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Scuba Forum / Scuba Locations / April 2006Cozumel - First Time
Money: The Mexican Peso is the official currency. The exchange rate varies daily and by vendor. Dollars are widely accepted. The exchange rate from local vendors can cost you unwittingly. The local grocer accepted dollars (register shows both dollars and pesos) with the exchange rate varying from 11.03 pesos to 11.14 pesos per dollar. (The rate was trending down during the week.) Merchants exchanging pesos for dollars offered approximately 10.5 to 10.9 pesos per dollar with the lower rates closer to tourist centers. Restaurants accepted dollars at 10.0 to 10.5 pesos to the dollar. While these rates sound close the detail of any particular transaction might leave you grossly overpaying for an item. Example: You go to McDonalds and buy one chocolate malt at a cost of 23 pesos. You hand the gal a $20.00 greenback. She returns to you 177 pesos (20 X 10 = 200) (200 - 23 = 177). How much did you pay for the chocolate malt? The rate of exchange is approximately 11 pesos per dollar so you paid 43 pesos for a 23 peso drink, almost double the menu price. How does that malt taste now? Paper Work: You need to fill out a declaration for your stay if you're a tourist. If you land in Cozumel the city is San Miguel and the state is Quintana Roo. You may have heard "it's just Cozumel", well that's true for the truly uninformed. Arranging Diving: There are many dive shops on Cozumel and your experience may vary significantly from my experience, but here goes. Research prior to departure was somewhat overwhelming due to the number of operators but worked to narrow the field. On the day of arrival I walked into the chosen operator and plopped down greenbacks sufficient for six days of two tank diving. It took about half an hour to find the place and hand them my paperwork and money. (Forms are available on line so they were completed prior to departure.) Talk about buying a pig in a poke. Cozumel operators cater to a diverse crowd. Cruise ships expel thousands of anxious people some of whom dive. Ferries from the mainland regularly deliver a cargo of divers and snorkelers. Vacationers on the island arrive with the expectation of great diving. To accommodate the masses the offerings appear to be of three general types: high-capacity relatively slow vessels, low-capacity relatively fast vessels, and specialty or niche offerings using fast or slow vessels. Per dive prices are the lowest on the first type and highest on the last type of offering. Within each class a variety of different service levels are offered and you're not really sure of what you're going to get, except maybe on the specialty or niche offerings. There is also something called "EDP". It means experienced diver program. I chose the fast boat and requested EDP. Each of these two options cost more money. EDP requires a minimum of four divers so it's not always available. Diving: Varies in quality from poor to excellent, depending on the site. Most sites are very good. It's expensive or fairly costly, depending on your point of view. My first two days of diving were no EDP, fast boat. The dives were structured to the level of obsessive. Not much fun and very quick turn around from dock to dock. The operator had specified pickup locations that you needed to get to board the boat. The boat was always early except for one day when the water was too rough for the boat to dock. That day it was necessary to pay a taxi for a ride to the marina a few miles away. The number of divers varied from two to six. On the third day it was still not EDP but there were but two divers, three with the divemaster. The third trip was somewhat less structured. The last three days were EDP with the same group of divers. This was fun diving because it was structured within reasonable limits. The last day I did a shore dive in the afternoon. A tank of air and weights cost $6 and there was not a problem with a solo diver getting a tank. (Unlike my most recent experience on Grand Cayman where the dive shop bozo wouldn't rent a tank to a solo diver.) It cost $379, if the tab is added correctly, most of the cost related to the 12 boat dives. For that money I received 11 hours and 39 minutes of time underwater, consumed 19,782 pounds of air from aluminum 80 tanks, and added salt water profiles that mirrored my existing dive log. Diving costed at over 54¢ per minute or just less than 2¢ per pound of air. (These unit prices are meaningless in the real world.) Looking back on my dive profiles I see quite a number of ascent warnings on certain dives. I see it was 40 feet from the bottom of the reef to the top of the reef and moving from bottom to top took 40 seconds. A couple of the dives the current was just ripping. So if you don't want to go with the flow you may not like certain of the sites. It was always possible to swim against the current but that's like beating yourself with a rubber bat - it's rubber but eventually it will hurt. The current moves you along so you see more without finning but if you want to stop to savor a view it may not be practical. Diving in the south and moderately deep to deep is pristine. It reminded me of Cayman Brac's reefs my first time Caribbean diving. Accommodations: This is a first. No cockroaches or bugs of any kind, ever, during the entire trip. Cozumel is extremely clean! Better than Hawaii. The room was spacious, faced the ocean, and buffet breakfast was included in the price of the hotel. It was great to eat a hardy meal and then strut to the dock for pickup. Regrets: It would have been nice to dive the two-tank afternoon dives but that was another $300. That added cost would have meant that diving cost more than the airfare, lodging, and meals combined. I just couldn't justify it. Another thing to consider when visting Cozumel. Be careful to understand what will happen when you use your credit card. We paid for our diving with a credit card. The shop converted our agreed upon price, in dollars, to pesos at an exchange rate quite favorable to himself. The cost was later converted back to dollars, with a fee charged for the exchange. The overall effect was a considerable increase in the cost of our diving. Had we known we would be cheated in the transaction, our tip would have been considerably less or we would have paid the agreed price in cash rather than give the operator control of the transaction and an opportunity to add to his benefit at our expense. Lee > Another thing to consider when visting Cozumel. Be careful to understand > what will happen when you use your credit card. We paid for our diving [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] > > Lee I've had the exchange via CC cut both ways. In the olden days - whenever that was - things seemed to be very favorable for the card holder. I'm thinking about $35 cheaper for using the card on maybe a $300 tab. (Charged in pesos similar to your transaction but in a different country.) Then things changed, probably disclosed on those notices with the bill that go directly in the garbage. Now I just pay with dollars or find a money changer with the most favorable rate. I won't use a CC unless forced to do so. >Another thing to consider when visting Cozumel. Be careful to understand >what will happen when you use your credit card. We paid for our diving with [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] > >Lee That happens all over the island. If we are paying by credit card, we haggle in pesos. It helps to speak enough Spanish to say "we'll come back later". THAT will get the price down, especially when the cruise ships are in town (we'll come back means we'll never come back)  Signaturedillon I didn't climb to the top of the food chain to become a vegetartian. >>Another thing to consider when visting Cozumel. Be careful to understand >>what will happen when you use your credit card. We paid for our diving with [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] > >That happens all over the island. If we are paying by credit card, we Happens EVERYWHERE outside the US where currency isn't on par with the US$. And even sometimes when it is. We were in the DR and they had a price for meals in US$, but they charged it on our card as pesos, and then the credit card company charged us to convert it to $US. But that's not as bad as the card that charged us an extra fee to change from Bahamian dollars to US$. >haggle in pesos. It helps to speak enough Spanish to say "we'll come >back later". THAT will get the price down, especially when the cruise >ships are in town (we'll come back means we'll never come back) grandma Rosalie > Happens EVERYWHERE outside the US where currency isn't on par with the > US$. And even sometimes when it is. I'm not sure about that. I've actually been to countries where prices aren't quoted in U.S. dollars. >> Happens EVERYWHERE outside the US where currency isn't on par with the >> US$. And even sometimes when it is. > > I'm not sure about that. I've actually been to countries where prices > aren't quoted in U.S. dollars. And some of us live in countries where you can get credit cards which gives you a commercial currency rate without conversion charges. See http://www.nationwide.co.uk if you're a UK resident. Jason SignatureSee http://www.scuba-addict.co.uk/ for Caribbean trip reports including Aruba, Cuba, Grand Bahama, Barbados, St Lucia and Mexico >> Happens EVERYWHERE outside the US where currency isn't on par with the >> US$. And even sometimes when it is. > >I'm not sure about that. I've actually been to countries where prices >aren't quoted in U.S. dollars. That's not exactly what I meant. If I understand what you are saying, which I may not. Some places people use pesos or rubles or other forms of currency. Prices in those places are often quoted in the local currency although they may accept US$$ or they make take a US credit card and charge it in the local currency. They may or may not make out on the exchange rate. But in some places, people use $$, but they aren't US$$. (Belize, Bermuda, Canada, the Bahamas and I think Barbados). Some of those places (Bahamas and Bermuda) a US$=Bz$=Bermuda$. So the money is on a par with the US$. No math is required to make the transition. Just because I've charged an $1800.00 doctor bill in Bahamian $$ it doesn't IMO require any particular special handling by the credit card company that would require that they charge me 4% of the bill for currency conversion. It gets them an extra $72 for no extra work or value added. And not ALL credit cards do this - it's not required by the ICC or anyone. It's just gravy for them. grandma Rosalie > But in some places, people use $$, but they aren't US$$. (Belize, > Bermuda, Canada, the Bahamas and I think Barbados). Some of those places > (Bahamas and Bermuda) a US$=Bz$=Bermuda$. So the money is on a par with > the US$. No math is required to make the transition. What has what they call their currency got to do with anything? Why on earth would you think that you would get a better deal on Canadian Dollars compared with British Pounds, just because they're called dollars? > Just because I've charged an $1800.00 doctor bill in Bahamian $$ it > doesn't IMO require any particular special handling by the credit card > company that would require that they charge me 4% of the bill for currency > conversion. It gets them an extra $72 for no extra work or value added. > And not ALL credit cards do this - it's not required by the ICC or anyone. > It's just gravy for them. It's all electronic these days anyway. When the transaction goes through, it's done at the current rate. Whether this varies or not is surely irrelevant? On currencies fixed to the US dollar, there might be a smaller bid-offer spread, but since it's a lot less than 1% for commonly traded currencies, it's a tiny part of the cost. You are paying for transfers between different countries, but yeah, at 4%, your bank is taking the piss. Find a new one. Jason Signaturehttp://www.scuba-addict.co.uk/ for trip reports including diving the wreck of the President Coolidge in Santo, Vanuatu >> But in some places, people use $$, but they aren't US$$. (Belize, >> Bermuda, Canada, the Bahamas and I think Barbados). Some of those places [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] >earth would you think that you would get a better deal on Canadian >Dollars compared with British Pounds, just because they're called dollars? Canadian $$ have an exchange rate - they are not on par with US$$. >> Just because I've charged an $1800.00 doctor bill in Bahamian $$ it >> doesn't IMO require any particular special handling by the credit card [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] >It's all electronic these days anyway. When the transaction goes through, >it's done at the current rate. Whether this varies or not is surely Yes it is done at the rate at the time the charge gets to the bank. But if there is NO exchange rate, then it doesn't vary AT ALL. If I charge a $10 meal in the Bahamas, there's no RATE involved. It is the same as if I charged a $10 meal in the US. >irrelevant? On currencies fixed to the US dollar, there might be a smaller >bid-offer spread, but since it's a lot less than 1% for commonly >traded currencies, it's a tiny part of the cost. Some currencies are fixed to the US $$ but are NOT on par, so there is a transaction rate to be done. (Math). In those cases, I have to check and see if they've really done the math. For instance a Belize $ or a Barbados $ is worth about US 50 cents. So if the credit card assumes that I've charged in US$, it will charge me twice what the actual price is. >You are paying for transfers between different countries, but yeah, at 4%, >your bank is taking the piss. Find a new one. > >Jason I had to pay some big medical bills in the Bahamas. One card had no transaction or transfer fee at all. They just did a straight transfer and did not charge me anything for it. Because I thought I might get to the limit on that card, I charged part of the bill on a second card. This card charged me 4%. What was really funny was, the original bill was an estimate. So when the actual bill came in, the hospital refunded their overcharge. And this credit card refunded the 4% on that part of the bill. grandma Rosalie > Yes it is done at the rate at the time the charge gets to the bank. But if > there is NO exchange rate, then it doesn't vary AT ALL. If I charge a $10 > meal in the Bahamas, there's no RATE involved. It is the same as if I > charged a $10 meal in the US. There's still an exchange rate even if it's 1:1. You're still converting electronically between Bahamas and US dollars. And it's still going between the two countries' banking systems. Jason Signaturehttp://www.scuba-addict.co.uk/ for trip reports including diving the wreck of the President Coolidge in Santo, Vanuatu > It's all electronic these days anyway. When the transaction goes through, > it's done at the current rate. Whether this varies or not is surely > irrelevant? On currencies fixed to the US dollar, there might be a smaller > bid-offer spread, but since it's a lot less than 1% for commonly > traded currencies, it's a tiny part of the cost. It is not all electronic and it's not always at an official rate. That's the point. I started this with my experience in Cozumel, where I negotiated a price for my diving in US dollars. When I gave the guy a US credit card, he converted the dollars to pesos at a rate much more favorable to him than the official exchange rate. My bank converted back for a fee. As a result, I paid him considerably more than I bargained for and I paid my bank on top of it. Lee > I started this with my experience in Cozumel, where I negotiated a price > for my diving in US dollars. When I gave the guy a US credit card, he > converted the dollars to pesos at a rate much more favorable to him than > the official exchange rate. My bank converted back for a fee. As a > result, I paid him considerably more than I bargained for and I paid my > bank on top of it. There are very few places where they'll bill a credit card in anything other than the local currency in my experience. The Maldives is one, but then the tourist economy is virtually separate and all in dollars. I was also offered to option to be billed in pounds at Barcelona airport but declined. At least if the credit card company are doing the conversion, I know what I'm going to get charged. Jason SignatureSee http://www.scuba-addict.co.uk/ for UK diving reports and the UK Underwater Visibility Database. View the database or add your own report In article <5l7a42lgo4shrsqsp3b7cajc85k3osgpd6@4ax.com>, . >That happens all over the island. If we are paying by credit card, we >haggle in pesos. ... Yep. If you are paying with a credit card, always negotiate in the local currency. That way you only get the "benefit" *NOT* or one currency conversion -- the one your credit card company makes to bill you in dollars. In fact, if you're using cash or travelers checks, it is best to change them to the local currency at the local bank. Usually a better exchange rate than the local shops and restaurants offer. You can also get Pesos with your ATM card as several places in Cozumel. This is another good way to go. The problem with carrying local currency is that you may end up with too much and then have to take the loss changing it back to US$. I bit of advance planning helps. Us up the local currencly and then pay your balance with a credit card. SignatureCharlie Hammond -- Hewlett-Packard Company -- Ft Lauderdale FL USA (hammond@not@peek.ssr.hp.com -- remove "@not" when replying) All opinions expressed are my own and not necessarily my employer's. > The problem with carrying local currency is that you may end up with > too much and then have to take the loss changing it back to US$. That's what airport bars are for. > That happens all over the island. If we are paying by credit card, we > haggle in pesos. It helps to speak enough Spanish to say "we'll come > back later". THAT will get the price down, especially when the cruise > ships are in town (we'll come back means we'll never come back) Can't you just say "we'll come back later" in English? >> That happens all over the island. If we are paying by credit card, we >> haggle in pesos. It helps to speak enough Spanish to say "we'll come >> back later". THAT will get the price down, especially when the cruise >> ships are in town (we'll come back means we'll never come back) > >Can't you just say "we'll come back later" in English? Yeah, but for some reason it has more impact in Spanish. And they can't give you that blank "no hablo ingles" look. Speaking Spanish put you in a power position in negotiating. Not sure exactly what it is. And it prevents two clerks from collaborating. Or don't speak Spanish until you catch them exchanging some valuable information. We were looking at a blouse for Carol a couple years back and one clerk said to the other "it only costs 100 pesos, let him have it for 200" (the blouse was $25). I immidiately said "ciento viente pesos" and finally got it for 150. Signaturedillon I didn't climb to the top of the food chain to become a vegetartian. Im not sorry they overcharge you. They must have known it was you........... >Another thing to consider when visting Cozumel. Be careful to understand >what will happen when you use your credit card. We paid for our diving with [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] > >Lee > Money: The Mexican Peso is the official currency. The exchange rate > varies daily and by vendor. Dollars are widely accepted. The exchange [quoted text clipped - 92 lines] > more than the airfare, lodging, and meals combined. I just couldn't > justify it. Regarding the exchange rate, are we going to all these exotic places just to penny pinc? Even if one overpays by say 20 pesos, that's less than 2 bucks. In the grand scheme things, you spend thousands for a trip to Coz and so the 2 bucks is such a very small percentage of the trip expense, it almost amounts to "noise". If you really want to save on something that matters, the hotel room and the flight are probably the big ticket items where you can really save quite a bit. Exchange rates are not something that will mattter that much and so it's just not worth the time and effort of trying to maximize the pesos you get for your dollars. Why worry about that when you're on vacation and trying to relax. > Regarding the exchange rate, are we going to all these exotic places just > to penny pinc? Even if one overpays by say 20 pesos, that's less than 2 > bucks. In the grand scheme things, you spend thousands for a trip to Coz What about the respect issue of going to another country and expecting them to accept your currency? It's one thing to go somewhere where there's a fixed rate, but another when it's a floating exchange rate. Your attitude could be perceived as knowing you're being ripped off, but not caring because you're so much richer than them, so you can't be bothered to change your money. Jason Signaturehttp://www.scuba-addict.co.uk/ for Aussie diving reports including Cape Tribulation, Cairns, Airlie Beach, Exmouth and the HMAS Swan >> Regarding the exchange rate, are we going to all these exotic places just >> to penny pinc? Even if one overpays by say 20 pesos, that's less than 2 >> bucks. In the grand scheme things, you spend thousands for a trip to Coz I don't spend thousands if I can help it. When I last went to Coz, I went on a ticket that I got by taking a bump, and I stayed in the least expensive place I could find. It didn't cost thousands. And it isn't necessarily just 20 pesos. If every time you take a cab where you know the price in pesos is say 90 pesos, and you pay in $$ and get the rough end of the exchange you are losing 40-50 pesos a ride, and if you ride to and from the dive operation every day that's 100 pesos a day. Why do that? >What about the respect issue of going to another country and expecting >them to accept your currency? It's one thing to go somewhere where there's [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > >Jason grandma Rosalie >> Regarding the exchange rate, are we going to all these exotic places just >> to penny pinc? Even if one overpays by say 20 pesos, that's less than 2 >> bucks. In the grand scheme things, you spend thousands for a trip to Coz I don't spend thousands. Perhaps one thousand total. Ron Lee >>> Regarding the exchange rate, are we going to all these exotic places >>> just [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > > Ron Lee OK so say you spend a thousand. Let's say you are very careful and really seek out the best exchange rates around and it ends up saving you $20. That's 2 %. But what about the time you wasted going to the other end of town because they had the best exchange rate? My assertion still holds. When I travel, exchange rates are the least of my worries. Heck, you could blow $20 just like that going to a "terrible" restaurant that you happened to pick at random. >>>> Regarding the exchange rate, are we going to all these exotic places >>>> just [quoted text clipped - 12 lines] >$20 just like that going to a "terrible" restaurant that you happened to >pick at random. What makes you think that a) getting the best exchange rates wastes time? b) that one picks restaurants at random? Particularly in Coz grandma Rosalie >>>> Regarding the exchange rate, are we going to all these exotic places >>>> just [quoted text clipped - 12 lines] >$20 just like that going to a "terrible" restaurant that you happened to >pick at random. You get essentially the official exchange rates at the ATMs. No standing in line. No wasted time. Most of my expenses are paid in dollars so all of this is of little relevance, but your point is valid. Just avoid the cambios and use ATMs. Ron Lee >> Money: The Mexican Peso is the official currency. The exchange rate >> varies daily and by vendor. Dollars are widely accepted. The exchange [quoted text clipped - 18 lines] >> Quintana Roo. You may have heard "it's just Cozumel", well that's true >> for the truly uninformed. The city is actually San Miguel de Cozumel, to distinguish it from the dozen other San Miguels in Mexico. Such as San Miguel de Allende. And you CAN get by with Cozumel, Q. Roo. We've been doing it for years. >> Arranging Diving: There are many dive shops on Cozumel and your >> experience may vary significantly from my experience, but here goes. [quoted text clipped - 80 lines] >to maximize the pesos you get for your dollars. Why worry about that when >you're on vacation and trying to relax. Signaturedillon I didn't climb to the top of the food chain to become a vegetartian. "ben bradlee" <NoWay@Way.Bite.Me> pounded away at his keyboard resulting in: :Money: etc Glad you had a good time. Thank you for taking the time to write this report. Did you see any fish? Dan Bracuk If we don't succeed, we run the risk of failure. > Glad you had a good time. Thank you for taking the time to write this > report. > > Did you see any fish? You're welcome. Indeed there were fish. Also saw a couple eagle rays (quite a sight), nurse sharks, squid (quite a sight), worms, turtles, lobster, crabs, lots of stuff actually. On the shore dive while returning to the steps I even happened along a couple young humans working up to the act of procreation. I asked the young man when exiting the water why he wasn't in church. He looked at me perplexed and said "inglés". I said "no, inglesia". In bed that night I chuckled to myself as I wondered if he figured out what I saw. I doubt it at that age. > Money: The Mexican Peso is the official currency. The exchange rate varies > daily and by vendor. Dollars are widely accepted. The exchange rate from Why anyone would go to a foreign country and not use the local currency for day to day expenses is beyond my comprehension. Since I practically live there, I'll offer a tidbit... the absolute instant you get the chance, get thee to a local bank and exchange everything you got. Morning is always better than afternoon, and the local bank offers a better exchange than anyone. Since I'm there a lot, any leftovers are kept until I return. Argue in pesos, pay with pesos, save with pesos. Since I spend my pesos off the main trail, I'll tell ya there are places that never want to see your plastic or dollars, and I can't blame them - who needs the hassle? Signaturejer email reply - I am not a 'ten' > Why anyone would go to a foreign country and not use the local currency > for day to day expenses is beyond my comprehension. Because: It takes time to exchange currency. It costs money to exchange currency. If you don't know how much money you will need, for example a first time visitor with zippo experience, it would be easy to exchange too much or too little - obligating you for a second or even third trip to the money store. > Since I practically live there, I'll offer a tidbit... the absolute > instant you get the chance, get thee to a local bank and exchange [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > are places that never want to see your plastic or dollars, and I can't > blame them - who needs the hassle? I agree with you. But then, it's possible to commit economic suicide by changing money at the official rate in some countries. >> Why anyone would go to a foreign country and not use the local currency >> for day to day expenses is beyond my comprehension. [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] >much or too little - obligating you for a second or even third trip to the >money store. Exchange money? Why? ATMS dispense pesos at essentially the official rate. I used to exchange travellers checks for pesos but no more. If I have extra left I use it for the next trip. Ron Lee > Since I spend my pesos off the main trail, I'll tell ya there are places > that never want to see your plastic or dollars, and I can't blame them - > who needs the hassle? Plastic, sure. But there aren't too many third-world people in the western hemisphere that would turn down greenbacks. |
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