Nochi Cocum

[fendbass]

My wife and I spent the day at Nachi Cocum in February during a stop of Granduer of the Seas. I was a little discouraged by the driveway and parking lot, but, once we got into the facilities, it wasn't too bad. The staff was friendly, and efficient, and other than the girl at the front gate taking our picture, and one pitch for water sports, we were not hassled to spend money

 

I wasn't thrilled by the beach, the sand is very soft, hard to walk in, and when we tried to go into the water, I sank in the sand up to my knees. There is no handrail on the steps going into the pool (I have very bad balance), and the hot tub wasn't especially hot. However, when we were on the beach, we had chairs under cover, which is what we wanted. When we were ready to leave, it took less than 2 minutes to get a taxi. fare is $14 each way

 

I was glad we went, we probably won't go again. Too much money for what we got

[Toyz711]

i had to be careful on those steps, myself. also, bad balance. but it was only 4 or 5 steps and i didn't have to carry anything down them...the servers did all of that.

we had no picture takers, other then me...no one hawking anything. there was the one guy that walks up the beach once in a while, asking the new comers if they want to go snorkeling or parasailing. after noon, even he was done...very quiet the rest of the afternoon. if the beach is more crowded, i could see that he could be kept busy and asking more people.

my DH is NOT a beach person and i was hearing about how much money it was:eek: , until he got there...i think he enjoyed it more then i did.

[stillcruisin']

This was our experience as well. I would NEVER recommend this place to anyone. Perhaps we caught them on a bad day, However, we had looked forward to this for a long time, we paid $200 for essentially the use of their beach and lunch and couldn't even get the "luxury" of beach chairs on their buggy beach. It is sad to have a whole port day turned upside down because of a bad vendor....

 

Never again....I would advise anyone looking at spending their port day here to go elsewhere.

 

Wow, I had decided this was the way we were going to spend our day in Cozumel. Now I'm not so sure. We're leaving in two weeks, and I feel like I need to start my research all over again. We're looking for a quiet less-crowded beach and don't want to spend a lot of money on food and drink. We just want the ambiance of a beautiful beach. Should I look at Mr. Sancho's instead? What about Passion Island? I really thought Nachi was the ticket since I had heard nothing but good about this beach. I would feel so ripped off if I'd had the experience Taleci had. Since this is the last stop on our cruise, I would really like to end it on a good note.

[kenf333]

Wow' date=' I had decided this was the way we were going to spend our day in Cozumel. Now I'm not so sure. We're leaving in two weeks, and I feel like I need to start my research all over again. We're looking for a quiet less-crowded beach and don't want to spend a lot of money on food and drink. We just want the ambiance of a beautiful beach. Should I look at Mr. Sancho's instead? What about Passion Island? I really thought Nachi was the ticket since I had heard nothing but good about this beach. I would feel so ripped off if I'd had the experience Taleci had. Since this is the last stop on our cruise, I would really like to end it on a good note. [/color']

 

Passion island is your best bet. There is a thread down below about it.

[wtcruzr]

We were at Nachi Feb. 14th and found none of those issues that Taleci did.

One time one person asked if we wanted to snorkle or parasail and one little girl came by selling shell jewelery and one no-thanks was enough. About 50 or 60 people there that day 95% couples and no children at all. We found it to be one of the most relaxing days of our trip. (and we had a relaxing trip) All I can do is heep accolades on Nachi Cocum as far as we are concerned. But I can see that if it got too crowded it could stress the servers.

[kenf333]

We were at Nachi Feb. 14th and found none of those issues that Taleci did.

One time one person asked if we wanted to snorkle or parasail and one little girl came by selling shell jewelery and one no-thanks was enough. About 50 or 60 people there that day 95% couples and no children at all. We found it to be one of the most relaxing days of our trip. (and we had a relaxing trip) All I can do is heep accolades on Nachi Cocum as far as we are concerned. But I can see that if it got too crowded it could stress the servers.

 

Glad you has a great day, the other posters review im sure is valid, same thing happens this time of year every year. I my self was not impressed when trying to deal with middle managemet of the company. I did get the issues resolved but it was not easy.

[stillcruisin']

Well, after being almost certain that Nachi was our beach, I think we're going to skip it now. We were going to do a discover scuba tour in Aruba and a beautiful beach (Nachi) in Cozumel. But because of some of the negative reviews I've read about Nachi (there have been others lately as well) and NO negatives about an equally beautiful beach in Aruba, I think we're going to do our beach day in Aruba and switch our scuba to Cozumel. The really great thing is that the Aruba beach is free!! So I'm saving the $100 it would have cost for Nachi and still enjoying scuba for the same price. Thanks, Taleci, for giving us a heads-up. I really think it will work out better for us this way. :)

[kenf333]

Well' date=' after being almost certain that Nachi was our beach, I think we're going to skip it now. We [b']were[/b] going to do a discover scuba tour in Aruba and a beautiful beach (Nachi) in Cozumel. But because of some of the negative reviews I've read about Nachi (there have been others lately as well) and NO negatives about an equally beautiful beach in Aruba, I think we're going to do our beach day in Aruba and switch our scuba to Cozumel. The really great thing is that the Aruba beach is free!! So I'm saving the $100 it would have cost for Nachi and still enjoying scuba for the same price. Thanks, Taleci, for giving us a heads-up. I really think it will work out better for us this way. :)

 

Cant say i blame you after all we went thru in that $20 thread. I hope you enjoy your vacation.

[vfb2girls]

Do you think that perhaps the time of the year that one visits would make a difference? Being that it is spring break could it be that the resort is just busier then usual? We are going the very first week in December and I am thinking that just maybe it won't be as hectic or busy. Like I mentioned before I still have enough time to really decide if this is something that we want to do. It is great though to hear everyone's different opinions.

[maxamuus]

Cant say i blame you after all we went thru in that $20 thread. I hope you enjoy your vacation.

 

No offense but i dont think you are exactly a unbiased opnion. You seem to point out all the failings of this company and in the other thread you are directing people to about Passion island you seem to know all the prices, that contracts are being renewed for excursions, email address people should email to make reservations or ask questions.

 

I would suggest readers as well as the moderators review your posts. Sure seems like you have more then a passing intrest here.

[2PinaColadas]

Well' date=' after being almost certain that Nachi was our beach, I think we're going to skip it now. We [b']were[/b] going to do a discover scuba tour in Aruba and a beautiful beach (Nachi) in Cozumel. But because of some of the negative reviews I've read about Nachi (there have been others lately as well) and NO negatives about an equally beautiful beach in Aruba, I think we're going to do our beach day in Aruba and switch our scuba to Cozumel. The really great thing is that the Aruba beach is free!! So I'm saving the $100 it would have cost for Nachi and still enjoying scuba for the same price. Thanks, Taleci, for giving us a heads-up. I really think it will work out better for us this way. :)

 

We are going March 19th. I have read a lot of positive reviews about Nachi, very few negative. I will give you a totally non-biased opinion when I return.

[Cruiser-66]

I must say I am shocked at the negative reviews about Nachi. We were there on March 4th. We were a group of 6. My husband and I early 60's, and DD and husband mid 30's with another couple mid 30's. We cruise every year, and this had to be one of the nicest days we've ever spent at a beach resort. We were not pushed to buy anything extra at all. The food and drinks were great. They were constantly waiting on us. They were very friendly and fun to visit with. The resort itself was very beautiful, and very clean! The only thing we hated was having to leave. I would recommend this place to my best friend, and I'm definitely going to go back! In fact we can't wait! For the price we paid we have never even came close to getting the food, drinks or service we got here. This was March 4th this year, so it's definitely fresh in my mind. To the person that has this booked, I say your missing out if you don't go. We loved Nachi Cocom!!!

[nauticaz24]

As I stated in the past, I have been twice, and have it booked again in 3 weeks. I have sent several people I know there, and not 1 has had a complaint, nor have I. That being said, every place is going to have an experience or two that is poor.

 

All I know is that 49$ is a pretty good deal for all you can drink and eat..Considering that pretty much every drink on the cruise is $7 on average after tip.. I know that I FOR SURE will have at least 7, plus the food, plus the nice beach and good service. Not a bad deal.

 

The last time I was there, they took the prerequisite picture when you arrive, as well as offered watersports once, and that was it. Not any worse than the annoying fake pirates or fake jamaicans the cruise lines put out to have your picture taken with! I did not feel any kind of hard sell or pushy people. I do know that I barely went more than a minute without a drink there, as their servers were on top of their game.

[blessedwith12]

This was our experience as well. I would NEVER recommend this place to anyone. Perhaps we caught them on a bad day, However, we had looked forward to this for a long time, we paid $200 for essentially the use of their beach and lunch and couldn't even get the "luxury" of beach chairs on their buggy beach. It is sad to have a whole port day turned upside down because of a bad vendor.

This was our day: We arrived around 10am and the taxi brings you to a parking lot that looks desolate and drops you off at a building that looks dilapidated from the outside. The interior was much nicer than however, when we walked in, it was obvious their only concern was to get $$$$ out of us. They have a girl waiting out front taking pictures (for a fee) and before even saying "hello", the staff are saying "$150 cash only" repeatedly. Then their staff starts trying to sell you more services...more on that below. Anyhow, after I paid the money I asked two staff members what we should do, what their set-up was, etc. and suddenly the people that clearly could ask for money just a moment earlier spoke no English. So we took our beach towels and positioned ourselves in the least crowded area we could find. The area we chose was not up close to their building, but still on their beach nonetheless. The beach was already quite full by the time we had arrived. Also, the nice thatched areas they show on their website fill up quickly, so if you are there on a crowded day like we were, I wouldn't count on getting one unless you arrive as they are opening. I didn't count how many there were while we were there, but in hindsight I would say less than a dozen. So essentially everyone pays the same fee, but does not get the same amenities.

I will say that their beach and pool was very picturesque, but that was not enough to make it a palatable situation.

5 times I asked them to bring us beach chairs because we were being eaten alive by ants while sitting on our beach towels on the sand. Everyone else we saw on the beach had been given chairs. More people arrived after us and were squeezing in closer to their building. Anyhow, each time I asked for beach chairs, I was told they would bring some to us, but each time the man came with the chairs he would stop at one of the newer arrivals and give the chairs to them. I even offered to carry our own beach chairs to our location, if they would just show us where they were. On my fifth request, we were told they had already given out all of the chairs and that they did not have anymore. So here we are, having paid $200 for the four of us (3 of which are non-drinkers) sitting in the sand being eaten by bugs and being harassed by their staff to buy additional services. The staff here are VERY pushy trying to sell massages, para-sailing, etc. and the staff did not take a "no, thank you" nicely. These people got right in our face and followed us to where we laid our towels harassing us to buy things.

Finally, I went to talk to the manager about the beach chair issue, and she had the audacity to say that if we had only positioned ourself closer to the building, we would have been given chairs. What????? I started complaining at that point and rather than try to work out the situation they immediately refunded 3/4 of our money and called us a taxi. Essentially I felt like we were asked to leave. However, it wasn't just our party....they lost more business that day because while we were waiting for a cab, another foursome complained right after us about the same issues and they were treated the same way we were. Essentially take 3/4 of your money back and get out.

For the record, I am always extra kind and gracious when I am traveling. I never want to give anyone reason to perpetuate the "ugly American" stereotype. So I go the extra mile to be exceptionally polite and friendly when dealing with people. There was no reason for the day to have ended up like it did, but it was obvious to me that they were a poorly managed facility that simply was not prepared for a busy day. It was easier for them to give a refund than to make the situation better.

Never again....I would advise anyone looking at spending their port day here to go elsewhere.

When were you there and what time of day did you arrive? I am going there 3/26 and now I am a little nervous.

[Cruiser-66]

I would try to arrive around 10am when they open. You can then pick your spot closer to the the area where you will get the most service, just in case it gets busy. When we were there it wasn't at all busy, but there was only 4 ships in port that day. This place is awsome, you will love it! Go there expecting to have a great day and you will. We found the staff to be very nice, and wanting to please us in every way. Enjoy!!

[orangewhip]

When were you there and what time of day did you arrive? I am going there 3/26 and now I am a little nervous.

I hope I am not repeating myself too much here from my previous thread, but I felt compelled with the couple of bad reviews to respond.

 

Yes it is better to to arrive early. We walked in at 9:00 and we were the first ones there. If you arrive around 1:00 you probably won't get a shaded seat. It did start to fill up at that time. We still had the pool to ourselves even up to 2:30.

 

It did seem like they were making some improvements when were there 3/25. It is not a 5 star resort and it's Mexico for God's sake. (I know that there are beautiful 5 star accomodations in Mexico, but what do you expect for $49 all you can drink and eat.)

 

There were ants on the beach, but not one of us was bitten by them. They aren't fire ants.

 

What we loved. There weren't that many people there and the food was great. Everyone seemed happy to help us and our 3 children.

 

We did arrive just before some other people who did not have a reservation they were charged the $20. And yes they had to be somewhat insistant. Of course they want you to pay the $49 it makes there life easier. They don't have to add up your check or bring your change. We felt we got a lot of value for our money.

 

The beach isn't quite as great as expected. But it's still a beautiful place to spend the afternoon. Don't let a couple of grumpy people change your trip. I love 5 star resorts as much as the next person. I guess its a matter of where you set your expectations and attitude.

[stillcruisin']

Our ship will be the last of EIGHT to arrive in Cozumel for the day, and I am hearing rumors our ship may have to tender. With eight ships AND spring break, I'm anticipating the crowds everywhere in Cozumel that day (including Nachi) will be rather large. From what I've read, Nachi is a great place on less-crowded days, but it doesn't sound like they handle large crowds very well. Since we probably could not even make it to Nachi until after 12:00, we would probably not get chairs, shade, etc. Not worth it for us. Perhaps we will visit Nachi on another trip--on a less-crowded day during the off season. It does sound wonderful on the good days. :)

[Taleci]

Our ship will be the last of EIGHT to arrive in Cozumel for the day' date=' and I am hearing rumors our ship may have to tender. With eight ships AND spring break, I'm anticipating the crowds everywhere in Cozumel that day (including Nachi) will be rather large. From what I've read, Nachi is a great place on less-crowded days, but it doesn't sound like they handle large crowds very well. Since we probably could not even make it to Nachi until after 12:00, we would probably not get chairs, shade, etc. Not worth it for us. Perhaps we will visit Nachi on another trip--on a less-crowded day during the off season. It does sound wonderful on the good days.[/color'] :)

 

I chalked up our bad experience with Nachi-Cocom to the fact that they were just way too crowded on the day we were there. There were 5 ships in port that day. No matter what the cause though, I could not recommend to anyone in good conscience knowing that our port day was totally turned upside down because they treated us poorly. Good customer service can make you overlook a lot, and the staff at Nachi-Cocom acted as though they couldn't be bothered.

 

We ended up at Paradise Beach upon the recommendation of the taxi driver that picked us up from Nachi-cocom. And while it was a place I could see getting totally out of control on spring break, it was tame when we there. It was pretty full, but the way our beach chairs happened to be positioned, we didn't feel crowded. I will admit that when we walked in, I thought we would be in for an elbow to elbow beach crowd with no personal space, but that wasn't the case. And while it was not as picturesque as Nachi-cocom, what they lacked in ambiance, they made up for with great service. We were graciously welcomed, immediately shown to beach chairs with umbrellas and had an excellent beach-side waiter that provided awesome, personable service. He really made our day enjoyable and after the bad experience at Nachi- Cocom the excellent service he provided was very much appreciated. The beach there was the limestone, rocky sort that is so common to the area, and even though they offer snorkeling, there was really nothing to see. They had water toys, like a trampoline and an inflatable iceberg you could climb. Our party of 4 was actually given 2 umbrellas. The food we had was fresh, tasted good (we ordered shrimp fajitas, shrimp quesadillas, grouper and grilled mahi) and reasonably priced. Only one person in our party was drinking and his bucket of beer was maybe $15 for Negro Modello.

The day we ended up at Paradise Beach, it was almost exclusively families hanging out. One thing that really impressed me was that one little girl had gone out to the water trampoline by herself and then was suddenly terrified. She was too afraid to jump off and started crying. Her mom noticed this and, I don't know what her story was, maybe she didn't swim, but she started panicking from the shore. One of the waiters noticed what was happening and immediately, they had staff out in the water getting the little girl and brought her safely to shore to meet her mom. I'm really impressed when people go beyond what is expected of them and show such kindness to others.

They had a gift shop at Paradise Beach with nicely priced items too. I bought a gorgeous necklace and pair of earring for less than $20 US, that I have received many compliments on since my return. It looks really similar to a necklace I saw in Macy's before we left that was $80, plus I bought matching earrings. :D

 

 

Also, to the person that posted about the ants not biting, I had red bumps all over my legs from the ants biting me at Nachi-cocom. I didn't see any ants at all at Paradise Beach, maybe they spray for bugs?

 

In summary Paradise Beach was not the "exclusive" beach day that is advertised by Nachi-cocom, but then again, for us, Nachi-Cocom wasn't the "exclusive" beach they advertised either. In the end we had a great day, spent a few hours and had lunch at the beach and then went shopping in town.

[kenf333]

I chalked up our bad experience with Nachi-Cocom to the fact that they were just way too crowded on the day we were there. There were 5 ships in port that day. No matter what the cause though, I could not recommend to anyone in good conscience knowing that our port day was totally turned upside down because they treated us poorly. Good customer service can make you overlook a lot, and the staff at Nachi-Cocom acted as though they couldn't be bothered.

 

In summary Paradise Beach was not the "exclusive" beach day that is advertised by Nachi-cocom, but then again, for us, Nachi-Cocom wasn't the "exclusive" beach they advertised either. In the end we had a great day, spent a few hours and had lunch at the beach and then went shopping in town.

 

Having dealt with both management staffs I agree with your review.

[wolfganghowell]

So far, I have seen ONE bad review. Although I have no reason to doubt that person's experience, changing your mind based on ONE review seems a bit alarmist. Do your research and make an informed a choice as you can.

 

We will be there April 4th and I'll come back with a report. We have gone to Paradise Beach three times and always had a great time. However, last time I noticed it got way too crowded around noon with some loud obnoxious types. NOT PB's fault - they can't vet their guests. But with 4 ships in port - 3 of them monsters (Voyager, Freedom and Conquest), I just wanted to have a nice relaxing 4 hours before engaging in debauchery at Carlos & Charlies. :D.

[kenf333]

So far, I have seen ONE bad review. Although I have no reason to doubt that person's experience, changing your mind based on ONE review seems a bit alarmist. Do your research and make an informed a choice as you can.

 

We will be there April 4th and I'll come back with a report. We have gone to Paradise Beach three times and always had a great time. However, last time I noticed it got way too crowded around noon with some loud obnoxious types. NOT PB's fault - they can't vet their guests. But with 4 ships in port - 3 of them monsters (Voyager, Freedom and Conquest), I just wanted to have a nice relaxing 4 hours before engaging in debauchery at Carlos & Charlies. :D.

 

Been several, you should have seen the two threads that got pulled.

[wolfganghowell]

awww ken - they always pull the good stuff. ;)

[kenf333]

awww ken - they always pull the good stuff. ;)

 

lets Just say they came very close to ruining around 14 families vacation because a tour wasnt any longer available. It took going to the owner of the company to get those people included. Shouldnt have to be that way. Middle management sucks at this place.

[tmackel]

We were at Nochi Cocum on 3/12. There were 10 other ships in port that day. We arrived at this resort at 9:15 and were greeted with open arms. They guided us to the beach put soft pads on our chair and took our drink order all in the first 5 minutes. At 10:30 we took the snorkeling tour for $35 each and went to two reefs (water and beer was served after snorkeling). Lunch was great (lots of food). We stay on the beach until 4:00 and took a taxi ($15) back to the ship. We had a great day and would go back in a heart beat!

[Lormark]

 

We will be there April 4th and I'll come back with a report. We have gone to Paradise Beach three times and always had a great time. However, last time I noticed it got way too crowded around noon with some loud obnoxious types. NOT PB's fault - they can't vet their guests. But with 4 ships in port - 3 of them monsters (Voyager, Freedom and Conquest), I just wanted to have a nice relaxing 4 hours before engaging in debauchery at Carlos & Charlies. :D.

 

Hey Wolfganghowell,

We'll be there that day as well. We'll have to meet at the M&M. We've also done Paradise Beach, which was fine. It all depends on your flexibility and expectations. BTW, is Howell your last name? Because we are Howells too.

 

Lori