Cartagena Question

[Lkcossmfr]

Took a tour with about 20 others , lotsa folks at the gate looking for customers, very interesting , absolutely felt very safe. Lovely town and I think the 4 hour tour was about 25$

[lottorus]

Like some have said this is a freight port and nothing to do at dock, however it is a beautiful port as you arrive and leave. There are statues in the bay as come into port. The city of Cartagena is a cool town to see, old forts and downtown, and of course the banana ladies. I would do it with a ships tour, we did and loved it!

[cruz chic]

Like some have said this is a freight port and nothing to do at dock, however it is a beautiful port as you arrive and leave. There are statues in the bay as come into port. The city of Cartagena is a cool town to see, old forts and downtown, and of course the banana ladies. I would do it with a ships tour, we did and loved it!

 

But there are a few things to do at the dock. I mentioned it in my prior post. That said, it might not be everyone's cup of tea.

[cp556]

I can tell you something about Mr Emerald, He is a trustworthy person, he owns an emerald shop, and although I did not have a tour with him, I did buy a charm with an emerald in it, not expensive, but the emerald fell out of it at one point, not too long after wearing it, I contacted him, and he replaced the charm at no cost to me, and no postage, he was very honorable, if I go to Cartagena again, I WILL take one of his tours!!

 

We did a tour thru Mr Emerald (Lee Miles) a few years ago and it was perfect. Lee himself met us at the ship and introduced us to the guide, and the tour covered the highlights of the beautiful city along with a great narrative.

 

I can also vouch for Mr Emerald's emeralds: I bought a pair of earrings for $X, and had them appraised back in the States. They appraised for over 5 times what they had cost and the jeweler said they were superb stones.

[corkpopr]

we picked up a cab right outside to cruise port area. two guys, a driver (little English) and a guide, great English. went to the fort, cathedral, shopping, etc. then we drove 40 minutes out of town to the relative suburbs to a emerald factory. machine gun posts, double entrance gates. dogs and mirrors under the cab then once we were cleared we were in. then double entrance to the factory including metal detectors. after the last hurdle we were in among the workers and could walk right up and check out what they were doing.

 

rough stones with quartz being graded and separated all the way along the line to jewelers setting finished stones and designing pieces. after that ushered into the showroom to see the finished work. my DW got a necklace and two rings. she loved one that a designer was still working on from earlier in the tour and we waited for him to finish it. total about one third the price of diamonds international.

 

on the way back down to the private marina other areas, in all a great day.

[WisRiver]

We (a group of four) like to explore on our own. Last year we were stopped in Cartagena after transiting the Panama Canal. I speak some Spanish. After the ship docked, we took a shuttle to the port entrance. There was duty free shops, a coffee shop with internet, a bar and restaurant. We exited into a taxi area. Most of the cabs wanted to give us a tour of the area. All we wanted a cab to the Old Town. It was an average cab ride at a cost of about $20 US for four persons. The cab cannot go into the center of Old Town.

 

We spent the day walking around Old Town, exploring the beach front, eating an excellent lunch on a plaza, catching up on e-mail and doing some shopping. We never felt unsafe or threatened. After about 4 hours in town, we walked back out to where we were dropped off. We negotiated a price of $15 for the return trip. We had a great day.

[KAKcruiser]

I had a terrible experience in this port. We got in a taxi to go to one of the jewelry stores. The driver took us really far and the jewelry store certainly didn't have any bargains. I have never felt so afraid of the people around us. And, we had unbelievable traffic on the way back. I was convinced we were going to miss the ship. We made it at the last minute.

[JayS]

My first cruise in 1987. The port stops were Costa Rica (skipped due a strike),Cartagena and Aruba with a partial Canal cruise.

 

The CD did everything except get on his knees to beg the passengers not to go on your own or take an independent tour in Cartagena. For Aruba he tried to sell ships tour but also mentioned taxi and independent tours.

 

We took a taxi in Aruba. The driver went around the island and said "on this island we speak Papiamento, once every 10 minutes for 3 hours :eek:. Although nothing bad happened, I tended to use ships excursions for the next few years.

 

The ships tour of Cartagena stopped for an hour for emerald shopping. The tour guide told us not to buy coffee from the street vendor. Near the end some of his friends came on the bus and sold us coffee $1 per 500g (a little more than a lb)

 

My last several cruises I used mostly independents except on private islands or when I could not determine if I could go on my own.

 

My next cruise SAN down though Mexico and Central America to the Canal to Cartagena the FLL I will stay with ships excursions.

[sail7seas]

we picked up a cab right outside to cruise port area. two guys, a driver (little English) and a guide, great English. went to the fort, cathedral, shopping, etc. then we drove 40 minutes out of town to the relative suburbs to a emerald factory. machine gun posts, double entrance gates. dogs and mirrors under the cab then once we were cleared we were in. then double entrance to the factory including metal detectors. after the last hurdle we were in among the workers and could walk right up and check out what they were doing.

 

rough stones with quartz being graded and separated all the way along the line to jewelers setting finished stones and designing pieces. after that ushered into the showroom to see the finished work. my DW got a necklace and two rings. she loved one that a designer was still working on from earlier in the tour and we waited for him to finish it. total about one third the price of diamonds international.

 

on the way back down to the private marina other areas, in all a great day.

 

 

 

My hat off to you.

I felt myself getting anxious just reading your post. :D :eek:

I'm not sure how safe some of us would feel in those circumstances.

Happy it worked out so well for you and hope your DW enjoys her

emeralds. I figure she earned them just by doing that taxi tour!!! :D

 

[corkpopr]

we wondered if we would make it back alive cuz no one would pay a ransom for us!

 

we never take ships tours and always pick up our own drivers. had great luck in mexico, costa rica, morocco, Tunisia, etc. great fun and the locals all know that in order to stay in business they have to get everyone back to the ship on time. if you want to do something that takes to long they will tell you that it is impossible with the time and traffic. once in aruba I had a cabbie that said of course we will get you to the ship on time, "my wife hates it when I bring surprise guests for dinner and overnight!"

[Hertz Von Seasider]

Well I just finished reading up on the security warnings by the State Department on all of the central American stops on this Panama cruise, which include Columbia, Nicaragua, Guatemala and NONE of them are really safe places:eek:. Even ships tours can be dangerous and in some of these areas tour buses have been stopped and everyone robbed. Taxi's it turns out can be just as dangerous.

 

I realize that the odds are all with us in that nothing is likely to happen, but I am not sure that the reward is worth the risk. My DW says she is not getting off the ship at these ports of call. I will probably talk her out of that position, but I am not sold on doing anything other than a ships organized tour, even if they are not rated high among previous passengers.:(

 

Well, we are doing this cruise next month and fully intend visiting all these wonderful places. That's if we survive the mean streets of New York and San Diego on our pre cruise trip

[sail7seas]

we wondered if we would make it back alive cuz no one would pay a ransom for us!

 

we never take ships tours and always pick up our own drivers. had great luck in mexico, costa rica, morocco, Tunisia, etc. great fun and the locals all know that in order to stay in business they have to get everyone back to the ship on time. if you want to do something that takes to long they will tell you that it is impossible with the time and traffic. once in aruba I had a cabbie that said of course we will get you to the ship on time, "my wife hates it when I bring surprise guests for dinner and overnight!"

 

DH and I were once in a taxi someplace in the Caribbean. I don't remember which island. We no sooner sat down, taxi driver started off to our destination and he asked what kind of car we had. I was so afraid DH would actually say (it was a nice car ;)), I immediately said an old Chevy. DH, of course, caught on. At some point in the conversation, we told him we had no one who would pay a ransom for us. :D I'm not sure if he had bad thoughts or not but I was very happy to safely get out of his taxi. :eek:

 

Edited September 13, 2014 by sail7seas

[Linda&Vern]

DH and I were once in a taxi someplace in the Caribbean. I don't remember which island. We no sooner sat down, taxi driver started off to our destination and he asked what kind of car we had. I was so afraid DH would actually say (it was a nice car ;)), I immediately said an old Chevy. DH, of course, caught on. At some point in the conversation, we told him we had no one who would pay a ransom for us. :D I'm not sure if he had bad thoughts or not but I was very happy to safely get out of his taxi. :eek:

Once in St. Thomas 2 couples from our cruise hired a taxi of some sort in town to do a private tour. They did get a tour, but ended up in a remote part of St. Thomas and were told it would be $50 to take them back into town. Sadly "bad stuff" can happen anywhere.

[sail7seas]

Once in St. Thomas 2 couples from our cruise hired a taxi of some sort in town to do a private tour. They did get a tour, but ended up in a remote part of St. Thomas and were told it would be $50 to take them back into town. Sadly "bad stuff" can happen anywhere.

 

 

 

Wow, that is frightening especially considering St. Thomas is far from crime free. :eek:

 

[Hlitner]

Wow, that is frightening especially considering St. Thomas is far from crime free. :eek:

 

 

Actually, St Thomas is where a 14 year old female cruise passenger was shot to death (near Coki Beach) when she got caught in the crossfire of a couple of druggies. We do not think a cruise passenger has ever been shot to death (or even harmed) in Cartegena, Puerto Vallarta, Tunesia, Egypt, etc. But it is hard to deal with alarmists and a press that tends to have their own agendas.

 

Hank

[Marigold252]

We stopped in Cartegena in February on our Panama Canal full transit cruise. We did the HAL tour of the fort, walking around the old town and shopping. It was fine for that kind of tour. The emerald prices were a joke; highly inflated even after bargaining. At no time did we feel unsafe. But the highlight of our afternoon in port was the USS Independence parked just down the pier. It's a combat spy ship, a high speed large catamaran. My DH wished we could have toured it instead!

 

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Forums mobile app

[corkpopr]

in town emerald prices very high. we forgot to buy something for our daughter so we went to the emerald shop at the port. very expensive. we showed her what we had just bought and from the work she guessed where we bought it. We spent 2300 and she said that it should sell for 3000. she said that the same at her shop would be 3600-4000.

[WisRiver]

Here is a link an interesting article in today's New York Times about Cartagena. Cruisers will not have 36 hours, but there are some interesting tips. Enjoy.

 

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/09/14/travel/things-to-do-in-36-hours-in-cartagena-colombia.html?ref=travel&_r=0

[DaveOKC]

We stopped in Cartegena in February on our Panama Canal full transit cruise. We did the HAL tour of the fort, walking around the old town and shopping. It was fine for that kind of tour. The emerald prices were a joke; highly inflated even after bargaining. At no time did we feel unsafe. But the highlight of our afternoon in port was the USS Independence parked just down the pier. It's a combat spy ship, a high speed large catamaran. My DH wished we could have toured it instead!

 

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Forums mobile app

 

Do you remember the name of the tour?

[sail7seas]

I've heard that in addition to Costa Rica, Columbia is becoming a choice of places retired people are moving to. Their U.S. dollar goes a lot further there than in the states and there's no snow shoveling. :)

 

I don't think they are living right in Cartegena.

Edited September 14, 2014 by sail7seas

[Hlitner]

Have to smile at some of these posts since (as we posted) on our last visit (last year) to Cartegena we really enjoyed our day (on our own) walking around, shopping, eating, etc. But we also understand that many of our fellow Americans have a tough time adapting to many foreign lands. DW likes to remind me of her very good friend (single man) who went to Paris with a few friends and hated the city. When we asked him why he said that Paris was too old! Another friend told us they did not like Italy because "all the food was Italian." And yes, we are sure many do not like Cartegena because it is just not like their home town.

 

Hank

[corkpopr]

As usual Hank, a spot on observation!

 

Bruce

[cruz chic]

It must be nice to be perfect and always criticize and look down on others:rolleyes:.

[St. Louis Sal]

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=325657&stc=1&d=1411228504

 

Will attempt to attach photo; not always good at this.

 

We went to Cartagena on the Noordam in 2007. This picture shows where we were docked.

 

My rule is to (usually) do a ship's tour on a first visit to a port. It gives me a feel for the area and some basic knowledge. Then in future visits I will set up private tours or just wander on my own.

 

I enjoyed Cartagena, especially the old town section. I wanted to buy an emerald ring but I am not into spending large amounts on jewelry in foreign locations. I set myself a budget and bought a ring mostly as a souvenir not an investment. I found something I liked at The Lapidary, a jewelry factory in the Plaza de las Bovedas (that's the old prison I believe that has been turned into shops). My local jeweler said the price I paid was fair (in his words: a bargain not a steal). I still wear the ring frequently.

 

Be sure and rise early to watch the approach to Cartagena. The city looks almost magical in the distance as you sail in.

 

St. Louis Sal

[take us away]

Have to smile at some of these posts since (as we posted) on our last visit (last year) to Cartegena we really enjoyed our day (on our own) walking around, shopping, eating, etc. But we also understand that many of our fellow Americans have a tough time adapting to many foreign lands. DW likes to remind me of her very good friend (single man) who went to Paris with a few friends and hated the city. When we asked him why he said that Paris was too old! Another friend told us they did not like Italy because "all the food was Italian." And yes, we are sure many do not like Cartegena because it is just not like their home town.

 

Hank

 

Interesting generalization - do believe one must be most careful with generalizations. We are one of the posters who did not enjoy Cartegena due to not feeling safe while we were there.

 

Now please understand, we have been to over 100 different countries, all the continents, and a huge collection of less than savory areas - like Port Said just before the last revolution to overthrow the government, Lima during a demonstration complete with tear gas, watching rebels blowing up the only road from the port in central America (it was either Honduras or Guatemala), areas in Africa where there were children with machine guns, Asian countries with abject squalor in their cities. Still stand by my 'not feeling safe' in Cartegena comment.