Aquaworld — Attraction in Cancún

Snorkeled and scuba dived with them in March 2014; will not again. Equipment (snorkeling, scuba, wetsuits, boats) were very good. Staff (individually) were all friendly and were genuinely likeable, but the company's way of doing business was not.

Prices are a little higher than common locally, which I would be okay with if the experience was better. Their advertised prices were US$85, but when done we paid about US$96 (+$20 tip) per person per two-tank dive, including all equipment rental and a wetsuit. We bought our package from the AquaWorld desk at the Oasis Palm Resort where we were staying; I believe there was no extra commission buying that way.

Snorkeling was not fun. They said it would work well for 7 and 8 year-olds; they also said we could stay out at the snorkeling raft as long as we wanted to keep diving and enjoy the free soda and beer. What they really meant was this: "We will make you follow our guide on a very large loop far from the raft. That loop will not show you anything more interesting than you could have found very near the raft. By the time you get back you will be so exhausted and your kids so miserable that you will not complain when we herd you back onto the ferry to take you back to the marina." My kids are VERY strong swimmers; this was simply too much to ask of them in the bulky and abrasive rental life jackets. That said, the snorkeling location did have great coral and wildlife: a large ray, lots of colorful fish, and sea urchins.

Beer at the snorkeling raft was terrible. None of us could pick out the brand but now I wish I would have asked about it.

Their wetsuit recommendations were rather silly for scuba. Even in 75° water you'll never make it a full 45 to 50 minutes (which is how long a tank will last at only 30 feet); everyone but me (I had a light, full suit) was cold at 30 minutes so we stopped then for each tank. This appeared to be the norm for this shop, but I don't like being told to get back on the boat when everyone in our group had 1100 to 1500 psi remaining.

Asking for tips on a scuba trip is not cool. On our second dive there were no new divers that needed to be told how tipping works. I've been on over 75 dives and I've never seen this. Martin did announce "This is not expected but is appreciated" but then he did a lap around the boat and held a conch shell in front of each person one by one. My wife and I always tip very well (US$10 or more per person per tank); we want to tip our dive guide(s) directly and then ask him to share the tip with crew and captain in whatever way they usually do. And I don't want to do it as we get out of the water; I want to do it once we're back to shore. This is how tipping works in scuba.

Their underwater photographer (who no one asked for) did more damage to the coral reef (including knocking down fan coral) than our large group of recreational divers could do in 10 dives. And I'm very ashamed that I did not point this out to him -- he's continuing this behavior as I type this.

At the end of our first day the dive boat had to make a surprise stop right at our hotel's dock, but they would not let us hop off. We had to ride another 30 minutes back to the marina, then take a US$15 taxi back to our hotel. I couldn't understand it at the time, but later realized they wanted another chance to sell us stuff -- the unrequested photos on shore, on ship, and underwater.

All said... We did one dive with friends that were not certified; my wife and I were the only certified divers on board so we were not surprised when they took us to bland location where we could do minimal damage to the sea life. On the next dive we went will all certified divers; we went to more interesting locations but were treated the same. I think "familiarization dives" (pool and then open water) is what their business is all about.

We dove at the Musa (underwater museum...it was worth seeing) and at the Manchones (great coral variety, and great color due to the...

We took a great snorkel trip with Aquaworld this morning (booked through the Amstar rep, Javier, at the Riu Latino hotel). Both the booking and the excursion were above average experiences, but we were particularly happy with Javier, and one of the snorkeling guides, Samuel (young guy from Venezuela).

Javier is very clear, and didn't waste our time. He gave us good options that met our group's interests, and quoted prices clearly (including transportation). I would ask for him if you are staying at the Riu Latino hotel.

Our group of four was picked up in a comfortable minivan, and driven to the Ultramar ferry port where we would meet up with the boat. We had to wait around 1 hour, but there were shops, shaded tables, and clean restrooms, so it wasn't a problem. The boat stopped one time for additional guests that were shuttled out on a boat taxi. Since Aquaworld does a lot of diving excursions, the boat is a large dive boat. There are two decks to sit on, and it handles the rough Caribbean waters nicely. A couple of people felt nauseous while we were anchored and rocking on waves, but while we were traveling the ride was smooth. We saw other snorkeling groups in smaller vessels, and I imagine it was a different experience for them.

We snorkeled over a reef near the southwest coast of Isla Mujeres, and saw lots of fish, turtles, coral, and even a small reef shark. The main group of snorkelers had one guide in front, and one behind making sure everyone moved along the reef together (the gentle current does almost all of the work - I didn't even wear flippers because we were mostly just drifting). After 30-40 mins, the boat drove around the group to pick us up.

I noticed Sam at that time helping a group of 6 or 7 small kids (I would guess ages 5 to 8), who were clearly first time snorkelers. He was VERY patient and encouraging, letting the littlest ones hang onto the lifeguard ring for extra support as he gave them instructions. Sam was equally considerate of the adults onboard - he showed sincere interest in us, told us about leaving Venezuela with part of his family 7 years ago to find a job in Cancun, etc. Sam is a dive master, and I regret we are leaving tomorrow. He can arrange "intro to scuba" classes with your hotel (approx 30 minutes) then take you on a beginner level dive. We are scuba certified, but our travel friends are not. Had we met Sam earlier in the trip, I think he would have been a phenomenal scuba instructor to help them with their first dive. He has over 5,000 dives logged since arriving in Mexico 7 years ago (working 6 days/wk, 3-4 dives/day).

Our boat made two other stops: Playa Norte on Isla Mujeres (beautiful beach, but slightly crowded), and a shipwreck in the middle of the bay. The commercial fishing vessel went down in a hurricane 20 years ago and sits on a sandbar. A portion of the hull reaches the water surface. We weren't too interested in seeing the boat, but took the opportunity to jump in and swim while others snorkeled. Again, Sam helped his kid group, and kept them all together - which was no small challenge given the current and several other snorkeling groups who happened to show up at the same time.

As a side note, the crew on the boat is constantly offering water, soda, and chips. We had 26 passengers, but were still comfortable with the two decks. There is no bathroom onboard, so plan ahead.

When we got back to the dock, we were escorted back to the minivan (by Sam, of course) to avoid being badgered by vendors, other transportation options, aggressive salespeople, etc.

Overall it was definitely a 5 star experience. If you go snorkeling or diving in Cancun, ask for Samuel with Aquaworld. You won't be...

We booked the Catamaran tour to Isla Mujeres expecting a fun and memorable experience, but unfortunately, it turned out to be one of the worst excursions we've ever done — especially considering our previous positive experiences with Aquaworld, such as the Jungle Tour.

Hidden Fees and Long Wait Times:

The day started with a hotel pickup at 8:00 AM, and we were driven to the port. Upon arrival, we were unexpectedly charged an additional $20 USD per person as an environmental fee, something that was never mentioned during booking. After this surprise charge, we were left waiting until noon before the catamaran finally arrived. That’s over 3.5 hours of doing nothing in the sun, without any explanation or activities to pass the time.

Chaotic and Unpleasant Snorkeling Experience Once onboard, we were supposed to enjoy a snorkeling stop on the way to Isla Mujeres. However, the experience was disorganized and frankly, stressful. The crew loudly warned that the activity was only for strong swimmers and rushed everyone through the process. Within seconds of raising your hand to participate, gear was thrown at you, and you were expected to be in the water within a minute. The snorkeling area was overcrowded, with around 10 other boats sharing the same space. We were told to follow a rope from point A to B in a group, but there was constant shouting, and barely any time to enjoy or even see anything underwater. It felt like a race, not a relaxing or enjoyable snorkel.

Limited Time on Isla Mujeres and Overpriced Options:

When we arrived at Isla Mujeres, we were told we had only two hours there. You could either rent a golf cart (at a steep $100 USD for just two hours) or head straight to the beach. The area near the port was overcrowded with tourists, golf carts, scooters, and taxis — making it hard to enjoy or explore the island peacefully.

Terrible Beach Club Experience at ZAZA:

On the return trip, we stopped at a beach club called ZAZA for lunch, which was advertised as “all-inclusive.” This couldn’t be further from the truth. The place was dirty, the buffet food was poor quality with flies everywhere, and drinks were served warm. Tipping was subtly enforced. If you didn’t tip the waiter, they simply ignored your table.

Even worse, we found out that the “all-inclusive” applied only inside the restaurant area, not on the beach. The beach itself was unpleasant, with brown water and lots of seaweed, nothing like the beautiful waters you expect in Cancun. While waiting to leave, we sat at an empty table just to rest, and a waiter told us we couldn’t sit there unless we were ordering something, despite at least 40 other tables being vacant.

Return to Port and Final Disappointment Back on the catamaran, the only refreshments offered were cheap soda and artificially flavored water. To top it all off, the crew walked around with a tip jar, putting people in an uncomfortable position by asking for tips in front of the whole group, making it feel forced and inappropriate.

Conclusion:

We’ve had enjoyable tours in Cancun before, but this was by far our worst experience. It was poorly organized, overpriced, and clearly not focused on customer satisfaction. We even went to the office to complain and spoke with the manager Erica Lopez, but she just said that she was sorry and would talk to the crew about it to try to make the experience better. To summarize, If you value your time and money, I strongly recommend avoiding the Catamaran to Isla Mujeres with Aquaworld. Spend your day somewhere else you’ll thank...