It was the most relaxing vacation we had at Iberostar (10/4 10/11). After we checked in on a Saturday afternoon, we went straight to El Cedral an open-air restaurant by the pool for lunch. We like a variety of food so buffet style is perfect for us. After lunch, we jump into the pool and have a drink at the swim up bar and just relax. We had a real nice room located by the pool, second floor with limited view of the ocean only due to the tall palm trees. We had a king size bed (yes, the bed is hard but we have no trouble sleeping). The room was clean and space was adequate, even with all of our dive equipment, theres plenty of space to walk around. Organizing your belongings is the key here. Only a couple times we have the gecko-wake-up-call early in the morning that sounded like a big black bird.The on-site dive shop, Dressel, would have been very convenient but their prices were quite high. Also they wanted to be paid in cash otherwise add 9% when using credit card. Since we booked our vacation with Apple Vacations, we talked with the representative at the main lobby about booking a dive package. They work with 3 other dive operations and we went with Black Shark. We paid Apple with a credit card and no extra fee. We signed up for 3 day two-tank for $160 with night dive included per person. Black Shark pick us up in half hour at the resort pier in a small boat with about 4-6 other divers. Since the resort is located at the southwestern part of the island, the ride was only about 10 to 15 minutes to any dive sites. Water temp about 80-83 degrees, air temp about 90, visibility over 100 feet. All three dive masters (Limber, Hector and José) were very professional, attentive and patient. They made me feel at ease from the beginning. We had two different captains (Carlos and Javier), they hook up all your equipment and get them ready then bring it to you to gear up to go into the water. The DM has a briefing of which dive site, how deep, kind of condition below, whether there will be tunnels and caves and also shown us the hand signals to use. The group decent at the same time and everybody stay pretty much together all the time. One of the rules was that when your air reaches 700psi left in the tank, notified your DM then you and your buddy start the ascent with a safety stop at 15 ft for 3 minutes then surface. The whole group doesnt have to end their dive just because one heavy breather. I like that because I was the heavy breather due to being a new diver. When we surface, the captain was very good at spotting us and come right over to pick you up from the water. Both the DM and Captain made a great team at providing us with terrific dives. We did all of our dives in the morning except the night dive of course. My husband went on his first night dive and he said it was really awesome. Different sea life comes out at night. The whole diving experience was very pleasant and memorable.We relaxed in the afternoon by pool or lounging by the beach listening to the surfs. Snorkeling was okay, there were a lot of fish under the pier. We snorkel away from the pier toward the south side of property and found a large starfish and a sea snake.The pool is only 4 feet deep with two small wadding pools and integrated swim up bar. The water is always nice and warm. It wasnt crowded during the time we were there, the staff mentioned that it gets busiest during November, December, January and February. Theres always activities going on if you want to participate. Activities such as water aerobics, dance lessons, water polo, bingo, horseshoes, etc. The entertainment staff were great in motivating the guests without pressure. We did participated in the water volleyball, it was a lot of fun.For one day we rented a VW bug from CarSmart for $20 plus $15 insurance. A tip from another TripAdvisor user. We printed out the promotion from their website prior to our trip then we call them from our hotel to request a car. They came and pick us up from the hotel, drove back to their store, then we have the car for 24 hours. Then we drove around the island and explored the town. The east side is almost uninhabitable due to the trade wind and the beach has big rocks and drift woods and big waves. Every so far apart there are some little establishments for tourists attraction. We stopped at Coconuts for lunch. It was recommended by a fellow diver that weve met during our dives. Coconuts is a big open-air bar and grill located up on top of a hill overlooking the ocean. Beautiful view for picture taking opportunity. They have a sandy patio with plastic chairs, tables and umbrellas. We had chicken fajita, steak fries, salsa & chips and drinks. All were so delicious especially the fajita was very good, the grill favor and the sauce that went with it was out of this world. Definitely worth a visit. Then drove into downtown area San Miguel where we shopped for a few hours. To return the car the next day, we drove to their store to pay the rental fee then they drive us back to the hotel. Theres no fee for pick up and drop off, just tip the driver is all that is recommended. They were very courteous and we would use them again.There were only a few times that rain during our stay and it would only rain for less than 5 minutes at a time. We heard the week before that it rain everyday. So due to the rainy season and being in a jungle environment, fogging for mosquitoes were necessary for almost everyday. It helped a great deal. The ground is very well kept by the ground crew. There were always staff that maintains the buildings, sidewalks and the beach area. Flamingos are outside of the main lobby area. They are so beautiful to look at and they sound like geese when they make noises. Peacocks roam the ground and they are friendly enough to eat out of your hands. There are geckos and iguanas everywhere but didnt see them much.The food at the resort was wonderfully adequate and plentiful. Theres something for everyone and different to eat everyday if you want. We enjoyed the buffet most of the time. The variety just endless. For breakfast in the main dining (El Cozumel), we had made to order omelets, there are all kinds of cereal, fruit, cheese and bread. The salsa is great, made fresh daily with chopped tomatoes, onion, cilantra, Serrano chiles and spices. I had it for breakfast (its great over scrambled eggs), lunch and dinner. Lunch is available only at the El Cedral, the grill by the pool. Variety of salads, especially the squid and other seafood were just delicious. For dinner, we did make reservations to eat at the Mexican and Steak restaurant the following night. We ordered tacos which were their specialty and they were very good. Since were not a big fan for steak we decided to cancel the Steak House reservation then went back to the buffet in El Cozumel. I had cappuccino for breakfast and after dinner. They were so good. On the last day or I didnt see it before, they finally have hot cocoa. Thats even better. The ice cream was very popular. Different flavors every day. The vanilla ice cream was so creamy and loaded with vanilla favor that it is the best vanilla ice cream ever.The wait staff were just fantastic, always serving you with a big smile. They might not speak too good of English but their smile say it all. They work constantly in different location throughout the day. Its refreshing to see anyone working so hard to please the guests and to earn what little wages they may receive. Wilberth was one of them that we have observed, he works in the main dining room and at the lunch time buffet, he waits on the people by the pool and the beach area with quite a speed. Anantonio also works just as much but in the buffet areas. He always remember what we like to drink during breakfast and dinner. We have shown our appreciation by tipping the individuals more than usual even though tips are included in the all-inclusive package.This is our first time spending a week in Cozumel and at this resort. The grounds are beautiful and we love having the critters around. The resort is just the right size and the bungalows has their uniqueness. We would recommend this resort and Black Shark to anyone.A few last thoughts, when you do go anywhere in Mexico, do keep an open mind. Things arent going to be perfect. Ease up and have a good time. I do believe that all the staff work hard at their jobs and they desire more than what they actually receive in wages. No matter how bad you think youve got it here in the U.S.A., our standard of living is so much better than what theirs are so share the wealth tip generously.Feel free to email me with any questions. I'll be happy to share what I know.~ Quik