ATM Users Beware in Cozumel Port

Just a quick note, we returned on Sunday from a 7-day glorious cruise on the Regal. In Cozumel, we were winging it with no plans, walked to the end of the large palapa where the vans are waiting to take you to the beach or wherever and realized I needed to visit the ATM so I had cash to pay for our day. Went to the ATM on the left, right after the last shop in that taxi area and withdrew $40.00. Noticed the fee was high ($5.80). Then returned to sitting down and waiting for a decent size group to form to head over to Buccanos Beach Club (wonderful by the way). Realized that I needed more cash, (duh) went back and got another $40 plus 5.80 for the fee. Got back to the ship that night and when checking my account, noticed that it took out $9.80 for the fee both times I visited this one ATM. I've attached a clip. Beware! :mad:

By the way, email: veni_vivas@hotmail.com for the Beach Break Island Tour, he takes you on a nice ride with commentary to the Buccanos beach club, it was wonderful and inexpensive.

It's recommended not to use an ATm and that's one of the reasons. I understand why you did. We checked with our bank prior to our first trip and watnedof possible high fees as well as a high chance of being hacked. Thanks for the extra warning though

Does your card charge a foreign transaction fee? Are you sure this wasn’t a cash withdrawal and foreign usage fee?

Can you tell us what the current policy at Buccanos is? Did you pay the taxi a pp rate to cover round trip taxi and entrance fee ( used to be $25pp) or did you pay one-way taxi fees for vehicle, and a pp entrance fee on arrival?

Check with your bank on return. The $4 could be their charge.

But thanks for the heads up and share.

One way to avoid this is to pre-plan $$ before embarking. Another is to get cash out of the ship's ATM or via the casino (there are threads on CC how to do this, at least on Carnival) before heading off the ship.

ATMs in foreign countries are susceptible to all sorts of scamming and best avoided all around.

There are a couple of nice atm accounts that, even tho the charge occurs, rebate the charges. My Schwab account rebated about $40. in atm charges incurred in South America.

And I think Capital One has a similar offering.

Wait...you got USD out of an atm in Mexico? I would have thought it would dispense pesos.

Does your card charge a foreign transaction fee? Are you sure this wasn’t a cash withdrawal and foreign usage fee?

 

Can you tell us what the current policy at Buccanos is? Did you pay the taxi a pp rate to cover round trip taxi and entrance fee ( used to be $25pp) or did you pay one-way taxi fees for vehicle, and a pp entrance fee on arrival?

That's what I was going to say. Some banks charge a fee for International ATM withdrawals in addition to what you're charged by the ATM company.

While I don't doubt OP's experience with a particular ATM in Coz', I do disagree with this blanket statement.

ATMs in foreign countries are susceptible to all sorts of scamming and best avoided all around.

We've used ATM's extensively in Europe with NO problems or exorbitant rates charged. ATM use is typically RECOMMENDED for best exchange rates .... we tend to only use ATMs attached to bank buildings or in the airport .....

When I worked in the Carb' I used an ATM card extensively as well, with no problems but again being somewhat judicious about where I used it ....

There are a couple of nice atm accounts that, even tho the charge occurs, rebate the charges. My Schwab account rebated about $40. in atm charges incurred in South America.

 

And I think Capital One has a similar offering.

 

Wait...you got USD out of an atm in Mexico? I would have thought it would dispense pesos.

Yes, it was USD, I think I had to select "Other" when the first screen came up offering pesos amounts.

Check with your bank on return. The $4 could be their charge.

 

But thanks for the heads up and share.

 

One way to avoid this is to pre-plan $$ before embarking. Another is to get cash out of the ship's ATM or via the casino (there are threads on CC how to do this, at least on Carnival) before heading off the ship.

 

ATMs in foreign countries are susceptible to all sorts of scamming and best avoided all around.

Oh, I see, could be. I'll be checking on that...thanks for the info. I think I'm getting too old for these drop & go cruises, I think I need more than 2-3 weeks to plan for a cruise which is usually how we are able to do it in our line of work. There's always a few things I forget. I have gotten cash before from the casino, I forgot about that option :o

Does your card charge a foreign transaction fee? Are you sure this wasn’t a cash withdrawal and foreign usage fee?

 

Can you tell us what the current policy at Buccanos is? Did you pay the taxi a pp rate to cover round trip taxi and entrance fee ( used to be $25pp) or did you pay one-way taxi fees for vehicle, and a pp entrance fee on arrival?

We used the "Beach Break Island Tour", they are white vans with drivers that give you the low down on the area as you are driving then bring you to Buccanos and wait for you all day. They try to have a van load but we just had 2 couples so it cost us $5.00 extra each to leave with just us 4, worth it because we didn't want to wait any longer, it was a few hours after the crowds had already left the pier area. We didn't pre-plan this, just walked up and they approached us with the offer. Email veni_vivas@hotmail.com (bus #02), his name is Veni Vivas, great guy. If I remember, it cost $60 total for us, ride both ways and beach club admissions fee ($15 for admissions fee and $15 per person for ride including the extra $5.00). This includes your beach chairs and snorkeling equipment. Also tipped of course. I would do this again in a heartbeat, and will when we are in Cozumel again. Buccanos has a restaurant/bar, it's a beautiful place. Small sandy beach but remember this is snorkeling heaven so lots of rock/iron ore or whatever it is. There are massages and a fish spa on the grounds also.

I'm sure there are others who do the taxi, but the nice thing about this service is that they wait for you to take you back to the ship. If you are staying for 4 hours and someone else wants to leave after 2 hours, they take them and come back for you.

Check with your bank on return. The $4 could be their charge.

 

But thanks for the heads up and share.

 

One way to avoid this is to pre-plan $$ before embarking. Another is to get cash out of the ship's ATM or via the casino (there are threads on CC how to do this, at least on Carnival) before heading off the ship.

 

ATMs in foreign countries are susceptible to all sorts of scamming and best avoided all around.

I need to add "Get Cash!" to my cruise prep list :D

Yes, it was USD, I think I had to select "Other" when the first screen came up offering pesos amounts.

Oh, I thought you meant $40 equivalent. We always take out pesos since you get better purchasing value.

Still interested in prices to enter Buccanos? It is one of our favorites but I usually only do it on a land vacation as I don’t like their policy for cruisers - wondered if it had changed.

thank you for the details in how one actually gets there without having to pay an admission fee. We went in January 2017 and were surprised after researching thoroughly to be asked for $15 pp fee. Instead of getting a _____ food credit as is seen we were lent snorkeling equipment instead. The vendor must be subcontracted. It was going on 4:00 and he didn't want to give us the equipment. The manager had to intercede on our behalf because they were staying open late that day (5:00 I think)

Note: several tours came here early afternoon. We didn't get there early enough to get a lounger and had one of those banana leaf plastic deals that you are on the sand.