Why we hated the Park Royal....and left for the Grand

[diversmith]

I do not often agree with Bill much but I have to kinda agree with him on this one!! BTW Congratulations!!!
I love a back roll off a small 6 pack boat and have since my first dives many years ago. No desire to dive on anything bigger. We put Devils Throat in the same category as the Blue Hole, very beautiful but "been there done that" we are not rushing back. If I had to choose a more advanced site, I would prefer to dive Barracuda any day. We stay in the Corpus Christi area of town and look forward to going into town each night for a great dinner. The food in Cozumel is incredible. Not sure how you missed that. Nice restaurants like Kinta and Especias as well as the taco places like ElPique are far better (an less expensive in the long run) that any AI food.
I am sure the Grand was beautiful and it sounds like when you got there you had a good time. That kind of vacation would never work for us. We find the island charming and want to soak it all up!. The attraction of Cozumel is not only the food and the diving but its the people who live there. Can't wait for our next trip in August.

A true 6 pak is one thing, but when the wife (who has a four year degree and didn't just fall off the turnip truck) asks me if the boat is going to make it back, well, that is entirely another thing:shocked2: Calling some of the boats we saw down there with divers on them a 6 pak is a real stretch...Blue Bubbles boat was more like an all wooden 3 and a half pak with 6 divers on it

As far as Devil's Throat goes, there are good dives (isn't every dive while on vacation a good dive? It sure beats work ), great dives and really really great dives. I would call Devil's Throat a great dive. Stingray city in Cayman is a great dive because of the interaction you get to have with monster stingrays.....buuuut....there is no reef to look at and pretty much no other fishies, but it is incredible just becuase of the rays. Doesn't mean I would rather go somewhere else and not there...it means I would rather go somewhere else as well and maybe come back in 5-10 years....make sense? There are tons of good dive spots aound the world and all have pros and cons and inbetweens. One of my greatest "dives" was in South Africa in a cage using a snorkel...I was never deeper than 3-4' but it was insane seeing a 14-16' great white right in front of your nose

 

[deborahdelamar]

Won't chime in about hotels since I don't frequent them but I'd like to clarify one thing: The OP enjoyed his experience with Dive Palancar and does not mention the operator Dive Paradise in his post.

 

[deeper thoughts]

One persons steak is anothers poison. I love downtown coz, I dont find it dirty and I never saw a beggar.

Timeshare hawkers do suck.

Backroll and old boats whatever just let me dive the walls lol

 

[scubafanatic]

...too bad there's no such thing as a Cozumel liveaboard ! To me, an island is a place to stand between dives and I'd be fine never touching land my entire trip, runner up option is to stay the heck away from the whole tourist trap maelstrom, not super interested in shopping for more T-shirts and other assorted made-in-Taiwan tourist trash.

 

[Thomthumb]

All I read is that the OP did not like Park Royal or his booking agent. He likes Coz and not San Miguel city. OK, that is why he went so far south on the island. Am I missing something else?

 

[judydivescoz]

A true 6 pak is one thing, but when the wife (who has a four year degree and didn't just fall off the turnip truck) asks me if the boat is going to make it back, well, that is entirely another thing:shocked2: Calling some of the boats we saw down there with divers on them a 6 pak is a real stretch...Blue Bubbles boat was more like an all wooden 3 and a half pak with 6 divers on it

As far as Devil's Throat goes, there are good dives (isn't every dive while on vacation a good dive? It sure beats work ), great dives and really really great dives. I would call Devil's Throat a great dive. Stingray city in Cayman is a great dive because of the interaction you get to have with monster stingrays.....buuuut....there is no reef to look at and pretty much no other fishies, but it is incredible just becuase of the rays. Doesn't mean I would rather go somewhere else and not there...it means I would rather go somewhere else as well and maybe come back in 5-10 years....make sense? There are tons of good dive spots aound the world and all have pros and cons and inbetweens. One of my greatest "dives" was in South Africa in a cage using a snorkel...I was never deeper than 3-4' but it was insane seeing a 14-16' great white right in front of your nose

I guess everybody is different when it comes to great dives. I have also dove a few times in South Africa. My husband worked in Capetown for 6 months last year. It was an experience seeing Great Whites up close. I am happy that I have had the opportunity. Hated that very stinky chum they used!! I would put that cage diving experience in the same category as Stingray City, Blue Hole and Devils Throat. Very cool experience that I was happy to have been able to do. You are right, any dive on vacation is a good dive when it all comes right down to it.

Was not there but I doubt anyone thought your wife fell off a turnip truck. Lots of dive ops in Cozumel use the type of boats Blue Bubble does. I have never dove with them. One of the owners is a friend and he does take pride in the operation he and his partner run. It may not have been the right op for you, it was lucky that you found Dive Palancar at the Grand.

 

[firstdive2005]

Wow, that's some serious shortcomings! I can see the point of the room disappointment. The food at Park Royal has never been worthy of discontent for my wife and I. I suppose in the 20 or so times I've stayed there I have been spoiled by the staff. I totally appreciated the courtesy of the staff and the cleanliness of the place.
It is amazing to me that one word of 'no thankyou amigo' they leave us alone. I must be special or something. A smile must be the secret time share repellant.
As an experienced Cozoholic it is sad to read that someone has had a very bad experience but when I read a lot of your remarks I know they are your experience and experience is based on personality alot. I have been done trips where I expected kings and got cots, showers n tubs and got wet cloth. But I was on an adventure but that's just me. I suspect that one day I may get the room this fella got, I'll let ya know how that is, I'll see if my tune changes.
One thing I'm glad at least the diving was good. Now that would have gotten an argument out of me. thanks for the report, theyre all good.

 

[diversmith]

Wow, that's some serious shortcomings! I can see the point of the room disappointment. The food at Park Royal has never been worthy of discontent for my wife and I. I suppose in the 20 or so times I've stayed there I have been spoiled by the staff. I totally appreciated the courtesy of the staff and the cleanliness of the place.
It is amazing to me that one word of 'no thankyou amigo' they leave us alone. I must be special or something. A smile must be the secret time share repellant.
As an experienced Cozoholic it is sad to read that someone has had a very bad experience but when I read a lot of your remarks I know they are your experience and experience is based on personality alot. I have been done trips where I expected kings and got cots, showers n tubs and got wet cloth. But I was on an adventure but that's just me. I suspect that one day I may get the room this fella got, I'll let ya know how that is, I'll see if my tune changes.
One thing I'm glad at least the diving was good. Now that would have gotten an argument out of me. thanks for the report, theyre all good.

I almost think that both the wife and I could be crazy until I realize we went to the Grand with the same taste buds AND the same personalities and had a totally different experience Maybe you will get all the rooms we had.....all three of them

ETA...20 TRIPS TO COZ???????????? You need to get out and smell the roses in some other areas...wink, wink

 

[diversmith]

All I read is that the OP did not like Park Royal or his booking agent. He likes Coz and not San Miguel city. OK, that is why he went so far south on the island. Am I missing something else?

Thom....your reading comprehension is very strong my friend

 

[Fin59]

Lots of loud, drunk, trashy people to deal with.

Funny, I don't remember us staying at Park Royal