Excursions - Cruise, local port or on our own?

Our Panama Canal cruise will stop in Key West, Cartagena, Panama City, Quepos, Caldera, Acajutla, Cabo San Lucas and San Diego. The last two are familiar territory, and I think it will be easy to walk around Key West. For the others, we're trying to decide if it is best to book a cruise excursion, find local excursions/ours in each port, or cab it and explore on our own.

We're not interesting in zip lining, etc, but in general sightseeing of the highlights.

Recommendations and ideas appreciated!

We had a fabulous 16-night Panama Canal cruise a little over a month ago. Of the ports you've asked about, we had terrific private excursions in Cartagena with Dora, and in Costa Rica with Gio Tours. (We were docked in Puntarenas, not far from Puerto Caldera.) I have very specific info about those tours (and everything else we did) on my detailed comments thread, with photos, here:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2456255

You can also find info on private excursions on the Ports of Call boards for the individual countries you'll be visiting.

We had a fabulous 16-night Panama Canal cruise a little over a month ago. Of the ports you've asked about, we had terrific private excursions in Cartagena with Dora, and in Costa Rica with Gio Tours. (We were docked in Puntarenas, not far from Puerto Caldera.) I have very specific info about those tours (and everything else we did) on my detailed comments thread, with photos, here:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2456255

 

You can also find info on private excursions on the Ports of Call boards for the individual countries you'll be visiting.

Thank you so much!! Just read the whole thing. Itching to get on my cruise now.

On our last cruise through the Panama Canal two families got left behind in Cartagena. Self tours might be great but total responsibility is with you to get back to the ship for departure. The ship didn't wait for those folks.

On our last cruise through the Panama Canal two families got left behind in Cartagena. Self tours might be great but total responsibility is with you to get back to the ship for departure. The ship didn't wait for those folks.

I suspect you have no idea why they were left behind. Private tour problem? Too many adult beverages?

Yes, getting back in time is your responsibility, no arguement. But in most ports I think you will find more people go off on their own (combining all the other ways to travel in a port, excluding ship's excursions ) than use ship's excursions. And the number who miss the ship is very small.