Cartagena the third worst???

[cruzngrl]

We were in Cartagena approx 2 years ago, I agree with most that it is a spectacular city and is on my list to see again. However, we found the "vendors" there to be very aggressive to the point of having to push our way away from them. With that being said, I still would 100% go again.

[GOLDENBONNY]

I recently read that Cartagena is listed as the world's third most dangerous cruise port. Can anyone who has sailed there recently speak to this? Did you feel safe while there? We are sailing there in a few weeks on the Equinox and have a tour booked through Celebrity. Is it worth leaving the ship?

 

 

CArtagena much safer than Jamaica and vendors are not as pushy as jamican. Do not miss this port . Cartagena is beautiful .

[GOLDENBONNY]

Truthfully, it doesn't really matter if other cruisers felt safe or not. What matters is the facts of the safety of the country. I checked the US government website and attach this link. It seems like if you stay close to the port, you will likely be ok but overall the country is far from safe.

http://travel.state.gov/content/passports/english/alertswarnings/colombia-travel-warning.html

 

 

In many areas of USA you far from safe if you on your own or just go to areas you are not supposed to.

[Max Circus]

We were there in December 2014 and also hired Dora for a private tour. We never felt in danger or unsafe. We had about 90 minutes total of "free time" which we walked around on our own and had a great time.

 

Like any city, you take the normal precautions. Don't carry large amounts of cash, don't flaunt your jewelry and wear conservative clothing.

[harz99]

Whilst I was happy enough walking the old city and going on a tour, the one thing I felt would not be safe was to walk out of the port to the city. The distance is certainly walkable, but much of the area you go through doesn't "feel" safe (and so probably isn't).

[ORV]

We had a very good tour with Claudia Vidal. We didn't feel unsafe at all.

[WisRiver]

I think the Fox News story is utter and complete crap. I am sitting on the patio of our winter rental home 5 km from Progreso, Mexico. I see the Carnival Triumph in port to my left. The news story says that Mexico is ranked fourth after Columbia. We have wintered on the Yucatan Peninsula for ten years and have personally experienced no incidents including thefts, burglaries or assaults. There are parts of Mexico that are unsafe, but they are thousands of miles away. To say that all of Mexico or all of Columbia is unsafe strikes me as irresponsible journalism.

 

We visited Cartagena as part of a Holland America cruise last year. We were a group of four. We took a cab to the old city. We walked around, did some shopping, ate an excellent lunch, did some more shopping and caught a cab back to the ship. We had a great day and had no problems. I never felt unsafe or threatened in any fashion. I would like to return to Cartagena for a longer visit.

[Sailawaytoday]

We were in Cartagena in November and had a private tour of the city with Marvely Pena Tours. It was a very nice day and we never felt unsafe.

 

Jane

 

We were with Marvely, off Equinox over Christmas/New Years this year. We were in several areas of the city, with lots of walking. I never felt anything less than safe and comfortable. In fact, we were so impressed with the city and the people, that its one of the places we'd like to return to for more time.

 

I'm sure that there are parts of Cartegena that are less safe, just like my hometown. However, we would not hesitate to experience the city.

 

(And Marvely is an outstanding and friendly ambassador!)

[tip]

All too often some folks tend to use a broad brush to paint a country or city. It is unrealistic to think that all of Colombia is made up of drug cartels and kidnappers anymore than it is than to say that all of the United States can be compared to Ferguson, Missouri.

 

We too visited the beautiful city of Cartagena, Colombia a few years ago on the Celebrity Equinox. We took a taxi on our own to the old city and spent 4-5 hours there. We sat for a while in a very old church to take in the ambiance and then visited a government building that had gorgeous mosaic tiles. We wandered the side streets for a while and took some beautiful pictures of the architecture, local children, and a farmer with a donkey cart on the way to market.

 

We spent quite a bit of time in the plaza resting on a bench as it was very warm, no it was actually very hot. We talked with a couple who had moved to Cartagena from Oregon area. Yes, the vendors are a little pushy, but it was fun to negotiate with them. My wife bought several pieces of hand made jewelry and we also bought some hand painted maracas for the grandchildren. We got quite a kick out of the vendors loudly hawking their wares as the ships' tours marched through. I even got into the action by offering my "Boston Red Sox" baseball cap for $5! One of the vendors actually bought it and I gave him a chance to get some of his money back by purchasing some cold drinks from him.

 

Cartagena is a city of almost a million people. We were stunned during the sail away as we had some time to view the skyline contrasting the new skyscrapers with the old. I would not recommend staying on the ship at all, but would suggest that you get off and enjoy what the city has to offer while of course exercising common sense.

[Presto2]

We visited here last April with P&O. It was the best port of call during the week. We took the coastal path rather than go in to town (turn right when you leave the ship) and the scenery was stunning. We always felt quite safe. Enjoy.

 

PS We were in Spain - didn't realise there was another one. ;-)

Edited January 20, 2015 by Presto2

[Going Coastal]

We were there in December and it was as pleasant as always. And one of the nicest sail views anywhere.

 

Sent from my KFTT using Tapatalk

[blindrid]

I recently read that Cartagena is listed as the world's third most dangerous cruise port. Can anyone who has sailed there recently speak to this? Did you feel safe while there? We are sailing there in a few weeks on the Equinox and have a tour booked through Celebrity. Is it worth leaving the ship?

 

Been there twice. Great time, you'll be fine.

 

Only thing is we feel now we've been there done that. After the fort, monastery, etc. not much after that. Great city though.

[MizDemeanor]

Sailing into Caregena is like nothing else. Bring your camera up on deck if you don't have a port side balcony and be in total awe.

 

Word to the wise... condensation with the cameras is troublesome, the heat/ humidity into this port is serious. Get your camera outside to balance for as long as you can from your air conditioned cabins or your photos will be misty.

 

Have fun!

[blindrid]

Sailing into Caregena is like nothing else. Bring your camera up on deck if you don't have a port side balcony and be in total awe.

 

Word to the wise... condensation with the cameras is troublesome, the heat/ humidity into this port is serious. Get your camera outside to balance for as long as you can from your air conditioned cabins or your photos will be misty.

 

Have fun!

 

Truly no difference than any other port. Dew point is the dew point.

[Seabourn Pearls]

If you can't bring Joan Wilder bring a Joan Wilder novel. Both can get you out of trouble in Cartagena.

[LabGuy64]

You really booked with someone calling themselves "Dora the explorer?!"

 

I booked a private guide for the 6 of us with "Dora the Explorer" and had a fantastic day! http://www.cartagenatour.com

 

This port really surprised us and we thought the old town was beautiful.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums mobile app

[MizDemeanor]

Truly no difference than any other port. Dew point is the dew point.

 

Really, like Alaska then?

[cruzeluver]

You really booked with someone calling themselves "Dora the explorer?!"

 

 

Yes, funny name. But she is one of the most recommended guides in Cartagena on Cruise Critic and other travel sites and has been for years.

[Chunky2219]

Hmm. A tale of two cities.

 

We were in Cartegena (Spain) in October with Cunard. It's a very pleasant little spot, the Roman amphitheater is well worth a visit, the centre of town is nice and the locals are okay. The town hall is maybe 600m walk from where the ship berthed.

 

On the other hand, my nephew is living and working in Cartegena (Columbia) for the last two years. His apartment is on a spit of land between beach and naval port and he's happy to sit out on the beach with a couple of bottles of beer - a local homeless guy fetches him food or whatever else he wants. Local shops and restaurants are safe enough for his wife to venture out solo when she goes to visit. But he's very careful where he travels around other parts of the town and especially when moving outside town to the project he works on.

 

Bottom line - if a cruise company is willing to go someplace you don't have much to worry about but think carefully about solo excursions.

 

.

[LabGuy64]

I fully understand what you are saying about port safety....but what does Cartegena Spain have to do with the point of this thread?

 

 

Hmm. A tale of two cities.

 

We were in Cartegena (Spain) in October with Cunard. It's a very pleasant little spot, the Roman amphitheater is well worth a visit, the centre of town is nice and the locals are okay. The town hall is maybe 600m walk from where the ship berthed.

 

On the other hand, my nephew is living and working in Cartegena (Columbia) for the last two years. His apartment is on a spit of land between beach and naval port and he's happy to sit out on the beach with a couple of bottles of beer - a local homeless guy fetches him food or whatever else he wants. Local shops and restaurants are safe enough for his wife to venture out solo when she goes to visit. But he's very careful where he travels around other parts of the town and especially when moving outside town to the project he works on.

 

Bottom line - if a cruise company is willing to go someplace you don't have much to worry about but think carefully about solo excursions.

 

.

[blindrid]

Really, like Alaska then?

 

Correct. The dew point changes with temperature of a surface and the Rh (relative humidity). Like, Alaska :rolleyes:. Or, better yet, anyway you are. Ever have morning dew on your lawn? Geez.

 

Regardless of this pettiness, Cartegena is like any metro area. No better, no worse.

Edited January 22, 2015 by blindrid

[sbhdmh]

We were there for the second time in December 2014. We had no problems on a private tour or walking around the old city on our own but another passenger on our cruise was mugged by 6 men walking by himself back to the cruise port. He was robbed and beaten up within sight of the ship. Enjoy exploring but take a taxi back and forth to the port.

[Chunky2219]

I fully understand what you are saying about port safety....but what does Cartegena Spain have to do with the point of this thread?

The OP did not mention a country. There are at least two Cartegena named cities in the world and the one in Spain was the first. Both are cruise destinations.

 

Similarly, there are at least two Huntsville airports in the US. I once almost found myself booked on a flight to the one in Texas instead of Alabama.

 

.

[LabGuy64]

Yes Yes,

 

But the article was talking about Columbia......Even without that being specifically mentioned...I can't believe that anyone thinks the 3rd most dangerous cruise port in the world would be in Spain

 

 

The OP did not mention a country. There are at least two Cartegena named cities in the world and the one in Spain was the first. Both are cruise destinations.

 

Similarly, there are at least two Huntsville airports in the US. I once almost found myself booked on a flight to the one in Texas instead of Alabama.

 

.

Edited January 23, 2015 by LabGuy64

[Chunky2219]

Yes Yes,

 

But the article was talking about Columbia......Even without that being specifically mentioned...I can't believe that anyone thinks the 3rd most dangerous cruise port in the world would be in Spain

With the greatest of respect ... I hear what you say ........ and .. I'll bear it in mind. http://uk.businessinsider.com/what-the-british-really-mean-when-they-say-things--and-what-other-people-hear-2015-1

 

A mate of mine got mugged in Barcelona and it's probably got a higher risk of getting pick pocketed than Cartegena 2. A UK boxing champ got stabbed just down the coast. Europe is a terribly dangerous place which Americans should fear. But at least your chances of getting shot (by police or public) are less than the odds of winning the lottery.

 

.