Shore Excursions non Cruise Line

[Bokkie]

Were experienced Cruisers but wonder if as we are going to Columbia & Guatemala if it is better to take the Cunard Cruise or do our own thing as there have been problems in that area. Advice And what to do Please?

[Essiesmom]

Have you checked your ROLL CALL and ascertained what others are doing? Also check on the Ports of Call boards here. EM

[cb at sea]

A guidebook is helpful, too...you might find you don't need any excursion to do some things!

[CruiserBruce]

Where in Columbia? Cartegena? There are many recommendations on the Columbia board for Cartegena.

[Scrapnana]

I'm guessing you are on the QV World Voyage and visiting Cartagena and Puerto Quetzal. I visited both these ports earlier this year and did independent tours that were set up on our roll call.

 

Central Cartagena was as safe as any other city and really quite beautiful.

 

Evidently there is not much to do in Puerto Quetzal itself. All of the excursions were to areas away from the port. We visited Antigua (UNESCO world heritage site) and a school that gives poor children a chance to get an education rather than be put to work to help their families. Our roll call collected about 35 bags of things they needed and donated them.

 

If you are interested in the names of the tour companies, just post and I will look them up for you.

[Floridiana]

Antigua is worth the trip! We took the ship's tour "Antigua on your own". Antigua is quite a distance from port and we got stuck in traffic on the way back. I was glad to be on a tour for which the ship was waiting.

[John Bull]

Cartagena is very easy, very safe, & the old part of town very attractive & interesting. :)

Mebbe a tour if you want to include some time at the monastery overlooking the town, though it doesn't need to be ship's tour. Or take a short taxi ride from the pier to old town.

 

Can't help with Guatemala.

 

From Floridiana's post I'm presuming Antigua is on your itinerary.

We rate St John's itself grubby & uninteresting.

Very easy to join a van tour at the port. Best tour takes you across the island to Shirley Heights (great views) & down to Nelson's Dockyard in English Harbour (good pub lunch there). Then back via Fig Tree Drive (it's bananas, not figs) and the west coast. Take beach gear if you want a short break on one of the west coast beaches.

Yes, the traffic in St John's can be congested, but you'll have plenty of time to allow for delays.

If you just want a beach day we've not found one walkable from the ship, but easy enough with a short taxi hop. Again, allow time for delays going back to the ship

 

JB :)

[lamchops]

Were experienced Cruisers but wonder if as we are going to Columbia & Guatemala if it is better to take the Cunard Cruise or do our own thing as there have been problems in that area. Advice And what to do Please?

 

Been to both ports on our PC cruise and spent a week in the Antigua area of Guatamala on a business retreat.

A DIY/tour in Cartagena would not be an issue but I would take a ship's tour in Guatamala. Our ship's tour was caught in traffic and was late by 30 mins but the operator radioed ahead. The 1 hour+ drive is on a 2 lane road and any issues would cause a delay. I guess a local tour would be okay, if they were in front of the ship's tours on the way back.

"Do you feel lucky?"

[John Bull]

 

From Floridiana's post I'm presuming Antigua is on your itinerary.

We rate St John's itself grubby & uninteresting, blah, blah, blah.blah .........................................................

JB :)

 

Been to both ports on our PC cruise and spent a week in the Antigua area of Guatamala on a business retreat.

 

 

Seems I was off in a world of my own. :rolleyes:

I hadn't heard of an Antigua in Guatemala. :o

Now I have. ;)

 

JB :)

[138east]

Just got back from Guatamala and Cartagena on Royal Caribbean Jewel of the Seas. One of our cruise critic folks organized the tours there as well as tours in Costa Rica and Colon, Panama. The private tours were terrific. We were among the first folks off the ship and returned ahead of the ship's tours. Folks were experienced cruisers and showed up promptly - no inconsiderate folks getting "lost" along the way.

 

Cartagena - http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g297476-d1968195-Reviews-Cartagena_Tour_Dora_De_Zubiria-Cartagena_Cartagena_District_Bolivar_Department.html

 

Antigua - Carlos - http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g295366-d3808956-Reviews-Guatemalan_Tour_Guide_Day_Tours-Antigua_Sacatepequez_Department.html

 

We got off early to Antigua and headed back before the RCL tour buses. Hit a major traffic jam at the port due to a truck that was bottomed out at a major intersection. We got by after 20 min and still arrived an hour before all aboard. The traffic jam escalated and three RCL buses ended up getting back an hour and a half after sail time with a police escort! Boy were those folks tired and unhappy.

 

I wouldn't worry about it too much if you get off early and leave Antigua 2.5 hours before all aboard.

 

Look at the Jewel roll call for Oct 10. Folks are now posting pictures and links to pictures. Look for tour discussions - there is a link to a web site that describes the various tours and CC activities on the ship.

[Floridiana]

From Floridiana's post I'm presuming Antigua is on your itinerary.

JB :)

 

The city of Antigua in Guatemala, not the island with the same name. Antigua is offered from Puerto Quetzal, a small commercial port far from everything. We had a lot of traffic because a large brewery had sponsored a rock concert in port.