New Beach Club

[CozSally]

There's a new beach club in Cozumel! After settling in at Paradise Beach yesterday, (thanks for the ride, Tom) I strolled north, just past San Francisco Beach to the new "Palm Beach", formerly Santa Maria Beach. It's smaller than Paradise, but the chairs are just as comfy and the umbrellas are also similar. They don't have any water toys yet, but may do water volleyball at some point in the future. They have two massage tables with therapists, and of course, food and drink. Rob, the former chef at Paradise Beach, is now one of the owners of Palm Beach and runs a great kitchen! It's the only beach in Cozumel offering fresh sushi along with the standard beach fare.

 

So no more worries if Paradise is crowded, just walk up to Palm Beach and plunk down there. Since there are no water toys, there seem to be fewer children at Palm Beach, so if that's your preference, it's a good beach for you.

 

Note: ownership of San Francisco Beach is in transition and there's practically no service. It will take a while before the new people there get re-established.

 

Another Note: Since all the beaches are right up against eachother, it's hard to tell which is which. Until Palm Beach puts up beach signage, you'll know their beach by the blue round domed umbrellas. The umbrellas at the other beaches have more straight lines.

 

Anyway... then I went back to Paradise Beach and met a new friend, Rachel. She and I went walking on the beach and gabbed for an hour or so. Some days it's just easier to talk to a sparkling ten year old than to a regular old adult!

 

It was a great day at the beach...

[cooganbs]

Hello,

 

I have a group looking a spot to suit all in our group. We are on the RCCL Jewel in Jan. 2005. Girls want to sit on the beach (I have to say a swim pool bar would not be to bad either) and guys..well a little of everything. Thinking of a beach club or a hotel with a day pass.

 

Looking for:

 

1) Scuba

2)Deep seaing fishing (this might need to be done with ship, not enough to charter)

3) Horseback riding

4) swim with dolphins

5)beach volleyball/or snorkel

 

Is there one beach club that has some of these services on site? We all wanted to take a taxi to one spot, let everyone go their own way, and then meet back on the beach. Not sure what would be best location and would have a little something for all. We are in port 10-8!

 

Thank you for any help!

[emsee44]

Sally,

 

Is Palm Beach more elegant then Paradise Beach? I am a little skeptical about PB because it is probably too loud for us. I am looking for a beach with comfortable chairs and great service. Is this the one?

[CozSally]

Yes, this is the place for you. Quieter... with quality service, food and drinks, and very clean bathrooms. You can easily walk from one to the other along the beach if some want a more active beach.

[sea_u_onboard]

Yes, this is the place for you. Quieter... with quality service, food and drinks, and very clean bathrooms. You can easily walk from one to the other along the beach if some want a more active beach.

Just curious - did you and Tom have a TIFF?

[CozSally]

sea u onboard: No, Tom and I are still good friends. He knows I don't recommend Paradise Beach based on our friendship, I recommend it based on its own qualities. Paradise is still a big favorite of mine. However, I contribute to this board in order to let you all know the best of Cozumel, and included in that is now Palm Beach. The two beaches are different enough to attract their own crowds and I wish them both every success!

 

Tom knows better than to fight with me... I could take him down in a heartbeat, all 100 pounds of me!

 

[Host Star]

sea u onboard: No, Tom and I are still good friends. He knows I don't recommend Paradise Beach based on our friendship, I recommend it based on its own qualities. Paradise is still a big favorite of mine. However, I contribute to this board in order to let you all know the best of Cozumel, and included in that is now Palm Beach. The two beaches are different enough to attract their own crowds and I wish them both every success!

 

Tom knows better than to fight with me... I could take him down in a heartbeat, all 100 pounds of me!

 

 

Coz Sally.. is there snorkeling at Palm Beach and do you do massages at the beach??

[CozSally]

As far as I know, they haven't really scoped out any snorkel spots at Palm Beach yet. My guess is that if there is a coral head or two, that would be it. In other words, at best their snorkeling would be equivalent to the snorkeling at Paradise Beach.

 

I do not do massages at Palm Beach. I really prefer offering my clients the privacy of my island cottage, soft relaxing music, aromatherapy if desired. I have received a few beach massages myself and it's not my style. It's certainly convenient if you're at the beach, but I personally find a massage to be a much better experience in private.

[Island Annie]

CozSally,

 

Thanks for the update on Palm beach. Just out of couriosity . . . Do you happen to know (or can you find out) if their Pina Coladas are "made with Bicardi rum, served in a pineapple shell & garnished with a red hibiscus flower"?

 

Many Thanks.

 

See you at the beach

 

Island Annie

[tidelover]

Sally,

We had to miss Cozumel due to a captains error in Jamaica on the Century.

This was the stop we wanted the most. I posted a note to Tom but he hasn't replyed. My family is done with cruising, but would like to visit Cozumel, what kind of resort areas are the best? we are planning a trip down either April or Sept.

Thanks for any help.

[vanclan]

So sorry that you had to miss Cozumel...I can't imagine what that would be like. There are several really good sites if you are planning a vacation in Cozumel. A couple that I like are http://www.cozumelmycozumel.com

and http://www.cozumelinsider.com. You might also try the Cozumel discussion board on travelnotes.cc for some good hints. We fell in love with Cozumel during our cruise in November and really want to come back on a land based vacation. There are a lot of nice villas or rooms for rent in town. We are not planning to do an all inclusive since we want to experience more of the life of Cozumel than you usually get when staying at an all inclusive...since your meals are all paid for you tend to stick around the all inclusive and not get into the real life. There are many great small restaurants and eating spots in San Miguel and if you are staying where you have a kitchen you can also save a lot of $$ by fixing your own breakfasts and lunches. The grocery stores in Cozumel are amazing! Small bakeries provide wonderful breads and buns.

Also try to be there on a Sunday night and go down to the plaza downtown...it's a great experience...there aren't usually cruise ships in and the families come out and have a great time.

I'm sure you will get a lot of info from others who actually live in Cozumel, but this is just to whet your appetite for what you are going to experience!

[sea_u_onboard]

sea u onboard: No, Tom and I are still good friends.

Glad to hear it.

[CozSally]

tidelover, sorry you missed Cozumel. That's one of the risks of cruising. I've had friends plan their cruise around a one day visit to see me and then... you guessed it, they were diverted because of a storm.

 

Vanclan has given you an excellent place to start. The first decision is All Inclusive or NOT, and for all the reasons Vanclan suggests, I prefer NOT. Then you need to decide whether you HAVE to be on the beach or not. Then choose between hotel, condo, rental home, B & B? Then with a budget in mind, I can help you narrow it down. I just did an evening of massages at a condo on the ocean. When I found out how much they were paying for 2 bedrooms that were not that great, my eyebrows went right up! They were not a happy family, although they LOVED their massages (she says patting herself on the back)! :p

 

Anyway, make some decisions as I've mentioned above and I'll be glad to help from there.

[redhead621]

Hi, we are also on the Jewel in January. Are you on the 1/23 sailing? If so and are looking for deep sea fishing, my husband and his buddy are arranging a charterfor a half day. Let me know if you are interested in more info.

[cooganbs]

Hi, we are also on the Jewel in January. Are you on the 1/23 sailing? If so and are looking for deep sea fishing, my husband and his buddy are arranging a charterfor a half day. Let me know if you are interested in more info.

Darn-we are on the Jewel week of the 9th! :(