We just got back from our 7 day stay at El Cid La Ceiba. It was wonderful. We had 3 great private rooms in rooms 1730+. we enjoyed our stay with our 3 children, my dad, and aunt. The staff Cain (from Kids Club), Carlos (lifeguard), Maria (front desk), and the Main Chefs were just some of the staff members that were wonderful...it was not crowded at all and the family atmosphere was perfect....the snorkeling was great too. not too far - not too close to town. It did rain for 2 days non stop, so we lost 2 of our days, but that was not the resorts fault. Jorge in Guest/Customer Services was also great...we are members of RCI and if we could go back to this Resort we would go back in a heart beat. Gracias El Cid La Ceiba Resort... :)

Babieca Dive shop is located within El cid La Ceiba Resort on the water of Cozumel. We just spent two full weeks diving almost every day. Luis Rodriquez is by far the most awesome dive master. He is safety conscious and lets your air dictate your dive. This is unlike some other operators that run you through like cattle. They served fruit in between the dives during the surface interval, and services are awesome. The resort is very nice with very friendly and helpful staff. This is our 3rd summer to go and we look forward to another visit.

we truly enjoyed are stay at el cid, the staff was not only helpful and accomodating but beyond frienly, we left left there as friends with many. we know they will remeber us when we return and we will remeber them.the little convenient store outside the main entrance also has a friendly staff. no problem getting off beaten path for excellent food and safety was never a issue.

First of all - do not buy into their ALL-INCLUSIVE option. If you do, you'll be stuck with their only single restaurant "La Chopa" on-site (the pizza place is not counting), which serves less than average quality of food to say at least. What is alternative? For only $7 one way to the downtown area, you'll have the variety of so many great restaurants, that you'll run out of days in your vacation before you could explore all great places for dinner. And, if you stay like us in a 1-2 bedroom suite that had a small kitchen and refrigerator, you can get all you need for your breakfasts and lunches from a huge MEGA supermarket with their prices on many food items (ham, cheese, dairy, vegetables, fruits, etc...) of half of the prices we pay here, in US.
Now, if you care for snorkeling - do not waste your time on a local hotel beach. Rent yourself a car or get a taxi ride to a near Dzul-Ha reef beach (it's only a few miles away), while its Money Bar beach restaurant providing comfortably you with drinks and food. This is the best off-shore snorkeling place on the island! (they even have a snorkeling "map" on the wall of their bar to show you the route for the best snorkeling). And do not fall for some "cheap" snorkeling tours some beaches on the island would offer you (they range from $25 to $35 per person) - they will robb you off, because they will in fact take you to ... the same Dzul-Ha reef location with their boat, while you could have gotten yourself there for free.
Now, if you came to tan on a beach and thinking you can easily get to the water (without snorkeling gear) directly from the hotel beach - you will be disappointed. Their beach is very rocky and is not suitable for someone of age over 60 to get an easy access to the water. You'd have to go to other beaches on the island with sandy access to the water: Play de Mia and Mr. Sanches are one of them.
There are many good restaurants on the island. Our favorites are: "Casa Mission" and "Kinta" - great food, great service and good prices. Where can you get a big and juicy fillet mignon for only $16?
If you'd like to explore the island and take some other tours to the mainland, and if you came with more than two people - we'd recommend to spend 90 min of your time to hear their timeshare presention on order to get some good discounts on a rental car and tours. Be aware though, that a minimum rental car insurance you'll be required to pay per day is $14 which is on top of the regular rental car fees you'd negotiate with their rental car office.
We took a tour to Tulim and Xen-ha, which we liked.
As for the quality of rooms and the sleep quality - while rooms were spacious and have suitable beds with firm matresses and variety of pillows and we were generally satisfied with that, we can't say the same unfortunately about the sleeping quality. You'd be feeling like you're sleeping on the airfield while airjets are taking off all night. Their A/C units are so loud, you'd have to bring your own earbuds to get some rest at night. During our stay, we had to call twice their service people to wipe out the water leaking in our rooms due to their internal wall pipes leakage problems. That shows how old this hotel is.
So, in summary, while we enjoy the island of Cozumel and the snorkeling experience we came there for, we can't say the same about this resort, and therefore certainly we won't be coming back.