Been to Cozumel a couple of times and I have to say that unless you are scuba divers, you’re probably better off going somewhere else in the Yucatan. Coz is well known among divers and the diving is world class. Most of the resorts are geared toward diving. There are some beaches, but I wouldn’t say it is known for it’s beaches.
Right across the channel, however, is a wonderful beach/town called Playa Del Carmen. I know it is very popular with the europeans, and the beach there looks great. Unfortunately, I don’t know of the resorts there, and what they may be like. But it would be worth looking into.
If Playa doesn’t pan out, then a sure bet would be Cancun. Cancun is WAY more built up than either Cozumel or Playa Del Carmen (like 300X more built up). But it is known for nice beaches, some snorkelling, and ample people willing to bring you those mai tais on the beach. May not be that much different from your Acapulco experience, but it sounds like that is what you are looking for.
A cruise will blend the laziness of a vacation plus the active see things part. The days on the ship can be spent soaking up the sun, boozing it up and eating great meals. There are also activities, parties, shows and contests if you do get bored. Then when you’re off the ship, you get to explore a few different places and see what you like. I went on one a few years ago and had a blast - and the only organized thing we did was an excursion in Grand Cayman to see the stingrays. The Caribbean is beautiful.
After I spent the morning in the emergency room getting my finger stitched back together (please don’t ask because it’s embarrassing that I’m essentially too stupid to be allowed to live), I spoke to a travel agent, and she said pretty much the same thing. We like to snorkel, but neither of us are SCUBA certified, so we have decided to look at the Riviera Maya (which includes Playa del Carmen). One of the biggest draws for us (well, for me, really) is that the Riviera Maya is very eco-tourism-oriented: lower buildings, near national parks, etc. Cancún is a little too crowded for us, we think, although it has not been 100% ruled out yet. Wherever we stay on the mainland, we can always take a day trip to Cozumel, so I think we’ll be happy in any case.
We have, but I don’t think hubby is keen on it right now, and I don’t want to push it. There was one in particular that I thought sounded awesome, which went to the “Exotic Western Caribbean.” Both Cozumel and the Riviera Maya were included in the ports of call (as well as Belize, where my friend went on a rainforest tour where she saw real live monkeys in the wild - monkeys!) He said he didn’t want to be “cooped up” on the boat for a week. Whatever. At least he agreed to go somewhere, as long as I make the arrangements. I will work with what I can get.
The good news, since you are dealing with an addition, you may be able to avoid the Divorce Wallpaper Problem. The short version of the story is this: we redid our dining room after we bought our house, and it is an older house (build c. 1928), with plaster walls that are not plumb in any direction. Trying to get a wallpaper border to hang straight in that room was a nightmare – and that does not even include the problems we had with Adhesives, Paint Matching, and of course Taping Off The Trim. It took us almost six months to actually eat in that room when we were done.
Since we’re doing most of it ourselves (i.e., not hiring a contractor), yes, we should be able to make it a Divorce Addition. It will involve a bathroom and a kitchen enlargement, so there’s always hope.
:smack:
Didn’t the coast of Mexico sustain heavy damage from all the hurricanes last fall? Check to make sure your facilities are rebuilt, pool functioning, etc. A friend of mine was on a scuba trip to Cozumel during one bad hurricane and that trip was way worse than a bad day at the office.
Actually, yes. This is in part while we are dealing with a travel agent this time (we haven’t in the past). Our agent comes highly recommended, and she would not send us somewhere she herself wouldn’t stay. (I hope, anyway.) This is also why we “expanded” our search into the Riviera Maya – quite a few of the resorts in Cozumel got hammered by Hurricane Wilma. Some of them are not scheduled to re-open until March.
I was all set to tell you to save up the money and then surprise him, when I saw the further post indicating that he doesn’t want to deal with the hassle of planning the vacation. Enjoy planning! Please don’t ignore the finances issue though - while the break will certainly do you good, a little planning will probably go a long way to making this a guilt-free vacation (not to mention avoid quarrels later).
That being said, trupa and I (and little trusquirt ) recently went for our first non-family vacation in 4 years to a lovely beach all-inclusive in the Carribean - 2 week stay. I’m normally the cultural vacation type, and was concerned I would be bored stiff, but it turned out to be just what the doc ordered for all of us. I hope you get to indulge too!
Well, we’ve made a decision. Sort of. I’ve put all the plans in place, we found a number we agree on, and there’s nothing left except the packing and the photosynthesizing. We’re going to … drumroll please … Tulum, which was the location of Pit Stop #2 of TAR: 3. (We’re not staying at the Diamante K Bungalows, though.) Now we have to start the countdown, which … the waiting is the hardest part!
