Cozumel is back in cruise-ship mode

Beautiful Cozumel is welcoming back the cruise ships, which were left without docking space after Hurricane Wilma.

Two of the three cruise piers are open again, and 16 cruise ships now dock each week, a number that's expected to reach 40 during the winter season.

Divers wait in the shade at the Aqua Safari pier for their dive boat to pull in, and the sweet perfume of Cuban cigars once again laces the air.

Cozumel was probably hit the hardest of any place in Yucatan, Mexico, its mangrove trees stripped of leaves, the cruise piers pummeled.

Local divers say the shallow reefs close to shore suffered the most. The renowned Palancar reef was deep enough, at 70 feet, to avoid major damage. The Santa Rosa Wall, beloved for its caves and overhangs, came through the storm OK, and perhaps even benefited.

"Some of the sand moved back and opened up some of the tunnels," says Jose Fernandez, an instructor with Scuba Club Cozumel.

Reefs that didn't fare so well: Cardona, Yucab and El Isole, according to divers and diving instructors surveyed.