hiring a driver for the day

[Upshaw]

Hi Upshaw! I just booked through this website for our cruise in March. I received a confirmation response very quickly. Looking forward to our tour! :)

 

Thank you for the info. Did you pick what you wanted to see so they could let you know time wise how long it would take?

[Host Faith]

Thank you for the info. Did you pick what you wanted to see so they could let you know time wise how long it would take?

 

I listed our top 3 things to see, and asked that the tour last just 3 hrs since we wanted to go to Mr. Sancho's. I asked if the time we requested is enough for those stops, and all I got back was the confirmation so I guess it's enough time? I'm planning to do a trip report when I come back.

[boxermom73]

we went to paradise Beach last October and it was we'll ... Paradise and so much cheaper than Mr Sancho's! Try the coconut shrimp awesome! I accidentally left my purse in the bathroom and when I finally remembered it was there everything was still there!! So the workers are honest and the bathrooms were clean, you will save a ton of money and have a great time!

[RubyOnTheWater]

We were booked with Alberto but he had to cancel and we had a man named Crescencio Ton. He wasn't silent or anything but we definitely didn't feel like we had to have a conversation going with him all the time and he didn't talk our ear off. One thing that did really impress me with him was his ability to disappear at a stop and give us all the space we wanted but then as soon as we had a question or were ready to go you didn't even have to look for him he was right there. That is probably a skill many drivers have but it was the first time we'd hired a driver and I was super impressed with his ability to be invisible yet present and ready as soon as we had a question or were ready to move on. creslopez41955@hotmail.com is his email if you want to book him. I am not sure what he normally charges. We paid him like we planned to pay Alberto but he doesn't normally work with them, he was a substitute.

[flowery]

Thank you Ruby. Crescencio sounds excellent too. I've already made the deposit but will keep his email info just in case. :)

[pdoeringer]

DH and I just came back from the Princess Grand and we stopped in Cozumel. We hired driver Roger at the recommendation of another board member and he was great! This was our 5th cruise and we had always hired our own taxi driver for shore excursions and my husband thought Roger was one of the best driver/guide we had. His taxi number is 282 and is air conditioned and clean. He can show you the entire island, the local places, quiet beaches and a nice place for lunch. I can't recommend him enough. His cell phone is 987 1054996. Hope this helps!

 

Does Roger have an email address. What kind of vehicle did Roger have??

What does he charge?

 

Thanks

[5waldos]

So glad I found this thread- we had planned an AI at Mr. Sanchoz but I worried about spending all day there. So now we have emailed the website linked earlier and will spend 3 hours seeing Cozumel then hang out at the beach. That sounds so much better!

[LRene]

5Waldos - That's the nice thing about this, you can be dropped at the beach club of your choice and just taxi back to the port and you get two activities in one port stop!

 

To whomever said there would be 8-9 ships in the day they will be there....YIKES! You made a great choice hiring a driver and making your own plans. That's a lot of ships/people for Cozumel! I've only been there once with that many ships in our 15-20 visits and everything was super crowded.

Edited January 31, 2012 by LRene

[5waldos]

5Waldos - That's the nice thing about this, you can be dropped at the beach club of your choice and just taxi back to the port and you get two activities in one port stop!

 

To whomever said there would be 8-9 ships in the day they will be there....YIKES! You made a great choice hiring a driver and making your own plans. That's a lot of ships/people for Cozumel! I've only been there once with that many ships in our 15-20 visits and everything was super crowded.

 

We made reservations and paid the deposit. Will spend most of the morning doing a bit of touring then eat and drink all afternoon, as well as playing in the water. A perfect mix. And if it is rainy or miserable- we have left our options open! I really am pleased that I found this thread. Thanks folks.

[5waldos]

Happy to see such nice things said about Alberto- he will be our driver too. Now if I could feel a bit happier about our plans in Grand Cayman- But now Cozumel and Jamaica sound just wonderful! CC can really be a wonderful resource- thanks to you all for pointing us in this direction.

[CarolRoy]

Here's a helpful site. www.cruisetimetables.com If you scroll down to Cruise Destinations then to Mexico then to Cozumel, you will be able to tell how many ships and passengers will be in port on any given day. This is a good site for any ship - any cruise.

Carol

2012 – Carnival Conquest – Feb. – W. Caribbean

2011 – Westerdam HAL – Dec. – E. Caribbean

2011 – Nieuw Amsterdam HAL – Oct. – Mediterranean

2011- Carnival Miracle – May – Eastern Caribbean

2010 – Nieuw Amsterdam HAL - Dec.- W. Caribbean

2010 – Celebrity Summit – Sept. - Bermuda

2010 – Serenade of the Seas - March - S. Caribbean

2009 – Crown Princess – W. Caribbean

2009 – Golden Princess - Alaska - Inside Passage

2009 – Coral Princess - Panama Canal Transit

2008 – Caribbean Princess - New Eng. & Canada

2008 – Serenade of the Seas - S. Caribbean

2007 – Explorer of the Seas - W. Caribbean

2006 – Golden Princess - S. Caribbean

2004 – Serenade of the Seas - S. Caribbean

2002 – Star Princess - Mexican Riviera

2002 – Dawn Princess - S. Caribbean

2000 – Carnival Inspiration - S. Caribbean

1999 – Carnival Paradise - W. Caribbean

1996 – Majesty (private) - Key West

1989 – Sovereign of the Seas - E. Caribbean

[mclaire]

is a tip customary when you hire a $195. van? 15-20% adequate?

[LRene]

To me, a tip is always customary when you hire a private driver or a guide. Different countries have different standards when it comes to tipping. (Europe for example is lower). I believe we stay in the 15-20 percent range in Mexico.

[Kellit1964]

We booked a private driver in Cozumel. Eduardo met us right on time. He took us on a tour of the island. We specifically asked to see the other side of the island for a couple of reasons. We have been to Cozumel several times but had not seen that side and also there were so many ships in port that town was really crowded. The other side of the island was very beautiful but the sea is really rough. There was an area that we walked on the beach and took photos. Eduardo took us to a place where we were able to see a crocodile right off the side of the road. We told him that we would like to go to an off the way place to snorkel and get something to eat & drink. He suggested Playa Corona. We loved it. The snorkeling was awesome and the food was really good. We asked him to pick us up later in the afternoon and he showed back up right on time. Eduardo is a really sweet person and takes great pride in his home. You definitely won't be disappointed if you hire him as your tour guide. :)

[cruisemd]

I can also strongly recommend Eduardo. He took care of our group and took us to interesting places we had not seen before. Great private tour!

[Upshaw]

I can also strongly recommend Eduardo. He took care of our group and took us to interesting places we had not seen before. Great private tour!

 

How long was your tour? Did you have to book in advance or can you book a tour when arriving?

[LHP]

How long was your tour? Did you have to book in advance or can you book a tour when arriving?

 

You can book as few as 3 hours or as long as you want.

 

3 hours for up to 4 people (last time we took this tour...we have done it several times) was $95.00 with each additional hour being $25.

 

You book it in advance and you can design your own tour.

 

Enjoy!!

 

Here is the contact info... eduardoesquer@toursplaza.com

Edited February 6, 2012 by LHP

[HammerTX]

The more I read all of the amazing feed back here, the more excited I am getting to go! It sounds like this was a perfect chioce for us...avoid the cruise ship crowds and see the island at our pace. We can't wait :)

[Laughing Angel]

HammerTX, you'll have a blast! Don't forget to have that camera ready for all of the great photo ops.

[LadyDivot]

Just off the ship! We used this company for our tour of Coz. LOVED IT! Cantaro was our driver and he did a wonderful job! We had some ideas of where we wanted to go and Cantaro made it happen! He took us to all the most beautiful places on the island BEFORE many other excursions got there. At several places we were leaving a place where it was only us and a few others just as several buses unloaded.

 

Gracias, Cantaro for a wonderful day!

 

Pam

[newbiecruiser09]

Cantaro is the man. We didn't make up our minds until days before the trip. On the strength of his many years of glowing CruiseCritic reviews, we requested Gerry. Whatever Gerry does, he canNOT be better than Cantaro. By the time our ship docked our party of 4 had turned into a party of 14. I called Eduardo from my cell, on the ship, and he said that Cantaro could secure a second van for us. Cantaro was the first person in line, with a big welcome sign for me. He was not the least bit flustered by needing to find a second van for 10 more people! He took us to the ruins, and then, upon our request, to Coconuts. He had ideas in mind as to where to take us, but was totally flexible and willing to bend to the will of the group. At the end of the day we wanted one shot of tequila, so he took us to the place where he had his first job! Great fun. And when one in our party was a little tipsy, he was ever the gentleman, helping her across the street and into the van. Gerry may be good, but I guarantee you he is not better than Cantaro. Cantaro would not join us for a tequila 'cause he was headed to church later that night. He's a sweet man, and I appreciate the good care he took of us. The rest of the party of 14 think I'm a hero for having found Eduardo, Cantaro, and the east side of the island.

 

What ruins did you see? We are wanting to do some ruins but also see some of the other island highlights if possible. The excursions through the ship seem a bit scary (talk of seasickness, looooong rides etc). Would love to see some ruins and have a driver for the day, especially since we will have kids with us. Thanks for any more info you can provide. :)

[LadyDivot]

We went to the ruins at San Gervasio in the middle of the island. You can either hire a personal guide, do a group tour or go on you own. We were there for about 45 minutes. It was cool.

[newbiecruiser09]

We went to the ruins at San Gervasio in the middle of the island. You can either hire a personal guide, do a group tour or go on you own. We were there for about 45 minutes. It was cool.

 

Thank you! Just checked out the website and I think this is what I am going to suggest to DH. I like the idea of seeing the island at our own pace and what we want to see. Price sounds really amazing too. Thanks to all the previous posters for all the information.:D

[Upshaw]

Just off the ship! We used this company for our tour of Coz. LOVED IT! Cantaro was our driver and he did a wonderful job! We had some ideas of where we wanted to go and Cantaro made it happen! He took us to all the most beautiful places on the island BEFORE many other excursions got there. At several places we were leaving a place where it was only us and a few others just as several buses unloaded.

 

Gracias, Cantaro for a wonderful day!

 

Pam

 

Did you book a 3 hr tour or longer? Do they pick up up right at the port?

Thank you

[LadyDivot]

Upshaw - Cantaro picked us up right outside the port exactly where he said he'd be. He was holding a sign with my name on it, which I brought home as a souvenir! Couldn't have been easier.

 

The $99 cost includes a minimum of 3 hours, so we knew were going to tour for at least that amount of time! :) We ended up taking another 90 minutes to see everything we wanted. It was a wonderful tour, very relaxing and we'd use them again in a minute.

 

Enjoy your visit to Coz...Pam