Surcharge for using PayPal?

[DandyDon]

They are not overpriced if they can keep the hotel full.

No, just my thoughts. I enjoyed it in their cheaper years, but wish them well in their upscale business.

 

[GameChanger]

I just got a quote at Blue Angel for a Labor Day Week trip.
9 nights @ $94 per night. All ocean-view rooms and all rooms have private balconies or patios.
8 Days of 2-Tank diving @ $95 With Nitrox (Blue Angel offers FREE NITROX). Marine Park Fee Included.
(Plus Room Tax & IVA)

FREE daily breakfast at their excellent on-site restaurant.
You are steps to the BA dock from your room. I like to drink coffee and have breakfast and watch the dive boat pull up. I then walk to the boat and go diving!. No taxis to /from the marina or being crammed in a pickup truck.
Free Valet Service.
Free Unlimited Shore Diving.

I really do not think this is overpriced at all. (Perhaps for Cheapskates ...)
JMHO/YMMV

 

[brsnow]

Does BA have a dock fee if you dive with a different op?

 

[ReefHound]

I just got a quote at Blue Angel for a Labor Day Week trip.
9 nights @ $94 per night. All ocean-view rooms and all rooms have private balconies or patios.
8 Days of 2-Tank diving @ $95 With Nitrox (Blue Angel offers FREE NITROX). Marine Park Fee Included.
(Plus Room Tax & IVA)

FREE daily breakfast at their excellent on-site restaurant.
You are steps to the BA dock from your room. I like to drink coffee and have breakfast and watch the dive boat pull up. I then walk to the boat and go diving!. No taxis to /from the marina or being crammed in a pickup truck.
Free Valet Service.
Free Unlimited Shore Diving.

I really do not think this is overpriced at all. (Perhaps for Cheapskates ...)
JMHO/YMMV

That's not overpriced but you're only getting that price at select times of the year. Aug/Sept is that time. (CM is $57 for early Sept. and CDM is $38) You could get DWM to pick you up there for about $70-75 per trip. When I was there last a few years ago there was no dock fee for other boats to pick up.

 

[CajunDiva]

Thanks for the clarification. I would consider 6 to be "quite a small" group as far as "group bookings" go. I've known shops to take 50 plus and we were in Coz last Dec. with a group of 28. 3 of your 6 are not even certified yet. Many places will offer a group discount and even a trip leader comp but that's usually for 8-12 paid.

The issue of deposit is really all about trust in getting it back if you need to cancel within the cancellation policy. I have no issues paying in full when I book with orbitz or hotels because my experience when canceling within the stated cancellation period has been an immediate refund. But I'm not interested fighting with a small hotel to get my money back.

The issue of surcharge is frustrating. A surcharge is understandable when you are using a fee-based payment method for your convenience but not when they are mandating the payment method. Ask if you can pay deposit with zelle or some other method that doesn't incur fees.

I asked the question regarding how many were in your group due to the possibility of negotiating group discounts. @ReefHound was spot-on with his reply, so I won't bother repeating his advice.

With your unique circumstances, I would prefer a dive operation that will be prepared to give ALL of you great experiences together, whether going through certification processes or simply diving. While I'm sure there are many in Cozumel who could do that, I have booked 3 group trips with Tres Pelicanos (affectionately referred to as 3P's here) and all 3 were fantastic. No request was too great. A simple e-mail to Jeanie was all it took to get the ball rolling. She can book accommodations wherever you prefer at discounted prices, and it's all taken care of for you. She can also answer any questions and help you with the dive arrangements. In our case, I found that the 3P boats can accommodate 10 divers, so I simply booked a group of 10 and chartered a whole boat...hence my question about how many in your group.

Whatever you decide, have a great trip and I'm glad you're bringing new divers to our scuba world

 

[dflaher]

CM is $57 for early Sept

RH is that Ocean View? Looking at a trip in this time frame, only complaint last time was spotty WiFi in my room.

 

[ReefHound]

RH is that Ocean View? Looking at a trip in this time frame, only complaint last time was spotty WiFi in my room.

Idk. Maybe $10 more? I don't recall a big price difference in room rates there. Next to CM is Vista del Mar. We stayed there last year for $60 and it was not as nice overall as CM but had a large room and a great oceanfront balcony right on Melgar. It was fun sitting on the balcony drinking beer and people watching.

Where was wifi spotty? Many places have that issue as the buildings there are concrete.

 

[deepsea21]

Yes, a minimal deposit for diving is customary. 50% deposit for lodging is not unreasonable.

You got to be kidding me. A 50% deposit for lodging is downright nutty and indicative that there is something going very wrong. This has been covered in the past when BA had taken deposits and people then had to cancel their trips due to Covid and when they asked for their deposit back they had no $ to refund them as the operation had spent all of it. Those deposits weren't sitting in a deposit account to be refunded... all of that $ had been tapped and spent. BA has since updated its website with the following policy that you can read by clicking on "Reservation Policy" at the bottom of their page:

The deposit for your current reservation will not be refundable under any circumstances, but transferable dates up to two years from original reservation date, as long as you contact us at least 14 days before your arrival, this subject to restrictions with change with no previous notice.
No refunds or reschedules will be provided after check in.
For further information contact us to help you.

So, basically if something were to hit the fan less than 2 weeks before your arrival, you are not able to make your trip and you are past the stated 2 week notification deadline you can kiss both your $ goodbye and any offer to transfer your deposit to a future trip within the next 2 years. And this assumes BA remains in business because the window to dispute a credit card charge will probably have expired for most if they booked their trip and put the deposit down more than 60 days in advance. After 60 days you are SOL.

If others here have no problem with that then help yourself, roll the dice, and maybe everything turns out fine. If it doesn't you could be out one heck of a lot of $.

 

[dflaher]

Where was wifi spotty?

In my room. Don't remember the exact room number but is was on the 3rd floor. Lobby signal was good.

 

[DandyDon]

Where was wifi spotty? Many places have that issue as the buildings there are concrete.

Yep, and beyond that, service can vary. I don't know if it's the number of people using the same wifi at a time or what. Next trip, I'm changing my phone plan to one with hotspot, then changing back when I get home.