Help with Puntarenas Please

[cruisinfromcanada]

I've posted this on the Costa Rica page but I don't seem to be having any luck there so I'm trying here.

 

One of the stops on our Celebrity Infinity full transit Panama Canal cruise in April is Putarenas. DH does not use a wheel chair but due a muscular problem he is what you could call a slow walker who looses his balance easily. He can climb small steps if they are wide enough and there is good support on both sides. Getting in and out of minivans is not a problem but stairs to coach busses are.

 

He really wants to try the tram ride (offered by Celbrity) but apparently the busses are not accessible.

 

Can any of you tell us what other options we might have? I've sent emails to some of the private tour guides but haven't heard back from them.

 

Hoping someone has advice for us.

 

Happy Sailing

Connie

[VikkiGarcia]

We did Puntarenas on our Panama Canal cruise Oct. 2004. We booked an independent tour that took us ziplining(everyone except MIL did it). My MIL brought her wheelchair. She is able to walk only short distances. The tour operator put it in the back of the van. Puntarenas is a ugly industrial looking port, but there is GREAT shopping right along the peirside. All outdoor vendors with awesome handicrafts that were unbelievably cheap. But beyond peirside is just a working class, poor town. I would say you have to plan some excursion into the jungle or to the volcano because this is not the type of port where you can "wing it" on your own. Because this port sees so few ships everyones english is much more limited. If you book an independent tour, the operator can drive on to the peir to pick you up just like the ship excursions.

I did notice that all the other passengers who were VERY limited in their mobility seemed to be getting on to the busses for some sort of excursion. I saw plenty of people who needed ALOT of help lined up for excursions. If you found one that sounded really good. I would book it.

[cruisinfromcanada]

I found a couple of independants that sound like the perfect way for us to go. Do you recall who you used? Someone told me about one called Greenway Nature Tours and another is JD Watersports. We'll probably go with one of them.

 

My husband has been laughing at me for spending so much time reading these boards but now he appreciates the wealth of information you can get here. He was pretty discouraged when he thought he'd have to miss seeing Costa Rica because the ship tours said they couldn't accomodate us.

 

Thanks again and happy sailing

 

Connie

[coo359a2]

VikkiGarcia

Could you please tell me what company you used for your Canopy tour? We are going in Sept and want to do a canopy/zipline tour. Thanks

[VikkiGarcia]

We used "Original Canopy Tours". They sent a driver to pick us up. It ended up running almost the same amount as the ship zipling excursion. The only reason we did not go through the ship was that they had a 12 year old age requirement. Our daughter was 10 at the time. We always book independently and have never used a ship excursion for ANY port. That being said Puntarenas is the ONLY place I would suggest using the ship. The roads in Costa Rica are horrible at best. The entire 90 minute ride into the jungle was an adventure in itself. I did not realize how far away from port you must go. All the excursions head deep into different parts of the jungle. Roads are empty and you pass very few towns (just a collection of shacks) I spent a great deal of time worrying about what would happen if the car broke down or some problem arose. How in the world we would ever make it back to the ship. It was an amazing experience but I must have checked my watch one thousand times that day. I was so stressed (I tried not to let anyone else notice) When we finally exited the jungle and got back on their "highway" I calmed down a bit. It wasn't until I could see our ship far in the distance that I breathed a sigh of relief. It may have just been our luck but the ship ended up waiting for two different excursions to return before we left. This was the only port the entire cruise that happened. I did check out the groups of ship excursions. The most active ones (ziplining and rafting) had very low numbers, maybe 20. So you don't have to deal with the giant bus full, very impersonal, shore excursions the ship generally runs. I am always up for an adventure but this was just beyond my comfort zone.

[coo359a2]

Thanks Vicki. The Original Canopy Tour is now contracted with Princess so it can only be booked as a Priness ship tour. Don't know if they are contracting with other cruise lines or not. We used their company in Ocho Rios - could only book as a Princess tour. It was a lot of fun.

[Bennett'sCruise]

We are going to be in Puntarenas in May. DH and friends will be doing zip-lining. I cannot because of health issues. BUT, I would like to ride to the zip-lining place and wait for them to go thru the course (have done this in other countries).

 

I called the cruiseline to see if this were possible and what the cost would be. They told me they didn't think I could (???). I asked them for the name of the zip-line company and they said they couldn't give that info out. (???)

 

So, I turn to my friends on CC. Does anyone have any info??

 

~dianne

[VikkiGarcia]

MIL paid the same as everyone else but did not zip. I don't think we told them either way, when we got there she just opted out. The zip course could not be seen from the "office" so there was nothing for her to watch. We walked some distance to get out to the course.