hiring a driver for the day

[familycruzer]

I have a picture that I am going to try and post that will show you the terrain.

[familycruzer]

El Mirador

http://good-times.webshots.com/photo/2015461990069756907XkSJJA

[Sunarky44]

After reading what all of you have said about Gerry we have him reserved for the 24th of October - can't wait to experience what all of you have talked about.

Now all I have to do is count the days down.

 

Thanks to all of you for the great info you have shared.

[familycruzer]

After reading what all of you have said about Gerry we have him reserved for the 24th of October - can't wait to experience what all of you have talked about.

Now all I have to do is count the days down.

 

Thanks to all of you for the great info you have shared.

 

Please come back and post your own review when you return and have a great time with Gerry.:)

 

Darlene

[mwsrccl]

Hello all,

 

My family of 8 used Gerry last week aboard the Carnival Valor and I wanted to give an honest review of our experience with him. I will detail the good and the not so good and remember this is my opinion and your experience may be different, but I feel that all opinions are important.

Good:

1. Gerry is a super nice guy.

2. Gerry drives very slowly.

3. Gerry's english is good.

4. Gerry will personally assist you with whatever you need and sometimes without anyone having to even ask.

5. Gerry is informative and knows the island.

6. It is a personal tour so to speak.

 

Not so good:

 

1. Gerry drives very slowly, like too slow under the speed limit and he charges by the hour.

2. Gerry stopped at places that we did not want to stop at and we had told him not to and he did anyway (Killing more time)

3. Gerry speaks very softly and no one past the first row in the van could hear him.

4. Gerry tried to overcharge me $50.00, but backed off when I produced the email with the rates on it, I can not honestly say this was on purpose, but not good.

5. There are numerous friendly taxi drivers at the pier that speak good english and you can negotiate a cheaper tour with when you arrive.

6. Gerry does not arrive on ship time, but works off island time and no one told us that beforehand, so we were thereby early and he was not ready yet.

 

 

All in all it was just an okay tour and I do not think I would use him again. I always use personal tour guides at every island we travel to and have had a multitude of guides and Gerry is not at the bottom, but not at the top either.

 

Hope this honest review helps!

[familycruzer]

Thank you for the honest review it at least gives people something to think about when considering Gerry because his style may not be for everyone.

 

As for the overcharge, Gerry is not the one setting up the reservations. That is Mike so there had to of been confusion between the two of them which explains the extra $50. You did the right thing by producing the email and I am glad he did not argue with you.

 

Finally, I always get confused on island time so when I use Gerry I just tell him what ship I am on and that I want to be picked up 30 minutes after docking. That way there is no confusion between ship time and island time.

[mwsrccl]

Mike did email me and apologized for the rate confusion and stated that it was his fault. He said that people do not typically book 10 months in advance like we did and he forgot to tell Gerry that we booked before the rate hike.

 

I hope everyone realizes that I am not blasting Gerry, but I can not in good faith praise him either, so I just laid out my opinions on the good and not so good points.

[familycruzer]

Mike did email me and apologized for the rate confusion and stated that it was his fault. He said that people do not typically book 10 months in advance like we did and he forgot to tell Gerry that we booked before the rate hike.

 

I hope everyone realizes that I am not blasting Gerry, but I can not in good faith praise him either, so I just laid out my opinions on the good and not so good points.

 

 

 

Your review was very fair.

[CherylinME]

Our family of four (all adults) had a wonderful time in Cozumel as a result of having hired Gerry. It was my third time to the island and the first time I have escaped from the tourist area.

 

The other three people in our party can be rather critical but this time it was a unamimous "two thumbs up" for Gerry.

 

I definetely will request him the next time I am in Cozumel.

[fsharp]

We have booked Gerry for our NCL cruise that is there on Jan 7th. At this point in time since there is only two of us, I have booked 3 hours. Since we will only be sight seeing and not snorkling or swimming - do you think that is enough time? (If we come accross a couiple of more people to share with - we can book more) - but for just 2 of us -= is 3 hrs enough?

[Grungycat]

We tried to get Gerry but waited around to long and used Lazaro instead for our trip to Cozumel in October. We can not praise Lazaro enough, we are trying to hire him again for our trip to Cozumel in December. We had 4 adults from 40's to 74 and we were all impressed with his knowledge, patience and honesty. He actually helped my 74 year old mother walk on the bridge at EL MIRADOR, I could not beleive he talked her into walking up there, when she was back on the beach she was so excited. I for one enjoyed his driving and expertise of his island. If you can not get Gerry you should ask for Lazaro he is very honest and patient with you. No maybe you should try Lazaro and get Gerry if Lazaro is busy.

[shorties]

Ok how do you contact these guys, what do they charge and where exactly do they take you? We want to see th eother side of the island but want to spend a few hours at PB.

[CherylinME]

Ok how do you contact these guys, what do they charge and where exactly do they take you? We want to see th eother side of the island but want to spend a few hours at PB.

 

Good question! I remember thinking the same thing when researching how to hire one of the men mentioned on this thread. The e-mail address is cozumeltaxi@hotmail.com A gentleman named Mike Thompson responded promptly to my query.

 

We were quoted a cost of $80.00US for the four of us to tour for the first three hours (total $80, not per person). We then dropped my brother and sister-in-law at a beach. Dad and I continued to tour for an additional three hours at a cost of $20 per hour. At the end of the day, we felt $140 plus a $20 tip was money well spent for the fleibility and knowledge extended by Gerry.

 

P.S. -- please bear with me if there are any spelling errors. My cat clearly missed me while I was gone and has walked back and forth and back and forth as I've tried to type this note. It's nice to be loved :o

[shorties]

CherylinME, thanks for the info. I was there several years ago (2004) and rented a jeep. I drove the island but didn't have the guide giving me the history of the island. If memory serves me correct, I paid about $60 for the jeep and gas. So a few dollars more this time for 5 of us and a history lesson, will be worth it. Also, I'll get to have a couple of cervezas and not have to worry about being in an accident.

[cruiseiniah]

We (myself sister-in-law & mother-in-law) used Gerry in Cozumel this last week. I had hired him on a previous trip and once again he delivered.

 

We started out from the Carnival pier. From there we went north and had a photo op at some statues and landmarks, a brief stop at the store for some Sol and we were on our way to the Tequila Factory.

 

Like some have said this is not a working factory as real tequila must be produced in the Jalisco region of Mexico, but we did have a great time. Upon arrival we paid our $10.00 and we all were given a blue margarita…yummy :). Then we were assigned a tour guide and lead through the tour. Our guide was very funny and had us laughing throughout the tour. When the tour was over we were met with a lot of samples of the various kinds of tequila they produce. We had a great time and were feeling no pain :D when we left. Now we were off to Coconuts.

 

I had always wanted go here and it was worth the wait. We waited about 5 min for a table, but there was a 45-minute wait for lunch. The reason was that the port side of the island was very windy, so windy that all the water excursions from the ship were canceled. They were not able to run any tours that had a boat smaller than 50 feet. So it was busy. We decided we of course needed one more blue margarita and the at least and opted to order guacamole. Everything was very good and I highly recommend this place. The fish bowl margaritas were $8 and the guacamole was $3 chips and pico is complementary. So for $30.00 + US we were content on food and drink.

 

 

Next we moved down the coastline and made several stops and got out to take pictures and get our feet wet. There are some beautiful beaches here and for the most part deserted. We made a few more stops; one at Bob Marley’s (another margarita) and then it started to get windy, as we now had made the turn and were on the West side of the island. One note, Gerry has a beautiful voice and who would have known? He sang us a beautiful song before we left.......nice touch Gerry.

 

 

I highly recommend Gerry. The trick is to just relax and let Gerry take the reigns. What I did was go over the map with him before we left the pier to point out the must do’s and he kept us right on schedule. We arrived back at the pier about 45 minutes before we had to board leaving us plenty of time to shop.Oh he did take us to a place to shop right after the Tequila Factory and the did give good prices.

 

If you have any questions I would be more than happy to answer.

[BooBooMonkey]

Thanks to Cruise Critic, I discovered Gerry! We booked with him through Mike Thompson at cozumeltaxi@hotmail.com about 6-8 weeks before our stop in Cozumel. Mike was very prompt with his reply to our request for a tour with Gerry. He was also very instrumental in helping us plan our day (I like to have things all planned out ahead of time).

 

I will probably have to post in a couple of posts because I will include pictures and CC only allows 6 pictures per post.

 

About us: This time, it was just myself, my DD (turned 18 on the cruise), and her best friend (17). [AKA “Bling 1 and Bling 2”...LOL!].

I wanted to rent a car, but DH who was not coming was strongly against it. I didn't want to book a ship-sponsored excursion (never do...too much $ and too many people). This was an excellent compromise!

 

He charges $80 for the first 3 hours (up to 4 people) and then $20 per hour after that. We did 6 hours. I ended up paying him $175 with tip. A great deal when you consider what the cruise lines charge for excursions with masses of other people.

There were two other Carnival ships there that day—Destiny and Holiday:

 

First we drove around town where Gerry showed us the sights, explained some island history, etc. We stopped at a local grocery for pop, water, beer, and ice. He keeps a cooler in the back for this. Then we drove north and looked at some of the better resorts and some homes of the more wealthy people living there. I had asked him to show us the city and neighborhoods as well, so we drove around and saw churches, schools, hospitals, and homes.

 

 

This was a Catholic church. Picture was taken from inside the taxi on the street. It turned out better than what we could see with the naked eye!

 

Mexican K-Mart…LOL!

[BooBooMonkey]

So, this is how our day went. We drove through town to the north side to see some expensive homes and resorts, as well as our stop at the store for supplies. After that, we headed inland toward the San Gervasio Ruins. The ruins cost $7.50 per person to get in. You can pay extra for a guide to tell you about it, but we chose to do it on our own. It is a pretty neat place, and they have signs telling you about the various areas. Here are some pictures:

 

 

 

 

 

It was already getting hot when we were there around 10:30 or 11:00. Also, there are mosquitoes, so you may want to wear bug spray. The area was nice, with a small eatery/bar and a small store (we did not use either), and clean bathrooms. They only take cash, so be prepared for that.

 

After the ruins, we stopped at a road-side stand to buy souvenirs. They had good deals there...so much so that I didn't bother to haggle on prices. We bought jewelry and a few other things. They had big blankets for $5 but we didn't want to haul them home,so didn't get one.

 

Next, we headed over to the east side of the island for some great photos.

[/url]We stopped at three places--Coconuts and El Mirador, and I can't remember the other one.

 

 

[BooBooMonkey]

After all our stops, we decided to stay at Playa Palancar for lunch and beach time. This was recommended by Gerry, and he was right on! It was great. A nice beach with food, drinks, tables with palapas, lounge chairs, clean restrooms, a changing area, etc.

 

The food was great. We ordered chicken tacos, beef tacos, and guacamole, (and chips and salsa were free), plus we ordered 3 drinks. It was about $30 plus tip and was plenty for the three of us. They do not take credit cards either, so bring plenty of cash. You can snorkel there, but it was slightly choppy that day, so we didn't really get too far with that.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Back to Gerry...

He is a very nice man and very knowledgeable about the island. He will make sure your belongings are safe in the taxi, and will go with you at each stop. We three women felt safe with him. I would definitely book with Gerry again next time we go to Cozumel. He is a gracious host and is flexible to do whatever you want to do.

 

Any questions, please ask.

 

Boo

Edited December 5, 2008 by BooBooMonkey

[pxgrant]

Has anyone done this lately? If so, who did you use? We've been to Cozumel many times but have never really seen the island, so this time (July 3) I'd like to hire someone to take us around. I know you can rent a car, but I'm not too keen on me or my husband doing the driving. I've read about Gaby, a driver you can hire for $95 for four hours, but it's been awhile since anyone has posted about using him. There will be three of us--myself, my husband, and 20-year-old son. We will be there from 8:00 to 5:00 with only one other ship in port. Any help would be appreciated!

 

We just returned from the Ruby Princess and we had GERRY from Cozumel Taxi who was WONDERFUL. He has a minimum 3 HOURS for $80 and each additional hour is $20. You can't go wrong. He MADE our day in Cozumel, believe me. His partner is Michael and you can reach him by emailing cozumeltaxi@hotmail.com. ASK FOR GERRY - He will either take you to places that you have researched or he will give you a tour which he thinks you will like (that's what he did for us and we had a ball).

 

HAVE A GREAT TIME. If you need further info - feel free to e-mail me at gpgrant1@msn.com. Peggy Grant

[CGinMTL]

I just booked Gerry for Jan and here are the new rates

.

Gerry has a station wagon which seats 4 average-sized adult passengers, and comes equipped with ice cold A/C, CD player (bring your tunes!) and a cooler if you choose to buy beverages and ice during your tour. A tour costs $95USD for the 1st 3 hours and $25USD per each additional hour.

He can also provide a van with the same amenities, which holds up to 8 passengers. A van tour will run $195USD for the first 3 hours and $40USD per each additional hour. Gerry regrets the increased charge, but since he does not have a van of his own, he must rent one.

Charges are per vehicle, not per person. There is a 3 hour minimum charge for all tours.

Beverages, lunch, park admissions, etc. are your responsibility.

Gerry has lived in Cozumel for over 10 years, so of course he knows all the popular tourist destinations as well as the out of the way gems

[jerry20001]

Those are the new official union controlled rates. I posted in the other thread "pressured by driver"? that the official minimum is slightly less than that for a shorter trip.

 

The union is sort of pushing this service to try to recover some of the market lost to cruise ship sold tours. A taxi can offer a much more personalized tour and stop as often as you like. I'd say four to five hours should be an expected minimum time depending on your interests. Try to see the town as well. The union wants this to be a quality experience so it is unlikely you would get a poor driver guide. Some would be better than others, but I doubt any would be disappointing.

 

There was another especially good driver that passed away last year that would often include a stop at his home to meet his family. People were treated to a cultural experience as well as scenic. Do a little online research of points that interest you, but don't hesitate to accept any suggestions. The drivers' goal is for you to be happy and extend the time and pay more. I think it really offers a good value for the money.

 

You can make advance arrangements, but this is a service that generally you can walk off the ship and quickly get a qualified driver. Sometimes excursions can be cancelled due to weather, water conditions and this can always be a good back up. The union will make every effort to insure you get a driver with both decent English and knowledge to offer a good tour. The price per person can make this one of the best values offered.

[Lowie]

for 6 people, 3 hours, what would be an appropriate tip for the driver?

[Grungycat]

We were unable to get Gerry and was able to get Lazaro, he was wonderful, very informative of the island of Cozumel. Told us stories about the island, pointed out things we would have missed on our own. He was very professional, personable and attentive to our desires and needs. Took us to a store for drinks and drove us for hours stopping anywhere we requested or where he thought we would like ( even a stretch of beach where we found conch shells. ) We have been going to Cozumel since 2000 and have never seen it as the beautiful island it is without Lazaro assistance. I would highly recommend anyone interested to contact them for a great day in Cozumel. I was able to reach them at cozumeltaxi@hotmail.com

If you are lucky enough to get Lazaro tell him Leslie and Rick says hi.

[wdowns9]

We had Gerry two weeks ago and had a blast. Having been to Coz three other times we were looking for something different (cultural side). He was waiting for us in front of Carlos n Charlies (arrived early) and we headed off to see the west side of the island where the rich live then headed into town investigating the churches/schools before heading out on the Transverse Road to the East side. We stop at a little to for souvenirs (very good prices) then headed to Mezcalitos for pictures followed by a drive down the old coast road. We could of stopped at Coconuts for pic but we've been there. We stopped at Playa Bonita for a food/drink break (very inexpensive and nice view) then to El Mirador followed by Punta Sur lighthouse. On the way back we stopped at a beach club for pictures and by-passed El Cedral (saw it already). Then we had him drop us off at the main square in town. Total time was 5hrs (was it more time then we need; yes) but we wanted to see more than the usual. Would I do it again; Yes. Gerry is fully aware that he drives slow and is will to pick up the pace if your pressed for time. We have a very injoyable trip and plan on meeting him again next Dec if not sooner. Contact Mike and make your reservations as it will be memorable. 5hrs $120 + tip

[MRENEE]

Gerry and the other guy are booked for feb 21, 2009 :( can anyone help me find someone else for 6 adults tour of the city no water actives.