hiring a driver for the day

[tonymc]

Do anyone have Gerry's e-mail address? I want to do a tour in May!!!

 

We'd also be interested in contacting him. We were hoping to do the Cozumel Highlights Island Tour with Island Marketing but they don't have availability for the day we are on Cozumel.

 

From a couple of pages ago, it seems the e-mail address is cozumeltaxi@hotmail.com

Edited February 1, 2009 by tonymc

[susibell2]

We ooked Gerry for a tour last Nov and it was grear.Our ship arrived in Cozumel earlier than planned since we couldn't be tendered into Grand Caymen and when we got off the ship about 1/2 or so earlier than we needed to meet up with him he was already there waiting for us!!

 

We didn't stop at CoConuts for drinks since our friend couldn't walk up the stairs but we did tour the wild side of the island and stop at the tequila factory. They don't make tequila there but we did sample some great tequila. The place Gerry stopped for shopping was just a little roadside stand we weren't too impressed with it. We really just wanted to see more of Cozumel than just the main shopping areas and this was a great way to do it.When we first got in the van he brought out the map and asked what we wanted to do ,and he recommended some places so we just let him go.We stopped at El Mirada and he even found shells and coral for us he thoguht we'd like!!

I would definitly recommend him for a tour.

[pmdc5696]

Does anyone have a current number for Roger? I tried to call the cell phone posted and was unable to reach him.

[tonymc]

Rec'd my confirmation from Mike today!:) Plus a detailed listing of the 'meet up' area...

 

Minimum of three hours at $95.00 per excursion.. $25.00 per hour for any time additional.. Sounds like a nice day for the 3 of us..:p

 

We've also received confirmation for our visit to Cozumel on April 11th. :)

 

Just out of interest, our RCL itinerary says we arrive at 0700 and we've booked Gerry for 1000 local time - presumably the itineraries show local time?

[MAZ100]

Hi Boo

 

You adventure with Gerry sounded great. I am going to Cozumel in March on the Freedom with my friend. It is just the 2 of us. I see all the places that Gerry took you. When you book a tour with him does he alway take you to the places you went or did you customize the tour with Gerry that you wanted. While in Cozumel we want to go see San Gervasio ruins, maybe if time a beach not sure which one a good place to each mexican food and then shopping at the duty free area at the port.

 

Would I be able to customize what I'm looking for with Gerry or do they have a set tour they do when they go to San Gervasio.

 

Also was you're tour 3hours or more and how much was you're tour per person.

 

Thanks for any suggestions or help. My friend does not travel much and she's afraid of going in a cab in Cozumel and wanted me to find a tour company but can't seem to find that are reliable except for Gerry which everyone is talking about.

 

Thanks for all you're help and you're talk & you're tour with Gerry was very helpful to me.

[c-leg5]

Hi Boo

 

You adventure with Gerry sounded great. I am going to Cozumel in March on the Freedom with my friend. It is just the 2 of us. I see all the places that Gerry took you. When you book a tour with him does he alway take you to the places you went or did you customize the tour with Gerry that you wanted. While in Cozumel we want to go see San Gervasio ruins, maybe if time a beach not sure which one a good place to each mexican food and then shopping at the duty free area at the port.

 

Would I be able to customize what I'm looking for with Gerry or do they have a set tour they do when they go to San Gervasio.

 

Also was you're tour 3hours or more and how much was you're tour per person.

 

Thanks for any suggestions or help. My friend does not travel much and she's afraid of going in a cab in Cozumel and wanted me to find a tour company but can't seem to find that are reliable except for Gerry which everyone is talking about.

 

Thanks for all you're help and you're talk & you're tour with Gerry was very helpful to me.

 

 

Gerry is a very quiet and considerate gentleman. When you get in the taxi he will ask you where you would like to go. He has a map of the island and will make recommendations if you are not sure what you want to do. We took a tour with him last year and first we took my DD and her BF to Playa Uvas for their excursion and then we continued round the island visiting Playa Palancar (because I wanted to look at it for a future visit), Punta Sur to visit the crocodiles and lighthouse, various stops on the East side for photos and lunch (we invited him to join us for lunch) then back for a quick tour of the town area before returning to the pier. Our tour was about 4 hours. He is willing to stop wherever you want and will stay with you or leave you privately if you prefer, depending on the location.

[garptsmqt]

Gerry is worth the money. I would recommend having an itinerary of your own, though, as if you leave it all up to him you may end up at a place that is more to his liking than yours - but that's all a matter of taste.

 

We did the ruins, tequila factory far side of the Island and around town last March. We split the cost with our shipmates (4 of us) that we met at dinner, so it saved us some cash. The vanilla we bought at a store outside of the tourist area was less expensive and bakes better than the 'premium' stuff we bought near the dock...

 

Enjoy Cozumel, we hope to be back in May

[Name Of The Game]

So it's still $95 for three hours whether there's two of you or four people? How long did it take to visit the ruins, tequila factory and whatever else you did?

[garptsmqt]

I think we were there before the rate change I read about from a more recent post, but we paid a total of $120.00 and were gone for 5 hours, which included a leisurely lunch and several stops a scenic beaches (there is a coral bridge that is really cool) along with the ruins and tequila factory.

Edited February 8, 2009 by garptsmqt

[stlrboo]

We just booked with Gerry (via Mike) two weeks ago, and regretably, they had to raise his pricing to $95.00 for the first three hours (minimum of three hours), and $25.00 per hour thereafter..:)

 

That is for the excursion with up to four passengers in his SW... If you need a van, for more passengers, the pricing is different, tho' I don't recall the $$$, as he has to 'rent' a van for those occasions...:D

[Name Of The Game]

I think we were there before the rate change I read about from a more recent post, but we paid a total of $120.00 and were gone for 5 hours, which included a leisurely lunch and several stops a scenic beaches (there is a coral bridge that is really cool) along with the ruins and tequila factory.

 

Do you know where you were standing overlooking the water in the picture? Was that just a scenic stop he took you to?

[garptsmqt]

That was a scenic stop on the way back after lunch. We cut through the middle to start and then drove back along the shore. There is was a little stand there with trinkets and beer there if I remember correctly.

[Toddcan]

So it's still $95 for three hours whether there's two of you or four people? How long did it take to visit the ruins, tequila factory and whatever else you did?

 

Yes, it's $95 for the vehicle, not for each person. It does not matter if you have 1-2-3 or 4 people. So, if you go with 3 friends, and you split the cost, that's less than $25 each.

[Toddcan]

I thought I remember reading somewhere that shell collecting is illegal in Cozumel. Is this correct? My wife loves collecting shells, and we have Gerry booked for our July cruise. If it's legal, we'll so a little shell hunting :) Does anyone know?

[Grungycat]

I can not count the conch shells I have brought back from Cozumel. Someone told me as long as they are on the beach and you do not dive for them you should be ok. I have brought them back on Carnival, NCL and Princes and have never had a problem. We do not hide them from anyone and they go through the x-ray upon return to the ship. We used Lazaro with Gerry and MIke and he took us to some great spots for shells

Have fun

Leslie

[LHP]

I can not count the conch shells I have brought back from Cozumel. Someone told me as long as they are on the beach and you do not dive for them you should be ok. I have brought them back on Carnival, NCL and Princes and have never had a problem. We do not hide them from anyone and they go through the x-ray upon return to the ship. We used Lazaro with Gerry and MIke and he took us to some great spots for shells

Have fun

Leslie

 

Glad you had a great time. There are some beautiful spots on the East side that we had never seen in all our time of going there.....

[Cozumel_Tom]

I thought I remember reading somewhere that shell collecting is illegal in Cozumel. Is this correct? My wife loves collecting shells, and we have Gerry booked for our July cruise. If it's legal, we'll so a little shell hunting :) Does anyone know?

 

You can collect shells at most of the beaches on the east side. On the west side, just at the beaches north of Puerta Maya and International Pier. In all other areas, you are prohibited from taking anything out of the water or from the shore. Have a great vacation!

[careh]

We also hired Gerry for our recent February 19 trip. We booked him through the cozumeltaxi@hotmail.com email address and got prompt replies from Mike Thompson. It was our first time in Cozumel. We had arranged for us to meet him at 9 AM 'local time' (which is Central time) so that we had plenty of time to have breakfast on the ship and get off easily once most of the other passengers had disembarked. As soon as we left the 'duty free' zone we spotted Gerry holding a sign with our name on it. That was comforting to us and we expect he does it for all his bookings.

 

His station wagon is a small compact so fitting 4 average size people in it could be a bit tight. There were only 2 of us so we were fine. The day we went with him his vehicle A/C was not working all that well - so maybe check that he got it fixed if you plan to go when it is getting hot there.

 

We had brought along our own collapsable cooler which was filled with water bottles we had brought onto the ship. This can save you money over buying bottled water from the ship or from local vendors.

 

As described, Gerry is very familiar with the island and history. We asked him to just do the 'regular' stops - which included seeing the wealthy houses on the coast, seeing the town where we saw how the 'real people' live, then on to San Gervasio and the east coast. He has an arrangement with a open patio beach front restauarant on the east coast where he gets a free lunch when he brings in tourists. He will tailor the tour to whatever you want - just tell him.

 

We got to chatting with Gerry about family and so on. He mentioned he has a 4 year old daughter - if we had known ahead of time we could have picked up something from home to bring for her.

 

Things that kind of surprised us were that the speedometer did not work - nor did he always follow posted speed limits - which worked out fine as we sped along the long dirt road leading to San Gervasio - blowing past the tourists driving at the posted limit. Still if we had run into something we may have had differing thoughts. We left our camcorder in the back seat of the car at San Gervasio as we had heard something about them either not allowing or charging extra for a camcorder. Gerry said it would be safe - and it was... but.... When we came out the car was left at the entrance to the ruins area - engine running with the doors unlocked with the camcorder sitting in plain sight on the back seat and Gerry was inside the cafe area well out of sight of the car. So either he knows people won't steal from his car as other cabbies are watching or we were just lucky. I would suggest you take your valuables with you or bring along a towel to cover them to avoid potential problems. I did not see any sign about camcorders being extra or not allowed at the ruins so we likely could have brought it in.

 

As others mentioned, bring US cash for payment as not many outlying places will be equipped to take credit cards.

 

It took us 5 hours to do the trip - which meant we were back at the ship in plenty of time to wash up before the departure. The cost was $95 for the first 3 hour minimum plus $25 an hour for the additional 2 hours - plus tip. That is for the vehicle - so if you had 3 people you could split it 3 ways. As described in previous posts - he also has access to a van for larger groups.

 

We were very pleased with the trip and would go again with Gerry.

 

... And don't forget his daughter.

Edited March 6, 2009 by careh

[rae8836]

We followed the advice here, contacted Mike, and he said he would have Lazaro available for our visit to Cozumel on 19Mar. We did some research in advance and developed our own itinerary oriented more towards sightseeing and history than beaches and bars. Here's the 'after action report' I sent to Mike:

 

Got back today from our Western Caribbean cruise. Wanted to let you know right away just how pleased we were with Lazaro.

 

The meet went smoothly even though the ship changed time back one hour. Net result was we found Lazaro and his _very_visible sign at about 10:10 ship time, 09:10 local time. Hardest part of the meet was finding our way through the "Tourist Village".

 

Lazaro made his first good impression by taking us to the OXXO store to buy drinks and ice. It was quite clear that this was where the 'locals' went, and also quite clear that we were not being charged tourist prices. This relatively simple action established Lazaro as an advocate for us and increased our confidence in him.

 

Throughout our day Lazaro kept us informed about where we were and what was going on. When there were some very minor glitches with admissions and such, Lazaro jumped in to smooth things over. It was obvious that Lazaro knew many of the people we were dealing with, and it was obvious that there was mutual respect between them. We were able to benefit from the relationships Lazaro had developed in the past.

 

 

Lazaro's knowledge and awareness, coupled with his better than average english skills greatly improved our enjoyment of our day in Cozumel. He also gave us considerable insight into the Mayan heritage of this particular area. By the end of the day we felt that we had a new friend.

 

 

This was the first time we have visited a country where we did not speak the language, and we were more than a little concerned about how things might go. We feel our day with Lazaro made the experience much, much more interesting and enjoyable than it would have been without his involvement.

 

Please pass on to him a "Well Done".

 

RAE

....and we also had the experience of being checked out by the "Marine" drug-sniffing dog at a Military roadblock on the cross-island highway!

[spikera]

Hi Everyone, does anyone know if Gerry takes people on tours on the Mainland (i.e Playa del Carmen, Tulum). We are staying in Playa but going to a wedding on May 20th. Might be kind of fun to take a tour prior to going to the wedding. Or is he just in Cozumel?

 

Thanks everyone!

[SAAdds1]

Can someone give me an idea of an appropriate tip for a four hour tour with Gerry.

I would certainly not want to insult him. Is a $20 tip for a tour of 2 people too small?

[spikera]

I think when we did a three hour trip we tipped $25.00. I would go $30.00 for four hours.

 

Hope this helps. Just my opinion

[crewsweeper]

Hi Everyone, does anyone know if Gerry takes people on tours on the Mainland (i.e Playa del Carmen, Tulum). We are staying in Playa but going to a wedding on May 20th. Might be kind of fun to take a tour prior to going to the wedding. Or is he just in Cozumel?

 

Thanks everyone!

 

I think he's only in Cozumel. He would ahve to ferry his station wagon over to Playa to meet you. Sorry, but we've booked him for the 20th in Cozumel already:)--(3 of us room for 1 more?). You might be able to get Lazaro, who seems, by the above post, like he's a good tour guide.

 

Email Mike and ask him about tours in Playa. Mike is very good about replying and may direct you to someone if Lazaro can't do it.

 

Have a great time at the wedding:D

[mom2sons]

A little bit overdue in posting my praises for Gerry but wanted to make sure to get the word out!

 

Two girlfriends & I booked with Gerry (via Mike) as soon as we knew we were taking a cruise. We spent the Gerry in January of this year.

 

Gerry was waiting for us at the taxi line exactly as stated in Mike's instructions. No trouble to find him. The vehicle was very clean and Gerry was very personable right from the start.

 

We started off by going to the first of two local grocery stores (Chedraui). We were in search of local food items to take back as souvenirs (cookies, candy, alcohol, etc - non-perishable items). Gerry got a kick out of us, as most of his requests to stop at the grocery store relate to loading up a cooler with beer for the day, but we were more interested in the foods.

 

Gerry translated for us, helped with exchange rate, made sure we got the proper amount of change back, etc. Stuck by us the whole time while we dilly-dallied around the store.

 

When we went to the second grocery store (I think it was called Omni but I'm not sure) he waited patiently, walking around with us and even helping my friend to pick out a greeting card in Spanish, making sure the translation was what she wanted. Again, helping us with translations & making sure we got the correct change back.

 

We wanted to see non-touristy places/things. I believe we covered every paved road on the island. from one end to the other and down the middle :D.

 

Gerry spent hours stopping here, there & everywhere so we could get 1000's of pictures (each of us is into scrapbooking). He patiently backed-up or back tracked every time we asked to stop. We wanted a day of non-touristy stops and that's what we got! He also took numerous photos for us, so that we could be together in the photos.

 

We went to a local market that was like an indoor farmer's market type of place. Lots of vendors selling produce, meats, etc. Very fascinating.

 

Gerry took us to the most beautiful church & waited while we went inside. He drove us to a local pharmacy so we could purchase medications. We went to the local school. All along the route Gerry gave us lots of details about the island's history.

 

Along the Transversal road we stopped for more souvenirs. We had wanted to go to Coconuts for lunch but due to my friends' limitations with walking (both use canes to get around) Gerry suggested another restaurant called Playa Bonita. We had a table overlooking the beach. What an awesome view. When 3 gentlemen came around singing and playing instruments Gerry got up and joined them in a serenade of our table. It was really wonderful. Gerry sings quite well!

 

The food was fantastic and reasonable priced. After lunch we headed in the direction of Punta Sur, stopping along the way to climb the cliff. We didn't stop at Punta Sur but drove around the area for picture taking.

 

All in all, we spent a little over 7 hours with Gerry and had an absolutely fantastic day. he knows all the best places to stop and will gladly take you wherever you want to go. We had a general idea in mind of where we wanted to go but Gerry definitely made it extra special with "off the beaten path stops".

 

To get the maximum enjoyment from a day in Cozumel I highly recommend hiring Gerry to drive you around. Even with a slight price increase it is money well spent!

 

Cheers!

Shara

[spikera]

Thanks for the info Crewsweeper.. I have sent an e mail to MIke. We will see what happens.

 

THanks again!