Coral Photo Review Sailed on Jan. 8/14

[wilfros]

I totally agree that Cartagena is one of the best ports to sail into. I'm a history buff and I really liked seeing the two 18th century Spanish forts that flanked the entrance to the harbor.

 

Cartagena Harbor by Jasperdo, on Flickr

 

Cartagena Harbor by Jasperdo, on Flickr

 

 

Jasperdo Thank you so very much for posting these. After watching the white buildings disappear my BIL and I went into the theater where there was a talk about tomorrow's Panama Canal Experience. By chance I exited and happened to view what was happening outside, but, by the time I got may cameras it was way too late. I missed it completely.

 

I wasn't going to mention that but, thanks to you, people can ensure they don't do what I did, and miss the best part of the departure. I would have thought Princess would ensure everyone was ready for what we were going to see during the departure.

 

Attention Everyone Going on Coral. Don't miss the Cartegena sail away. You will end up missing some of the best views in the whole cruise.

Edited January 28, 2014 by wilfros

[wilfros]

OMG!! Never expected Cartagena to look that beautiful. What a great review, can't wait for the next installment!!

 

Susan

 

Thanks for posting. I am glad you are enjoying the review. Hopefully shortly after supper I will post the inner city post. (lots of photos, they are always better than words). :D

[lady girl]

Glad I stumbled on your reviews and wonderful pictures. Just one question........I thought the Coral was refurbished one year ago? I guess I'm surprised that it needed some loving care. Last year we did a Baltic Cruise using the Princess Emerald and this ship also had some floors that didn't flow smoothly. All in all we find Princess to be superior!

[wilfros]

Glad I stumbled on your reviews and wonderful pictures. Just one question........I thought the Coral was refurbished one year ago? I guess I'm surprised that it needed some loving care. Last year we did a Baltic Cruise using the Princess Emerald and this ship also had some floors that didn't flow smoothly. All in all we find Princess to be superior!

 

Glad you found this thread as well. The more the merrier!

 

Please do not get me wrong. I too feel Princess is superior, however, once you establish what superior you then (naturally) begin to compare one against the other.

 

In respect to other Princess ships we have sailed on, and also the Carnival ships we have been on, this was the ship in most need of care in the little details area. NOTHING that I encountered affected our cruise enjoyment at all!!!! The cruise was the usual Princess Standard and that is the reason I state, without hesitation, I will be going back on Princess.

 

This one ship, on this one cruise, I happened to notice more "little" things than I have ever noticed before. It might be me becoming more picky or it might be many other factors. I just noticed "not nice things" and felt they were things a little attention would take care of, if more scrutiny was given to Coral Princess.

 

She is a beautiful ship and we enjoyed our time on her very much.

 

Edited January 28, 2014 by wilfros

[wilfros]

So as stated earlier we went on a city tour with a driver we hired right at the ship. We picked this particular driver because of his ability to speak English. He was so bilingual that we had absolutely no problem understanding what he had to tell us about the sites. Because of this fact alone we had a great time.

 

Once we navigated through the bumper to bumper traffic just outside the pier we were on our way. It is worth mentioning that this traffic jam was like nothing I have seen before. There were cars everywhere, coming and going in every imaginable direction with absolutely no sense of order, yet there were never any use of horns and everyone seemed to be unstressed about the whole thing. I must say that I had enough stress for all of us, but that didn't seem to bother anyone, I don't understand why. Oh, one other thing, the motorcycles. These things did not, in any what, conform to the traffic pattern. They jumped in and out of traffic, traveling like bees towards a hive. Absolute ciaos from my point of view.

 

So like I said we were eventually on our way. Our first stop was at Castillo de San Felipe, the Fortress in the center of the old city of Cartegina. While we did not go into the fortress, from the street we got a great feel for the magnificence of the structure. It is one of the most formidable examples of Spanish military architecture anywhere and I was pleased we had a chance to view it.

 

 

 

Las Bóvedas (The Vaults) are a structure in the Old City of Cartagena in Colombia, attached to the walls. The Caribbean Sea is visible from the top of the structure. They were originally built as dungeons but have not been converted to "tourist traps". That said the stop and the structure was very interesting and nice to have seen.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Finally we wondered throughout the old city located within the walls built by the Spanish. The streets were very narrow and the balconies were astonishing. While I have never been there, this was what I felt the French Quarter of New Orleans would be like. I may be wrong but it is what my imagination tells me.

 

 

 

 

This was a very impressive Port of Call and would love to have the opportunity to return. Just from a historic point of view I could spend many days there just visiting and viewing the old structures that have been preserved in excellent conditions.

 

Our guide sounded like he was proud to be a citizen of Cartegena I he was justified to have this feeling.

 

 

 

More photos later tonight, hopefully

Edited January 28, 2014 by wilfros

[wilfros]

More Cartegena Photos

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited January 29, 2014 by wilfros

[Loonbeam]

Cartagena was such a pleasant surprise, probably my favorite port stop on the whole trip.

 

Did you make it up to the monestary?

[wilfros]

Cartagena was such a pleasant surprise, probably my favorite port stop on the whole trip.

 

Did you make it up to the monestary?

 

No. Unfortunately, there was only so much time and we could do some things. We had a great time but would love to have seen more.

 

[lady girl]

We will be on the Coral on February 21. For Cartagena we did not sign up for any tour. We were under the impression that after we took a cab into town we could be on our own.

Am I wrong?

[wilfros]

We will be on the Coral on February 21. For Cartagena we did not sign up for any tour. We were under the impression that after we took a cab into town we could be on our own.

Am I wrong?

 

Given the level of security, for the passengers, and the fact they wouldn't allow us to just walk out of the security area I would say going on your own is not a great idea.

 

Besides that you get a tour from a local guide who takes care of everything for you and ensures you get to all the things worth seeing.

 

During our walk in the old city I decided I wanted a coke so walked into a shop and purchased one. Upon our return the first thing the tour guide wanted to know was how much I was charged. I told him 2 US dollars, he

did some calculations in his head and then said that fine and off we went.

 

Later BIL decided to buy a printed shirt. Just at the end of the picking, sizing and negotiations, the guide stepped in and had quite a bit to say in spanish. At the end of that conversation he turned to BIL and said he was asking far too much now the shirt is 10 dollars cheaper. That was that, all the dealing scams were handled by him, it was great.

 

We, of course tipped accordingly and were glad to have the security and guidance.

 

Personally I would not just walk around unless, perhaps you were with a very large group but even then I would worry.

 

Get a guide and have some fun. that is my advise for the day.

Edited January 29, 2014 by wilfros

[Whimsy]

Can you please elaborate how you found your guide a little more? We are thinking of doing the same, hiring someone at the port...if it is safe.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Cruise Critic Forums mobile app

[Jasperdo]

Excellent photo of Old Town Cartagena. It's one of the best preserved cities from the Colonial Spanish era. Your photos capture it perfectly.

 

We did our tour through Princess. It included a guided tour of the Old City, plus about an hour and a half on your own. We took that time to explore the rampart walls and go to a few places that the guided portion didn't go to. We felt perfectly safe exploring the old center of Cartagena on our own.

[wilfros]

We felt perfectly safe exploring the old center of Cartagena on our own.

 

Jasperdo: Let me be as clear as I can be. We felt perfectly safe the whole time we were in Cartegena as well.

 

When I talk about the safety and security I am talking about what was going on around the ship, not on the streets of Cartegena.

 

The security around the pier was heavier than at any other port I have visited and walking out and going on your own seemed to be an almost impossible taks. Now, I assumed this was a security issue but it just might have been an arrangement to ensure you did hire someone rather than just wander.

 

That said, the traffic and confusion right outside the gates of the pier, complicated by the lack of things to do rendered this a poor choice in the first place. IMHO.

 

But back to your point. I agree COMPLETELY, in Cartegena, never did we feel anything but completely safe and comfortable.

[wilfros]

Can you please elaborate how you found your guide a little more? We are thinking of doing the same, hiring someone at the port...if it is safe.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Cruise Critic Forums mobile app

 

Whimsy; I am going to refrain from answering you question at this time. I believe my wife or Sister have a business card from this gentleman. If I can find it I will scan it and post it on this site. He stated be would be happy to have people call him in advance to reserve a tour with him. It would be a great adventure and the cost for the 4 of us was 120 US dollars total.

 

I will reply to this post a little later today.

[Colo Cruiser]

Whimsy; I am going to refrain from answering you question at this time. I believe my wife or Sister have a business card from this gentleman. If I can find it I will scan it and post it on this site. He stated be would be happy to have people call him in advance to reserve a tour with him. It would be a great adventure and the cost for the 4 of us was 120 US dollars total.

 

I will reply to this post a little later today.

 

Thats sounds like a great idea.

We would be interested too. ;)

[wilfros]

When you disembark the ship you have about a 500 yard walk from the ship to the store, that you must enter on your way to the ground transportation. For some this might be quite a hike so I state this as a forewarning. It was very hot that day thus making the walk somewhat uncomfortable.

 

Once you go through the store you exit into, what I would call, a bird zoo. There are many birds on display who have had their flying feathers removed and are kept there for our viewing and photo taking. I found the birds to be very beautiful and it was an interesting walk through this area.

 

I have heard of this "park" in earlier posts about Cartegena but have never seen photos so I though I would include these photos so you might get an idea of what it is like.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For the first time since returning from the cruise I have a doctor's appointment to deal with some of the health problems I encountered during the cruise (all cancer related, NOT Noro!). I say this as a reason why there is a very good possibility I will not be able to make another post today.

 

That said, my next post will be the "Big Show" as we enter the Panama Canal

 

 

Again; if you have any questions please let me know, and I will try and get the information about the guide we had in Cartegena (I have not forgotten about that).

[Colo Cruiser]

No problem.

Take care of yourself!! :)

[Tyskie]

 

For the first time since returning from the cruise I have a doctor's appointment to deal with some of the health problems I encountered during the cruise (all cancer related, NOT Noro!). I say this as a reason why there is a very good possibility I will not be able to make another post today.

 

 

Beautiful pictures of the birds, love the Toucan .

 

Hoping your appointment goes well...............having worked in the Hematology/Oncology field for over 40 years, I do know what you are going through. We will patiently wait for when you are up to posting again. Stay warm!

[Jasperdo]

I hope all goes well with your doctor's appointment. Looking forward to your Panama Canal photos.

[5soccer9]

Good luck at the doctors today. Love your pictures. I could look at the bird pictures all afternoon but I guess I need to get back to work for now. Thanks again for taking the time to post all the great pictures and wonderful information you have posted. I very much appreciate it.

[Susie51]

Thank you for sharing your pix with us and all of the helpful info.

[wilfros]

Edited January 29, 2014 by wilfros

[wilfros]

Can't take time enough to write anything for this post, but will have my story ready for tomorrow. However, there are so many photos to share that I thought I would at least start sharing them now.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

New doors waiting for the new Canal, due open next spring.

 

 

 

More tomorrow

Edited January 29, 2014 by wilfros

[wilfros]

I could look at the bird pictures all afternoon

 

Sorry, but, with the post of this photo, these are the only photos I have from that day. I do have some of DW with the birds on her shoulder, but she won't let me post them. :rolleyes:

 

[Longislanderluvs2cruise]

We are also on the March 15th sailing and I am loving your review and thanks for all the great pictures!

 

Looking forward to the rest of your review and I hope that your doctor's appointment went well.

 

Joanne