Jump to content

Cartegena, Spain


Parrot Mom

Recommended Posts

Well, it looks like Celebrity has cancelled Casablanca and is replacing it with Cartegena, Spain in December.. Ive been trying to check it out and ZILCH it looks like time sharing/condos/apartments.. Does anybody have anything positive to say about this Cartegena... .. Cartegena in Colombia is another story.. and I love that place.. will I find Cartegena, Spain a jewel or a dud

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Well, it looks like Celebrity has cancelled Casablanca and is replacing it with Cartegena, Spain in December.. Ive been trying to check it out and ZILCH it looks like time sharing/condos/apartments.. Does anybody have anything positive to say about this Cartegena... .. Cartegena in Colombia is another story.. and I love that place.. will I find Cartegena, Spain a jewel or a dud
It looks better if you arrive by Ship, first time I arrived by car and the road was through some large oil instalations,and chemical plants.

 

I like it, the vibe reminded me of my home Liverpool, there is a very large US naval base in the docks.

 

The food was very good, I have only been in the summer, I would not like to hazard a guess what its like in December. regards

Link to comment
Share on other sites

We were there in early dec. last year and loved it after barcelona. bit of a walk, let me amend that to long walk from dock to town. we ended up walking about 6 kilometers that day just wandering at a leisurly pace. great architecture lovely outdoor cafes. ended up at the castle (took the elevator for 1 euro) great views of the city, harbor, ship. from the castle noticed excavations we had not seen from the ground so we went down and checked them out. after 3 busy stops this was a nice change. not often visited by cruise ships, there is no airport there, not a lot of tourists and few english speakers. we just asked questions to teenagers and most of them spoke some english.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

hi Parrotmom,

 

 

Did Celebrity say specifically what prompted them to cancel Casablanca? Any terror alerts? I am leaving on a Regent cruise in a couple of weeks which stops at Casablanca but as far as I know they are still stopping there.

 

Have been trying to google info but can't find anything.

 

Haven't been in Cartagena , sorry. It does sound like a nice stop.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

That is what Celebrity is saying, but they other cruise ships are heading to Casa..and instead of sending us to perhaps Gibraltor or Tangier...we are going to a boring and uninteresting port... Trust me.. when Parrot Mom is unhappy and she is today, very unhappy... just watch out.. THIS trip was booked very eary this year because of Casa and I definetely would have cancelled if I hadn't already paid in full

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Princess has cancelled Casablanca and substituted Cartegena as well. Here's what I've gleaned from other cc posts:

 

Very old charming town with some Roman ruins as well as mediveal bits & bobs. Some Pedestrianised streets. Very walkable - bit of a rabbit warren so you may get lost - we did - take a ball of string.:p

You dock right there & there was a tiny tourist kiosk with a street map.

There is a naval museum nearby. Cartegena was/is the one of the main ports for the spanish navy so lots of references to their naval history & the old exlporers. there is also an early submarine at the dock side.

I have been to Cartagena several times and I love it.

Each time we have docked and it is a very easy walk into town. On the way you'll pass a submarine on land which is a fountain. Cartagena is a big Spanish submarine base and this is on the left as you sail in.

There has been a "tent type" tourist office on the dock sometimes.

Cartagena is a fairly small Spanish town with some archaelogical sites and some shops. It is not in an area that has a lot to visit - personally I would have an easy day and sample some tapas.

We live in Spain so here are a few tips for eating tapas:

Eat them at the bar (some bars charge more if you sit at a table and some will only serve tapas at a bar.)

If you want better than a glass of "plonk" ask for rioja but this usually is taken to mean a better wine not necessarily real Rioja.

If you are not offered a tapa don't be frightened of asking for one.

Cartagena is easy to do on your own, being not very far from the ship. There isn't a great deal to see there, however. There is one of the world's first submarines on display just as you go into town and there are Roman excavations and ruins near there too. It is primarily a shopping city but has some nice bars and cafes where you can enjoy a drink/coffee and watch the world go by. It's a pleasant city where you may feel that a quiet amble and souvenir buying is just what you need.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Parrot Mom,

 

 

Sorry that you were looking forward to Casablanca and now it's canceled. My case is the opposite, I would love for it to be substituted with a port in Spain or Gibraltar. Our ship is there only a few hours and the only thing we can do is tour Casablanca itself. Haven't heard too many positives about it.

 

What were you palnning to see/do in Casablanca?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Around Cartagena you have a lot of golf courses. That zone, Murcia, is one of the best places to play golf in Europe as it does not rain very much, the sun shines most of the year, and the temperarture in winter is usually mild.

 

Some miles away from Cartagena is Murcia, the capital of the region with the same name. Murcia has one of the best museums for baroque sculpture: Museo Salzillo. Salzillo is one of the best baroque religious sculpter of his time. Worthwile to visit.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Parrot Mom,

 

 

Sorry that you were looking forward to Casablanca and now it's canceled. My case is the opposite, I would love for it to be substituted with a port in Spain or Gibraltar. Our ship is there only a few hours and the only thing we can do is tour Casablanca itself. Haven't heard too many positives about it.

 

What were you palnning to see/do in Casablanca?

 

Actually,did not want to xtay in Casablanca,but had scheduled a side trip to Marrakesh

Link to comment
Share on other sites

sorry it was cancelled but cartagena sounds like a new adventure--we loved barcelona & Valencia recently--best places on our trip.

Gibraltar is really just the rock, brusque cabbies, pubs & shopping- (high prices not commensurate with the quality of goods) -not very impressive--we had no interst in the top of the rock, caves or apes--all get very crowded when ships are in port,

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

  • Forum Jump
    • Categories
      • Welcome to Cruise Critic
      • New Cruisers
      • Cruise Lines “A – O”
      • Cruise Lines “P – Z”
      • River Cruising
      • ROLL CALLS
      • Digital Photography & Cruise Technology
      • Special Interest Cruising
      • Cruise Discussion Topics
      • UK Cruising
      • Australia & New Zealand Cruisers
      • Canadian Cruisers
      • North American Homeports
      • Ports of Call
      • Cruise Conversations
×
×
  • Create New...