NCL (ONLY) Guatemala Excursion Help

[SakeDad]

I'm posting this here as I ONLY want an NCL excursion in this port. Not interested in any other options!

Going to be in Guatemala in April and want to do an NCL excursion to Antigua there as it's so far away from the ship. What NCL excursions have you done and enjoyed? Or more important which ones should we avoid!? We are mobile and enjoy foods, adventures, culture and beaches.

 

Again...NCL ONLY!

Thanks

[Travelling2Some]

We took NCL's "Antigua on your own" excursion and were happy with it.  As you say, it is far away and the road between the port and the town is notorious for delays.  The ride there was fairly scenic, especially towards the end as we got into the mountains.  The town was pretty and interesting.  Moderately persistent vendors and the worst pavements to walk on that I have ever seen anywhere.  Wear sturdy shoes, not sandals, no joke.  The craft market where the ship docks was much nicer and more extensive than I expected but we did not have much time left for it when we got back.

[TrumpyNor]

We have also done the "Antigua on your own", and found it to be very convenient.

[SakeDad]

21 minutes ago, Travelling2Some said:

Moderately persistent vendors and the worst pavements to walk on that I have ever seen anywhere.  Wear sturdy shoes, not sandals, no joke.  

LOL...we lived in Puerto Vallarta for 3 years so I know of what you speak! Great advice. 

Would you recommend  doing "on your own" there and back but maybe add a Viator or other tour while there? Or is it not needed? Thanks

[Travelling2Some]

The town is not that big and the sights were easy to find and didn't require a lot of explanation so I wouldn't think a guide would add that much to the experience.  I did see someone trip over the pavement in Puerto Vallarta.  Finally was able to put to use the band-aids I've been carrying around for years, lol.

[SakeDad]

2 hours ago, Travelling2Some said:

The town is not that big and the sights were easy to find and didn't require a lot of explanation so I wouldn't think a guide would add that much to the experience. 

Here's the other question...is it a better choice to just enjoy the ship with folks going ashore? We've seen impoverished cities having lived in Mexico. Is there enough to see to make it worth giving up a day on the ship??

 

 

[Travelling2Some]

4 hours ago, SakeDad said:

Here's the other question...is it a better choice to just enjoy the ship with folks going ashore? We've seen impoverished cities having lived in Mexico. Is there enough to see to make it worth giving up a day on the ship??

 

 

Tough to say.  I think it depends on how much you like being on a ship and your travel habits and history.  That decision could also be influenced by how port-heavy your cruise is.  I wouldn't want to miss a place I've never been to and am unlikely to visit again.   We try not to repeat destinations whereas others enjoy going to familiar places.  I definitely see what you mean about "been there, done that".  I'm starting to feel like I have seen enough ancient walled European cities to choke a horse! 

[cruisinmeme]

I didn’t realize NCL still went to Guatemala. We went once and only shopped at the port.  They told everyone not to go into town unless on excursion.  We watched large groups trotting into town. 
we had gotten to know two brother who went into town . One of them got bitten by a random dog.  He said the dog just walked up and bit him. He had to go to a hospital and start rabies shots. We laughed and reminded him he was told not to go into town. 

[Panhandle Couple]

I assume you are talking about Puerto Quetzal.

 

See my review on the Bliss Panama Canal cruise.  I will post that port later tonight or tomorrow.

 

We did "Antigua on Your Own" and recommend it.  But a few facts.

They only get cruise ships 6 or 7 times a month.  The large busses from the port to the town are only allowed on the edge on the old town when coming from a cruise.  So local drivers aren't too thrilled when they show up.  

 

Your experience will depend on the tour guide.  The Bliss had 4 busloads, and talking to friends who were on the other bus, their guide told them about 1/2 of what ours did about the area and country overall.

 

The town does have lots of tourist things to do, but most seem to come from Guatemala City, the opposite direction from the port. 

 

The streets are as advertised, and another factor.  There are no stop signs or traffic lights in the old town.  Every intersection is interesting, but they don't seem to have accidents.  The roughness of the streets and large groups of people keep top speeds to under 25 mph.  Usually cars and bikes move even slower.  

 

Use Google maps (pay for 1 day phone access) to get around.  The town is a roughly 12 x 12 block grid, so seems easy.  But few street signs and similar looking buildings can be confusing.

 

The port area at Puerto Quetzal is very small, and the area is very industrial and shipping dominant.  There is nothing to do on your own outside the port area.  We found the vendors there unwilling to bargain from their high prices, but it was late and we were tired, and had already bought things in Antigua.

 

I assume you speak good Spanish having lived in Mexico.  You should have no problems, although there are 25 languages spoken in the country.

[kitkat343]

1 hour ago, cruisinmeme said:

I didn’t realize NCL still went to Guatemala. We went once and only shopped at the port.  They told everyone not to go into town unless on excursion.  We watched large groups trotting into town. 
we had gotten to know two brother who went into town . One of them got bitten by a random dog.  He said the dog just walked up and bit him. He had to go to a hospital and start rabies shots. We laughed and reminded him he was told not to go into town. 

 I think this port is on the other side of Guatemala, but we really loved our stop in Santo Tomas de Castilla.  We were able to visit the Rio Dulce, and a local school.  It was quite lovely and a wonderful port and I hope the cruise lines expand their offerings there.  I haven't been to Puerto Quetzal, but the other side of the country is really beautiful.

    

[Panhandle Couple]

14 hours ago, SakeDad said:

Here's the other question...is it a better choice to just enjoy the ship with folks going ashore? We've seen impoverished cities having lived in Mexico. Is there enough to see to make it worth giving up a day on the ship??

 

 

The trip to town takes you between two active volcanos (both over 12,000 ft), of the 4 in the area.  From town the sights of the Fire and Water volcano are great if there isn't much cloud cover.  There are not many places in the world that can say that.  Despite the trip hassles, I would go.  

[brad0576]

Went to Guatemala on the bliss - it seemed most tours went to Antigua and all had a delicious lunch and the same resort in the city - the tour I did went to a coffee plantation and jade studio but there was opportunity for a little time on own - it was a great day

[Travelling2Some]

1 hour ago, Panhandle Couple said:

I assume you are talking about Puerto Quetzal.

 

See my review on the Bliss Panama Canal cruise.  I will post that port later tonight or tomorrow.

 

We did "Antigua on Your Own" and recommend it.  But a few facts.

They only get cruise ships 6 or 7 times a month.  The large busses from the port to the town are only allowed on the edge on the old town when coming from a cruise.  So local drivers aren't too thrilled when they show up.  

 

Your experience will depend on the tour guide.  The Bliss had 4 busloads, and talking to friends who were on the other bus, their guide told them about 1/2 of what ours did about the area and country overall.

 

The town does have lots of tourist things to do, but most seem to come from Guatemala City, the opposite direction from the port. 

 

The streets are as advertised, and another factor.  There are no stop signs or traffic lights in the old town.  Every intersection is interesting, but they don't seem to have accidents.  The roughness of the streets and large groups of people keep top speeds to under 25 mph.  Usually cars and bikes move even slower.  

 

Use Google maps (pay for 1 day phone access) to get around.  The town is a roughly 12 x 12 block grid, so seems easy.  But few street signs and similar looking buildings can be confusing.

 

The port area at Puerto Quetzal is very small, and the area is very industrial and shipping dominant.  There is nothing to do on your own outside the port area.  We found the vendors there unwilling to bargain from their high prices, but it was late and we were tired, and had already bought things in Antigua.

 

I assume you speak good Spanish having lived in Mexico.  You should have no problems, although there are 25 languages spoken in the country.

Totally agree with all you wrote.

[cyntil8ing]

I don’t have a recommendation on a ship tour, as we spent a few days in Antigua on a land trip to Guatemala years ago. It’s lovely and the people are wonderful. It’s a UNESCO World Heritage site. 

 

Some photos from my visit: https://photos.app.goo.gl/2Byp291FroNL5XEy6

[Sitting here]

We chose the Guatemalan Rum and Sightseeing tour that included lunch, and we were really happy with our experience. Our guide was very knowledgeable, and provided a lot of info on our ride into Antigua. I was not expecting the Jade Museum/store, but we stopped there as the first "sight" to see, and we had a good (informative) time. Then they split us into two groups for the rum tasting and the market square, and then we rejoined back together for lunch. The rum tasting was good... several different rums, and not stingy portions. Lunch was at a hotel & convention center - the grounds were lovely.

 

We were really happy to have selected an excursion that included lunch. There were some significant road construction delays happening at the time we were there, which shortened the actual time in Antigua for most of the excursions. We talked to some folks who had done the "on your own" excursion and completely missed lunch due to limited time to find and eat at a restaurant in Antigua.

[luv2kroooz]

20 hours ago, kitkat343 said:

 I think this port is on the other side of Guatemala, but we really loved our stop in Santo Tomas de Castilla.  We were able to visit the Rio Dulce, and a local school.  It was quite lovely and a wonderful port and I hope the cruise lines expand their offerings there.  I haven't been to Puerto Quetzal, but the other side of the country is really beautiful.

    

I will add my vote for this, too. Yes, it is a bit further out and traffic was bad, but if you are on an NCL tour, no worries. We sailed up the Rio Dulce to the large Lake Izabal and then went to tour the castle. Beautiful countryside. I recommend that you take sunscreen on this tour as it can be very very sunny and hot.

[trivia addict]

A few years ago we did the Antiqua On Our Own Tour, but used it only for the NCL bus. That way we were assured of making it back to the ship on time.
Once we got to the town we had hired a private guide to use while there. As stated, it is a World Heritage site, and filled with history. He was very interesting and it was good to know what we were looking at. We were a small group and felt we were getting a more personalized and complete overview of the city than the ship tour.

Of all of the ports that we took on our Panama cruise, this one was my favorite. I would recommend that you see it.

Be warned, the bus ride is long and a bit uncomfortable. But because of the distance and very primitive surroundings, I would never take private transportation in this area.

[COcruise]

On 1/4/2024 at 10:48 PM, SakeDad said:

I'm posting this here as I ONLY want an NCL excursion in this port. Not interested in any other options!

Going to be in Guatemala in April and want to do an NCL excursion to Antigua there as it's so far away from the ship. What NCL excursions have you done and enjoyed? Or more important which ones should we avoid!? We are mobile and enjoy foods, adventures, culture and beaches.

 

Again...NCL ONLY!

Thanks

We did an NCL tour to a beach resort back in 2018 and loved it. I’ll see if I can find the name. 

[SakeDad]

Thanks everyone! Based on all your suggestions we have booked the NCL "On Your Own" bus as it was only $50 for the both of us and we can either get a guide there or do it on our own. But at least we have it and it won't sell out now.

[Travelling2Some]

We booked the "On Your Own" very early too.  With the $50 off FAS and Latitudes discount it was such a bargain I was afraid it would sell out quickly.

[brad0576]

3 hours ago, trivia addict said:

 

Of all of the ports that we took on our Panama cruise, this one was my favorite. I would recommend that you see it.

 

 

100% agree - it was a great stop and probably one of our favorite ports