Hurricane Damage Discussion and Photos

[starfamily]

Will my son still be able to get the fantastic deals on the mayan masks he collects? The venders always start out so high but then usually come down to a reasonable price. The child only has so much spending money and I would love to blow a chunk of it to help the people out there ( I certainly plan to do my part in the jewelry area diamonds for me and silver for my friend and students) I am concerned that after having no sales for a few weeks that the townsfolk will be so needy for income that prices will be inflated. We will be back in Cozumel in February and if necessary we will wait to buy a lot of things, but I would hate to make my son wait that long to buy another treasured "artifact" (or so he considers them) so what do you think?

Will there still be bargains when they have only been reopened for five days or will we need to make up for the lost revenue? Personally after being there five years in a row I do know what to pay and what I will pay but I am just wondering how much inflation will be applied due to the hurricane. On my part I have decided to buy all of my students a peice of that beautiful inlayed jewlery, the girls earrings and the boys braceletts, they were so stunning last year and i only brought back one pair, at 5.00 a peice they were a STEAL! I have 38 students and want to get about another ten for teachers and more for me, I hope that shopkeeper has rebounded as I am SO looking forward to getting them!

[Cozumel-Ian]

Hi all

 

Barefoot_Pirate - I agree, you should visit wherever you chose to, at the end of the day your vacation is your time to enjoy. Keep reading the posts though, as I still think we may convince you Cozumel is a good place to do that, even now..!;)

 

One serious point on the subject of safety though. Cozumel is really a very safe place, we have a much, much lower crime rate than many Caribbean ports and North American cities.

 

Is the island physically safe after Wilma? Yes, it is. There is nothing that is a danger to the public anywhere that I have seen - damaged trees, posts and cables were cleared many days ago. It'll be even tidier by 14 November. Drinking water and ice is also safe.

 

Bruce-R - good news at the Hotel Caribe Blu! I went by and saw Alejandra the owner this afternoon. Despite the hotel looking a mess on the seaside, she showed me that the damage is only really to the ground floor - the rest of the rooms will be ready for guests by 19 November. Their dive operation - Blue Angel - had damage to the shop, but 7 out of 8 boats are fine and they are ready to take dive and snorkel tours already.

 

There will still be reconstruction to do to the ground floor and seaside of the property, but like many things here, the damage isn't as serious as you might at first think.

 

Starfamily - yesterday I spoke to Gary Klein, General Manager for Diamonds International here in Cozumel. He is confident to have 6 or 7 stores open by 14 November... so there'll be plenty of gems to chose from! There's a story on my website here: http://www.yourcontactintheamericas.com/wilma/

 

More news and photos tomorrow!

 

Ian

[starfamily]

Well I for one can promice you ALL of my Christmas money will be spent in Cozumel!

I have over thirty people to buy for and have always loved the native jewelry (nope the diamonds international purchase is only for me- one stone I have been so looking forward to but then I have over 30 other gifts to buy) The inlaid shell earings that are done on silver are so exquisite from one of the local merchants, I hope they will be open, I can't recall the name but know the shop when I see it. They were on the sea front about ten shops down from DI

What do you think the market will be like price wise?

My son has collected Mayan masks for the past five years, we know what he usually has paid (he at 12 is pretty good at bartering) will things be inflated this year to make up for the losses? We will be back again in Feb. and he only has so much money to spend, should I have him hold off until then or try to strike the same price he got last December? We would not want to insult anyone..

I dont' know what you ahve done to get DI in gear but I am THRILLED to hear all is a go! We will be there ready to buy buy buy!

[Cozumel-Ian]

That's a good question starfamily!

 

I think there are two good reasons to think you'll get fair deals or even some very good deals:

 

1) before, during and after the hurricane so far, I'm happy to say that I haven't seen increasing prices - for example, just after the hurricane, even if there was a line-up to buy bread, or chicken, or whatever, the prices were the same, nobody tried to profit unfairly from goods in scarce supply.

 

2) from the little economics I remember, the law of supply and demand should apply... there will be plenty of supply (businesses that have re-opened) but less demand than usual (less ships in port)... this would usually mean the price is driven by the buyer - i.e. you'll get a good deal!

 

That said, some things may cost a little more as people have incurred a lot of extra costs - taxi drivers for example are charging 50 US cents more for a downtown ride... but I doubt if these things will have a serious effect on your wallet.

 

Good luck finding some bargain Mayan masks! :)

 

Ian

[oceanblue1]

We are scheduled to land at Cozumel in mid-January on board the Explorer of the Seas. Could you give us an update on Chankanaab? We have visited the Park in the past and were impressed by the snorkelling, beach and the lagoon. From other threads, it seems like the park took a very bad hit when Wilma stalled over Cozumel island. Thanks, Oceanblue1

[JimS]

I am booked on Carnival for Jan. 9th and the latest news is that they are re-routing to Progresso and Veracruz. I can't find much info on either but I see hints that the snorkeling in either of these places is not very good. I hope that our stops will be the originally planned Calica/Playa Del Carmen as I really want to do some good snorkeling. Anyone know about these altenate stops?:(

[bjr928]

I am booked on Carnival for Jan. 9th and the latest news is that they are re-routing to Progresso and Veracruz. I can't find much info on either but I see hints that the snorkeling in either of these places is not very good. I hope that our stops will be the originally planned Calica/Playa Del Carmen as I really want to do some good snorkeling. Anyone know about these altenate stops?:(

 

Jim - Are you on the elation? You should join our roll call!

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=193942

 

As far as the ports go - there's nothing certain on where the ship will go yet. One lady on our roll call spoke to Carnival yesterday and they said we would go to Coz and PDC - but they are probably just saying that. No one is going to know for sure until we get closer to time to sail. :)

 

No matter where I end up, I WILL have a good time! :D Would love to see Coz again, though!

[bruce-r]

Bruce-R - good news at the Hotel Caribe Blu! I went by and saw Alejandra the owner this afternoon. Despite the hotel looking a mess on the seaside, she showed me that the damage is only really to the ground floor - the rest of the rooms will be ready for guests by 19 November. Their dive operation - Blue Angel - had damage to the shop, but 7 out of 8 boats are fine and they are ready to take dive and snorkel tours already.

 

Ian

Thanks a lot Ian. I've been told they were expected to open Dec. 1 but I was hoping that they were not being overly optimistic. I feel better now. It won't be our first time in Cozumel, but it will be our first time at Caribe Blue. I hope my wife and kids like it so it that it won't be our last time there.

[JimS]

I spoke with Carnival on Thursday and they told me that our ports have been rescheduled but they will reschedule back to the original ports if they are ready. I sure hope to go back to Cozumel, the last time was in the middle of the summer and it was HOTTTTTT! I guess nothing is set in stone yet. I have never been to Calica/Playa Del Carmen. I have until Monday to decide if I want to cancel without penalties but I think I am going to gamble and hope we go to Coz.

 

We last sailed on Holiday out of Mobile but from everything I have been told and read this is a much larger and more luxurious ship. Can't wait!

[Cozumel-Ian]

Judging by what I've heard here and the posts online about the different responses people have been getting, I don't think the cruise lines have made decisions yet, apart from Royal Caribbean coming w/c 14 November.

 

Cruise lines representatives have visited the island already to see how things are and will be coming back again soon to see the progress.

 

They should be impressed, more than 50 shore excursions will be available, not to mention great shopping, eating, drinking and lazing on the beach!

 

I've put a story about shore excursions and good news at the Country Club on my site today, I've also moved it to an address that is easier to remember: www.wilmacozumel.com - you can register on the homepage now to receive updates too.

 

Best wishes

 

Ian

[samtig]

Thanks, Ian. I registered at the site & hope to be in Cozumel with Norw. Sun 12/11 cruise.

[settingsail]

After Hurricane Wilma

 

 

Hurricane Wilma recently paid Cozumel a visit. The island was damaged, but the spirit of the local people can't be kept down and the clean up is progressing faster than could have been imagined.

Paradise Beach had damage to some buildings and the pier, but the chairs, umbrellas, beach toys and Paradise Punch are 100% okay!

** We will be open again for everyone on November 14 when the first cruise ships start returning **

After that we will be rebuilding more new facilities that will be bigger and better than ever!

Thank you for the many messages of support, see you all again soon!

Cozumel, November 4, 2005.

 

I fully believe that we are going to be going to Cozumel on our November 26th sailing ,I will let everyone know how it is and post lots of pictures . DH says that since RCCL has a contract with Cozumel that they will have to start tendering ships ASAP so they can receive much needed funds which they receive from the cruise lines . Above is some informaion posted on the cometocozumel website .

They are ready !! And here we come !

Almost everything on there website site states already open for business or ready November 14th .

[Charles4515]

After Hurricane Wilma

 

 

I fully believe that we are going to be going to Cozumel on our November 26th sailing ,I will let everyone know how it is and post lots of pictures . DH says that since RCCL has a contract with Cozumel that they will have to start tendering ships ASAP so they can receive much needed funds which they receive from the cruise lines .

 

 

Whether you go to Cozumel has nothing to do with what you believe or any contract RCCL has with Cozumel. It will depend on conditions on Cozumel that date.

[settingsail]

Looks pretty promising thou :) . Just relaying what I was told from my TA and the RCCL rep . they both told me RCCL reps will be in Coz on Monday and Tuesday the 7th and 8th to see the progress and what excursions may be available to cruise ship passengers . There must be some belief that this is going th happen only because the residents of Cozumel seem to be thinking the same . Not looking for an arguement , I'm not 9 years old anymore !

[ExRockyMountainGal]

SettingSail:

 

Are you going to be sailing on the Splendour of the Seas? We are on the same trip. It sounds good about the news from Cozumel.

 

Thanks for the information.

 

Kathy

[settingsail]

Hi Rockymountaingirl

 

We are on the Legend of the Seas , they dates and stops we have as of right now are :

GC - Nov 28th

Costa Maya -Nov 29th

Belize - Nov 30th

Cozumel - Dec 1st

I can't wait to hear about Cozumel , I think we should know for sure by next weekend , if not sooner . I saw on another post that Princess Cruise Line is resuming visits to Cozumel on the 17th of November :) I'll have to go check the PO website .

[elleluv]

I haven't heard much about the status of repairs that need to be made to the piers.... Does anyone know if they have started working on them yet and if there was an asssessment of the damage and how long they would take to repair?

[bruce-r]

I haven't heard much about the status of repairs that need to be made to the piers.... Does anyone know if they have started working on them yet and if there was an asssessment of the damage and how long they would take to repair?

Taking into account the size of ships that tie up to the cruise docks, a through underwater inspection (videos) needs to take place, then engineers will need to evaluate the condition of the underwater structure before any repairs can be made. It would be silly to start to work before they know whether the underlying structure is sound or if it will need replacing and just how much will need replacing. Sorry, but I don't think piers will be a quick fix.

[SomewhereBeyondTheSea]

I haven't heard much about the status of repairs that need to be made to the piers.... Does anyone know if they have started working on them yet and if there was an asssessment of the damage and how long they would take to repair?

 

All three cruise piers have been damaged, with the International Pier and Punta Langosta Pier suffering moderate damage. Puerto Maya, the newest pier filled with shops and boutiques and owned by Carnival Corporation, has been destroyed.

 

That is all that I can help you out with. I was wondering the same things myself. I would think since Carnival owns the shops at Puerta Maya they would want to get the ball rolling as quickly as possible but I would imagine that building a new pier would take many months before being completed...then again, I can be wrong!! Any info on this would be greatly appreciated.

 

Does anyone know how badly the shops and boutiques were damaged at Puerta Maya? Is this where Fat Tuesdays is? I'm trying to figure out exactly which pier Puerta Maya is....

[bruce-r]

I found this on the cozumelmycozumel.com discussion board. You will notice that the pier at Paradise Beach club is still there, mostly. I bet they get that fixed pretty soon too. The text that goes with it is:

 

Miraculously San Franciso beach was spared... their beach is wider and prettier than ever, the palapas and buildings didn't fare so well, but I'm sure they will be open very soon (probably by Nov 14th). Paradise Beach is shifting some sand from the buildings areas out to the waters edge, but their beach looks beautiful as well. As far as the eye can see, looking south from my house (Villa Dos) the beaches look fine. Looking north the Sand Dollar Pier is 75% gone, and there are a lot of rocks that have washed ashore in the sand, and many of the trees that used to line the waters edge are gone. Playa Mia pier is fine.

 

Here are a couple of pictures I just shot today...one from my roof looking towards San Francisco, and the other standing on the beach in front of my house. It is a miracle, but the houses were unscathed and the beaches were spared too. I did hate to lose the mature trees, but we planted new palm trees right away.

 

Here is the other photo:

[Cozumel-Ian]

Puerta Maya is the southern most pier and it was the worst hit. I've seen the word 'destroyed' used in reports too, but I think that's a little strong. The structure is still standing, broken in places, but still safe to use for tenders - 2 at a time is the current thinking - so I wouldn't say it's 'destroyed'.

 

The shops at Puerta Maya were also badly hit - 'destroyed' would be a fair word for many of them here.

 

BUT...

 

A good number will still be open for 14 November and Fat Tuesdays there may be open too. The Fat Tuesdays downtown should also be open, they were just waiting for a few roof panels to complete repairs when I last saw them.

 

I think another 3 piers are also usable for tenders, but I'll do some research about the piers and post some info on my site this week. I'll try to find out about longer-term plans to repair them too...

 

Ian in Cozumel

[SomewhereBeyondTheSea]

Ian...thanks again! You have been wonderful!

[gnomedog]

Itinerary Update – November 7, 2005 1:30 PM

Due to the impact from Hurricane Wilma in Cozumel, we will make the following itinerary changes for the cruises of Elation, November 10; Fascination, November 7 & 14 and Imagination, November 17, 2005:

Fascination November 7 & 14 from Miami - This cruise will visit Key West (Tues.) and Calica, Mexico (Wed.)

Elation November 10 from Galveston - This cruise will visit Calica, Mexico (Sat.)

Imagination November 17 from Miami - This cruise will visit Key West (Fri.) and Calica, Mexico (Sat.)

We will announce the required itinerary changes for this weekend’s departures from November 12-14, 2005 by Wednesday, November 9, 2005.

[tara74]

my dh and myself are scheduled for the 21st sailing on the enchantment this is our 3rd cruise we usually go by land and it would be Mexico(12 times).at first we did the cancun thing then we started to venture south and loved it more.we would stay 2 weeks at a time.got to really know a lot of the locals and know one is more real, appreciating, warm, loving and caring then those i have befriended. If it is still in disarea i still want to go and spend our $$ers please RCarib take us they need us!

[El Coz - Antonio]

I took this picture on the 31st of October at Punta Langosta pier in town:

 

 

You can see the rest of my pics here, and I should have an update in the next few days:

 

http://www.imagestation.com/album/pictures.html?id=2118380855