Costa Rica and Safety

[sexyaznboy]

Some of the earlier posts dealt with the safety of Costa Rica, but I thought I'd start a new thread given the recent events with the Carnival tourists being attacked.

 

Have any of you changed your minds about going on tours, cruise sponsored or otherwise? I'm going to Puntaneras on Celebrity and booked through Charlie Soto. I know that I'm just probably being paranoid about a likely isolated incident, but with Carnival cancelling all port stops in Costa Rica, I'm wondering if this is a bigger deal than I think it is. Thanks.

[cruisetwin]

We are sailing on RCCL - we are still going to Costa Rica and I have booked a trip with Oscar Brown. They have assured me they know the areas to stay away from (just as I would expect a local would). The thing I keep in mind is that the people who were attacked were on their own - not in a big group. Secondly, the local tour guides will be sure to keep people safe - it is their livelyhood at stake. If their tour name is attached to an attack it will definately not be good for business - so I think we will be fine.

 

I agree with many others - you can have the same thing happen at home. I worked for 14 years in one of the worst areas of a big city - but I was always alert when going to work and avoided getting myself into risky situations. I never had any problems.

 

I would think that Panama is probably a lot worse in some areas - and lots of cruises still go there. I think it's more a PR thing for Carnival - they eyes are on them and they are trying to stay out of the news when it wasn't even their fault.

[cck0000]

We will be going on our tour with Oscar Brown in March as planned.

Of course in light of the recent events I did get alittle nervous and re-think things as well.

I do feel that being with a local is the safest bet.

Happy Cruising!

[sexyaznboy]

We will be going on our tour with Oscar Brown in March as planned.

Of course in light of the recent events I did get alittle nervous and re-think things as well.

I do feel that being with a local is the safest bet.

Happy Cruising!

 

I've heard good things about Charlie Soto, he is also a local, so I'm in the same situation. I wonder is a cruiseline based tour any safer? Perhaps there would be less chance of taking you "off the beaten trail" so to speak and therefore may be safer.

Happy SAFE cruising to you!

[stlrboo]

DW and I are doing the 'Golden Bean Coffee Plantation' tour thru Carnival.. Our sailing friends are doing the "Bus, Boat & Train" thru Carnival as well.. :) We've traveled to many ports before, but tho't the 'ship' tour to be in our best interests, and we booked excursions long before the recent 'attack'!

 

I'm sure if we get back to Limon a second time, we'll surely 'go on our own' excursion, but the 1st time will be on Carnival..:D

[Len3]

We really don't know what to do. We're booked with Charlie Soto for a zipline tour (A2) and don't know if we should cancel. We're on the Volendam, sailing March 13th. Would a ship excursion be safer? Any thoughts?

[sportsnut]

I am on the Carnival Liberty in September and booked with Charlie Soto. Have not heard about any cancellations to Costa Rica yet.

[nybumpkin]

We just returned from the Carnival Liberty 2/17 sailing and took the "Bus, Boat and Train" tour through Carnival in Costa Rica. It's a fun tour, although not as personalized as a tour booked with an "independent" tour operator. We took independent tours in both Mexico and Panama; the main reason we opted for the Carnival excursion in Costa Rica was to get both the train and the boat tours in one excursion. The independent tours we took in Mexico and Panama both came highly recommended on these boards, and they certainly didn't disappoint and we never felt unsafe. With the right tour and the right research, I wouldn't hesitate booking an independent tour operator in Costa Rica.

[flyfan]

Carnival decided today that Costa Rica is back on the itinerary. I'm personally a bit nervous about going, but my husband thinks I'm being silly.

 

And even if an excursion is ship-sponsored, it's almost always conducted by locals, so you are with the locals, no matter who you paid to take you on your excursion.

 

~fly

[Len3]

I just got an email from Charlie. He said that the Carnival people just picked up this guy on the dock for their beach outing. He was not a registered "tour guide" with the government. All of Charlie's people have been trained as "tour guides" and would not take visitors anywhere near dangerous areas - for what that's all worth, only each of us can decide.

[mrralga]

Hi,

 

My wife Gerri and I took the Charlie Soto tour the day after the incident. We were of course very surprised. We never for one minute felt unsafe. Charlie's operation and our guide Carlos were first class and gave us the royal treatment. They were attentive and professional in every way.

 

The tour itself was awesome. The zip line tour was safe and very exciting. The staff at that facility were well trained and organized. All of the zip lines and gear were top notch, as good as anything you would expect in US or Canada.

 

At the Banana Plantation, just before the entrance Carlos had our driver pull off into an access road that was part of the plantation and showed us how they grow and harvest the bananas. There were workers from the plantation passing by as Carlos explained how the plantation really works. Then we went up the main road and saw the packing operation with all the other tours.

 

We also visited a local farmer's operation and saw a lot of local fauna and flora and saw a baby sloth. We got to taste bananas and papayas and coconut. That was a very nice stop. We took a bunch of pictures here - lots to see.

 

We also did the river boat trip on this tour and saw many birds such as herons and egrets, some crocodiles and sloths and bats. That was nice.

 

We had such a full day and were with a group who really did not want to go to the beach. We did pass by it and it looked good to me. I was a bit disappointed to tell the truth that we did not stop there, but the majority really wanted to get back to the ship.

 

We did stop at a local grocery in town. That was a treat for me because I am interested in local foodstuffs. I could have spent an hour in there buying spices, sauces and local foodstuffs. We got a great deal on some excellent coffee - cheaper than the same brand at the shops at the docks. We also bought some chocolate and drinks and local snacks. Again, it felt to me like a normal city and a normal grocery store. Carlos was with us the whole time while shopping but as far as I was concerned he was there to give us advice on what to buy and what the deals were.

 

We would take this tour again. Charlie, whom we met at the beginning of the tour and Carlos were super and run a really good operation.

 

Rick and Gerri Lingsch

[LHT28]

Have any of you changed your minds about going on tours, cruise sponsored or otherwise? I'm going to Puntaneras on Celebrity and booked through Charlie Soto.

We recently stopped in Puntaranas... we just walked around the town & on the beach We never felt in danger ...there we some seedy areas in town like anywhere but we did not have a problem.

We walked to the supermarket to look for coffee to bring home, no one bothered us. The locals were friendly & helpful to direct us to the store.

 

The only time we were pressured was by the tour guides at the gate...but they are trying to make a living.

[konkrete kid]

Just landed in Ft. Lauderdale this a.m. and while taking the van to our hotel, a couple who were heading home from a 10 day cruise on the Celebrity Constellation told us that just 3 days ago the Captain decided NOT to dock in Costa Rica. Apparently, there are a series of strikes being staged by local workers, including picketing, demonstrations, etc. The captain felt it was not safe to dock and the ship instead docked in Mexico for the day. This same couple also told us in Panama the passengers were seriously urged not to take any excursions except a ship sponsored trip and if they were not taking a ship tour, they were told to not leave the terminal. Hopefully, by the time our ship gets to Costa Rica late next week, things will have been settled. There is a lot of unemployement in CR due to the closing of the Naval Base and a sharp increase in crime according to these people. Has anyone else heard this report?

 

Konkrete Kid

[sexyaznboy]

I just got an email from Charlie. He said that the Carnival people just picked up this guy on the dock for their beach outing. He was not a registered "tour guide" with the government. All of Charlie's people have been trained as "tour guides" and would not take visitors anywhere near dangerous areas - for what that's all worth, only each of us can decide.

 

Thanks, that is so nice to know, I would recommend to these reputable tour guids that they advertise this fact on their web sites. I think that this incident will hurt their industry, for sure. I have been hesitant to go on the tour with Charlie, but I think I will go, I'm still a bit worried but will be more cautious about my surroundings, which is always a good rule.