skittl1321

+1 for Money Bar

Taxi fare + buy a drink each and a plate of nachos, total cost of the day for 2 is under $40 or so.

So does one tip the taxi driver on top of the specified fare? And if so, about how much on average?

We tip if we pay in pesos, but not in dollars. The unfavorable (but easy) exchange rate serves as a tip (A 90 peso fare is about $6.50, but they exchange 10:1 so it costs $9.). I'll tip if I get extra service.

I do not care for surface swimming with fins on, so even in current, I do not snorkel with fins. I just plan to snorkel with the current, or swim really hard to get back to the boat if it can't come get me when I drift away :)

This was my first snorkel/mask set. It wasn't fabulously comfortable, but it didn't leak (I know about 8 different people who have used it, all different shapes and size faces). http://www.amazon.com/U-S-Divers-Admiral-Island-Snorkel/dp/B004TTMGL4/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&qid=1405108035&sr=8-8&keywords=snorkel+set

I still use that snorkel, but now I use a much better mask. It cost me $90, which is more than most people want to pay for a mask :) But man is it comfortable and a perfect fit for my face. If you want that, try a local dive shop where they will have many options, but none nearly as affordable as the Walmart/Amazon ones. (Walmart's are usually plastic wrapped so you can't try them on either.)

Good to hear about the 820. My concern is if the seals leak on the camera, will ruin the camera and the card. Which is why I am also looking into the GoPro.

The GoPro is not waterproof on its own, only if it is in a waterproof housing. It will have the same camera ruining isues if the seals leak.

2. Pentax WG-3 - most expensive of the three; f2.0 low aperture

3. GoPro Hero 3 white - no zoom, f2.8 aperture, VERY wide angle lens

 

Other issue: The GoPro has an external waterproof housing that is VERY solid. The Olympus and Pentax are waterproof cameras. There has been some comments about leakage around the seals. So, am leaning towards the GoPro because of the housing; but the Pentax because of the other capabilities as a camera.

We have a Pentax WG-3, and yesterday I would have told you it was wonderful. We have taken it on two scuba dives to 30- 35 feet (max depth is 45 ft) and it performed very well. It also does really well in pool shots, for snorkeling, and when DH is kayaking.

But today we turned it on to check it for an upcoming trip- and it will no longer take pictures, it just makes the "focusing" sound over and over. The screen to view pictures is fine.

We haven't dropped it (which is is supposedly rated for anyway), it hasn't leaked and flooded- we have no idea what happened. But 13 months and a few days after paying a lot of money for a camera, it is dead. Lovely, since warranty is 12 months.

We are now looking for a replacement. I'm pretty unhappy today.

We saw the Park Royal "beach" from the ship...it is not really a beach, just an artificial platform with sand??

Yes. Same with El Cid, and Cozumel Palace, and Money Bar, all those places along the west side.

The middle of the west side of the island doesn't have beaches really. You need to go further south or to the east side. (I think the north may have them too, but I haven't been there.)

There is no all inclusive beach within walking distance of the International pier. (Unless you take the "with enough time, anything is walking distance" approach)

That sounds amazing.

 

It was pretty awesome.

It was at the Sabor in Cozumel, which is like the Holiday Inn Express of all-inclusives. Not a luxury experience. But everything we needed for a fabulous vacation.

Our Triumph cruise really sold us on Cozumel, and we did a land vacation last year and have another planned this year. This year we aren't doing AI though.

I'm just wondering where some of you would go vacation other than cruising where you're going to pay for a hotel, food and drinks (drinks that carnival includes) for less than $150.00 a day and provides all the activities that they also offer?

 

We did an all inclusive in Mexico. It was $900 per person for 7 days, INCLUDING FLIGHTS, which is $128 each. That included alcoholic beverages, which Carnival does not. The food was very good, there were shows, and all kinds of stuff to do during the day.

We generally try to cruise for $100 pp/pd- but then we have to pay flights on top of that.

I can't imagine paying $7,500 to cruise on Carnival- was that just for 2 people on a 7 day cruise? Because our Xpedition cruise is costing us a little over $4000 per person (plus flights) and I just cannot see paying that for a typical Carnival cruise! Now if that was one of Carnival's 20 day around the horn cruises, the price would make more sense.

Personally, I don't care if Carnival gets better suite perks. If I want suite perks, I cruise another line: which Carnival Corporation offers many of!

This is one of the reasons why I prefer to go with the ships tours.

That way you are guaranteed to be ripped of, rather than wondering if you will be?

Yes, there are beach chairs and umbrellas.

We were pretty upset with our taxi in St. Thomas as well.

We asked to go to Sapphire Beach, and were the first people in the taxi. The next people in wanted to go to Secret Harbor, filled up the taxi. We then went through town, where apparently the guy had also asked to stop at a jewerly shop. It took us over an hour to stop so he could drop off some ring. We were never told we would be taking an incredibly long detour. By the time we got to Secret Harbor, the taxi driver suggested we just stay there because the ride to Sapphire would be so long.

We were pretty furious. It turned out the wind at Sapphire was bad, so we probably had a better time because of the switch, but the LONG detour through town was pretty infuriating. At first we thought it was just bad traffic until he stopped to let the guy out, and then wait on him!

This is the only port we have been upset with taxis. We've had a few try to rip us off on fare for a few dollars, but never take hours of our time!

It is actually more stable lower down. (Lower and center is how you want to go.)

But chances are, she'll still be on the upper decks taking part in activities, so if she is prone to sea sickness, she should bring meds.

Personally, there is usually only one day with heavy waves on each cruise where I can even tell I'm on a boat. They are always so still.

Thanks for the correction!

If you have to walk, El Cid or Park Royal are your best bets.

It is only a few minute walk, but the roads are kinda busy. Park Royal is slightly further.

Most of the other all-inclusive resorts and beaches are a long ways from the pier.

This is confusing! Never seen taxi rates posted in anything but US Dollars at the cruise pier taxi lines.

It's posted that way because that is what cruisers have. They don't change those signs with the exchange rate :)

The taxi drivers rate sheets (which they are supposed to carry with them) are in pesos. If you happen to have pesos, it is a better deal. We never exchange when we cruise, only for land trips. Compared to some places coz taxis are a great deal, so a few dollars doesn't really matter. We'll use the pesos if we have them though.

Definitely not an insult. They LOVE tips.

We usually don't tip when paying in US dollars, unless they provide exceptional service. The 10:1 exchange rate they use over paying the fare for the same destination in pesos gives them extra anyway. (For instance- an $8 posted fare at the cruise ship would be 80 pesos if you look at their rate sheets- which is just a bit more than $6.) If we do tip, it is just a buck or two.

I wish the tour/excursion/beach places all had their own drivers to meet passengers at the pier

The taxi union prevents this. If you are friends with a local, many will be scared to drive you in their car for fear of the union.

I think I read they have scuba there? I'm going back to Cozumel in 2015 and I will be with 3 non-divers. I've never been to Chankanaab and if we could all go and I could dive that would be great.

From what I saw, I THINK that the diving you can book at Chankanaab is an operator who will pick you up there and take you out to the other reefs.

If you want to dive, I'd book a two tank dive with one of the many fine operators in Cozumel, and then meet the non-divers later in the day. If your boat docks at 7, and you can depart from the marina at 8, if you book with a fast boat, you'll be back around noon or 1. OR find an op that will combine a scuba/snorkeling trip. (I've heard Scuba with Alison will, and I'm sure there others who will too.)

But I don't think if you dive at Chankanaab that you will actually be -with- the snorkelers.

Arrange one thing to do together.

The rest of the time let everyone be in their own. Groups with similar interest will run into each other and change over time.

You're all on the same ship, so you'll run into each other.

He may not have understood what you meant as they tend to take things literally. No, you could not order the fried shrimp as a "starter" - but you could skip the appetizer and order two entrees.

This might be the case.

We've had some funny mix-ups with waiters who didn't speak great English. When one of my table mates asked for an order of escargot "for the table" (after we all got our own appetizers) we ended up with escargot for everyone at the table. (Luckily most people liked it.)

I actually kind of don't like that they push two entrees. You basically can't ask for an opinion on which dish is better- both times I've tried that (on different cruises) the waiter has said "they are both good" and moved to the next person, bringing me both. I think many people would think this is fabulous, and a luxury, but I am not the kind of person who eats two meals, so it seems wasteful.

The thing with a non-swimmer in a life jacket snorkeling is that, chances are they are going to be fine. But what if there is an emergency situation? Will they be able to help themselves?

We came up one day from scuba diving in Cozumel where we went down with beautiful weather and up in a pretty good wind. Swimming back to the boat, with a fully inflated BCD was HARD, as the water was pushing us away. Holding onto the rope to wait our turn to get back onto the boat was HARD. Climbing the ladder with the boat tossing was HARD, and the mate on the boat was doing his best to HELP us up the ladder. The weather turned fast, and people who were snorkeling were caught in this too.

Can a non-swimmer take care of themselves in this situation? The life jacket might help you float, and will hopefully keep you safe until someone can get to you; but me personally, I don't put myself into situations where I KNOW that I don't have the skills to keep myself safe.

If a non-swimmer really wants to snorkel, but on the life vest and do it from the shore. It is still a risk (rip tides, etc), but you have a much better chance of helping yourself when you can just stand up.

(And if a non-swimmer really wants to snorkel, why not go to a local pool and practice? Most pools cost like $10 or less to get into.)

One more aside- if you do decide to do this, make sure the non-swimmer is in a coast-guard approved PFD, and not a snorkel vest.

We actually met another couple at Nachi Cocom and called a cab with them to save some money. The driver wanted $16 per couple, and while everyone else was climbing in the cab, I said no, $20 total and he said ok.

Being informed of the rates is the best way not to get ripped off. The taxi's are regulated by the union. They might try to get more from tourists, but they have to take the correct fare.

But always take care of pricing before getting into a cab!

PADI also offers a 'SCUBA DIVER' certification course - this is even offered on some RCL cruises- but I do not recommend this course. Basically it is 2/3 of the Open Water course, requiring only 2 dives but leaves you need to only dive with a DiveMaster, AND there is no "second half" course to get to open water other than taking the full open water course . . . officially by PADI courses anyway....

 

Editorial comment - Open Water means you a 'ready' in the technical sense. A wise beginning diver will still make their dives with experienced divers or even divemasters until a comfortable level of experienced is gained. Passing downhill skiing 101 does not mean you should try a black diamond slope!

Our shop basically gave "Scuba Diver" certification to those who couldn't pass Open Water- they met enough of the requirements, but can't dive independently.

One of the great things about Cozumel is the marine park requires a divemaster with all groups. For us, it made it a great first destination (outside of going back to the local quarry to practice), since we knew we'd be semi-supervised (and we picked an op that caters to beginners, so we were actually pretty heavily supervised the first day, and got more freedom as the days went on.)

My certification was two weekends. (Plus like 8-10 hours of classroom preparation work we did at home.)

The first weekend was classroom and pool sessions. The other weekend was open water. So it could be finished in the course of a month, which is what my husband did. (I think it was like the first week and the third week of the month, not back to back weekends.)

However, even though I passed the pool sessions, I didn't feel I was ready for OW- so I waited a month, took the pool sessions again, and then did the OW- so I didn't actually finish up as quickly as I could have. Other people didn't pass (it isn't automatic, and shouldn't be) and had to retake either classroom or open water.

Our dive shop only has 1 session a month, but a busier area might have more availability.

I am not certified. I've never been diving in my life. I've done my fair share of snorkeling, which I understand has nothing to do with diving, but that's about as far as it goes. I was thinking of getting certified before I go on my cruise through an instructor up here in Northern New York (brrrr!). I feel I would benefit more from a more indepth description of safety than a brief cruise course would teach me.

Do it! I think you would DEFINITELY get more safety information becoming certified than doing a Discover Dive off a cruise ship. You'll also learn to be responsible for yourself and get to do way more interesting dives on your vacation. (And Cozumel is a great place for that- it is SO easy to book with a private dive op and do awesome dives in small groups.)

As for scuba/snorkeling- I actually learned to scuba dive as part of my plan to get better at snorkeling. The breathing out of my mouth freaks me out. When I scuba dive I mouth breathe in, but breathe out my nose (most people don't do this, but it is the way I'm comfortable, and keeps my mask clear). I'm now a lot more comfortable snorkeling because I can breathe in through my mouth better. Snorkeling though, I have to breathe out of my mouth, so I still need to take breaks where I come up to the surface and "reset". But scuba made me so much more comfortable in the mask. But hey- if you're a good snorkeler, and already comfortable in the mask, and breathing while situated underwater, you've got a lot of the scuba obstacles down.

Do you think DAN would be able to suggest a doctor who could clear me or should I just avoid the hypertension question on the safety questionnaire? My blood pressure is, as I stated, regulated from the 5mg Lisinopril. I have no problem with exercise and have never had asthma or any other breathing problem. I'm just unsure if I check the hypertension box on any safety questionnaire if it will automatically rule me out, even though it is regulated and I am physically active and in decent shape.

Yes, DAN can suggest a doctor, however, your own doctor can likely do it. The question asks if you have high blood pressure or are on medicine to control it, there really isn't a way to "avoid" the question without outright lying, but that is up to you. In the very unlikely chance there is an incident, I do wonder if insurance will cover you if you did not answer truthfully and dove without doctor's clearance.

If you check the box, and have not had a physical ahead of time- you will not be allowed to dive. If you prepare by bringing the signed form with you from your doctor, they are going to let you dive. That's the whole purpose of those forms.

I have three or four boxes checked on my form (not blood pressure). I carry the signed copy from my doctor, and all the providers we've used have just photocopied it (I also keep a scanned copy in case anyone takes it). My doctor is not a dive medicine specialist, but she had not problem completing the form. (For my own personal feeling of well being I talked to some hyperbaric physicians DAN recommended, but they don't do physicals.)

If all you want to do is a Discovery Dive, there is no course to take ahead of time.

We chose to get certified locally before leaving on our cruises, but then we canceled our cruise and just went on a dive vacation :)

And, I think PADI Discovery Dives include DAN insurance, like OW classes do- maybe I'm wrong though. (But I've never known anyone to do a DD to have dive insurance, most of them don't even know it exists. If you are a certified diver, never dive without it!)