The following messages were received
from passengers recently visiting Cozumel -- they arepassed along for
the
interest of others. (This is not a blog, so the list will not
become endless.)
January 31, 2006
I have cruised to Cozumel 8 times before Hurricane Wilma and just
got back from trip #9 on the Carnival Inspiration. The trip was lovely
but the docks at Cozumel are completely gone forcing tendering
operations to debark.
My ship started unloading the paid excursion guests at 9:30am and I was
finally allowed to tender well after 11am and made it to Cozumel just
before noon. I have made this same trip on the Inspiration 7
times. Previously, we were required to be back on board at either 10 pm
or 11 pm but since we were tendering the last tender departed Cozumel
at 5pm meaning we had to be on the dock outside the city ready to sail.
I would like to get the word out that visiting Cozumel now is not the
party it once was! There is no longer plenty of time to
explore this still beautiful island. I asked the staff why our time was
cut short so badly and was told that Carnival did not feel tendering in
the darkness was safe and I understand this. There appeared to be no
work being done on either of the docks during my visit so this
situation will be the way it is for the forseeable future.
January 31, 2006
I was in
Cozumel in August with RCCL the week of Katrina then in December -- we
were the first Voyager Class RCCL ship to return since Wilma.
It was very emotional as you could see what the people of that island
had to endure. We were told that the Carnival Dock was completely
destroyed and the International Terminal was not much better. We were
also told it would take about two years to get them all back to the way
they were. Carnival owns their own Dock/terminal and will have to
rebuild everything on their own.
The tenders RCCL used were the ferries used in transporting people to
and from Cancun. The first priority of Cozumel is rebuilding hotels,
resorts, condos and shopping areas in order to restore as much tourism
trade as possible outside of the cruise ship industry. In December we
could hear all day long sawing, hammering and workers were everywhere.
Their #1 and only industry of the island is tourism.
I too have been to Cozumel multiple times and when I returned in
December it was not only different visually it was different from the
perspective of the people who live there. They were so HAPPY to see us
and happy to be alive. After talking to a tour bus guide about Wilma he
told us the only thing they could do during the solid 60 hours of 150+
miles an hour winds was "to Pray".
As updated information is received, it
will be posted................