Two Questions re: Divina Excursions & more

[ttst53c]

Where can I find a review of MSC Divina excursions 1. Ocho Rios, Falls, Bobsled, & Ragga Ride 5.5 hrs, 2. Into the Panama Canal 8 hrs? 3. What excursions have people enjoyed in Cartagena and Limon? 

More: If you are on board Divina now, and at the Piazza del Doge 1. How much for the treats/sandwiches? Are they served warmed or chilled? 2. Is Azllie still on board or did he end his contract? 

[phissy]

5 minutes ago, ttst53c said:

Where can I find a review of MSC Divina

How much for the treats/sandwiches? Are they served warmed or chilled? 

Sandwiches and cakes are free.

Served cold. Can be taken to go or eat there.  we would get a couple of sandwiches and a slice of cake to go and enjoy out on deck for afternoon snack.

[JT1962]

13 minutes ago, ttst53c said:

Where can I find a review of MSC Divina excursions 1. Ocho Rios, Falls, Bobsled, & Ragga Ride 5.5 hrs, 2. Into the Panama Canal 8 hrs? 3. What excursions have people enjoyed in Cartagena and Limon? 

More: If you are on board Divina now, and at the Piazza del Doge 1. How much for the treats/sandwiches? Are they served warmed or chilled? 2. Is Azllie still on board or did he end his contract? 

You can check reviews on this and other cruise websites for possible reviews of MSC excursions. I don’t believe their website has excursion reviews like some other cruise lines. You should be able to find reviews of similar excursions on other cruise lines or independent vendors. Many of the cruise lines use the same vendors.

 

On my recent Divina cruise I did a private tour with Dora the Explorer that was good. I believe the MSC Walled City Excursion (or similar name) would be equivalent.   
 

http://www.cartagenatour.com/

 

In Limon, I did the TORTUGUERO CANALS & VERAGUA RAINFOREST ECO-ADVENTURE . I enjoyed it, but probably would only do the Canals portion again (you can do this as a separate tour). The Veragua Rainforest portion was somewhat disappointing as I expected to see more wildlife than birds, snakes, amphibians and insects. We saw monkeys, sloths, caimans on the Canals portion of the tour, but were rushed because the Rainforest tour and bus ride took so much time. I would have rather spent more time at the canals and skipped the Rainforest portion.

[basyedad]

JT, we are on the same itinerary on Divina Dec 2. Our 3rd time on this ship (rest were all pre-covid). What theme nights are they doing?

What cith did you do the Dora explorer excursion?

[JT1962]

22 minutes ago, basyedad said:

JT, we are on the same itinerary on Divina Dec 2. Our 3rd time on this ship (rest were all pre-covid). What theme nights are they doing?

What cith did you do the Dora explorer excursion?

They had a white night and “flower power” night with 60s / 70s theme & music in addition to two Elegant Nights, if I remember correctly.
 

The Dora the Explorer tour was in Cartagena, Colombia.
 

http://www.cartagenatour.com/

[ttst53c]

On 11/5/2022 at 1:54 PM, phissy said:

Sandwiches and cakes are free.

Served cold. Can be taken to go or eat there.  we would get a couple of sandwiches and a slice of cake to go and enjoy out on deck for afternoon snack.

That sounds good. The sandwiches look good. 

[phissy]

14 hours ago, ttst53c said:

That sounds good. The sandwiches look good. 

Decided to post helpful hint. This may be frowned upon as “official” policy states not to take food off ship.

I took a couple of water bottles and 4 small sandwiches ( from cafe) in ziplock bags in backpack.

We would have not done well without these supplies. Very hot day.

We did walking excursion in Cartagena , bused into center of town.

Arrive Hottest time of day and walked around for about 1.5 hours. Glad I had supplies with me, they do not provide any water or stop for lunch .

Locals selling a bottle of water for $5.

Our bus was half full going into town. When we reboarded our bus, it was totally full. I think they took on people who had “hop on hop off” and could not wait any longer for their bus to return. 
Many elderly stayed on bus as it was too difficult to walk for such a long time. Then we went to “emerald museum” . We had chance for bathroom stop and venue is actually a jewelry store. Most of us waited on air conditioned bus while tour guide helped two couples negotiate their purchase. We waited 1.5 hours and finally started complaining how long we just sat. Couple across aisle asked “ how much did we pay for this”?

Then quick drive past landmarks ( no stop) then back to parking lot outside  dock. Wildlife area is there then long walk to ship.

 
 

[styles27]

23 minutes ago, phissy said:

Decided to post helpful hint. This may be frowned upon as “official” policy states not to take food off ship.

I took a couple of water bottles and 4 small sandwiches ( from cafe) in ziplock bags in backpack.

We would have not done well without these supplies. Very hot day.

We did walking excursion in Cartagena , bused into center of town.

Arrive Hottest time of day and walked around for about 1.5 hours. Glad I had supplies with me, they do not provide any water or stop for lunch .

Locals selling a bottle of water for $5.

Our bus was half full going into town. When we reboarded our bus, it was totally full. I think they took on people who had “hop on hop off” and could not wait any longer for their bus to return. 
Many elderly stayed on bus as it was too difficult to walk for such a long time. Then we went to “emerald museum” . We had chance for bathroom stop and venue is actually a jewelry store. Most of us waited on air conditioned bus while tour guide helped two couples negotiate their purchase. We waited 1.5 hours and finally started complaining how long we just sat. Couple across aisle asked “ how much did we pay for this”?

Then quick drive past landmarks ( no stop) then back to parking lot outside  dock. Wildlife area is there then long walk to ship.

 
 

Hi Pat, I hope you and Frank and your family had a great Thanksgiving! 

Was the tour you’re describing in Columbia the Cartagena Sightseeing Tour?

 

[phissy]

6 hours ago, styles27 said:

Hi Pat, I hope you and Frank and your family had a great Thanksgiving! 

Was the tour you’re describing in Columbia the Cartagena Sightseeing Tour?

 

Hi Deb,

We had a great Thanksgiving this year.
It was nice to have time with family and grand kids. Thanks for your good wishes,

Hope you were also able to have a good Thanksgiving with your family.

Some of our ports that match up with your cruise are Ocho Rios, Cartagena, Colon and Puerto Limon. Not sure if you are stopping in Costa MY?

Ocho Rios we just walked off ship and wandered around open market area.
Nice and active with music etc. 

This year the ship docked at visitor dock, which is nice.

Last year it was the industrial port and walking into market area not possible.
Cartagena we booked CAR07 Panoramic Sightseeing Tour.
We have been to Cartagena before and this tour missed important sights. 

They pretty much walked us around in circles around old town. We kept going down the same streets.

(Not sure it that was because other areas no longer safe.)

Did not go to outer wall or entrance to old city. 

Colon, Panama has been discussed before, not the best port to walk off ship.  We were in port on a Sunday, which meant that shops were closed so no shopping available in port.

Those that took the Locks excursion said it was a very long day but good.

We stayed on ship as we did canal transit on another cruise.

Puerto Limon, Costa Rica.

We booked PL135 Birds and Nature at Bocuare.

Heavy rain all night and morning. 
We decided to pass on this one, which involved hiking through jungle .

So, cannot comment on this excursion. We talked to someone who did sloth excursion and they did not see much. As it was a rainy day, wildlife was not active.

Hope this helps.

Have a great cruise.
 weather should be much better at the end of this month.

Take care and Happy Holidays to you and your family.

Pat
 

[styles27]

19 minutes ago, phissy said:

Hi Deb,

We had a great Thanksgiving this year.
It was nice to have time with family and grand kids. Thanks for your good wishes,

Hope you were also able to have a good Thanksgiving with your family.

Some of our ports that match up with your cruise are Ocho Rios, Cartagena, Colon and Puerto Limon. Not sure if you are stopping in Costa MY?

Ocho Rios we just walked off ship and wandered around open market area.
Nice and active with music etc. 

This year the ship docked at visitor dock, which is nice.

Last year it was the industrial port and walking into market area not possible.
Cartagena we booked CAR07 Panoramic Sightseeing Tour.
We have been to Cartagena before and this tour missed important sights. 

They pretty much walked us around in circles around old town. We kept going down the same streets.

(Not sure it that was because other areas no longer safe.)

Did not go to outer wall or entrance to old city. 

Colon, Panama has been discussed before, not the best port to walk off ship.  We were in port on a Sunday, which meant that shops were closed so no shopping available in port.

Those that took the Locks excursion said it was a very long day but good.

We stayed on ship as we did canal transit on another cruise.

Puerto Limon, Costa Rica.

We booked PL135 Birds and Nature at Bocuare.

Heavy rain all night and morning. 
We decided to pass on this one, which involved hiking through jungle .

So, cannot comment on this excursion. We talked to someone who did sloth excursion and they did not see much. As it was a rainy day, wildlife was not active.

Hope this helps.

Have a great cruise.
 weather should be much better at the end of this month.

Take care and Happy Holidays to you and your family.

Pat
 

Thanks Pat! So glad you had a great Thanksgiving!

Ours was not so great, my husband tested positive for Covid the day before. He had a bad cough for two weeks but kept testing negative prior.
We had 14 people 

coming for the holiday, all food and drink purchased and much preparation already done and we had to cancel. I tested positive two days ago. It’s our second go round with Covid.
Ironically we had our next booster scheduled for the Saturday after Thanksgiving thinking we’d be all set for our cruise. Well I guess we’re really all set now lol Ugh!  This time around it’s like a bad sinus infection and very achy all over. 

 

So the tour in Cartagena you guys did is the one we booked. I’m disappointed to hear that there was so much walking, that’s not what the description says. Also was hoping to see the important sites listed in their description. 
We aren’t going to Costa Maya, you’re right. We’re going to Nassau and two stops in Ocean Cay with one overnight. 

We decided not to get off the ship in Colon after your earlier report and someone my husband works with just got off Divina and he said the same thing about Colon. They got off walked around a bit, felt very unsafe and went right back on the ship. 

Costa Rica is another port we’re unsure of what we should do. Would like to go to a beach if the weather cooperates. I think we’ll just grab a taxi if it’s nice out and go that route. 
 

I appreciate all of your great advice, you’re always spot on with your recommendations!

 

Wishing you all a very happy and healthy holiday season as well! 
Thanks again!

Deb

[phissy]

Deb, 

so sorry to hear Thanksgiving could not happen. Glad you both are recovering and will be in good shape for your cruise.

 

Regarding Cartagena, I think it depends on who you get as a tour guide. 
We did not have the best. He kept losing track of those walking slower and getting distracted.

Another woman and I decided to bring  up the rear. We kept track of elderly  and looked out for cars, as we were walking in streets.

Many locals are  aggressive with trying to sell stuff or just beg for money.
I did give a man money because he helped hold back traffic for us , as we  tried crossing streets. He stayed with group and really was a big help. 
I would still take excursion and just adjust expectations.

Bird pics are from wildlife area before heading back to ship. This was one of the really interesting areas of excursion. 
 

 

 

Edited December 1, 2022 by phissy

[styles27]

3 hours ago, phissy said:

Deb, 

so sorry to hear Thanksgiving could not happen. Glad you both are recovering and will be in good shape for your cruise.

 

Regarding Cartagena, I think it depends on who you get as a tour guide. 
We did not have the best. He kept losing track of those walking slower and getting distracted.

Another woman and I decided to bring  up the rear. We kept track of elderly  and looked out for cars, as we were walking in streets.

Many locals are  aggressive with trying to sell stuff or just beg for money.
I did give a man money because he helped hold back traffic for us , as we  tried crossing streets. He stayed with group and really was a big help. 
I would still take excursion and just adjust expectations.

Bird pics are from wildlife area before heading back to ship. This was one of the really interesting areas of excursion. 
 

 

 

Thanks Pat!
You’re so right about tour guides. The description of the tour you took sounds like the walking tour that is offered. It’s a good thing you guys were there to help the older folks!  Definitely something I would do also, we’d get along fine!

I love the pictures, especially the colorful umbrellas above your head! What a great picture of you!! Thanks for sharing!

 

Do you have another cruise booked?

Edited December 1, 2022 by styles27

[phissy]

Yes, we are booked on Prima for next year.

Steve  is also on this cruise .

The itinerary that goes to Iceland from London, over 16 days.

It is hard to book so far in advance , makes it hard to wait.

May have to book another cruise for spring 😎

[styles27]

49 minutes ago, phissy said:

Yes, we are booked on Prima for next year.

Steve  is also on this cruise .

The itinerary that goes to Iceland from London, over 16 days.

It is hard to book so far in advance , makes it hard to wait.

May have to book another cruise for spring 😎

That sounds amazing! One of these days we’ll be on the same cruise!