Panama Canal Shore Excursions

[cowboy girl]

I will be taking my first cruise on the Island Princess the first week of December, going to the Panama Canal. I am interested in hearing from those who have done this before about the shore excursions available. I am going with my mother but we may do shore excursions separately depending on our interests. I am mid-40's, woman, and somewhat active. I do not want to be stuck on a bus for hours with a big group of people and prefer more active tours (and I do like to shop as well). I live in the Caribbean so hiking through a rainforest is something I can do any day of the week (spoiled, I know!) Same with snorkeling and diving.

 

I have been to Aruba before so may just get off the ship and walk around the town. Any suggestions there?

 

In Columbia I am considering one of the land tours with stops for shopping. In Panama, I am still open to suggestions. Likewise for Costa Rica and Jamaica, although I am considering the zip line tour for Costa Rica and the bobsledding in Jamaica. Has anyone done those and are they worth it?

 

Any other tips on excursions or other things a first time cruiser should know will be appreciated. Thank you!!

[didisea]

When we went, we just stayed on the ship the whole way through the canal.

[Tina G]

Do consider your safety when doing a non-Princess tour or activity. Jamaica is notorious for incidents, even with taxi drivers!:eek:

[jacketwatch]

What are your port stops? That would really help. We did the PC on the Island last Feb. but went from the Pacific thru the canal and finished in FLA. Are you doing a partial transit cruise? Larry :)

[JMG]

We did the Panama Canal on the Brilliance of the Seas with the Island Princess in the locks right next to us. We got up around 5am and went on deck and got a spot next to the railing. As the morning progressed people were stacked rather thick behind us. We got the front row view at the front of the ship. We watched as the ship sailed up the river - it was still dark outside. Then we saw a lit up arrow pointing the ship to the correct side of the locks. As we entered that area, the arrow flipped to direct the Island Princess to the other side of the locks. It was fascinating to watch the ship enter the lock driven by the railroad engines. After the locks closed it only took a few minutes for the water to bring the ship up to the level of the next lock. We stayed there until 8:30am. We had traveled through 2 of the 3 locks. We then went to breakfast.

We stayed on the ship since the excursion we wanted was filled. The trip out of the locks was not as exciting. Going in you can see the locks ahead of you. Going out all you see is the horizon. The Brilliance did scrap the side of the canal and so we were stopped in the canal for over an hour while the ship personnel checked out the damage since the Canal Authorities had control of the ship during this passage.

 

If another cruise ship goes through the locks with you, make note of the ship name. Then go on CC and post a message requesting that if anyone from that ship took pictures of the Island Princess if they would share the photos with you. We were lucky and connected and got some wonderful pics of the Brilliance going through the canal. Some of our friends had an aft stateroom and they were on their balcony. The photo we got included picture of them! How lucky can you get!!

[cowboy girl]

Sorry. I realize now that I mentioned the countries but not the ports!

It is a partial transit cruise, round trip from Ft. Lauderdale with stops at:

Aruba (don't know the port name)

Cartagena, Columbia

Panama Canal

Cristobal/Colon, Panama

Limon, Costa Rica

Montego Bay, Jamaica

 

We will also be spending a few days in Ft. Lauderdale at the Embassy Suites, so any tips on shopping there would be much appreciated. We have NO shopping on the island where we currently live!

[D&N LUV 2 TRAVEL]

Larry:

 

We are doing the identical cruise next Feb. I would be interested in the types of tours that you took, ship sponsered or independant and rough cost estimates. We are not into scuba diving but do enjoy snorkelling, going to beaches and seeing the countries. My wife thoroughly enjoys visiting schools if allowed. Any advice would be appreciated.

 

Dave

 

 

What are your port stops? That would really help. We did the PC on the Island last Feb. but went from the Pacific thru the canal and finished in FLA. Are you doing a partial transit cruise? Larry :)

[jacketwatch]

Cowboy girl: Sorry, I can't help much as we did not do any of those ports except for Panama. we were told that Colon is not safe and that it was recommended to be on guard if you went into town. Anyway we had little time and there were a ton of shops set up in the warehouse on the dock so thats what we did. I am nor sure about Cartagena but I hear its a wonderful colonial city and would suggest posting on the ports board for more info. Usually you can save money by booking a tour from a private guide, be on your own time and be in a smaller vehicle with far fewer passengers as well. We normally do a bit of research B4 going anywhere, figure out what we want to see and do, get off and get a private cabbie or tour guide and just go. Sometimes I prearrange a private guide ahead of time and by searching this board you can find them. No worries.

Soontoretire (lucky you:)). On the Pacific side the ports are a bit different. For example in Guatemala a private car to take you to Antigua is double what it costs for the ships transport so we were bussed into Antigua, spent the day, toured around and took the bus back. You will be surprised at how many nice restaurants there are in Antigua.We had a nice lunch at one of them and really had a nice time. I had a nice panini but had some abdominal cramping for a day or so afterward. I think it was the cheese so be careful with dairy products. Our stomachs aren't used to that.

In Nicaragua things are not so developed either. Tourism is not big there though we did see some great beaches and honestly if they had the $$ to develope it it could be very nice. But they don't. :( I was able to find a private guide( oconnor.john7@gmail.com) who gave us a very nice tour in a nice vehicle. The cost was $250.00 for 5 people and we got to see a Nicaragua that few get to see. He took us to hill 14, a notorious jail for political prisoners during the Samoza regime and which became the last stand of the govt. during the Ortega led rebel overthrow. This should be some sort of natl. shrine but sadly is not. However its amazing to see this place and from here you have a nice view of the city of Leon and the volcanoes that ring it. Be sure to see the Central Parque which is where the locals meet, greet and shop. Sit down at one of the outdoor cafes, have lunch and try the local brew, Dona. Its pretty good as is Gallo, the local brew in Guatemala. John, or Max as he likes to be called is fascinating in that he has done so many things in his life including soloing across the Atlantic. I just loved listening to his stories. There are a few shops near the port in Nicaragua, not much really but if you want souvenir T's this is the place. It cost 2 for $5.00. BTW the roads going into both Leon and Antigua are just fine.

We took the ships tours in CR, a drive to the craft village of Sarchi. We didn't want to do much heavy duty stuff and this suited our needs. BTW if you like coffee this is the place to get it. The CR peaberry is great and the prices are a bargain.

In Ocho Rios we again winged it. The 5 of us hired a private driver from the pier for $60.00 and all was fine. However we had been to OR 3 times B4 so all we wanted to do was drive around and see some old and familiar sites. My pic here was taken at a really nice restaurant there called The Ruins.

Sorry, I can't help about seeing schools but mabye you could contact tourist boards and see what you could do. It sounds like you want easy, relaxed tours so I would recommend getting a private driver in port. BTW if you choose to contact Max tell him Larry sends hello. Have fun and please ask if you have any more questions. :)

[Colo Cruiser]

I will be taking my first cruise on the Island Princess the first week of December, going to the Panama Canal. I am interested in hearing from those who have done this before about the shore excursions available. I am going with my mother but we may do shore excursions separately depending on our interests. I am mid-40's, woman, and somewhat active. I do not want to be stuck on a bus for hours with a big group of people and prefer more active tours (and I do like to shop as well). I live in the Caribbean so hiking through a rainforest is something I can do any day of the week (spoiled, I know!) Same with snorkeling and diving.

 

I have been to Aruba before so may just get off the ship and walk around the town. Any suggestions there?

 

In Columbia I am considering one of the land tours with stops for shopping. In Panama, I am still open to suggestions. Likewise for Costa Rica and Jamaica, although I am considering the zip line tour for Costa Rica and the bobsledding in Jamaica. Has anyone done those and are they worth it?

 

Any other tips on excursions or other things a first time cruiser should know will be appreciated. Thank you!!

 

We loved the....

 

Costa Rica-combo rainforest/canal tour. (all day)

Panama-Ocean to Ocean train.

[drdaddy]

Hey there. Did you sail Island for any RT Panama Canal trip? I am looking for daily programs for that trip. Any ideas other than just putting that into a new thread (which I think rarely works). I could post on the roll call board but how often do you go back to those after the cruise? I stop after 1 week or so.

 

Thanks.

[Whoo]

We enjoyed the "Best of Cartagena" tour - however, there wasn't much time for shopping. Twice we stopped for about 20 minutes each time - enough to buy a couple of souvenirs, but not much else.

 

We took the "Poas Volcano and Waterfalls" tour in Costa Rica, which we also enjoyed. Lots of beautiful scenery at the volcano and waterfall park, as well as nice views of the countryside from the bus.

 

The final excursion we took was in Cabo San Lucas - "America's Cup Racing Yachts". It was great fun - our yacht raced against another one, and even though we 'lost' the race - everyone got to participate in sailing the yacht.

 

Have a great cruise!

 

P.S. - Just re-read the thread, and saw you aren't doing a full-transit - I'll leave my comments about Cabo here - just for info for others....

[ExDean]

Cowboygirl, here are the comments we had about the tours on our Island Princess cruise - for what they're worth in your planning. As you know, you'll get a great variety of opinions and experiences from CCers and they can be helpful in your planning. The two highlights of our cruise were the Canal (of course) and the zip line in Limon with Charlie Soto. If we had had the time we would have done the zip line again it was that awesom.

Also, remembr those "secret" places for observing the canal through those fore and aft doors on the Caribe and Baja decks. The doors aren't marked (or weren't when we were there this April) and lead to an uncrowded observation spot.

We'd take this cruise again in a heart beat. Do enjoy.

Aruba: We have been there twice and since the stay was so short we stayed on board and sat in the sun. We did take in our daily “high tea” with enough food to make a meal of. Leaving Aruba the seas were much calmer. I sort of missed the bobbin’ and weavin’ which made one feel like you really were at sea.

 

Cartagena: We took the Best of Cartagena and Fortress tour. Had a very good tour guide and got a very good overview of the city both riding the bus and the walk through the center of town. Very picturesque city with many vendors out making a living. We heard some complaints about the vendors but whereas they presented you with their wares they were not pushy and aggressive as we had found n Jamaica. It was at the fort that I somehow lost my S&S card. I think it was when I was getting out a tip for a uniformed person posing at the fortress.

 

So what happens when you lose your card? I had to show the security people my ID. They called the “bong” people at the gangway and found out I really was an OK passenger and they let me on. I went to the Passenger Service desk and the printed me up a new one exactly like to original with my name, etc, printed – don’t know how they do that. We then went to tea, had our wine in the cabin (on the uncovered balcony) and waited to stand in line for dinner.

 

Panama Canal: We were up at 5:00 to watch our approach to the canal. It was interesting to see the ships waiting at anchor while we slowly approached the locks. (The comedian a couple night later quipped that “You people get up at 5:00 to see what you could have seen at 11:00.) Thanks to the tips from the CC folks we had an excellent and uncrowded view from the forward deck on Caribe or Baja. You had to go through a couple of unmarked doors to access the forward area. There were only about 20 people with us and about 30 on the deck above us. I heard someone commenting that they found out about this area from CruiseCritic.com. Later we went to our balcony since we could view the other locks and ships entering and leaving. The benefit of the Dolphin balcony was we could look straight down and see the limited clearance the ship had.

 

We entered Lake Gatun and tendered ashore. We took the tour of the Highlights of Panama which included further explanation of the locks. They told us that Princess paid $276,000 toll and I don’t know if that was OW or RT. This tour included a boat ride to an Indian village and viewing wildlife. The villagers put on a good show for us and we were pulled out of the audience to learn one of their dances.

 

The bus dropped us off at Csritobal at 3:00 where the ship was docked (nothing there but many booths selling all sorts of crafts). We sailed at 6:00.

 

Limon, Costa Rica: This was the second highlight of our cruise. Here we did not take a Princess tour but went with Charlie Soto and OkeyDokey Tours. What a great choice we made. We took Charlie’s A2 Canopy Tour with the zip line. Charlie said he would be at the pier 1 hour after the ship docked. We docked @ 7:00 and met Charlie at 7:45. His A1 tour people arrived and off they went. We waited for two other A2 couples for about an hour more and then left. That meant that we had a private tour with our excellent tour guide, Carlos. We stopped at road side stands and sampled the fruits as Carlos explained them to us. Then off to the zip line where we were the only couple there. What terrific time that was. Once were suited up in our gear we were given the “safety talk,” boarded a wagon to the steps of the first platform. The steps (well sort of rustic steps) were by far the hardest part – and that wasn’t all that hard if you took your time. We had eight platforms and experienced marvelous views especially as we zipped over the river. If we had had the time we would have done it again. From there to the Dole banana plantation with Carlos giving us all the details on raising and harvesting bananas. When I go to Kroger I’ll never look a banana the same way again. Actually the ones we get in the stores are on “steroids” as the ones the locals pick are smaller. The larger size is due to fertilizer. On the way to our next event, we stopped so Carlos could talk to a young boy with a sloth – which we got to hold. DW did make face as she held it for the camera.

 

We stopped while Carlos and our driver “talked” to a troop of Howler monkeys. Then on to the canal one hour boat ride to view the wild life. Our “captain” seemed to know just where to look so we saw a lot of wild life, lizards, birds, sloths and monkeys.

 

As we toured Limon, just by accident, passed Carlos’ daughter and his grandson as we were only a block from his home. Our last stop was the grocery store where Carlos explained some of the local foods to us and, we bought our 100% Costa Rican coffee. He had us back to the ship 2 ½ before we had to be on board. I think we had an experience that the folks on the big busses didn’t and one we’ll remember for some time.

 

The comedy lounge show with Glenn Hirsch was ok but he seemed to be trying too hard and wasn’t that funny IMHO. We didn’t go to his second show to see if he improved.

 

Ocho Rios: We have been to Jamaica three times and since we didn’t look forward to being hassled by vendors we stayed on board and had the sun deck all

[TDW]

For Cowboy Girl:

 

Are you booked on the Island Princess cruise departing Fort Lauderdale on Nov 30th? If so, come on over to the roll call at: http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=932821

[drdaddy]

Larry and Sue,

 

Same question as what I asked Colo. Do you perhaps have the daily programs available to email? I love knowing what will probably happen beforehand. I would love to maybe get an idea of the menus, too. Easier to plan for the special restaurant.

 

Another question I have thought of. You mentioned about the time and when you met the tour. Does the ship change it's clocks to match the island? (THE island, not the Island Princess. Boy, that could get confusing :D)

 

We are probably going with Okeydokey but we may splurge on the train to the west coast for the canal. Thanks for the heads up on the great viewing areas. BTW, we are also on Dolphin deck. How unshaded is it? I thought it was half and half. Kinda.

 

Thanks.

[ExDean]

Rob, here are some answers:

 

Same question as what I asked Colo. Do you perhaps have the daily programs available to email? I love knowing what will probably happen beforehand. I would love to maybe get an idea of the menus, too. Easier to plan for the special restaurant. I have copies of the daily Princess Patter but haven't a clue how I could email them to you. (technically challenged!). However, I may be able to answer some specific questions.

 

Another question I have thought of. You mentioned about the time and when you met the tour. Does the ship change it's clocks to match the island? (THE island, not the Island Princess. Boy, that could get confusing :D) If I recall right we were on the same time as the ship with our tour. Charlie Soto promises to get us back an hour+ before sailing and he did.

 

We are probably going with Okeydokey but we may splurge on the train to the west coast for the canal. Thanks for the heads up on the great viewing areas. BTW, we are also on Dolphin deck. How unshaded is it? I thought it was half and half. Kinda. Our Dolphin mini (thanks to an upgrade) balcony was uncovered which didn't present a problem for us - lots of room and an occasional chat with the folks on the balcony above us. We did get a bit of salt spray on the choppy sea days. We also recommend you read the book The Path Between the Seas by David McCullough (if you haven't already read it) for a greater appreciation of the canal especially if you take the train trip.

 

Have a great cruise.

 

 

[Colo Cruiser]

Hey there. Did you sail Island for any RT Panama Canal trip? I am looking for daily programs for that trip. Any ideas other than just putting that into a new thread (which I think rarely works). I could post on the roll call board but how often do you go back to those after the cruise? I stop after 1 week or so.

 

Thanks.

 

Our last Coral cruise was awhile ago, hopefully someone now has up to date ones.

 

Looks like you may have better luck on this thread.

[jacketwatch]

Rob, here are some answers:

 

Same question as what I asked Colo. Do you perhaps have the daily programs available to email? I love knowing what will probably happen beforehand. I would love to maybe get an idea of the menus, too. Easier to plan for the special restaurant. I have copies of the daily Princess Patter but haven't a clue how I could email them to you. (technically challenged!). However, I may be able to answer some specific questions.

 

Another question I have thought of. You mentioned about the time and when you met the tour. Does the ship change it's clocks to match the island? (THE island, not the Island Princess. Boy, that could get confusing :D) If I recall right we were on the same time as the ship with our tour. Charlie Soto promises to get us back an hour+ before sailing and he did.

 

We are probably going with Okeydokey but we may splurge on the train to the west coast for the canal. Thanks for the heads up on the great viewing areas. BTW, we are also on Dolphin deck. How unshaded is it? I thought it was half and half. Kinda. Our Dolphin mini (thanks to an upgrade) balcony was uncovered which didn't present a problem for us - lots of room and an occasional chat with the folks on the balcony above us. We did get a bit of salt spray on the choppy sea days. We also recommend you read the book The Path Between the Seas by David McCullough (if you haven't already read it) for a greater appreciation of the canal especially if you take the train trip.

 

Have a great cruise.

we thought of going w/ Charley too. However I read on the port board of a fair amt. of complaints as well. He would cut tours short, show up w/o an A/C vehicle, and sometimes pick up folks on the way and charge them less than what he charged the others who were already on his tour. Also I read that he tried to charge more than the agreed upon cost so be sure to bring your email confirmation. /quote]

[Grannycb]

We did the Best of Cartagena our first time there. It was fine but was a big bus experience. We took one of the tours that is advertised at the port our second visit. I took a picture of the sign showing tours available.

[floatel_lvr]

We did the Best of Cartagena our first time there. It was fine but was a big bus experience. We took one of the tours that is advertised at the port our second visit. I took a picture of the sign showing tours available.

 

Grannycb,

How was the tour above? That seems like a good option.

Thanks,

RA

[kath00]

Sorry if that has been asked but it sounds like the stops on the Panama Canal cruises are not all that great (or safe) in general.

 

If you plan to spend most of your time on the ship, will the cruise at least afford some lovely views of the coast as you sail by? Or will it be kinda boring? I know I would be perfectly fine staying on the ship in Alaska all 7 days since the sights are spectacular everywhere you go. Is it the same when one sails from say San Diego to FL?

 

Thanks! Katherine

[BillB48]

Except when you are approaching a port or leaving port, there is little or no land to be seen. Typically I think you can expect a port about every other day. Very much opposite your Alaskan cruise. Don't know which ports you are reffering to, but in general if you don't know the area you will be in you are better off going with an organized tour. In these situations I tend to go with the ship's tour even though they generally tend to have larger groups and a little more expensive. I don't believe that the ships stop anywhere that it is that dangerous when you are with a group. But take precautions, be aware of your surroundings, don't take expensive watches, cash etc. Just take ID, one credit card and a small amount of cash for tips and what purchases you plan on.

[D&N LUV 2 TRAVEL]

Looking at the direction you will be heading you would think the port side would be opposite land as you are heading into port. That being said by sailing south east you would have the sun in the morning on the port side and shade in the afternoon on your balcony. Of course you can always go on deck to see what ever you are missing from your balcony.

 

Sorry if that has been asked but it sounds like the stops on the Panama Canal cruises are not all that great (or safe) in general.

 

If you plan to spend most of your time on the ship, will the cruise at least afford some lovely views of the coast as you sail by? Or will it be kinda boring? I know I would be perfectly fine staying on the ship in Alaska all 7 days since the sights are spectacular everywhere you go. Is it the same when one sails from say San Diego to FL?

 

Thanks! Katherine

[Grannycb]

Grannycb,

How was the tour above? That seems like a good option.

Thanks,

RA

 

The taxi tour we took was pretty good. Make sure your driver speaks English well. This isn't for the nervous person. The traffic is pretty crazy and you'll want to fasten your seat belt. We had done some research and been there before so knew what we wanted to see. The drivers have agreements to stop at certain shops in exchange for parking spaces. We didn't mind that as it gave us a chance to see what the shops had to offer. One stupid thing I did was to hold a sloth. They are cute but filled with pests. Something nasty from it's fur bit me. It was very painful and took weeks to heal. In retrospect, I wish we had joined a few others for one of the van tours.

 

On the other hand, the ship tour was very informative and came with a wonderful lunch at a nice hotel. The theater we went to was beautiful. We did have lots of street vendors who gathered around the bus though. There are pluses and minuses to both.

[Richard in Panama]

Cowboy Girl, In Cartegena the "old town" area is not to be missed. Aruba is the place to get in and under the water. In Panama it depends on your area of interest. I've written about Panama tours on my blog about the tours http://richarddetrich.wordpress.com/canal-cruise/ and if you are thinking about the Embera village tour there are lots of posts about the Embera as well.

 

Regards, Richard

[sunsetbeachgal]

Hi Richard,

 

We are doing a partial transit Canal cruise in November...we are going to to do either the Panama Railway excursion or the Panama Canal by Boat excursion...which one do you recommend (and why?)...we want to see the most possible!

 

 

Thx!