Resorts we should avoid?

[Skittl1321]

Building and maintaining a dock is not cheap. Is it fair to the resort and their operator to let the competition use their dock for free ? Is it better to charge a fee per use, charge the guest, charge per month ?

For me, I would not be offended if had to pay a small fee to dive with someone other than the house operator. I don't like having to pay extra, but it is understandable.

This is kind of how I think of it. I don't MIND paying a fee for my prefered op to pick me up. That said, since they don't charge me extra to go into the pool, sit in a hammock, take out a kayak, etc- why do they charge me more to step off the pier (and into a boat...it is my understanding I can jump off the pier to snorkel, free of charge.)

 

[cvchief]

Building and maintaining a dock is not cheap. Is it fair to the resort and their operator to let the competition use their dock for free ? Is it better to charge a fee per use, charge the guest, charge per month ?

Well I guess that is the question. In choosing a hotel, these resorts do not allow you to use their docks. Your choice of ops is going to pay for you to use the dock at your hotel. If you are the only person diving with your small op from that hotel that month, you are being charge $60 to walk out that dock.

---------- Post added July 20th, 2013 at 01:31 PM ----------

My understanding was that La Ceiba/El Cid only charges non guests for the use of the pier for pick up. I know they tried to charge me for being picked up but when I threw a fit and talked to the dive shop manager he said that as long as I was a guest staying at the resort there was no charge. However, when I checked out there were a lot of small charges that I couldnt figure out. Again, I questioned them and instead of getting an explanation they just took those charges off my bill. I have emailed Tres Pelicanos to get some feedback as to if they were indeed charged for picking me up there when I dove with them this last fall.

Fees not based on per passenger pick up but on a flat rate weekly or monthly basis would obviously impact a smaller operator more than one that is picking up more guests at that peir. I personally think is is bull feces to charge for pick up for anyone staying at a particular resort. I see the use of the pier as being included in what I pay to stay there. I am not charged to sit in their lobby or to lounge by the pool or to look at the little fishies off the end of that pier so why should I pay to walk out on the pier to get into a boat? Instead of charging a pier fee to subsidize the onsite dive op, improve the onsite dive op to the point that people prefer to dive with them. Anything else is bad business in my opinion.

I believe the La Ceiba/El Cid jumped on the charge the Dive Op band wagon as of July 5th.

---------- Post added July 20th, 2013 at 01:40 PM ----------

$5 for the week at the PR makes it a place to avoid? Seriously?

It beats the hell out of the alternative of $16 a day minimum for taxi rides to and from another dock/marina.

Well, perhaps, $5 per diver per week is a mild fee. And a per diver use fee one might argue could be fair to all ops. However, I included them as this practice of charging the dive op is sort of the question.

I would suggest that the flat month fee regardless of use is harmful to the smaller ops.

If the fee were set to the individual divers, then the ops could post rates with surcharges for certain hotels and let the diver decide where to stay.

 

[Mike]

Mike, were it a flat fee per diver, perhaps that would be true. It isn't. Most are now a set fee per month. If an op picks up one diver that month at Iberostar, that is a cost of $60 per diver. If the op picks up a $100 divers that, 0.60 per diver. Hence it promotes the large ops and consolidation.

For a small op that want to pick up divers everywhere is paying, NOW, at least $120 more per month.

Gotcha.

 

[Mossman]

My preferred dive op picked up me and another diver every day at Secrets without mentioning a charge. Maybe he's special?

 

[cvchief]

My preferred dive op picked up me and another diver every day at Secrets without mentioning a charge. Maybe he's special?

Well he is special, but that is beside the point. Ask him?

While you are at it, ask him how it would effect his business if he had to pay dock fees up and down the channel should more hotels begin to charge.

 

[kentmorrdave]

Jeremy will pay the dock fees if his divers dont. Be he doesn't like it. $2 bucks for the DP pier at Villa Blanca is a deal compared to a taxi.

 

[ggunn]

A general comment:

There is a lot of discussion in this forum about whether entities on Cozumel charging for this, that, or the other thing is "right" or "wrong". It is what it is and nothing we say either in here or in person to anyone on the island is likely to elicit a change in any of it. It's also not my place to try to tell them how to run their country.

YMMV.

 

[cvchief]

A general comment:

There is a lot of discussion in this forum about whether entities on Cozumel charging for this, that, or the other thing is "right" or "wrong". It is what it is and nothing we say either in here or in person to anyone on the island is likely to elicit a change in any of it. It's also not my place to try to tell them how to run their country.

YMMV.

So you just show up and they assign you a room and a dive op and restaurant schedule?

Strange, I always pick mine. Those services seem to try to do things so people pick them, so I *guess* my dollars (usually converted into peso) tell them how to run their ops and restaurant and the like....

Gun, your statement speaks of rejection of Yankee imperialism. I am certainly not asking anyone to make a rule or a law. I am not trying to force hotel to do things a certain way. I am not even saying it is right or wrong.

Just as the entire Rivera Maya was built on what it takes to bring in tourists to spend their money, I think we can choose to use our dollars to protect what we like about the destination and influence the market to operate in a manner that allows small ops to flourish.

Same thing as eating in the local restaurants keeps them alive or you can choose to eat at McDonalds or what not.

Some of those onsite ops pay $5000 US or more to get the onsite business. Whatever they can do to steer divers away from the little guys is good for them.

On the other hand for all those who had said ' you gotta use peso or you are a bad tourist and all, that the resorts who are charging the fees send out notices in Spanish while quoting the fees in US DOLLARS. Odd huh? Weird that a Mexican hotel is sending a Mexican Dive Op a bill denoted in Dollars. (In fairness they do state they will take peso as the rate of exchange for dollars that day....) Sorta seems the unofficial currency of Cozumel is dollars huh? But that is another thread....

 

[Sideways]

A general comment:

There is a lot of discussion in this forum about whether entities on Cozumel charging for this, that, or the other thing is "right" or "wrong". It is what it is and nothing we say either in here or in person to anyone on the island is likely to elicit a change in any of it. It's also not my place to try to tell them how to run their country.

YMMV.

See, to me it's not a question of "Right or Wrong" whether we hash these issues out or discuss likes and or dislikes. Like you say it's strictly their choice as business owners, which I agree with. Can I/we change it? Maybe, maybe not, but if enough negatives about a business or practice are circulated throughout the social media that the business suffers I think change could occur. So like you, I accept that "It is what it is" BUT... I can take the info provided from here and other social media sites and make the decision as to how I plan my trip. I mean, isn't that why we come to vacation forums and places like Trip Adviser? That's why we bring these issues up and discuss them, at least that's why I do. So yeah...it's 100% their choice to run their business how they see fit, and for that matter their country (for bigger picture issues), just like it's 100% my choice where my vacation dollars go. I see a LOT of business owners here and on other travel forums, I would like to think our opinions or preferences mean something to them, and I think they do. Just my $.02

Greg

 

[Wookie]

It is the resorts job to protect their in-house op, and discourage other ops. If I wanted to stay at CDM (I don't) and dive with Dive House (I have, but probably wouldn't again, only because I like others better), that's cool, but if I wanted to dive with Aldora or Blue XTC, well, I would think I would pay a premium over the house operator. My choice of operator in Coz is way more important than my choice of lodging, though, so I will usually stay where Christie or Dave tell me that they have free pickup.