Tipping at Cats Meow and others

[DolphinFan]

You're in for a real treat with the beach. There's a sand bar located many yards out that allows the water to be crystal clear and give off shades of turquoise, light blue and aqua. The beach is beautiful most of the way up the path along other restaurants as well.

 

The beach up by Costa Maya where the ships dock isn't nearly as pristine and beautiful as it is in Majahual. But then the water isn't deep enough to dock a ship in Majahual.

 

Guess that's why they built a swimming pool at the Costa Maya pier and have cheap taxi service to Majahual for tourists.

 

Costa Maya pier is interesting and has a lot of shops that are over priced (IMHO) from other Mexican ports we've visited. But the waters of Majauhal are worth the visit.

 

Dianne

I'm not a "shopper" but some of my friends are..out of Cozumel, Costa Maya, Grand Cayman and belize, which do you think have the best shopping prices?

[98Charlie]

I'm not a "shopper" but some of my friends are..out of Cozumel, Costa Maya, Grand Cayman and belize, which do you think have the best shopping prices?

 

It's accoding to what you are looking for. I would trust Cozumel over Costa Maya for silver jewelry. You have to remember that Mexico's labeling laws aren't the same as the US. Just because something is stamped .925 silver doesn't mean it's that pure. We have only one shop in Cozumel where we will buy silver jewelry, Los Cinco Soles. Have bought many items from them and their jewerly is what they say it is. They don't bargain, however, but their prices are reasonable.

 

Belize is a port to purchase wood items or souvenirs.

[DolphinFan]

It's accoding to what you are looking for. I would trust Cozumel over Costa Maya for silver jewelry. You have to remember that Mexico's labeling laws aren't the same as the US. Just because something is stamped .925 silver doesn't mean it's that pure. We have only one shop in Cozumel where we will buy silver jewelry, Los Cinco Soles. Have bought many items from them and their jewerly is what they say it is. They don't bargain, however, but their prices are reasonable.

 

Belize is a port to purchase wood items or souvenirs.

Thanks! I will pass this information on :-)

[98Charlie]

I'm not a "shopper" but some of my friends are..out of Cozumel, Costa Maya, Grand Cayman and belize, which do you think have the best shopping prices?

 

It's accoding to what you are looking for. I would trust Cozumel over Costa Maya for silver jewelry. You have to remember that Mexico's labeling laws aren't the same as the US. Just because something is stamped .925 silver doesn't mean it's that pure. We have only one shop in Cozumel where we will buy silver jewelry, Los Cinco Soles. Have bought many items from them and their jewerly is what they say it is. They don't bargain, however, but their prices are reasonable.

 

We also purchase vanilla from Los Cinco Soles for its quality. Some Mexican vanillas are not truly pure. We also purchase many, many margarittas from Poncho's Backyard located inside Los Cinco Soles. Haven't found a margaritta that can match it so far.:D

 

Belize is a port to purchase wood items or souvenirs.

 

Costa Maya does have some liquor prices lower than we find in Cozumel but the best liquor prices on bottles we like to bring home we find in Grand Cayman at the Black Dick liquor store located in the shopping mall across from the pier.

 

That's the same shopping center we buy our rum cakes in Grand Cayman: Blackbeard's rum cakes, located in a kiosk stand. Much better flavor than the Tortuga brand that pays big bucks to be advertised on all the cruise ships.

 

Hope I've helped.

 

Dianne

[DolphinFan]

It's accoding to what you are looking for. I would trust Cozumel over Costa Maya for silver jewelry. You have to remember that Mexico's labeling laws aren't the same as the US. Just because something is stamped .925 silver doesn't mean it's that pure. We have only one shop in Cozumel where we will buy silver jewelry, Los Cinco Soles. Have bought many items from them and their jewerly is what they say it is. They don't bargain, however, but their prices are reasonable.

 

We also purchase vanilla from Los Cinco Soles for its quality. Some Mexican vanillas are not truly pure. We also purchase many, many margarittas from Poncho's Backyard located inside Los Cinco Soles. Haven't found a margaritta that can match it so far.:D

 

Belize is a port to purchase wood items or souvenirs.

 

Costa Maya does have some liquor prices lower than we find in Cozumel but the best liquor prices on bottles we like to bring home we find in Grand Cayman at the Black Dick liquor store located in the shopping mall across from the pier.

 

That's the same shopping center we buy our rum cakes in Grand Cayman: Blackbeard's rum cakes, located in a kiosk stand. Much better flavor than the Tortuga brand that pays big bucks to be advertised on all the cruise ships.

 

Hope I've helped.

 

Dianne

WOW..thanks!

 

We will definately have to check out Poncho's (read a lot of good things about them) and Soles.

 

Thanks for the tip on the Rum Cake..everyone wants me to bring them back some. I bought the Tortuga last year and was not that impressed with the size and what you paid for it!

[98Charlie]

WOW..thanks!

 

We will definately have to check out Poncho's (read a lot of good things about them) and Soles.

 

Thanks for the tip on the Rum Cake..everyone wants me to bring them back some. I bought the Tortuga last year and was not that impressed with the size and what you paid for it!

 

 

 

Blackbeards are a bit cheaper since they don't pay the cruise ships for advertising. They will have cakes out there at the kiosk you can taste to make your decision but try to get there earlier in the day than at the last minute before you got back to the ship. The selection is better.

 

We have brought rum cakes back from every port we've traveled over the past 5 years and the Blackbeard's rum cakes are still at the head of the list of our friends. Calypso rum cakes from Barbados run a close second. Tortuga is at the bottom of the pile from our friends tasting feed back.

 

If you surf the web for Los Cinco Soles or Pancho's Backyard you might be able to come up with a coupon or two for Cozumel. The ship's sometimes have coupons for them as well if you go to the port talks. Those coupons are less likely now, however, due to the high cost the cruiselines charge for advertising on their ships.

 

Poncho's has a terrific marimba group that plays in the courtyard restaurant while the ships are in. Great background music while you're embibing and munching on some good Mexican food.

 

Dianne

[DolphinFan]

Blackbeards are a bit cheaper since they don't pay the cruise ships for advertising. They will have cakes out there at the kiosk you can taste to make your decision but try to get there earlier in the day than at the last minute before you got back to the ship. The selection is better.

 

We have brought rum cakes back from every port we've traveled over the past 5 years and the Blackbeard's rum cakes are still at the head of the list of our friends. Calypso rum cakes from Barbados run a close second. Tortuga is at the bottom of the pile from our friends tasting feed back.

 

If you surf the web for Los Cinco Soles or Pancho's Backyard you might be able to come up with a coupon or two for Cozumel. The ship's sometimes have coupons for them as well if you go to the port talks. Those coupons are less likely now, however, due to the high cost the cruiselines charge for advertising on their ships.

 

Poncho's has a terrific marimba group that plays in the courtyard restaurant while the ships are in. Great background music while you're embibing and munching on some good Mexican food.

 

Dianne

Yum...

 

We are planning to spend our day at Paradise Beach and then drinking/shopping. Is Poncho's any where near Carlos' & Charlies & Senor Frogs?

[98Charlie]

Yum...

 

We are planning to spend our day at Paradise Beach and then drinking/shopping. Is Poncho's any where near Carlos' & Charlies & Senor Frogs?

 

Don't know which pier you will be docking at or tendering into, but the main Los Cinco Solas and Pancho's Backyard is located at the far end of the downtown shopping district. I know they have stores located close to the far out piers, but those locations just aren't the same as the original stores.

 

When you are getting off any pier in Cozumel, Los Cinco and Pancho's is to your far left in the downtown shopping area. Carlos & Charlies and Senior Frogs is near the beginning of the downtown shopping area on the same side of the main shopping street.

 

Dianne

[jetskier]

 

Costa Maya does have some liquor prices lower than we find in Cozumel but the best liquor prices on bottles we like to bring home we find in Grand Cayman at the Black Dick liquor store located in the shopping mall across from the pier.

 

Dianne

 

Dianne,

I found just the opposite to be true on liquor in Costa Maya. The prices were double what I pay in Cozumel. For real cheap liquor prices in Cozumel, go to COVI at 30 Ave and 2nd St. They are the distributors for the island. I can get a 1 liter bottle of Corralejo Reposada tequila for $22 there. It is $35 on the main strip. In Costa Maya, they wanted $52 for the bottle.

 

Dave

[DolphinFan]

Don't know which pier you will be docking at or tendering into, but the main Los Cinco Solas and Pancho's Backyard is located at the far end of the downtown shopping district. I know they have stores located close to the far out piers, but those locations just aren't the same as the original stores.

 

When you are getting off any pier in Cozumel, Los Cinco and Pancho's is to your far left in the downtown shopping area. Carlos & Charlies and Senior Frogs is near the beginning of the downtown shopping area on the same side of the main shopping street.

 

Dianne

Perrrrfect! Thanks for all your help!

[98Charlie]

Perrrrfect! Thanks for all your help!

 

Have a great cruise. We loved the Legend and will be on her sister ship, Miracle in January.

 

Dianne

[DolphinFan]

Have a great cruise. We loved the Legend and will be on her sister ship, Miracle in January.

 

Dianne

Can't wait either! Only thing I'm going to miss is the Fish & Chips we had on the Glory! We ate there every day for lunch! Just have to make due with Sushi :-)

[98Charlie]

Can't wait either! Only thing I'm going to miss is the Fish & Chips we had on the Glory! We ate there every day for lunch! Just have to make due with Sushi :-)

 

Don't think you're going to miss the fish & chips. We cruised the Valor in Nov., Legend in Jan. and the Valor again in April. Didn't miss any of the Valor's extras on the Legend cruise, maybe because we were having so much fun with the CC members on our Legend cruise.

 

Dianne

 

PS: While others rave about the Fish & Chips on Conquest class ships, DH & I weren't really impressed with our one and only meal there. We enjoyed the selections in the deli area much better.

[DolphinFan]

Don't think you're going to miss the fish & chips. We cruised the Valor in Nov., Legend in Jan. and the Valor again in April. Didn't miss any of the Valor's extras on the Legend cruise, maybe because we were having so much fun with the CC members on our Legend cruise.

 

Dianne

 

PS: While others rave about the Fish & Chips on Conquest class ships, DH & I weren't really impressed with our one and only meal there. We enjoyed the selections in the deli area much better.

We ate so many oysters, they knew us by the 3rd day and just piled them in a bowl..lol

[DWIN1050]

Costa Maya does have some liquor prices lower than we find in Cozumel but the best liquor prices on bottles we like to bring home we find in Grand Cayman at the Black Dick liquor store located in the shopping mall across from the pier.

 

Dianne

 

Dianne,

What kind of liqour is cheaper in Grand Cayman?

 

Deb

[98Charlie]

Dianne,

What kind of liqour is cheaper in Grand Cayman?

 

Deb

 

Mount Gay Rum from Barbadous is a good example. We have purchased it at the Black Dick liquor store in the mall cheaper than we could buy it in Barbados where it's manufactured. Love the Sugar Cane Brandy vintage of Mount Gay Rum as well as a few other varieties.

 

Some of the more common brands of liquor were cheaper in St. Thomas and St. Maarten.

 

I do rememver that Johnny Walker Blue Scotch was a couple of dollars less in Grand Cayman than we could purchase it on ship. Ship spokesman in the liquor store said he could match that price or go under it a dollar or so. Never plan on buying a bottle of that expensive scotch but thought we'd test the cruiseline on their promise to never sell us a bottle at a larger price than we saw on land.

 

We bought a small bottle of pomegranite tequila in Costa Maya at one of the liquor stores that we hadn't seen in Cozumel, Cancun or any port we've visited on the Mex. Riviera. Tested it in the store and liked it. We're saving it for our 40th wedding anniversary this fall. The small bottle of Porfidio tequila we purchased from the dystillery a few years ago in Puerto Vallarta is being saved for our 50th anniversay, as it should be due to the price we paid, about A$50 for a 1/'4 liter. It was worth it..

 

That price was still about half of what you would pay anywere else for that tequila.

 

Dianne

[xhlowner]

When we went in Feb the 3 of us ordered a bucket of beers and 3 fajitas and after we were done eating we paided and my father gave George $5 for a tip and he wouldnt even take it on a purchase of only about $25 he said he has to give money to the cooks aswell and said it would be fair for $10 for all the work they done. Was kind of crappy but the food was great and the view was aswell

[Carolinamamasita]

When we went in Feb the 3 of us ordered a bucket of beers and 3 fajitas and after we were done eating we paided and my father gave George $5 for a tip and he wouldnt even take it on a purchase of only about $25 he said he has to give money to the cooks aswell and said it would be fair for $10 for all the work they done. Was kind of crappy but the food was great and the view was aswell

 

They say that George is gone now.:)

So maybe more people will be able to go & enjoy without

feeling the stress from an encounter over the tip with him

...LOL

;)

I am hoping to go there in October again ... and will definately post

I love their Coconut shrimp & want my sister and 2 coworkers to try it out .

[sph7]

If George is gone, that's really good news. My experience at Cat's Meow was not very pleasant. (Actually, it was horrible)

I ordered a dish for a snack which was around $17 around 3 PM when the restaurant was empty. After tax, the bill came out to be around $20. I stayed there only 30 minutes because I had to get back to the ship. Anyway, I gave them 2 $20 bills and asked them to give me only $10 back which was a very generous tip, I believe. As soon as he saw the bills, George told me that he did not have any change. George didn't even bring the bills to the cashier, so I looked at the person behind the cashier. The cashier, who I believe he is the owner, didn't say anything.

I asked if George could ask the store next door, and he told me "come on. It is only $10. The chef, the owner, other waiters, and staffs will all share the tip." Feeling very angry, I was about to ask for the money back again, but my hubby who didn't eat came back and told me that the cab was waiting. I asked my hubby who was so worried about missing the cruise ship if had a $10 bill. He told me he didn't have any and told George to keep $20 and to share it with staff in the restaurant. I was very upset, but the cab driver who my hubby told to wait was already been waiting for us, so I let it go.

To make matters worse, around 7 PM that day, I felt incredibly sick. First it started with headache and the fever and shaking. Finally, I vomited everything I ate in Costa Maya. Feeling sick didn’t stop and got worse. I couldn’t sleep and was sweating and shaking all night. I went to see the doctor on the ship the next day, and they told me it looked like I had food poisoning, but just in case, I had to be separated from the crowd for 24 hours to see if it was Noro Virus or not. I was confined to my room. It was fine since I had to use the bathroom every 5 minutes and felt very weak anyway. After taking several pills and having on a special diet that the doctor put me on, I felt normal again after 24 hours; however, if you go to Costa Maya, just be aware what you eat.

(Just in case you are wondering, it had be the food from Costa Maya. My hubby and the parents who had eaten the food from the cruise ship were very fine and they didn’t eat anything at Cat's Meow; which turned out to be a very wise decision.)

The bottom line is that Costa Maya didn't even have electricity few years back. They don't have the same hygiene concept as we do; so eat anything at your own risk.

I wish somebody told me to stay away from Cat's Meow.

 

They say that George is gone now.:)

So maybe more people will be able to go & enjoy without

feeling the stress from an encounter over the tip with him

...LOL

;)

I am hoping to go there in October again ... and will definately post

I love their Coconut shrimp & want my sister and 2 coworkers to try it out .

[DBXX]

HUH, your bill was $20.00 and he had no change for $40.00 well then he would have just had NO tip before I would have left him $20.00 tip for 30 minutes of service :eek: I bet if you would have taken your other $20.00 back he would have found change, lol.. He told you it was only $10.00, yea then you should have told him OK I will now take your $10.00 tip I WAS going to leave you, lol.... How greedy. I bet you were upset I would have been to.

 

Danielle

[IBEW1]

I find it pretty sad that considering the whole area was just practically erased by a hurricane people are still complaining about Jorge, a waiter you spent a few hours with and will never meet again.

 

He was our waiter last Oct. and was great.

I just hope the mans not homeless and destitute now.