Who's Going to the Cozumel Invasion ?

[jodylynn007]

Hi everyone, I just read through the 23 pages about all of this and I am pretty excited about possibly coming! I usually travel solo as I am single but would really like to meet up with an entire group who share this hobby of mine!

Is anyone else coming from Canada? What did you find as the best flight options? I prefer non-stop so I think that Cancun is the only option for me, can anyone recommend an agent to help me figure out any other possible options? Flying into Cozumel would be great, leaving from Bellingham WA is a possibility also if it would get me closer to the resort.

Thanks in advance!

 

[ROXANNE]

We would love to have you join us!
Saskdiver, his sister Heather and Firstdive2005 are coming from Canada. You can contact the agents handling the trip, either Al or Felix with Bay Adventures to help you with airfare. Also check Cheap Flights, Hotels, Airline Tickets, Cheap Tickets, Travel Deals - SideStep - Compare Hundreds of Travel Sites At Once
and read
http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/in...s-cancun-some-cautions-finding-air-fares.html
for additional info and tips from members.
I hope this helps to answer your questions and feel free to ask for anything else you might need.

 

[DandyDon]

Hi everyone, I just read through the 23 pages about all of this and I am pretty excited about possibly coming! I usually travel solo as I am single but would really like to meet up with an entire group who share this hobby of mine!

Hi there. Yeah, looks like a good trip, and the singles rate is nice. I think you have dived outside of Canada so you know about the need for DAN Dive Insurance or similar I guess, and Trip Insurance for any all or nothing package is a good idea too.

Is anyone else coming from Canada? What did you find as the best flight options? I prefer non-stop so I think that Cancun is the only option for me, can anyone recommend an agent to help me figure out any other possible options? Flying into Cozumel would be great, leaving from Bellingham WA is a possibility also if it would get me closer to the resort.

Thanks in advance!

I don't think travel agents make anything off of plane tickets anymore so I don't think they like to work on just that; they like selling commissioned packages. Try the agents mentioned above tho.

It's easy to shop around on the internet tho; I like to look at Kayak.com/Sidestep.com initially at least, and while I prefer to book on an airline site when I can - never buy without checking the fares on Kayak, as airline sites will play games. Non-stop is a luxury that we all would like but few can find.

You're outside of Vancouver right? I don't know that Bellingham would be a good alternative, I once flew into Seattle to drive to Vancouver for a visit, but if you wanted to originate closer, let's take a look. Coming from the west coast, it's common for travelers to take late night departures (redeyes) to arrive the next day, but returns can be challenging...

United has YVR 11:15p CZM 2:20p, 1 change, 13 hours travel
CZM 3:25p YVR 11:46a, 1 change, 22 hours travel for $746 USD

It looks like leaving from Bellingham would include 2 airlines, 2 stops each way, overnight each way, $684 arriving CZM on Monday, more than twice as much to leave Saturday and arrive Sunday. Cancun was no better. Let's keep looking.

United has YVR 11:15p CUN 2:05p, 1 change, 13 hours travel
CUN 7:00p YVR 10:06a, 1 change, 17 hours travel for $523 USD
Bus & ferry connections are no big deal, cost less than $50 RT, but with that much time on planes - the savings may not be enough to mess with the extra transfers. I've done worse and still made the 8am boat the next morning, but it's not for the meek. :shocked2:

Sea-Tac airport is 155 miles away right? There is a Continental-United (they're merging anyway) combination...
SEA 12:55a CZM 11:35a, 1 change, 8-1/2 hours travel
CZM 3:25p SEA 10:57p, 1 change, 9-1/2 hours travel for $603 USD - if you don't mind driving that far that late?

Hmmm, looking a little harder, here is a plan thru United, on Continental planes, 1 change each way...
YVR @ 11pm Sat, CZM @ 2:20pm Sun
CZM @ 3:25pm, YVR @ 11:42pm, much easier return flights
$883 booked on United, $928 booked on Continental - no, that does not make sense, but mergers are a mess at times.

And it never hurts to phone airlines, as the agents will try to help you find the best, better than just looking at their sites, but you only pay their booking fee if they save you enough to use them.

 

[Sask Diver]

Hi everyone, I just read through the 23 pages about all of this and I am pretty excited about possibly coming! I usually travel solo as I am single but would really like to meet up with an entire group who share this hobby of mine!

Is anyone else coming from Canada? What did you find as the best flight options? I prefer non-stop so I think that Cancun is the only option for me, can anyone recommend an agent to help me figure out any other possible options? Flying into Cozumel would be great, leaving from Bellingham WA is a possibility also if it would get me closer to the resort.

Thanks in advance!

Would love to have you come along, need more cunucks on this trip .
As for flights I am not sure about Vancouver, But I have to fly out of Calgary with one stop in Toronto, then onto Cancun.Hope you can make it, look forward to meeting you.

Hi there. Yeah, looks like a good trip, and the singles rate is nice. I think you have dived outside of Canada so you know about the need for DAN Dive Insurance or similar I guess, and Trip Insurance for any all or nothing package is a good idea too.

I don't think travel agents make anything off of plane tickets anymore so I don't think they like to work on just that; they like selling commissioned packages. Try the agents mentioned above tho.

It's easy to shop around on the internet tho; I like to look at Kayak.com/Sidestep.com initially at least, and while I prefer to book on an airline site when I can - never buy without checking the fares on Kayak, as airline sites will play games. Non-stop is a luxury that we all would like but few can find.

You're outside of Vancouver right? I don't know that Bellingham would be a good alternative, I once flew into Seattle to drive to Vancouver for a visit, but if you wanted to originate closer, let's take a look. Coming from the west coast, it's common for travelers to take late night departures (redeyes) to arrive the next day, but returns can be challenging...

United has YVR 11:15p CZM 2:20p, 1 change, 13 hours travel
CZM 3:25p YVR 11:46a, 1 change, 22 hours travel for $746 USD

It looks like leaving from Bellingham would include 2 airlines, 2 stops each way, overnight each way, $684 arriving CZM on Monday, more than twice as much to leave Saturday and arrive Sunday. Cancun was no better. Let's keep looking.

United has YVR 11:15p CUN 2:05p, 1 change, 13 hours travel
CUN 7:00p YVR 10:06a, 1 change, 17 hours travel for $523 USD
Bus & ferry connections are no big deal, cost less than $50 RT, but with that much time on planes - the savings may not be enough to mess with the extra transfers. I've done worse and still made the 8am boat the next morning, but it's not for the meek. :shocked2:

Sea-Tac airport is 155 miles away right? There is a Continental-United (they're merging anyway) combination...
SEA 12:55a CZM 11:35a, 1 change, 8-1/2 hours travel
CZM 3:25p SEA 10:57p, 1 change, 9-1/2 hours travel for $603 USD - if you don't mind driving that far that late?

Hmmm, looking a little harder, here is a plan thru United, on Continental planes, 1 change each way...
YVR @ 11pm Sat, CZM @ 2:20pm Sun
CZM @ 3:25pm, YVR @ 11:42pm, much easier return flights
$883 booked on United, $928 booked on Continental - no, that does not make sense, but mergers are a mess at times.

And it never hurts to phone airlines, as the agents will try to help you find the best, better than just looking at their sites, but you only pay their booking fee if they save you enough to use them.

Don has become the unofficial travel agent of Scubaboard invades Cozumel

 

[jodylynn007]

Is anybody staying an additional week afterwards? I am thinking... if we're already there... why not do 2 weeks?

 

[DandyDon]

Is anybody staying an additional week afterwards? I am thinking... if we're already there... why not do 2 weeks?

Hehe we Texans are so spoiled: "Yeah, I'm headed to Coz for the weekend." As challenging as it is for you to go that far, good plan!

With that much time to play with, it'd be easier to find you a good return that gets you back at a decent hour, and with time to unpack before heading back to real life. It'd also give you time for some of my favorite side trips, like whale shark snorkeling & mainland ruins, perhaps with an Open-Jaw plane ticket: into Cozumel, return from Cancun.

Let me know what you'd like to outline and I'll offer suggestions.

 

[chrpai]

Hmmmmm. I need a vacation and this trip is now on my short list.

I miss my days of living in Houston working for Continental. I used to check the flights on a Friday evening and be riding a pass Saturday morning. Right now air from Austin is $551 for those dates. It looks like I could do the bag drag to Cancun on Sun Country Air for $377.

 

[dougr52]

Hmmmmm. I need a vacation and this trip is now on my short list.

I miss my days of living in Houston working for Continental. I used to check the flights on a Friday evening and be riding a pass Saturday morning. Right now air from Austin is $551 for those dates. It looks like I could do the bag drag to Cancun on Sun Country Air for $377.

i went with sun country last year, they charge at least $25 each way for the first bag and continental does not, so they are not as cheap as they look also continental will have a nonstop from austin to cancun this summer, but it will go only on saturdays !!!

 

[cardzard]

Hmmmmm. I need a vacation and this trip is now on my short list.

I miss my days of living in Houston working for Continental. I used to check the flights on a Friday evening and be riding a pass Saturday morning. Right now air from Austin is $551 for those dates. It looks like I could do the bag drag to Cancun on Sun Country Air for $377.

Take it off your short list and put it on your I'M THERE list. This is one event you do not want to miss !!!!

THERE IS NOW ONLY 28 DAYS LEFT TO JOIN !!!!!!​

 

[chrpai]

Does anyone know what the tipping is like at this AI? I've been to a bunch of them and the traditions tend to very a little. I'm trying to put a budget together to compare it to a Blackbeards trip and I want to put estimates for Marine Park Fee, Tipping, Airport Transfers and Departure Tax. ( Is the departure typically built-into the airfare or do you pay seperate at the airport? I know I paid it at the airport when I went down there but that might have been because I was flying on standby as a Continental pass rider. )