Cozumel ClearBoat Adventure with Snorkeling

I was a little concerned...

I was a little concerned about the meeting place but it was easy to find and not far from the cruise port. Due to weather condition, we saw some fish but not a whole lot. The ship underwater was not that impressive. The snorkeling was short but long enough for us, the first timers.

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Dishonest Tour Operator!

I was unable to make this excursion as The tour operator told me that they would not be back until after my cruise ship departs. They told me that they would contact Viator and let them know that I couldn't make the excursion and the reasons why and that they would authorize a refund. Viator contacted me and let me know that they would not refund this excursion, as they spoke with the tour operator and the operator told them a completely different story. Dishonest tour operator! DO NOT BOOK WITH THEM!

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Not What We Expected — Snorkeling Portion Is Extremely Short

The boat staff were friendly and professional, so this review is not a reflection on the crew themselves. Unfortunately, I found the tour description to be quite misleading. Most of the tour was spent sitting on the boat looking at the ruins, while the snorkeling portion lasted less than 15 minutes. What was particularly disappointing is that the very short snorkeling time was not communicated before or during the tour. When we asked about it afterward, we were told that the snorkeling was only supposed to be that long. If you are booking this tour primarily because you want to snorkel, I would not recommend it. The tour may be suitable for those mainly interested in seeing the ruins from the boat, but the snorkeling component was far too brief and, in my opinion, should have been clearly stated in the tour description.

Response from the operator: Dear customer Thank you for your review. Please know the tour duration is 90 minutes and the snorkel lasts 25 minutes, the main attraction is the ride on the Clearboat. We have other full snorkeling tours to other areas but the duration is 4 hours and different times. Thank you for your comments, The Cozumel Tours team.

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Has a lot of promise, but safety is not their top priority.

There was definitely good and bad about this experience. First, the good.: 1. The boat was nice. The captain and the guide were very nice, very helpful, and explained everything well in Spanish and in English. 2. It was a pretty pleasant trip. And the clear boat worked well. It was easy to see through the boat and get pictures of starfish, reefs, and fishes. Now the bad: 1. boarding and getting off the boat were some of the most dangerous things I've seen. I have been around boats and boating and the way they do this is extremely dangerous for people who are not young and fit. Rather than lash the boat tightly to the dock on the front and the back, they attempt to simply hold the boat by a rope as it sways back and forth and goes up and down. And people are expected to step off the dock, down at least a foot or two onto the edge of the slick railing, and then step down another 18 inches or so onto the seat, which is made of clear plastic and very slippery. We saw a couple of near disasters with older people who were a little on the heavy side and probably not in good shape. There are metal bars in the way that are easy to hit your head on getting off and on the boat. My wife injured her knee getting on the boat. To get off the boat, you had to reverse the process and attempt to climb up. You step from the boat seat up onto the railing and then from the railing up onto the dock, which is at least another foot or 18 inches higher, while the boat sways back and forth and goes up and down because it isn't lashed to the pier. One woman nearly fell between the boat and the dock into the water, which could have caused a serious injury. This is an easy fix and needs to be fixed right away. Young and fit people are probably going to be fine, but anyone that's older and especially heavier and not able to pull themselves up from the boat to the dock is going to be a problem. They maybe even should have a hoist to wrap around people to help them on and off the boat from the dock. It could easily be fixed by building a lower platform on the dock that the boat would level up to and you would not have to climb a foot or foot and a half from the boat up to the dock. Issue number two is the actual place for snorkeling. Snorkeling is very far from the dock. And so once you get there, you only have a short amount of time to snorkel. Furthermore, they do not provide snorkel fins. They provide snorkel mask and a snorkel, but no fins. I was a little late getting off the boat because I was having issues getting my snorkel equipment on. By the time I got off the boat, the boat had drifted very far from the main group. I jumped in the water and immediately tried to swim to the main group, which was about 20 yards away. I did not have snorkel fins and the current in that water was very strong and was pushing me away from the group and had pushed the boat quite far from the group by the time I got in the water. I literally became so exhausted attempting to swim against the current without fins and get back to the main group who were ignoring me while they did their sightseeing. I finally became so exhausted I could no longer move and I had to signal for help and for the boat to come beside me and pick me up. I was so exhausted I barely had the strength to climb back into the boat. This was very dangerous. Thank God I had a life jacket or I probably would be dead. Probably no legal recourse for this kind of crap in Mexico. Look, I realized I was running late and I was the oldest one of the group attempting to snorkel and having a hard time getting all my gear on. But it would have been proper for the boat captain to keep the boat near the main group so when I jumped off in the water, The guide could have swam over and grabbed me with his snorkel fins and brought me to the main group so I could have enjoyed the sights that they enjoyed. Unfortunately, my snorkeling experience was an absolute disaster and terrifying. Because no one bothered to even pay attention to me where I got in the water, how far I was from the main group, and how far I drifted from the boat after I got in the water. It was very scary. I do think this experience could have turned out much better with a little bit more training in safety for the boat guide and captain. I don't think it would take much thought, consideration, and action to make sure my terrible experience never happened. Until this group improves their safety practices, no one should go on this excursion if they are not young and fit. The safety issues of embarking and disembarking the boat and making sure the snorkel group stays together and has fins could be easily remedied.

Response from the operator: Dear customer, Thank you for sharing your experience. We’re glad to hear that you enjoyed the boat, our crew, the clear boat experience, and the opportunity to see marine life along the coast. We are very sorry to hear about the difficulty you experienced while boarding and during the snorkeling portion of the excursion, as guest safety and comfort are extremely important to us. We’re also glad that our crew was able to assist you when you signaled for help and that you were wearing flotation equipment. We take your comments regarding boarding, disembarking, equipment, currents, and group supervision seriously. Your feedback, of course ,will be shared with our team so these concerns can be reviewed. We appreciate you bringing these matters to our attention and hope your wife is doing well. We remain at your service, The Cozumel Tours team

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We had an exceptional...

We had an exceptional time doing this activity! Our party consisted of 10 people, ranging in age from 4 to 82, and everyone was able to participate. Our tour guides were amazing. They helped my grandmother on and off the boat and made sure we all felt safe and comfortable while still allowing us to fully enjoy the history and culture. We chose this as one of our shore excursions while sailing on MSC World America, and my kids said it was the best part of the entire trip! That alone says a lot. 😊 This was truly a great experience for the whole family, and I would definitely recommend it to families traveling with multiple generations.

Response from the operator: Dear customer, Thank you for your review! We’re thrilled that your entire family, from 4 to 82 years old, was able to enjoy the experience together. It’s especially meaningful to hear that our guides helped your grandmother safely on and off the boat while making everyone feel comfortable. We’re delighted that your kids considered it the best part of their trip! Thank you for choosing us for your family adventure, and we hope to see you all again in Cozumel, we can´t wait! We remain at your service, The Cozumel Tours team

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