What's up with Cartagena?

My wife and I and are two friends are cruising in Nov. to Cartagena and would love to hear back from anyone that has been there in the last 4-6 months. Tour info, what to see, and any info on tour agencies and how to get in touch with them. I'm trying to build my wife's comfort level with the idea of traveling in Columbia (Cartagena):cool:

Absolutely beautiful city. I was there (single traveler) in September for 4 days. I felt much safer than in most large cities in the U.S. The historic walled city is well worth the visit, as is the huge Spanish fort overlooking town and the La Popa convent. US tourists have not really discovered Cartagena yet, so prices are amazingly reasonable (like $3-4 for a 15 minute cab ride or $1 for a beer)

I used Guianza Express for a city tour and was quite pleased.

Was there there end of Oct. with my daughter. Did a ships walking tour of Old Town, WONDERFUL. It's just beautiful. There are tons of locals selling all types of goodies, some crap, some lovely. They were, for the most part, respectful when you said no thank you, and willing to make a deal of price if you are interested. Take small bill $, don't pull out wads of cash. We saw a large police presence. I became too hot and had not eaten, ladies at the fruit stand took care of me. Super nice folks. Don't be afraid, use common sense, and enjoy a beautiful Old Town.

We will be there in December for the first time. Thanks for all the good information.

You'll enjoy it.

My biggest issue is that we are going back and unsure what to do as we hit all of the hot spots last year.

We were just there in early November for a stop from 8 am to 2 pm on our Princess Panama Canal cruise. We took an excursion from the ship that took us into the old town for a walking tour and time on our own. We felt comfortable since we did not have to deal with a taxi, etc. The old town was safe and manageable.