Travel Agents steering away from Coz

[Ron Brandt]

Cruise ships do not support the diving economy by the way...land-based divers do.

Thats an interesting bit of info. I trained a nurse to dive that spent 6 months with Norwegian and did cruise to Coz on a weekly basis. The passengers that went diving had made prior arrangements with dive ops at the islands they we stopping at.

If they wanted,the dives could be booked through the cruise line at a premium price.(A girl I just finished teaching planned her trip that way.) Arrangements would then be made through a local dive op and commission was paid to the dive op the cruise line had connections with.

There are others,such as a couple of my friends, that take an annual honeymoon cruise. They manage to dive in all locations they dock in and usually make arrangements by asking for referals from pier employees or previous research.

Ron

 

[Christi]

Actually, it was pretty simple. I dove down and saw sand covering the corals everywhere I went.

I did not compare it to previous dives, as I had never been there before.

As for the town, it looked like a disaster area, plain and simple. You can spin it any way you want if you have a reason to do so. I just reported what I saw, and it wasn't pretty.

Let's see Detroit get battered by 150mph winds for 2 1/2 days and see how fast things come back together. I'm willing to bet it wouldn't be as fast as Cozumel is coming back together...New Orleans and Florida come to mind.

Of course there is still evidence of Wilma in some places, but geesh...what do you expect? It's not perfect yet, no one is claiming it is. Rebuilding DOES take time and it's only been 2months! If you came down here without adjusting your expectations just a little considering what this island went through, then I'm sorry, but you shouldn't have come.

 

[Christi]

Thats an interesting bit of info. I trained a nurse to dive that spent 6 months with Norwegian and did cruise to Coz on a weekly basis. The passengers that went diving had made prior arrangements with dive ops at the islands they we stopping at.

If they wanted,the dives could be booked through the cruise line at a premium price.(A girl I just finished teaching planned her trip that way.) Arrangements would then be made through a local dive op and commission was paid to the dive op the cruise line had connections with.

There are others,such as a couple of my friends, that take an annual honeymoon cruise. They manage to dive in all locations they dock in and usually make arrangements by asking for referals from pier employees or previous research.

Ron

I think you misunderstood my post and missed my follow up.

 

[ggunn]

Thats an interesting bit of info. I trained a nurse to dive that spent 6 months with Norwegian and did cruise to Coz on a weekly basis. The passengers that went diving had made prior arrangements with dive ops at the islands they we stopping at.

If they wanted,the dives could be booked through the cruise line at a premium price.(A girl I just finished teaching planned her trip that way.) Arrangements would then be made through a local dive op and commission was paid to the dive op the cruise line had connections with.

There are others,such as a couple of my friends, that take an annual honeymoon cruise. They manage to dive in all locations they dock in and usually make arrangements by asking for referals from pier employees or previous research.

Ron

I don't mean to speak for Christi, but I believe that she meant that far and away more divers dive Cozumel from a land base than come in on the cruise ships.

 

[CozumelAntonio]

As for the town, it looked like a disaster area, plain and simple. You can spin it any way you want if you have a reason to do so. I just reported what I saw, and it wasn't pretty.

I am baffled by your incorrect assertions. There is plenty of evidence to the contrary. Your description of a "disaster area" might have been true in late October, but certainly not in December or now. There are plenty of pictures in my photo essay that clearly show that town is in very good shape, and although there are a few locals that aren't open, or even worked on, there is not ONE section of town that can accurately be described as a disaster area. I really have to wonder why you would post that....:06:

Here are just a few of the 794 pictures showing the conditions of town recently. There are now 8 Chapter updates, the most recent in late December.

1ST DAY AFTER HURRICANE - October 24:

2 MONTHS LATER - December 23:

There's plenty more pics on The Wilma Album, and more coming in the next months, to continue to document Cozumel's current conditions.

Safe Travels & Happy Bubbles!

 

[Divedoggie]

No matter, I'll be there Sunday to see for myself.

Gordon, with your experience of travelling to Coz over a period of many years, I will be looking forward to your trip report, observations, and comparisons.

Have a great time! If I were going, I would be excited about the newly exposed reef, and the different look of the bottom, as well as the reported abundance and activity of sea life.
For the time being, I am stuck diving in springs and lakes. Coz would be fantastic, no matter what the condition.

 

[detroit diver]

You're absolutely right about the damage that 150mph winds can do to any city. I don't doubt that people are working their butts off to fix up the place, but to my eyes it still looks like a disaster area.

I came there to dive. And the diving wasn't so good.

Sorry you don't like my way of seeing things, but I don't sugar coat to be a "white knight".

I truly hope that things return to whatever was "normal" back then. But it ain't even close now.

For all of the rest of you- Cozumel is perfect. There is no sand on the corals. The boats pull right up to the piers. You can choose whatever hotel you want to stay in, and take your pick of restaurants. Life is good. Click your heels 3 times and .....

Let's see Detroit get battered by 150mph winds for 2 1/2 days and see how fast things come back together. I'm willing to bet it wouldn't be as fast as Cozumel is coming back together...New Orleans and Florida come to mind.

Of course there is still evidence of Wilma in some places, but geesh...what do you expect? It's not perfect yet, no one is claiming it is. Rebuilding DOES take time and it's only been 2months! If you came down here without adjusting your expectations just a little considering what this island went through, then I'm sorry, but you shouldn't have come.

 

[Harro10]

I will be in Cozumel in a little over two weeks and I am looking forward to seeing both the reefs and the Island. I have only been there two times previously but I believe seeing the changes wrought by Wilma and the rebuilding by the local people and by nature will only add interest to the trip. I recently got back from central Florida after an extended stay as a volunteer with the Red Cross and comparing the rebuilding efforts will be of personal interest. I expect to see damage to the reefs and infrastructure and do not see how I could not have those expectations after what Cozumel has been through. If visitors go with the attitude of a traveler rather then a tourist then the trip may be worth while on many levels.

 

[devolution365]

I think that a person's viewpoint about the state of Cozumel will vary greatly depending on what they are expecting. Perhaps Detroit Diver came expecting **THE BEST DIVE SPOT EVER!** **BEAUTIFUL ISLAND, PRESTINE BEACHES** -and that's why he walked away with the impression of "disaster area" -it didn't live up to his expectations. (Disiclaimer: This is speculation, of course.)

The others who've posted here have either weathered the storm, so to speak, or probably went to the island knowing the damage the hurricane caused and expected a disaster area (or at least to see obvious signs of the wreckage). When it was better than they expected, they were left with a "WOW".

...it all depends on your expectations I think.

My 2¢

 

[Mawg]

Sounds like good news to me, within reason. We still need a certain number to keep the economy goin down there. The only thing that would make me happier is if the travel agents would steer people AWAY from Aruba.