Robbed at the banana plantation

[sjmbruce]

to take your passport or not....hard decision. you could lose it or it could get stolen from you. or you could need it if you miss the ship and need to fly to the next destination or home.

we brought our passports to each port during our cruise in december - our first cruise. three out of the five ports we did independent excursions.

luckily, our next cruise is in hawaii and i wont have to worry about it. i honestly don't know if i'd taken them again or not next time.

[Krazy Kruizers]

to take your passport or not....hard decision. you could lose it or it could get stolen from you. or you could need it if you miss the ship and need to fly to the next destination or home.

we brought our passports to each port during our cruise in december - our first cruise. three out of the five ports we did independent excursions.

luckily, our next cruise is in hawaii and i wont have to worry about it. i honestly don't know if i'd taken them again or not next time.

 

If you have a colored photo copy of your passport, and something happens to the actual passport, you can go to any American Embassy and get a new one within a day or two.

We lerned this back in the early 70's when we were on a land tour in Italy. One of the couples in our group had her purse stolen in Rome. Since it was a Saturday, they were not able to get pictures taken for their new passports. At that time we all had only black and white passport pictures, etc. Since they had copies of their passports, it was just a minutes until their pictures were taken and new passports were issued. They rejoined our tour later that afternoon.

Since then I have always carried copies of our passports -- a couple for each of us -- just in case.

[sjmbruce]

If you have a colored photo copy of your passport, and something happens to the actual passport, you can go to any American Embassy and get a new one within a day or two.

 

We lerned this back in the early 70's when we were on a land tour in Italy. One of the couples in our group had her purse stolen in Rome. Since it was a Saturday, they were not able to get pictures taken for their new passports. At that time we all had only black and white passport pictures, etc. Since they had copies of their passports, it was just a minutes until their pictures were taken and new passports were issued. They rejoined our tour later that afternoon.

 

Since then I have always carried copies of our passports -- a couple for each of us -- just in case.

thank you!

[kcscrapper]

Sorry about your incidnet. Now I am really happy that we booked with Green Way Tours in December. We were approx. 20 people and our bus drove in the middle of the DEL MONTE plantation with employees and other visitors around us. We felt very safe. I have a feeling that your driver stopped outside the plantation.

 

I was impressed with the Green Way guide at the zip line place. He was very involved with his group and very informative during the tractor ride. I especially liked how he was at the end of the last cable line having brought his groups "non zippers" for a great view and helping with photos. I was really wishing that we'd been on *that* tour instead of the OkeyDokey one!

[kcscrapper]

If you have a colored photo copy of your passport, and something happens to the actual passport, you can go to any American Embassy and get a new one within a day or two.

 

 

The color copies of the passports are a good idea. I had them .... but not on this trip!

 

But ... getting the passport reissued was going to be a bigger deal in Costa Rica. We were in Puerto Limon, the embassy is only in San Jose ... 3 hours away. My phone call to the embassy, answered with a recording, when I drilled to the "lost and stolen passport" recording, let me know that the embassy was open for walk in passports daily between 8 and 11:15 am. The robbery happened around 11:30 AM, so I'd already "missed the window" for replacement that day .... which would have meant the ship was sailing.

 

It did not happen that way -- thankfully. As I've said, the HAL staff was wonderful and incredibly supportive. I will be forever grateful to them for their collective kindness!

[Krazy Kruizers]

True -- Puerto Limon is a small port.

[OCruisers]

OkeyDokey (Charlie Soto) A-2 Tour – zip lining

 

 

I have since learned that Mr. Soto, owner of OkeyDokeyTours, “sub contracts everything and owns only a cell phone.” (Information received from a certified ICT travel agent and guide). Okey Dokey Tours is not really even found on Trip Advisor but appears on Cruise Critic and offers the Cruise Critic discount (which is also offered by Greenway Tours).

Mr. Soto, in an email to me, asserted "i toll him that, i never stop there, there is no people, or a security guard, i tell him everytime we better take our people to the Packing plant there is all the people". Frankly, it didn't seem that Mr Soto had that extensive a conversation with the driver while he "organized" the tour details, (particularly since Soto had another tour already boarded and waiting for him to begin), but I don't speak the language well enough to say whether or not that statement is true. If true, then, our guide took us to a place with known "no security" and where he was directed to not take us. If not true, then Mr. Soto, is willing to throw his hired help "under the bus".

 

Mr. Soto has, since December 22, 2012, agreed to refund our cash payment – but has continuously failed to do so though I’ve suggested tmany different avenues . His latest promise is for payment January 2, 2013.

 

Seems we are learning quite a bit about Okey Dokey Tours (Mr.Soto) :rolleyes:

This could be very helpful to others considering booking through Okey Dokey.

 

Do hope you at least get the money back you paid for his tour.

Just glad you and your sister are all right.

 

LuLu

~~~~

[Krazy Kruizers]

I also hope that you get your money back.

But from what I have read here where you paid him upfront in cash for the tour, I have my doubts.

[kcscrapper]

But from what I have read here where you paid him upfront in cash for the tour, I have my doubts.

 

I expect that it is more a of lack of ethics -- and frankly, no enforcement ability on my part. I think that OkeyDokey & Soto well know I have little recourse against him and he never intended to follow through with his agreement.

 

I have filed a formal complaint with the ICT at the VisitCostaRica site as suggested by a travel agent and certified tour guide at the TripAdvisor forum.

[Reader0108598]

I expect that it is more a of lack of ethics -- and frankly, no enforcement ability on my part. I think that OkeyDokey & Soto well know I have little recourse against him and he never intended to follow through with his agreement.

 

I have filed a formal complaint with the ICT at the VisitCostaRica site as suggested by a travel agent and certified tour guide at the TripAdvisor forum.[/quote

 

I think by posting you expierence with Mr.Soto ,you get your point accross and thank you!

[crimsonbird]

We were on a Charlie Soto Okey Dokey tour from Puntarenas this past December. The tour was amateurish at best. There are other private tour operators, but if I doubt, take the ship's tour. We like taking private tours, but in Costa Rica it's better to be safe than sorry. Without going into detail, our money was not well spent.