lillulu

Thank you! Enjoy your cruise also!

Here is the email I received back today. I did shoot another one off as I had more questions.

Good Morning,

Thank you for your recent email.

Stop 2 Pastelillo is the closest stop to the Port, which you can access via public transport. At this stop you will be able to do the full tour and hop-off as many times as you like during the operating hours.

When you come into port on a cruise ship it can be at a high cost due to a shuttle service may be provided with pre-purchased City Sightseeing Tickets from the port to one of the stops on the tour.

I hope this information, please advise if you need any further assistance.

Kind regards,

Charlotte Mander

Sales and Marketing

administrator

Thank you birdergal, we are planning on it! 4 more days and we are on the ship!!!

Interested in the same thing. Will be on Celebrity Equinox in Nov. Wondering if you purchase the Hop On Hop Off thru the ship on the pier whether you have to return at a certain time to get the bus back to the pier. The ship excursion is $45 if you purchase it in advance and says the duration is 4 hours which is why I'm questioning this.

Still no answer, I sent another email again today to the company. Our ship does not offer this in our tours that I saw. They just have their typical ship excursions.

Hope to hear something as I leave Saturday to head to Miami. If I hear anything I will post and let you know.

Enjoy your cruise.

Hello, I am hoping someone can answer this for me. Because of health issues of family members at home we will need unlimited internet access. I don't want to waste our time in port doing internet or looking for one.

So, with that being said. Are we better off purchasing it before boarding or do they run a special on board the first day for the unlimited. Does anyone happen to know?

Thank you in advance.

It seems like the normal HOHO bus ticket costs $20 but if you pick up the tour at the cruise dock it costs $39. When you took the taxi to the clock tower to embark on the HOHO, did the same bus also stop at the cruise ship dock? If so, do they care if you get off at the cruise ship dock even if you paid the lower price?

 

Also, is there a stop on the HOHO bus that has decent access to the fort area?

 

Thanks!

I'm just curious if you ever got an answer, or answered your own question by finding out another way? I have emailed. Waiting for an answer back.

The ATMs dispense Colombian Pesos (COP), your bank does the conversion, best to use a debit card with no foreign exchange fees but there may be an ATM fee, usually a flat rate of $1 to $3. You'll see the conversion rate and ATM fees on your bank statement. The current rate of exchange is 2920 COP = $1 US Dollar so if you wanted about the equivalent of $100 you'd withdraw 300,000 COP.

Oh, I hate to do that. I usually take cash into the bank and have them do the exchange into thier country currency.

Thank you again for the information. I appreciate it.

We hired a cab for the day and went to Tayrona National Park, it's really nice. On the way back we stopped in the seaside village of Taganga for a late lunch, great ceviche in Colombia, especially at the restaurant in the park. Just a tip though, the park does not accept US dollars or any other currency than Colombian pesos. We had the cab driver stop at an ATM so we could withdraw pesos before we left Santa Marta. You'll need to look up the current exchange rate, and estimate costs, the park entrance fee check online and factor some for lunch. You can pay the cab driver with a combo of US dollars and any leftover pesos.

Thank you for the information. Is there a Bank we can go to Or do the ATM's exchange your money? I like to always bring back money from different countries. Small amounts, nothing major as a souvenir.

:confused:

Is there nobody out there that has done a private tour in Santa Marta? I would love some information of who you used, what you did, etc. Any recommendations would be greatly appreciated as well. I can't seem to find anything about Santa Marta except for the ships excursions. We are there from 8:00 - 5:00 pm on a week day. Thank you in advance.

http://www.city-sightseeing.com/tour-details/colombia/cartagena.htm?id=174

It's $20.00 a person and you can Hop on and Hop off. We are going to take the whole 90 mins around and listen to the comentary, then go back to what we really want to see. We are there from 7:00 - 1:00. so not very long in port either.

I have noticed that there is not much posted about this port or Santa Marta Columbia. I don't know if they are new ports or that cruise lines just do not call on these 2 ports very often.

There is also a review that someone wrote about DIY easypeasey. We had considered that as well.

Enjoy whatever you decide to do. :)

I saw that, too, which was why it didn't make sense to me. These were independent tour guides who told me this (several, in fact.) I wonder if Princess has some special arrangement and doesn't fall under "public."

We are cruising the end of this month. I have a tour booked with Oscar Brown and they have not told me that we will not be going to the Banana Plantation. It's in my tour package.

This is the tour we are booked for.

our # 4. Jaguar Rescue Center & #1 (Tortuguero Canal) tour (Combine tour)

As we combine the Jaguar Rescue Center, along with the Tortuguero Canal tour, you have the opportunity to enjoy more of our beautiful country.

We start by taking you to the Jaguar Center. This Center is a non-profit, humane-society organization in Puerto Viejo of Limon, Costa Rica. They are dedicated to recover maltreated, hurt, in poor health or abandoned animals, which once reestablish, are then reintroduced to their natural environment in protected areas.

When you get there, you will have direct contact, and will be able to spend time up close and personal with howler monkeys, wild cats, sloths, raccoons, reptiles, etc. You can also observe all the venomous snakes of Costa Rica which are housed in terrariums (cage) imitating their natural habitat. The best thing here is to cuddle a baby sloth; they also allowed young howler monkeys to dance across your heads and shoulders, while you hold it.

With your visit you will get a unique experience to interact with Costa Rica’s wild and timed animals and help a valuable cause. This place is located in the South side from the pier. We’ll get you there as little as 45 minutes.

We include our complementary stops, such as: the banana plantation, life style of the country side, and the option of one beach stop (black sand beach or a white sand beach) we offer time beach (you can walk on the beach or take a dip in the water).

The II part of this tour, takes you to the Tortuguero Canal ride. This is a tour through the rain forest, where as you go comfortable seated in a boat with cover, to protect you from the sun or the rain. On the way you will see all wild life: alligator, monkeys, slots, different type of birds. This tour goes for approximately 6 to 7 hours. Soft drinks and complementary lunch are included.

deleted I gave dates for 2016 sorry.

Sounds like you are doing a round trip via Miami? Your ports are very different from ours. We are doing the full transit from Miami to San Diego. So after Cartagena, the Canal transit and Costa Rica, we go on to Nicaragua, Guatemala, Acapulco and Cabo San Lucas.

 

To answer your question about excursions in Colombia and Costa Rica: In Cartagena we are doing a walking tour of "old Cartagena" and will visit various places within the walled city. We are only in Cartagena for 6 hours so our time there will be limited.

 

Our stop in Costa Rica is in Puntarenas. We will be going to the Pura Vida Botanical Gardens and Waterfalls. I love, love, love visiting botanical gardens and viewing flora and fauna I do not get to see at home. And this garden is at 2,000 feet elevation with sweeping views! Hopefully we will also get to see scarlet macaws and toucans at these gardens. Fingers crossed.

 

Enjoy your other ports as well. I have been to Roatan and Costa Maya. One of my most favorite excursions was in Roatan (a dolphin excursion at Anthony's Key Resort and then lunch at Tabyana Beach). In Costa Maya I went to the Chacobben ruins. Very much enjoyed that excursion as well.

Yes, we are round tripping back to Miami. Would love to do a transitioning cruise one day. Wish we were going to the Costa Rica port that you are. I heard it's better for shore excursions. We have actually stayed 8 nights in Costa Rica years ago. We stayed at the Peace Lodge and seen the waterfalls, We did ziplining over Arenal lake, Horseback riding to the volcano, and to Arenal Hot Springs. Then we went over to Guanacaste Beautiful country, beautiful people. We saw Mccaws, monkeys, and Toucans, I was like a kid in a candy store. The one thing I am wanting to see this trip is a Sloth and I am working on a tour where we will actually get to hold a baby one. My daughter is going to freak. :D Dolphins sound like fun, I'll have to look into that. I just had knee replacement so I am limited on what we can do now. Enjoy your cruise my friend.

Armed guards? In Belize? Never saw one.

People selling drugs? Never saw any in Belize.

Scary people? Everyone we met in Belize was wonderful, friendly, and spoke English as it is the country's native language.

Felt unsafe? Not for a single second.

Both times I have been to Belize we had armed guards board our bus. :eek: The first time they got on right at the port with us. Of course that was scary when you are not expecting that. The second time we were stopped down the road and armed men got on looked around the bus and got back off. So, there will be NO third time for me. I will either stay on the ship or take the tender to the port mall and hang out at a bar, restaurant or shop just to stretch my legs off the ship. To each their own is my motto! :D

Belize listed as one of the most dangerous cruise ports in the world.

We weren't big fans of it when we stopped there. Here is the clip.

 

There have been recent complaints that Western tourists disembarking from cruises are offered drugs and then “set-up” for arrest and payment of a hefty fine, according to OSAC. Most crimes against tourists are thefts and result in no injuries. Travelers are advised to avoid areas of the south side of Belize City where numerous gangs are known to operate. Some excursions require a military patrol to view the Mayan ruins

Geegitz my friend. How the heck are you? I got so sick and never got to see y'all again after our last cruise. I was taken off the ship and driven back home to be admitted into the hospital I was septis had an infection and had no ideal. I still wear the shirt you gave me cruising with you.:D We are fixing to take our first cruise since that 2010 one that I got sick on. Heading out to the Panama Canal. Our first 12 day cruise. My daughter will be with us for this one. Looks like you been cruising away. Have fun and take care my friend. Belize is one of my least favorite ports. We will be going there on this one but we are staying on the ship. Might take the tender in just to hang out right there in the little shops or bar. Take care. And have fun!:D

Enjoy your cruise lillulu. We will be there about a week before you. We will be in Colombia on October 17, cruising the Panama Canal on the 18th, and in Costa Rica on the 20th.

 

I am so excited for this trip! First time cruising the Canal. Something to check off the bucket list. Rain or shine, our cruises will be awesome! :)

Thank you SeahawkSiren. You as well. We leave out of Miami Sunday October 23rd. We will be in Santa Marta, Colombia October 26th, Cartagena, Colombia October 27th, Panama Canal/Gatun Lake, Panama October 28th, Puerto Limon, Costa Rica October 29th, then we head out towards Roatan, Bay Islands, Honduras, Belize City, Belize, Costa Maya, Mexico. I'm so excited I can't contain myself!! This was also a bucket list trip for me. I've always wanted to go to the Panama Canal. What shore excursions are you planning while in coombia and costa rica? We are staying on the ship for the Canal. I heard it is a great experience. And yes, They will be Awesome with either rain or shine. I do pray for shine though LOL

We did a bus tour offered by NCL, sorry don't remember the name. The vegetation there is incredible. Saw cashew trees mango and avocado trees, and cantaloupe fields. Then we went to a souvenir store and back. It was a lot of driving but it was ok. Our guide would stop at trees along the way to pick fruit and pass around.

 

 

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Did you happen to see any wild life?

Thank you, looking into these. Any more help or advise would be appreciated.

We did this back in 2010. My friend my sister and I. We had a blast. Back then we just walked over after coming back from another shore excursion. Paid our money and went. Loved it!. Check, maybe they will still do it. But it looks like the word has gotten out and they have grown in 6 years. Good Luck! Have fun if you get to go. We really enjoyed it.

Lulu

Preparing to take my first cruise on NCL. We are sailing on Oct 23rd on the pearl. Costa Rica happens to be one of the ports we will be stopping in. Puerto Limon, Costa Rica. Please tell me the BEST shore excursion you have taken while in this port. Who you might have used, or if it was through the ship. We are trying to figure out what we would like to do and with whom. I read someones after cruise trip post but the excursion he did doesn't seem to be offered at the time I am cruising. He did a bus, train, and boat. Called Costa Rica tour through the ship. Pearl doesn't see to be offering that particular one so, looking for help or advise for other offers or trusted tour guides.

Unfortunately I had knee replacement so I am limited to activity. So, zip lining is out. But I have done that before.

Thank you in advance.

Lulu

Thanks cb at sea!!

The October and November forecast for Panama is partly cloudy skies with scattered showers accompanied with thunder at times. High temperature 87 and the low 76, winds light and variable. You may insert the day/s.

 

OK, kidding aside and I will speak to Panama, but the weather for Colombia and Costa Rica will be essentially the same. The weather does not vary a lot here, the biggest variable will be your chance of rain and that will depend to a degree on when you are in Panama. October and November are still within the Rainy season, in general it will start to become drier as you move through November. The temps I referenced in the beginning are typical that time of year.

 

Don't let the threat of rain discourage you... normally the rains are not an all day event even at the height of the Wet season. If you encounter rain, it usually does not last too long and then you can resume what you were doing.

Hahahaha!!! Thanks BillB48. We actually will be there Oct 26-29th Columbia, Panama, and Costa Rica. Then we move towards Costa Maya, Belize, and Honduras.

We did and I can't imagine they will not have it. It was pretty popular (they even organized a second time for it) and very well organized. There will be more excursions available when you get on the ship if you don't see it. Or perhaps it is just not posted yet, depending on when you are cruising. We had not problem booking once on board.

Not listed that I can find. We cruise this october 23. Thanks for getting back with me. After surfing it looks like we are going into a different port then you were in. our port will be Puerto Limon, Costa Rica.

Not listed that I can find. We cruise this october 23. Thanks for getting back with me.

This will be my first time going to the Panama Canal, Costa Rica, Columbia, and a few others. Just wondering what the weather is like in October and November. Anyone know? Thank you in advance.:)

 

 

We booked the Costa Rico tour by Bus, Train and Boat. We like that sort of excursion to get a good introduction to a new country. We enjoyed the excursion quite a bit. It was hot but the bus was air conditioned (the train and boat were not), and you returned to the bus between the other parts of the tour. We had a great tour guide. She was very knowledgeable about her country's history, government, people and wildlife. And we saw a lot of wildlife, including a caiman, lizards, howler monkeys, two kinds of sloths, iguana, birds, and other animals.

 

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Did you book that particular excursion from NCL? I can't seem to find one like that and it sounds like a wonderful trip.

I looked on Google Maps because I thought the same thing. The distance from the Tourism Village to St. John's is a little less than a mile. As long as I don't have to jog, we should make it there and back just fine.

But are the streets in that area safe to walk? That is one of my fears.

Think I need to really research this one....Thanks