c-leg5
-
Posts
8,782 -
Joined
Content Type
Forums
Store
Blogs
Downloads
Events
Gallery
Posts posted by c-leg5
-
-
Just a few other questions....
Is El Cid the same thing as El Cid La Ceiba Hotel? I'm searching for pictures on google and it keeps saying El Cid La Ceiba Hotel and I wanted to make sure it's the right hotel I'm looking at.
Here's a few pictures:
Unfortunately the above pool is at El Cid, Mazatlan. The other photos are of the correct hotel. The photos you have shown are mainly of the small cove to the left of the property (looking at the ocean). There is a small pool to the right of the restaurant which is shown on several photos in google images. The whole property is not very large and I am not sure that you would find enough to keep you busy there. There are nicer pools at the property next door, Park Royal, but then you say you are not really into pools on vacation.
I would save either of these properties for when you dock at Puerta Maya and want somewhere close and convenient. If you are docking in town you will probably need to get a taxi there unless you want a long walk in the heat with a little one. Since you are probably going to need a taxi anyway I think I would stick with one of the southern locations that have been suggested or have you considered a pass to one of the northern resorts or Bucannos?
-
Still wondering if we will be allowed in at Park if we arrive by cruise ship. Really don't want to go with the ship group and be rushed to leave. Would like to spend most of our day there as we have been to Roatan several times already and this would be a new experience for us. Hope someone will post back to this thread if they have recently been allowed to go by taxi and then get admitted without taking a ship tour. TIA
I would suggest that you email one of the independent tour companies and ask them if this is possible.
Victor Bodden and Rony are popular choices on here but we have always been very satisfied with Roatan Culture tours. They have always been very receptive to customizing tours for us and would tell you if could go independently, and probably tell you, or find out, a price for admission. We have never been to the regular stops on Roatan and prefer to have a vehicle at our disposal to stay as long as we want at our preferred stops. Roatan is the one port where it works out almost as economical to have your own private driver for the day as arranging for individual taxis -slightly more expensive if there are only two of you but certainly more convenient in case one plan doesn't work out as expected and you want to go somewhere else.
-
We cruise in early September a little mini vacation we couldn't pass up I think $184 PP :)
We have never been on a cruise that stays in the evening.Its a funny thing we have never seen our ship lit up at night.I did read something about the money bar
On Nachis website I did read that they stay open later so you can see the sunset when ships arrive late.We have been a few times and we like Mr Sanchos food better
Daylight savings ends in October so in September sunset will be between 6.30-7pm depending on time of month. Viewing the sunset can be great from any the bars on the west side of the island.
There are a lot of choices and it mainly depends on the type of ambience you are after. If you are looking for one of the beach clubs, Paradise Beach is "pay-as-you-go". Of course you couldn't stay late but you could always hop in a taxi from there to The Money Bar after 2-3 hours if you wanted to catch Happy Hour and the sunset before returning to the ship.
Some of the hotel resorts offer AI "night passes", usually after 5 or 6pm, so a little restrictive if beach time is your priority and I would imagine more like being on the ship but in a different location! Examples which come to mind, Allegro, Iberostar or of course Cozumel Palace, whose pass is valid from 7am to 10pm, but at a higher charge than most. Another option if you want to PAYG would be "No Name Bar", where a lot of cruise ship staff go, at the Hotel Barracuda, on the edge of town - some loungers and a pool, but I have never been at night. If you are in Cozumel, Friday or Saturday, Bucannos Grill, to the north is highly recommended for evening meal and ambience according to Tripadvisor and I intend to try it during a land vacation this fall. There is also a beach area and pool there so you could get in beach time first. This bar is PAYG although there may be a $10 cover charge to enter which is deducted from your check.
One advantage of leaving late means you can catch "Happy Hour" at many of the bars and restaurants. If beaches are not your top priority you could spend the afternoon doing some activity in town, shopping, museum, chocolate factory. One of our favorites for watching the sunset is the raised deck at Blue Angel dive Resort, "Happy hour" 4-6.30pm, or The Money Bar, "Happy Hour 5-7pm.
A lot depends on which pier you arrive at and factoring in taxi fares. Use Google images to view some of the places I have mentioned to see if any appeal.
-
How much was the driver for the day? Toying with the idea of an AI versus something like this. We're all adults but I too have seen all the ruins I care to see and Coz just isn't the place to snorkel. Its very choppy IMO and I don't have the water stamina I did 30 yrs ago. Nor the drinking stamina. Damn. Not sure which is worse!! :(
If you google ToursPlaza you will find their website which includes current pricing and suggestions. Very reliable company, highly recommended.
-
What company does Cantaro work for? How can I contact him?
I have read so much about him. We will be in Cozumel in November 2013.
He is one of the drivers for ToursPlaza, see post above for details of website.
-
Not sure if you saw this listed on the local food thread?
http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showpost.php?p=36927456&postcount=5
If it has relocated it would make it easier to combine with your beach day.
-
Roatan Cultural Tours said they can do their East End Beach Break at Parrot Tree and go to Bertie's for the same $40 pp. So we will go to Bertie's and get the food to go and eat it on the beach at Parrot Tree! Problems solved!:D
I am glad you were able to get it worked out and hope you have a great day.
-
Do you think we can do both Bertie's to eat and Parrot Tree if we use a car service? Not sure how far they are from each other. Has anyone done BOTH on one day?
Thanks:D
Not sure exactly where Bertie's is but the consensus from Google seems to suggest Half Moon Bay (West End)? If this is correct and you look at Google maps and zoom in you will see that West End is to the north and west of the island. Parrot Tree is just beyond First Bight to the south and east of the island.
Timing would depend on how long your ship is in port.
I would estimate that Parrot Tree is 20-30 minutes east and Bertie's perhaps 20-30 minutes west from Coxen Hole. As you can see they are in different directions so it depends what you are looking for. If you want to combine some sightseeing then, if it fits in with your port hours, a car service could certainly combine the two but if you are wanting a mainly beach day at a resort I think that going to West End as well would cut into your time. There is a restaurant at Parrot Tree if you wanted to stay there all day, or if you are set on Bertie's there are resorts towards the west where you could spend the day, (plenty of reviews elsewhere on this board).
-
We enjoyed another excellent day with ToursPlaza during our recent cruise. We have visited Cozumel many times and have taken several round the island tours but have never visited the popular beach bars, south of the piers except for Palancar. This time we were on a fact finding mission for future land and/or family beach days and so we had a list of places we wanted to visit from Alberto’s to the Money Bar. We knew exactly where we wanted to stop and could have taken individual taxis from one place to another, at less expense, but it was convenient, given the time constraints of a day in port, to have a personal driver that stayed with us.
As usual Eduardo, the administrator, provided very prompt and efficient communications via email to facilitate our booking.
This time our driver was Cantero. This was the first time we had toured with him and he provided excellent service and spoke good English. He gave us space to do our own personal exploring but was attentive enough to always be looking out for us, given the nature of our short visits to each place, when we were ready to leave. He spoke in Spanish for us to the reception of Hotel Allegra so that we could have a quick tour of the facilities.
-
i wanted to see if anyone's been to las palmas/pirates bay recently. Do they still have the free shuttle that's been talked about on here in past threads? What's the cost to get in and what does it include? Thanks!!:)
See post just below http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showpost.php?p=35606016&postcount=2
-
While we have never had this driver, I have heard great things about him .
I would also suggest the Lighthouse.... The waves on the East side are cool.
Only one bar. (Coconuts).. May not be your cup of tea....but there are neat restaurants to watch the surf from. And be sure to walk over the porous rock that the surf shoots up through ... That is cool...
I second the suggestion to go to the lighthouse and area around Punta Sur to see the sea crocodiles although there is an entrance fee and depending on how long you have for your tour you may have to make choices and save some suggestions for a return visit!
-
Where did Cresencio take you and how much does he charge?
I contacted him earlier this year and his rates were $90 for three hours then $25 Per hour for up to 4 people. He said he had a minivan for 7 people with A/C but didn't give me the rates for more than 4 people or tell me if this was his "regular vehicle". Since there were only 2 of us I didn't ask and we were able to get Gerry from the hire a driver thread whom we had used before.
He did answer promptly and we would have used him if necessary as his rates (at least for 4) were about the same as Gerry - not sure if he would be less expensive for a bigger group. If you have still not heard from him perhaps you should email again - maybe it did not get through. He has sometimes acted as a substitute driver for the "hire a driver" group.
-
Saw on the driver for a day thread that someone had recommended this guy as a guide/driver.
Just wondering if any of you have used him and what you thought about him.
He has good prices, but I want to be sure he is reliable, trustworthy, etc.
Any info anyone has would be great!
Thanks!
If you put his hame into the "Driver for a day" thread search engine you should find a review from earlier in the year, maybe Jan/Feb when he was used as a back-up driver for the "driver for a day" group. I have not used him but I did contact him as a back-up to Gerry for one trip and he replied promptly.
-
I have try the link and no website comes up. Do they have a new website.
Thanks,
Joanne
Seems like they have revamped the website!
-
Johneeo - you are soooo right! It's amazing how fast the time goes on these tours. Since the base rate starts at 3 hours, I'd really suggest anyone booking should book the extra hours. We had 5 hours and missed a lot we wanted to see. This time we'd like to go in reverse and head another direction first. That's the good thing about hiring a driver for the day, you can customize!
We recently returned from Cozumel and enjoyed our third tour with Gerry! We have done exactly what you are planning. The first time we went south from the port, dropped my daughter and husband off at a beach club and took our first trip round the island stopping first at Palancar, then Punta Sur and the lighthouse, Playa Bonita for lunch and then several quick photo stops.
The second time we had a bigger family group and headed north for a quick look at the northern end of the island (airport, marina and town before heading on a clockwise tour round the island.
This last trip we had Gerry take us to the San Gervasio ruins and then a local eatery back towards town. Gerry has always been very kind and attentive, no matter how big the group and is always willing to help. He is always available if you need him but knows how to give you space as well. When we have travelled as a couple we enjoyed inviting him to join us for lunch but when we had a larger group he politely declined.
-
We've done this one (I think it is new as we were one of the first groups to actually go on this tour) with http://www.cozumel-watersports.com/excursions/pearlfarmsecludedbeachexpedition.html
It is about a 30 minute boat ride from their pier, you pass Passion Island and arrive at a beautiful secluded beach. The tour was very interesting, snorkeling was beautiful and their beach is exceptional. The water was so calm that they put the tables and chairs in knee deep water and we had a cold Corona beer after the activities....a day in paradise!
Thanks so much for the reply - I think you are right, this is a new tour and glad to hear you enjoyed it. Could you tell me if the snorkeling was difficult, as far as currents, and access back onto the boat?
-
Has anyone done his tour to the Pearl Farm?http://www.cozumelpearlfarm.com/tour.html
I have never seen any reviews on it. Thanks
Bumping to see if anyone has visited this farm and beach excursion? One or two reviews on Tripadvisor but I haven't seen anything on here. Looks like it could be an interesting change.
-
Has anyone done his tour to the Pearl Farm?http://www.cozumelpearlfarm.com/tour.html
I have never seen any reviews on it. Thanks
-
This is last minute but we decided to book a private driver and of course Gerry is taken. We've been assigned Alberto, any reviews for him personally? Am hoping he is as pleasant and knowledgeable of the island's history as Gerry. (yes, I tried the search engine and did not find anything current)
Thanks
Dana
See post #810 on this thread for a review from October. HTH - seems like you are in good hands.We have enjoyed a couple of tours with Gerry and I am sure you will have a good time.
-
Heard back from Park Royal and the $40 per person per day was confirmed although the package doesn't start until 11am which is 12 ship time (Dec 3rd) That seems like a short day if the ship leaves at 6pm (5pm Coz time)? When I emailed (Christian) back and asked if we could come early and use the facilities and pay for a drink out of pocket until the "package time" starts he recommended we pay a $70 day fee. That's a huge difference for wanting to show up a couple of hours early and snorkel and have A drink before 11.
We have a large group of people that wanted to spend the day at Park Royal but if the window for $40 is that short we will probably go elsewhere.
We were in Cozumel a couple of weeks ago and decided against Park Royal because our ship left at 4pm and we decided the window was too short since I had also written to ask if we could come and leave early. However we did go into the resort to look round briefly. It is certainly very convenient only a few minutes walk from International Pier and we would certainly consider it for the future. I think as stated above you could probably pay and use the facilities early but I don't know if they are able to make cash sales for drinks since it is "all-inclusive" and people are were wearing wrist bands. Charges for passes do seem to be a little variable as already discussed on these boards. Perhaps it depends on time of year or economy - we were quoted $40pp like you in our email but on the day we were told $35pp by a security guard or there was a booth on the street offering day passes (plus??) for $20pp with an hour long timeshare presentation!
We ended up having lunch and a drink at El Cid next door on a pay as you go basis, although they also offer various day passes as well.
-
The price again please? For a driver 95 an hour or 25 an hour? There are 8 of us so we would need a van :) thx:)
Sorry I copied from post above.
The rates at the beginning of the year were:
$95 for the first 3 hours and $25 per each additional hour in the stationwagon.
A van tour, which holds up to 8 passengers, will run $195 for the first 3 hours and $40 per each additional hour.
Charges are per vehicle, not per person. There is a 3 hour minimum charge for all tours.
-
wow the rate of Cantaro is so much cheaper than Gerry only $95 / hrs and then $25 /hr
we are quoted $195 / 3 hrs and then $40/hr
was that correct or a typo??
Depending on how many people you have on your tour, unless things have changed, Gerry is usually $95/hr in his station wagon which will hold 4 (preferably 3 passengers). The higher rate is for a van which will hold up to 8. We have done both. HTH.
-
I have emailed Mike 4 times in the last 3 weeks and have not received a response. Any other options??
Thx.
Seems like it is becoming more and more difficult.
If you scroll back through this thread Rjscott posted a telephone # for Mike which someone did call and he does answer but he seems to be working away from Cozumel with no internet.
Unfortunately no one has posted any other direct contact for Gerry - not sure if you could reach him through Cozumel Bar Hop as Tom originally recommended him and sometimes he drives the bus for them.
-
quote=LoveRoadTrips;27655670]I just booked with a driver named Adiel. I found his name on a post in the Cozumel my Cozumel forum.
Sorry to hear you are still having trouble but glad to hear you have managed to book someone else. Be sure to let us know how it goes.Although I heard from Mike last week I have not had a reply again to the follow up questions so communication at the moment is certainly frustrating.
Back to Cozumel in 4 months-what now?
in Cozumel
Posted
The first of your photos shows the main restaurant – rock face is edge of “beach cove”. I think the El Cid property runs back as far as the pier that you can see at the back of this photo. Immediately on the other side is Park Royal Hotel property.
Beyond the restaurant there is an area with loungers on a man-made sandy area and although we have not snorkeled here I think the main entrance to the water for snorkeling and diving is from this area via steps. If you go to Tripadvisor and search El Cid La Ceiba Beach Hotel you will find a number of photos showing the steps and the swimming pool and loungers.
I think the website describes the rocky pool area with waterfalls as the “natural pool” anyway it is basically a pool for sitting in.
Small cove are is an area where I have seen young children playing in sand.
The area in the photos with tables and chairs is for lounging and eating behind natural pool and to the side of cove. I believe there is another menu for this area – pizza maybe? Also in this area is massage cabanas.
Bucannos is about 4 miles to the north. It is Bucannos Bar and Grill and is at the old Club Caribe which was destroyed in the hurricane. It is a beach club which used to charge a $10 cover charge, which is credited towards food and drink to stop people just coming in and using the facilities. However a recent report on Tripadvisor suggests this isn't always credited so I would check for current policies if you decide to try it. (It was only one review so maybe it was an oversight.) They have always answered my emails promptly. Judging by recent reviews it seems to be gaining popularity with cruise ship day visitors.
http://www.clubcozumelcaribe.info/
http://www.buccanos.com/Buccanos-Bar-Grill.htm