Beware! Cozumel hair braids!

[c*est moi]

Just want to share an experience....

 

Cozumel is swarming with merchants, so it's worth your while to be careful with the hair braiders next to Senor Frogs. We were in a hurry as we left the ship and as we walked past her she promised to give us the best price, so I promised to come back.

 

On our way back to the hair braider, many other ladies offered the service as well. We found one woman who would do a full head with beads for $20 and half head with for $15. I thought we should at least go back to the original merchant. Our original agreed to the same prices and proceeded to work on my oldest daughter's hair (short, shoulder length, full head with beads). In the meantime, my 4 year old (short bob half head with beads) waited. Another girl Came up and started doing the 4yo and talked her into a full head. Moments later she (new girl) said it would be $60 for both. I insited that her friend (still standing there working on 6yo) said it would be $20 for full head and that other ladies on the island would do it for that price. She said that other ladies do "thick, ugly braids and charge extra for beads". She then said she would just take out all of my girls hair (6yo now finished, 4yo almost finished.) Arguing was getting me nowhere, so $60 was my payment and to admonish my frustration - I'm posting this here for your reference. Pre-pay for the services at this location, or better yet - try somewhere else.

[mom x4,grandma x4]

Thanks for the heads up!!!

 

mom x4,grandma x4

[yndygo]

Oh my goodness!!

 

How unethical of them... especially because they knew the girls would be heartbroken if you took them out!

 

Thakns for the heads up! :(

[chefajax]

Same thing happen to me. I was told $1 a braid and since my daughter has very short hair I thought $20 at best. Well not only did she get 70 braids in her by getting only 3 strands of hair in them but it took 2 hours. What a waste of a port stop and not only did I not have $70, she was braiding hair next to a sign that said no hair braiding private property! I gave her $60 which was all I had but never again!!!!!!!!!

[lil buddy]

On The Wonder 2/1, They Were Doing Braids On The Ship.

Right Up On The Pool Deck And I Thought, How Smart, Not To Waste Time In Port And Not Having To Sit There The Whole

Time Waiting. I Don't Know How The Price Was Since I Was With

Boys And Didn't Check.

Barb

[c*est moi]

On The Wonder 2/1, They Were Doing Braids On The Ship.

Right Up On The Pool Deck And I Thought, How Smart, Not To Waste Time In Port And Not Having To Sit There The Whole

Time Waiting. I Don't Know How The Price Was Since I Was With

Boys And Didn't Check.

Barb

 

You're right about the braids on the ship. It's a great task to do, especially on a day at sea. We had a hard time getting in as those girls fill up fast! That's why we got stuck doing in in Cozumel. On the ship, they are $1 per braid and it's nowhere near the 70 braids (i.e. $70) you'd see at port. Most girls end up with about 20 and they look absolutely darling!

[katstoy]

She then said she would just take out all of my girls hair (6yo now finished, 4yo almost finished.)

 

You should have said, OK, take them out. I bet anything they would have taken the $45 rather than wasting all their time to put them in and to take them out!

 

When we were in Mazatlan in December my DD had her whole head done. I could swear that we agreed upon $20 US (negotiating in English). Once done they said it was $30 (in English). I argued and we agreed uponn $25 (which is still a good price considering my DD's hair is to her waist). Lesson learned, next time negotiate in English, Spanish and sign language! Vente sounds a whole lot different than trenta! But 20 can sound like 30 with an accent. I'll hold up fingers too!

 

One warning - bring your own comb! While my DD has never had a problem, I have heard horror stories on the boards with head lice. Think about it, when was the last time you saw those ladies disinfect a comb??? :eek: Next time I'll bring a 99 cent rattail comb and just give it to the lady when she's done!

[chake]

braids on castaway cay are a buck each. they were two bucks each in Nassau

[woody73]

We try to avoid the street vendors in Cozumel. Too aggressive, rude, and dishonest for our taste.

 

Woody

[smores]

not that this is truely an issue with hairbraiding--but, i have heard that stealing credit card numbers is huge in cozumel/cancun--they still use carbon copies and "toss them in the garbage" but then sell these numbers! beware!

[woody73]

Thanks for the heads up.

 

Woody

[born2crooz]

I assume you will also be going to Grand Cayman if you stop at Cozumel.

 

Grand Cayman is the only island we would allow our young daughter to have her hair braided on.

 

Remember: Grand Cayman is a very wealthy and clean island. We found someone in the downtown area who directed us to their little "hut" off the strip. I think it only cost $25.00 for a full head.

 

Quite a bargain for Grand Cayman and no hassling or fear of head lice.

[Ginamarie]

DSis had her hair braided onboard the ship. The price wasn't too bad, and it looked very cute. The time slots do fill up very quickly though, especially for days at sea.

[California4Me4Ever]

 

Grand Cayman is the only island we would allow our young daughter to have her hair braided on.

 

Remember: Grand Cayman is a very wealthy and clean island. We found someone in the downtown area who directed us to their little "hut" off the strip.

 

 

As someone who has just spent the better part of a semester dealing with a lice outbreak in my DD's class and the daily fear of having to pick nits, don't think that just because someplace is clean that you can't get lice! Bring your own comb and ask them to wash their hands first before doing your DD's hair. We live in a very affluent area, no scraggly kids and it still happens! Those girls can't keep their hands out of each others' hair.

 

Also, if your daughter has blonde hair bring your own clear elastics for them to use. It will look a million times better. They used black elastics on my daughters blonde hair and it looked really crazy. Still cute, but the clear elastics would have been cuter. And you can also bring your own beads if you are super set on a particular color scheme. That way you aren't disappointed when they don't have your colors.

 

Now a quick question: do you book the onboard braiding through the salon or the activities desk? It's been a while and I can't remember. Thanks!

 

Happy Sails!

[zerog]

On weekends, there is a hair braider at the Cocoa Beach pier. I'm not sure about weekdays - I'd like to get my DD's hair braided on Wednesday (the day before our cruise). However, the prices might be steep. I'll report back later on this.

[lagbunch8]

As someone who has just spent the better part of a semester dealing with a lice outbreak in my DD's class and the daily fear of having to pick nits, don't think that just because someplace is clean that you can't get lice! Bring your own comb and ask them to wash their hands first before doing your DD's hair. We live in a very affluent area, no scraggly kids and it still happens! Those girls can't keep their hands out of each others' hair.

 

Happy Sails!

 

Oh my! Lice is true 4 letter word in this house. We have had to deal with them twice. With 6 kids and 3 girls with long hair it was a nightmare! I still get a twinge of fear when I see the school's # on my caller ID! I think to myself "please let someone be sick!":eek:

 

And lice actually like clean hair. Washing and economics have nothing to do with it.

[California4Me4Ever]

We can cure polio, smallpox, and all manner of other things--why not the lice!? I guess they are masters at adaptation!

 

So until they can iradicate them, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure...and hours of combing nits from their lovely long hair!

 

Happy Sails!

[waterbound]

one thing to keep in mind with any of the vendors in Cozumel is that if they quote you a price for anything it will surely be different when you come back.. not just braids..

 

On one trip we looked at a shell necklace and I was given a price.. and then the guy lowered the price.. I said I needed to think about it.. we walked away and walked maybe 2 minutes and I decided to go back and get it because I was afraid I wouldnt find one like it and thought it was easiest just to get it then.. we turned right around and went back and mysteriously it was a different price and he wouldnt go down.. I walked away and did luckily find one elsewhere cheaper..

[JCDeck]

This seems to be a problem on ALL those islands with ALL the merchandise. It would be nice if the ships going to the carribean had hair braders on them for the people who wanted it, it would be a time killer for kids and then they could enjoy the port instead of sitting in a chair for hours.

 

I am very wary of all those ports and it's a shame because it would be so much fun if you didn't always feel you had to be on your guard.

 

Jennifer

[lagbunch8]

This seems to be a problem on ALL those islands with ALL the merchandise. It would be nice if the ships going to the carribean had hair braders on them for the people who wanted it, it would be a time killer for kids and then they could enjoy the port instead of sitting in a chair for hours.

 

I am very wary of all those ports and it's a shame because it would be so much fun if you didn't always feel you had to be on your guard.

 

Jennifer

 

 

The Magic had hair braiders on it when I was on it last month.

[JCDeck]

The Magic had hair braiders on it when I was on it last month.

 

Were they busy or was it outrageously priced?

[lagbunch8]

Were they busy or was it outrageously priced?

 

I think people made appt times. It did not look busy. I'm sorry I don't know what they were charging. We aren't braid people here.

 

Mary

[JCDeck]

I think people made appt times. It did not look busy. I'm sorry I don't know what they were charging. We aren't braid people here.

 

Mary

 

I don't like the braid thing myself, I think it looks very wierd on white people.

[California4Me4Ever]

The braiding is most popular with the little girls on DCL; it looks cutest when they just do the front part. And it makes it super easy to take care of their hair for the duration of the trip! There are always a few adults who get the Bo Derek job and it does look pretty odd.

 

Happy Sails!

[cruiserbryce]

I really am warey about these type of merchants in any of the ports