Jump to content
Cruise Critic Community

hiring a driver for the day

tyson

By tyson,
in Cozumel

 Share

Recommended Posts

MoreMilesPlease

MoreMilesPlease

Posted
Posted

We used Gerry as our driver on August 21, 2011. It was the best decision we could have made. Gerry was waiting for us in the specified location wearing his yellow hat. It was a nice feeling to tell all the other drivers and sellers that we already had a car and driver!

 

The day was cloudy and rainy. That made no difference to use since we could do what we wanted, when we wanted.

 

Our first stop was to MEGA Supermarket to pick up some drinks and snacks. Gerry brought his cooler and all we had to do was buy ice and whatever we wanted to fill the cooler with. MEGA is the cheapest place to buy so that is where Gerry took us. It is also a great place to see the different types of local food. One of my favorite things to do in different countries is see what is in the local supermarkets.

 

Gerry was superb at telling us about the various areas we drove through. It's nice to have a local giving the commentary. Gerry seemed honest about the various areas and people who lived there.

 

We went to San Gervaiso. It promptly poured down raining just as we got to the furthest part. No worries, it was warm rain and we didn't melt. We didn't hire a guide and still enjoyed seeing the ruins.

 

Off to the Tequila Factory. This is a bit of a stretch. They don't actually make the tequila there. It was still a lot of fun and we learned much about tequila and the tastings were an eye opener. Worth a visit if you think you know about tequila or know nothing about tequila.

 

A bit of driving in the rain for some coastal sightseeing and then lunch. Lunch was good but a bit expensive. All the food was good and the view nice even with the rain.

 

A bit more sightseeing from the van and a tour of the city. Since the weather was not good for beach time we opted to head back to the ship and call it a day.

 

Gerry was excellent and we trusted him.

 

Would highly recommend this service.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
denee

denee

Posted
Posted

We hired Gerry on Saturday, sept 3. we were about an hour late due to storm. no problem. they keep up with that. Gerry was there waiting close to the front of the line. He had the email listing the things we were interested in and we talked about it before leaving the parking area. We went to the supermarket for drinks and snacks (he had his ice chest). We mostly wanted to sight-see and learn a little about Cozumel. He brought us to some beautiful spots, he took pictures for us (so we could all be in the pictures) without me even asking. We went to the eastern side of the island, went to Coconut's, and several stops. When our tour was over we had him drop us at Mr. Sanchos where we met up with some friends.

Gerry was everything we had heard. He answered all our questions, provided us with history and information, and was just a wonderful tour guide. WE STRONGLY RECOMMEND him to everyone wanting to see Cozumel while relaxing and enjoying the trip!!

165small.jpg.09152a85ffe5f025b5899d1a2ba25c39.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites
State Girl

State Girl

Posted
Posted

We 4 'ladies' cruised Freedom of the Seas Sept. 4-11. Gerry took us all around Cozomel - it was the best way to see the island. The best shops - particularly jewelry deals, sights, and oh - the lunch. I cannot remember the name of that restaurant - but we're all still talking about it. It was sooo good. The service was great AND - it was right on the ocean - on the beautiful east side!! We sang YMCA and tons of other songs. He took us to a convenience store for the best priced vanilla. Early in the drive, he told us all about the history, etc. The northern and eastern coast are beautiful - that was the prettiest part of the ride. We spent an hour or so on the beach - no charge for entrance or chairs. We could have stayed longer - it's really up to you as to how you want to spend the day! We'll definitely contact him again should we return. Thanks Gerry!!

Link to comment
Share on other sites
jazzinj

jazzinj

Posted
Posted

I'm so glad I found this thread - I was trying to figure out which excursions to choose from the NCL website for Cozumel, I'm usually quite apprehensive about booking things outside of the cruise, but this sounds perfect, we'll get to see everything we want to, and it's customized!

 

I have a couple of questions (we've never been to Cozumel and I've never hired a driver for a tour guide anywhere):

 

1. Does the driver "hang out" with you at all the locations, or do they just wait at the car?

 

2. What if we want to spend an hour or two at a beach, do they just wait?

 

3. Can you bring food/drink back on board the ship with you?

 

4. Did you pay cash for all the admission fees, food, purchases that you spent at the attractions? How much should I carry with me?

 

5. Do you need to bring your passport with you to go off the ship and back on?

 

Sorry, we haven't really gone many places outside North America, not sure about these things.

 

Thanks!

 

J

Link to comment
Share on other sites
love2relax

love2relax

Posted
Posted (edited)
I'm so glad I found this thread - I was trying to figure out which excursions to choose from the NCL website for Cozumel, I'm usually quite apprehensive about booking things outside of the cruise, but this sounds perfect, we'll get to see everything we want to, and it's customized!

 

I have a couple of questions (we've never been to Cozumel and I've never hired a driver for a tour guide anywhere):

 

1. Does the driver "hang out" with you at all the locations, or do they just wait at the car? For the most part, the driver (if you hire Gerry) will get out of the car with you and act as your guide/translator if needed, in many spots where you'll stop. He took us to a beautiful beach, and snapped photos for us, as well as collecting some beautiful pieces of coral from among the rocks on the beach.

 

2. What if we want to spend an hour or two at a beach, do they just wait? We spent a few hours at the beach, and Gerry hung out at a table farther behind us. He kept an eye on our stuff, but also made sure that we were well taken care of by the resort staff. He even got us free snorkeling equipment...as long as we bought some food and drinks in return.

 

3. Can you bring food/drink back on board the ship with you? Most cruiselines frown on that! I have gotten away with bringing on some sodas once in a while, but all liquor has been confiscated. I have never attempted food, but I don't think it would be allowed unless it was a sealed bag of chips or something like that.

 

 

4. Did you pay cash for all the admission fees, food, purchases that you spent at the attractions? How much should I carry with me? I did pay cahs because I prefer that over foreign transaction fees and fear of credit card fraud. As to how much, that depends on where you're planning to go, and what you're planning to buy.

5. Do you need to bring your passport with you to go off the ship and back on? Most cruiselines don't require one for getting on and off most ports. Sometimes they want a form of photo ID, but most times the ship card is sufficient. I ALWAYS take my passport regardless of what others on this board say....just in case, I want it with me.

 

Sorry, we haven't really gone many places outside North America, not sure about these things.

 

Thanks!

 

J

See the answers posted above. You will have a wonderful day in Cozumel. It is one of my favorite ports (been there three times) due to great experiences with private drivers.

Edited by love2relax
Link to comment
Share on other sites
jofrank

jofrank

Posted
Posted

We will be in Cozumel on Oct. 6th and tried hiring Gerry. Since he is booked for that day, Eduardo is giving us another driver. I haven't heard any comments regarding other drivers. Has anyone used any other of Eduardo's men?

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Kletina

Kletina

Posted
Posted (edited)
We will be in Cozumel on Oct. 6th and tried hiring Gerry. Since he is booked for that day, Eduardo is giving us another driver. I haven't heard any comments regarding other drivers. Has anyone used any other of Eduardo's men?

 

JoFrank:

 

in this same tread, I found this post about another driver named Cantaro

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showpost.php?p=28372695&postcount=733

 

hope this helps

Edited by Kletina
Link to comment
Share on other sites
c-leg5

c-leg5

Posted
Posted
wow the rate of Cantaro is so much cheaper than Gerry only $95 / hrs and then $25 /hr

we are quoted $195 / 3 hrs and then $40/hr

was that correct or a typo??

 

Depending on how many people you have on your tour, unless things have changed, Gerry is usually $95/hr in his station wagon which will hold 4 (preferably 3 passengers). The higher rate is for a van which will hold up to 8. We have done both. HTH.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
bjhen

bjhen

Posted
Posted

On this date we hired this taxi and saw parts of Cozumel that only locals would normally see. Our driver Roger Cantero was friendly and was very concerned about making our day in Cozumel unforgettable. We would defiantly use this service again. We would also recommend this service to anyone who is visiting Cozumel. eduardoczm@gmail.com is the e-mail address to contact if you would like to book this taxi for the day. Well worth the price we paid.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
c-leg5

c-leg5

Posted
Posted
The price again please? For a driver 95 an hour or 25 an hour? There are 8 of us so we would need a van :) thx:)

 

Sorry I copied from post above.

 

The rates at the beginning of the year were:

 

$95 for the first 3 hours and $25 per each additional hour in the stationwagon.

 

A van tour, which holds up to 8 passengers, will run $195 for the first 3 hours and $40 per each additional hour.

 

Charges are per vehicle, not per person. There is a 3 hour minimum charge for all tours.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Cruise_r_us

Cruise_r_us

Posted
Posted

on the itinerary allure will arrive cozumel on oct 14 at 8am. anyone know if it will arrive at 8am cozumel time?

 

i reserve jose at 10am. and Eduardo reply back as below. anyone have any idea on the time?

 

" I just want to verify the time for your appointment with the driver, because, as you know, Cozumel has a different hour than the one you have on the ship - one hour less. So, when it's 11 o'clock over there, it's 10 o'clock here in Cozumel, and I want to be sure you use the right time for your reservation so you won't end up waiting."

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Please sign in to comment

You will be able to leave a comment after signing in



Sign In Now
 Share
Go to topic listing
  • Forum Jump
    • Categories
      • Welcome to Cruise Critic
      • New Cruisers
      • Cruise Lines “A – O”
      • Cruise Lines “P – Z”
      • River Cruising
      • ROLL CALLS
      • Cruise Critic News & Features
      • Digital Photography & Cruise Technology
      • Special Interest Cruising
      • Cruise Discussion Topics
      • UK Cruising
      • Australia & New Zealand Cruisers
      • Canadian Cruisers
      • North American Homeports
      • Ports of Call
      • Cruise Conversations
×
×
  • Create New...