we called Deep Blue and were fit in with some other experienced divers for the week. They also did my son's AOW course that we'd planned with Dive Cozumel. We did try dropping by Dive Cozumel's shop a couple of times, but it looked more derelict than usual. The instructor told us similar things have been happening with that operator lately. I wonder what's going on with Roly?