hiring a driver for the day

[lady in tx]

I believe this is the same Eduardo....

 

 

 

http://www.toursplaza.com/home

 

 

They may have started requiring a deposit. I know Gerry very well and you would be amazed at the number of times he has been "stood up". One of the people even came back and posted pictures on Cruise Critic of their "good time in port" (pictures of the ship from the Cozumel dock) etc.....

 

at the time, I did not realize they were the ones who stood Gerry up or I would have called them on it.

 

Do they give you suggestions as to where to go or do you just tell them where you want to go?

[rjscott]

Do they give you suggestions as to where to go or do you just tell them where you want to go?

 

You can set your own itinerary or they are great at creating one for you depending on how much time you want to allot for your tour and what sorts of things you might want to do.

[lady in tx]

You can set your own itinerary or they are great at creating one for you depending on how much time you want to allot for your tour and what sorts of things you might want to do.

 

Thanks for your help! Been to Cozumel several times, but I'm thinking about having them show me where the locals hang out, etc. would be fun!

[rjscott]

Thanks for your help! Been to Cozumel several times, but I'm thinking about having them show me where the locals hang out, etc. would be fun!

 

We had been to Cozumel at least a half-dozen times, and I also was looking for something off the beaten path to do on our last visit. I came across a thread on private drivers and found the info on Gerry. This sounded like just the thing I was looking for, and it was. I don't think you'll be disappointed.

When we arrived in port, we had rainy, windy, very chilly weather. I could not believe we had to return to our cabin to put on long pants and a jacket. I did keep my swimsuit on underneath my clothes in hopes the weather would improve and we could snorkel later in the day as planned.

When we met up with Gerry, the first thing he did was suggest we regroup to talk about our day, due to the inclement weather. He had suggestions for an alternate itinerary. We never did get to snorkel, as, although the rain did stop, the wind stayed high, but we ended up having a great day nonetheless.

[LHP]

We had been to Cozumel at least a half-dozen times, and I also was looking for something off the beaten path to do on our last visit. I came across a thread on private drivers and found the info on Gerry. This sounded like just the thing I was looking for, and it was. I don't think you'll be disappointed.

When we arrived in port, we had rainy, windy, very chilly weather. I could not believe we had to return to our cabin to put on long pants and a jacket. I did keep my swimsuit on underneath my clothes in hopes the weather would improve and we could snorkel later in the day as planned.

When we met up with Gerry, the first thing he did was suggest we regroup to talk about our day, due to the inclement weather. He had suggestions for an alternate itinerary. We never did get to snorkel, as, although the rain did stop, the wind stayed high, but we ended up having a great day nonetheless.

 

 

Flexibility is one of the best parts of hiring a driver and being your own "boss".... lol

[psbaldi]

As a result of reading this board, I booked with Eduardo at the eduardoczm email address and had a great experience this past Friday while on Freedom OTS. He responded very quickly several weeks ago to say that Gerry wasn't available but Jose Luis was able to take us around the island for the $95 for 3 hours. We didn't have to do any Pay Pal then--don't know if that's changed. Jose Luis has lived on the island his whole life and made us feel welcomed and confident we were being taken for a GOOD ride. I told them to pick us up at noon which gave us too much time to kill at the dock, and as if he could read our mind Jose Luis was waiting for us just as described, but a half hour early! We went around town for a bit, and he made a point to point out some of the schools in the area, which I thougt was a nice touch for the kids. We went to Playa Bonita for lunch and stopped at a couple other beaches to play on the rocks and do some beach combing. We also stopped at a beach on the west side where the kids could do some snorkeling. Even though the three hours were quickly coming to an end, Jose Luis told us to relax and not worry about the clock. It was a great deal and a great time for the four of us.

 

I just e mailed eduardo and got an e mail to confirm via paypal....I only have 1 question before i make payment....I do not see where I meet the driver...where was it you met him?

[karansue]

Just wanted to let everyone how great Gerry is,we used him Jan 2010 and just this past week ,June 2011,both times we had him take us to the west side,first time the Lighthouse at Punta Sur,the natural bridge and Coconuts,this time we did the same but no lighthouse and also stopped at another bar,Playa Bonita.

Gerry is so nice,kind.He helped me climb up on the natural bridge and found coral for me on the beach,by the way do not let the security people know you have it at the ship checkpoint,they will take it,they found it in my bag,my mom had some and they did see hers.

Gerry's contact person Eduardo is very easy to contact,he always emailed me back within 24 hours,if not sooner.

I will do another tour with Gerry if ever back in Cozumel,feel free to email me with any questions,kajrn89@knology.net

[Daisy21015]

For those of you that have used Gerry - did you tip him in addition to the cost of the tour? If so, how much? Is it a percentage? We will be using the van and are thinkgin we may be 4 - 5 hours??

 

Thanks!

[love2relax]

Yes, a little over 20% of the total because we felt he was worth it. I have heard from others that they tipped any where from 10 to 20%.

[BigDog™]

We hired Gerry for our day in Cozumel this past Saturday (6/25) and he made it an amazing day. Just as we expected, Gerry was waiting for us at the head of the taxi line. We had let him know in advance we were not up for a lot of walking and he made the choice to bring the van even though there were only 2 of us so we would be more comfortable and have great views. Gerry is great at explaining all kinds of neat information about the island. He took us to many great places for pictures and local history. He knew the best shopping places too. The best part of our day was the trip to the East side of the island. Beautiful waves along the coastline and then a great lunch literally right on the ocean's edge. We spent almost 5 hours and it was a great $120 spent. We were also generous with our tip as Gerry went above and beyond with the attention he gave us.....and his serenades were magical!

[moya]

We just returned from a land based trip to Cozumel and hired Gerry for the day as we did not want to drink and drive. He was right on time and we had a wonderful full day with him.

 

We stopped at a small market on the way out of town and purchased different types of beer to sample. We also had a chance to sample and bought a bottle of Almond Tequila which is really good.

 

We then checked out all the different beach clubs and spent time to relax in hammocks at Punta Sur Park and climb light house. We stopped at the blow holes and El Mirador where Gerry made sure we were safe climbing over the coral to see the sights; then to the beautiful East side for lunch and a chance to sit on Brahma bull for photos.

 

Gerry was great and assisted with any thing we needed, gave us history of the island, took pictures and was very patient waiting for us to take in all the sights and just enjoy our day. He also has a wonderful singing voice.

 

When we go back to Cozumel we will certainly use Gerry again as a guide and driver.

[LHP]

I just e mailed eduardo and got an e mail to confirm via paypal....I only have 1 question before i make payment....I do not see where I meet the driver...where was it you met him?

 

Your driver will be waiting for you at the taxi stand.

 

You have to walk through the store area at the port to get to the taxi stand.

 

Of course, they are going to make you walk past all the stores to get from and back to the ship....lol

 

This group now has a Facebook page that you can "like" and have direct access to them with questions.

 

I don't want to port the link here...because it may be considered advertising (even though I am just a customer)...but if you look on Facebook and type in Hiring a Driver....it will direct you.

 

Hope you have a fabulous day in Cozumel.....

[artseeker]

We're thinking of hiring Gerry in January, but I have doubts if it's worth it to go to the "Tequila Factory", and at "Punta Sur", do they allow you to take pictures in the lighthouse? Can any one who has been there tell me, please?

[KroozFoolz]

at "Punta Sur", do they allow you to take pictures in the lighthouse? Can any one who has been there tell me, please?

I took pictures in the lighthouse a couple years ago. I never thought to ask if it was "allowed," I just took them as quite a few others did as well. The views from the top are fabulous!

[lady in tx]

I took pictures in the lighthouse a couple years ago. I never thought to ask if it was "allowed," I just took them as quite a few others did as well. The views from the top are fabulous!

 

 

I have to agree!! I never saw any signs that said it wasn't allowed! I took my camera and took several shots, Loved how they have small windows along the stairs where you can look out! Heck I even have one of the pics as my screen saver! Must do in Cozumel! Very beautiful views.:D Wish I could go back!

[JTS1992]

I am so happy I found this link. I will be arriving in Cozumel on the Allure of the Seas in November, so I will be booking a driver. If the Allure is schedule to arrive at 8am, what time are we actually off the ship to start a tour? Thanks

[arlodog]

When the ship is due to dock at 8am I usually allow myself an hour and start my tour at 9am. This allows plenty of time for most people to get off the ship and you have a bit of time to get your bearings before you meet your guide.

 

Have a great cruise!:p

[rjscott]

When the ship is due to dock at 8am I usually allow myself an hour and start my tour at 9am. This allows plenty of time for most people to get off the ship and you have a bit of time to get your bearings before you meet your guide.

 

Have a great cruise!:p

 

I agree with this. When we hired Gerry, we set our time for an hour after arrival in port. We were a bit early at our meeting point, but so was he, so we were all set to go.

[russandcheryl]

Just booked Gerry for Oct. 8, 2011

was an easy process through Eduardo's email

paid $100 deposit on pay pal

Looking forward to a Great Day !

[artseeker]

Thank you for your reply. I'll be sure to take as many pictures as you did, after all, I have flowers in my screensaver! :D:D:p

[artseeker]

You're right, after all it is a "tourist attraction", right? Thanks!:p:rolleyes:

[love2relax]

We used Gerry again for our day in Cozumel a few weeks ago. He was so considerate and informative. I appreciate that he provides suggestions if you don't know what to do, but let's YOU decide where to go.

 

He took us to a beach at the end of our tour (per our request) where we were provided with free snorkeling equipment in exchange for buying a few drinks afterwards.

 

Even though this was my third visit to Cozumel, I enjoyed it even more because of Gerry. When we stopped at a beach to take some photos, one of my travelling companions was having a hard time getting back down from some of the rocks. Gerry noticed, and went out there to hold her hand and help her down.

 

He is a terrific guy. I wish that every port had a guide like him to show us around.

[Daisy21015]

We just returned from the Allure western and a day with Gerry in Cozumel.

 

We met Gerry at the Taxi area after we got off the ship - he was there a few minutes early with a sign and meeting up with him was very easy.

 

He then got the air conditioned van (we were a party of 6) and we were off. I had given Eduardo, who coordinates for Gerry, a list of things we wanted to do and Gerry had that with him. We started with shopping, getting some drinks and driving around the town. Gerry was very patient while we shopped and knew so much about the island and it's history. We immediately felt comfortable with him.

 

From there we went to the San Gervasio ruins. We chose to spend the $18 for a guided tour of the ruins (in addition to the entrance fee). This was a great choice as we never would have gained as much on our own. Gerry waited for us and again was very accomodating to whatever time we wanted to spend at the ruins.

 

Next is was off to the other side of the island. Gerry had seen that one of our girls was enjoying all the iguana's so we stopped by a place where each of the girls could hold a very large iguan and have their picture taken for $1. They loved this. After the iguana photo session, the guy brought out a huge bull to see if we wanted picture on him - we passed!

 

We stopped at Coconuts for some pictures and then went to lunch at Playa Bonita - it was great! Awesome food, beautiful views and margarita's that will knock your socks off! We continued on to El Mirador and Punta Sur - beautiful!

 

Gerry then took us to Playa Planacar Beach - the girls were able to snorkel and swim and again, Gerry just gave us the time we wanted.

 

Our five hour tour with Gerry turned into a seven hour tour - he never watched the clock or made us feel rushed. The extra stop at the beach was his recommendation - and the girls loved it. On our way back to the ship, he sang for us and it was a great time!

 

Overall, we had a great day with Gerry and he couldn't have been a nicer guy and tourguide. I highly recommend him and will plan to use him again if our travels bring us back to Cozumel.

[Oneluckywoman]

We just returned from the Allure western and a day with Gerry in Cozumel.

 

We met Gerry at the Taxi area after we got off the ship - he was there a few minutes early with a sign and meeting up with him was very easy.

 

He then got the air conditioned van (we were a party of 6) and we were off. I had given Eduardo, who coordinates for Gerry, a list of things we wanted to do and Gerry had that with him. We started with shopping, getting some drinks and driving around the town. Gerry was very patient while we shopped and knew so much about the island and it's history. We immediately felt comfortable with him.

 

From there we went to the San Gervasio ruins. We chose to spend the $18 for a guided tour of the ruins (in addition to the entrance fee). This was a great choice as we never would have gained as much on our own. Gerry waited for us and again was very accomodating to whatever time we wanted to spend at the ruins.

 

Next is was off to the other side of the island. Gerry had seen that one of our girls was enjoying all the iguana's so we stopped by a place where each of the girls could hold a very large iguan and have their picture taken for $1. They loved this. After the iguana photo session, the guy brought out a huge bull to see if we wanted picture on him - we passed!

 

We stopped at Coconuts for some pictures and then went to lunch at Playa Bonita - it was great! Awesome food, beautiful views and margarita's that will knock your socks off! We continued on to El Mirador and Punta Sur - beautiful!

 

Gerry then took us to Playa Planacar Beach - the girls were able to snorkel and swim and again, Gerry just gave us the time we wanted.

 

Our five hour tour with Gerry turned into a seven hour tour - he never watched the clock or made us feel rushed. The extra stop at the beach was his recommendation - and the girls loved it. On our way back to the ship, he sang for us and it was a great time!

 

Overall, we had a great day with Gerry and he couldn't have been a nicer guy and tourguide. I highly recommend him and will plan to use him again if our travels bring us back to Cozumel.

We have a party of 6 as well...can you tell me what you paid Gerry for the day? Thanks in advance, will be on the Freedom of the Seas in November! :)

[LHP]

We have a party of 6 as well...can you tell me what you paid Gerry for the day? Thanks in advance, will be on the Freedom of the Seas in November! :)

 

We hired Gerry for 3 hours last January for 6 of us and it was $195 for 3 hours. I believe additional hours are $40 an hour but don't quote me....

 

We had our inlaws who are older and 3 hours was all they wanted to do.

 

It was a large passenger van that was clean with good air conditionig.

 

It was a wonderful day.