I read a multitude of reviews about the Allegro before purchasing a week's stay there. For the most part our vacation was as expected. Our experience from start to finish:
We booked through SpaQuest via the Internet. An actual travel agent would have been more helpful with arranging transfers, etc. We did not have vouchers for van service from the airport to the resort (most other travelers did). For those who don't have vouchers ahead of time, you can purchase them at the airport at a booth at the far right of the hallway as you exit customs. The price was $390 Pesos.
My son and I purchase a ten dive package through SpaQuest. This came to $29 a dive ($32 on site). I would not recommend getting the dive package as you may not be able to complete all ten dives for weather reasons, etc. SpaQuest also did not provide any type of voucher for the dives which was a major problem as it took me about half a day going back and forth between the dive shop and the front desk trying to convince them I actually paid for the package. The dive shop finally relented and were very cordial the rest of the week.
The food was as advertised. I'm an extremely picky eater but did not go hungry. The quality varied but overall quite edible. We felt the best part was the open food bar near...I read a multitude of reviews about the Allegro before purchasing a week's stay there. For the most part our vacation was as expected. Our experience from start to finish:
We booked through SpaQuest via the Internet. An actual travel agent would have been more helpful with arranging transfers, etc. We did not have vouchers for van service from the airport to the resort (most other travelers did). For those who don't have vouchers ahead of time, you can purchase them at the airport at a booth at the far right of the hallway as you exit customs. The price was $390 Pesos.
My son and I purchase a ten dive package through SpaQuest. This came to $29 a dive ($32 on site). I would not recommend getting the dive package as you may not be able to complete all ten dives for weather reasons, etc. SpaQuest also did not provide any type of voucher for the dives which was a major problem as it took me about half a day going back and forth between the dive shop and the front desk trying to convince them I actually paid for the package. The dive shop finally relented and were very cordial the rest of the week.
The food was as advertised. I'm an extremely picky eater but did not go hungry. The quality varied but overall quite edible. We felt the best part was the open food bar near the pool that ran from noon - 5 p.m. We ate at the mexican restaurant one night - not too bad.
Following check-in at the front desk you'll be grabbed by a welcome agent who will sit you down and give you the lay of the land. Following that they will hit you with an offer to visit their sister resort next door in return for some discounts on diving or a Jeep/VW Beetle rental. We offered a "no thanks" and the agent continued to hit us with the hard sell. We finally were able to pull away and go to our room. The problem here is these folks camp out at a desk in front of the main lobby and the ramp to go to the restaurant. They absolutely will not leave you alone! We learned from a time share owner there that they look at the color of your wrist band and approach you based on that. They finally gave up on us by Thursday.
The rooms were as advertised. We had a first floor room very near the snack bar/pool. I would recommend paying the additional cost for a superior premium room to be near the beach. Since we went when they were only about 30% occupied, noise was not much of a problem. I could see that it would be quite noisy if all eight rooms in one of the villas were rented. Ear plugs are a must. The showers were good (hot and cold are backwards). They provide two large bottles of water each day for brushing teeth/drinking, etc. There is a free in room safe. TV is adequate with a few English stations. If you need Internet access that's a problem. They charge $4 for 15 minutes so I did not attempt to use it. There is a business center on site that also has Internet, faxing, etc. but it's very pricey.
The beach is OK of you just plan on sunning. The water's edge has very coarse sand and a bit of a drop off that makes it difficult to exit or enter the water at times. There is a roped off area for swimming or snorkeling (not much interesting to see unless you go all the way out to the edge of the barrier). The white sand is highly reflective so even in the shade people were getting burned - bring lots of sunscreen.
We did not go off the property but there is a car rental place directly across the street from the resort. It looked like about the same price as the resort. There really isn't anything in walking distance so if you want to sight see you'll need to rent.
We went for the diving and it did not disappoint. Dive Palancar is the dive shop that is on site. The rental equipment was well-maintained. There is a retail shop there that is pretty limited on selling actual equipment if you break or lose something. Bring spare equipment with you. The resort is in very close proximity to all the popular reefs on the southwest side of the island. Most of the reefs are 5-10 minutes away by boat. Punta sur is about 25 minutes away. For those that aren't aware, the diving in Cozumel is drift diving with varying current strength based on the location. They are very helpful at suggesting sites for your dive style and expectations. The dive masters were all quite good and it's best to follow them to get the full benefit of their knowledge of creature hiding places, etc. They offer twilight/night dives on M-W-F that are a must if you've not done one. Overall the quantity and diversity of sea life was excellent, we even saw an 8 foot green Morey out in the open. For those who are not certified, they offer lessons on-site that are very reasonably priced.
Check out was not a problem. You can tell the front desk what time you would like your bags picked up and the bell hop will summon a cab for you at the front curb. He has a list of what cab fare costs so be sure and check it so you aren't overcharged by the cabbie.
As others have stated, tipping is a must and is expected from what I can tell. The maid typically gets $2 a day. I did not see anyone tipping the wait staff but they did tip the bartenders at the pool. The divemasters typically get $5 a dive as well.
If you don't go outside the resort and are worried about buying memorabilia, you can do that at the airport that has a pretty good store.
Overall, I was very hesitant about going out of the country and it took me a couple of days to get in the swing, but once that happened we had a very enjoyable vacation. I will be going back when the opportunity arises.More
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