The Dilemma

[jonhall]

My biggest thing is the estimated $300 a night at Cozumel Palace vs $100 a night at Casa Mexicana and going out to eat in town. I don't drink so I think the All Inclusive might be wasted on me but I like the idea and convenience of being all to get food and snacks whenever via the hotel restaurants or room service. But at the same time I could save $200 a day to put towards diving and food out in town.

Have done the AI, the ½ week AI - ½ week on my own, and the grocery store/restaurant means of eating while in Coz. With a difference of $200 a night, you could have some great meals on your own while you're there. Looked back at my last 3 trips staying on Coz. Interestingly, for food only for both my wife and me, trip 1 was $647 for 3 days AI and the rest eating out; trip 2 was $684 for AI and a day of eating out; trip 3 was $633 (553 eating out, 80 for groceries.) Trip 1 and 2 were only for 1 week stays while trip 3 was for 2 weeks eating one meal a day at a different restaurant for the 2 weeks we were there.

I'll be Iceland this October, so Cozumel for Oct 2023.

You have a lot of time to plan (and change your mind) between now and then with many things in Coz likely to change in that time.

Anyway, Coz is great in that there are options to suit every taste. Enjoy your trip, whatever you book!

How true! Great info given earlier.

I'm pretty much locked into timeshare properties when I go to Coz, but there are still options. For diving, although you currently have picked an op for 2023, I thought I'd share a link to a spreadsheet I put together for dive ops in Coz - one piece of info (although not complete) is how close some of the dive ops are to hotels/resorts - just in case you changed your mind.

Finding a (Best) Dive Op in Cozumel

There is a facebook group called "Cozumel for Divers". The members are constantly posting "This is my first trip to Cozumel, who should I dive with". So I posted a link to this thread so they could get the PDF file. The moderator responded to my post saying "yeah that's a bit sketchy, I wouldn't...

scubaboard.com

See post 113

 

[Ripple in still water]

One thing about the Palace to keep in mind is that (at least the last few times we went there) diving is included. You have to like diving with Aqua Safari on their slower boats, but we like them. So when you subtract out the cost of diving for three (last time our son started diving with us), it actually is a pretty compelling value proposition.

With that said, I would also like the opportunity to eat more in town, and given that we paid for food and drink already with the AI, we usually won't do that more than once in a week when we stay at the Palace. So I always keep my eye on threads like this. But when we travel as a family we like to stay in a resort-like place, there aren't that many such places that are easy walking distance to el centro, and when you back out the price of diving, we always seem to end up back at the Palace.

 

[ReefHound]

One thing about the Palace to keep in mind is that (at least the last few times we went there) diving is included. You have to like diving with Aqua Safari on their slower boats, but we like them. So when you subtract out the cost of diving for three (last time our son started diving with us), it actually is a pretty compelling value proposition.

I don't think diving is "included". You get voucher credits with a boatload of restrictions.

 

[Ripple in still water]

You do get voucher credits, but IIRC were were able to get 5 days of 2-tank morning dives for three included. You do pay tax on the the value of the dives out of pocket. Before our son was a diver, we got a total of 11 or 12 2-tank dives and had credits left over. So it's pretty "included" except for the tax.

 

[ReefHound]

You do get voucher credits, but IIRC were were able to get 5 days of 2-tank morning dives for three included. You do pay tax on the the value of the dives out of pocket. Before our son was a diver, we got a total of 11 or 12 2-tank dives and had credits left over. So it's pretty "included" except for the tax.

The complaint I've heard most is divers showing up to hotel and being told the boat was already full. And then the 45 minute bottom times while diving in a pack of 10-20. I've got to say your post may be the first time I've heard "value" and "Palace" in the same post.

 

[brsnow]

The complaint I've heard most is divers showing up to hotel and being told the boat was already full. And then the 45 minute bottom times while diving in a pack of 10-20. I've got to say your post may be the first time I've heard "value" and "Palace" in the same post.

It does sound like he actually has stated and dove there

 

[Ripple in still water]

The trick is to write to Aqua Safari and reserve your slots before confirming your reservation with the hotel. And that sucks, right, if you aren't aware you have to reserve in advance to make sure you get a slot? But in my experience we've never had a problem getting on a boat with advance reservations.

Listen, I agree with most everything others have said about the Palace, eg, not as nice as some of the other Palaces (though not as expensive, either), all the good food in town that you miss, etc. And I mentioned that you have to be OK with diving with Aqua Safari. But if this is the first time you've heard "value" and "Palace" in the same post, somebody should have clued you in earlier. IF you are looking for an AI within walking distance of town, and you are OK diving with Aqua Safari (and you know to reserve dive slots in advance), and they keep offering enough resort credits to do the dives you want to do, the Palace ends up a pretty compelling value next to something like Hotel Coz, which is not nearly as nice I've compared many times.

 

[Saboteur]

I’d like to piggyback onto this thread. Looking at a fall trip (first time) and have been scouring posts and web sites gathering info. Although a downtown hotel and one of several well known dive ops seems to be favoured by most frequent fliers I’m not sure if I’d like the “buzz”of being downtown all the time. Being on the ocean at least gives a view to hang out and enjoy with a cocktail even though there are no beaches per se unless all inclusive down south. So I’m looking at scuba club Cozumel and Blue angel. They offer at least breakfast (BA) and lunch (Scc), shore diving (both) and are a short (scc) walk to town for evening meal. We like to be on the ocean and to do at least one afternoon dive or even mess around snorkelling after the AM dives. SCC looks pretty dated and I don’t see much discussion here about it. Blue angel is farther from town but appears a bit newer. We don’t mind an evening walk to dine. Anybody have recent experience with these? Dive op’s and boats good?
Also regarding nitrox most dive ops on other islands I’ve been to provide an on boat analyzer- is this typical for Coz?
Thanks.

 

[DandyDon]

Looking at a fall trip (first time)

We like to be on the ocean and to do at least one afternoon dive or even mess around snorkelling after the AM dives.

It's been years since I stayed at Blue angel or dove with them, but I still think that you'd be pleased with them. It's a comfortable little hotel on the water, the cafe is good for any meal you'd like to have on site, and the shore diving is ok. The forum expert on BA (ah, there he is now) has been going there for many years, and he's still happy with the dive op as well.

They probably have O2 testers on the boats, but ask. If not, you can test your tanks and mark them with your names before loading.

We don’t mind an evening walk to dine.

It's 1.7 miles to the downtown plaza from there tho, so I think you'll find taxis appealing.

 

[ggunn]

I’d like to piggyback onto this thread. Looking at a fall trip (first time) and have been scouring posts and web sites gathering info. Although a downtown hotel and one of several well known dive ops seems to be favoured by most frequent fliers I’m not sure if I’d like the “buzz”of being downtown all the time. Being on the ocean at least gives a view to hang out and enjoy with a cocktail even though there are no beaches per se unless all inclusive down south. So I’m looking at scuba club Cozumel and Blue angel. They offer at least breakfast (BA) and lunch (Scc), shore diving (both) and are a short (scc) walk to town for evening meal. We like to be on the ocean and to do at least one afternoon dive or even mess around snorkelling after the AM dives. SCC looks pretty dated and I don’t see much discussion here about it. Blue angel is farther from town but appears a bit newer. We don’t mind an evening walk to dine. Anybody have recent experience with these? Dive op’s and boats good?
Also regarding nitrox most dive ops on other islands I’ve been to provide an on boat analyzer- is this typical for Coz?
Thanks.

As many SB regulars know, I am a Blue Angel fan. I have stayed there at least once a year since 1987, most recently the last week in April and the first week of May. It checks all the boxes for me.