Cartegena Colombia

[NancyIL]

Why has Disney decided to not return to Curacao this time around? I would MUCH rather go there. It just doesn't make sense for Disney to have such a dangerous port of call. I would be afraid to get off the boat after all that I have read today.

DCL is going to Aruba instead of Curacao.

 

[gottaluvdisney]

.....and still no one has come up with a good answer as to why they added Cartagena to the EB and not the WB

Might be port availability.

 

[Mrs. Jumbo]

We were in Cartegena in 2000 on another PC cruise eastbound. We were skeptical about getting off the ship but decided to hire a taxi after we docked. The driver took us sightseeing and shopping for local crafts. He spoke good enough English, and helped us fend off a few aggressive street vendors. Overall, we felt the locals are nice people. On that PC cruise, our family learned more about the world and the people. Our then 2nd grade DD still talks about the places we visited. Give Cartegena a chance. We were glad we didn't just write it off.

We're looking at the west bound 2008. Not sure if we should take our DD our of school at end of the school year. She'll be in 9th grade. Any advise?

 

[lbgraves]

The armed guards actually wont bother me after already encountering them on two DCL cruises. In Cozumel we saw them as we got off the ship & walked off the dock. In Costa Maya we saw them and even had to go thru a military road block to get to the ruins.

 

[pyramid2000]

I was so excited to see this port listed! How often would I get the chance to take my girls to SA!?!

 

[Andrew DEREK UK]

I was so excited to see this port listed! How often would I get the chance to take my girls to SA!?!

I posted on another thread yesterday that I had been to Cartegena, I went on Princess cruises and I found the port very nice.

Now we were all on escourted shore trips and controlled a bit, I remeber being taken up the mountain and we had a great view of our ship, then around the beautiful old town and ended up in jewerly shops of course specailist in Emeralds.

Now at parts the locals did try and come up to us, they are poor and want anything they can from you, people did swam around a bit at the port entrance but in the stops it was very controled and safe.

The Jewerly shops were good value we had our purchases valued in London afterwards in Hatton Garden our center for this and they were a good price, but care on stones with a slight flaw. Size and weight good but there could be slight imperfections.

The place was hot but ok with that and we were taken also to a beach and treated to drinks etc. There were and maybe more development with lots of new high class hotels.

On organised trips you will be ok with a local tour guide, I would not recommend doing it youself here there are security risks, but also not to worry its an enjoyable stop close to panama and will break up the long sea days from 2005

 

[Lil' Grumpy]

...so this is the "romancing the emerald " , place to go?

,however, i just hope i get the chance to visit the
famous author..joan ryder

oh yeah ?, does michael d. still selling exotic birds on the island?

speakin of..a lil' birdie told me that they also give free samples
of reefer?

 

[justmestace]

Sure is, I was posting way passed by bedtime!

Ah, yes....been there, done that!!

 

[justmestace]

There's a great article in the February issue of Caribbean Travel and Life (on newsstands now) about Cartegena. It dispels some of the myths about it being scary and dangerous, offers a lot of great ideas of things to do there.....I'm really looking forward to it now!!!

 

[drumbumswife]

Ah, yes....been there, done that!!

And again way too early in the morning, past, not passed!

 

[justmestace]

And again way too early in the morning, past, not passed!

Ah, see....I didn't catch that!

 

[Ginamarie]

Hey everyone! I thought I'd chime in because DH and I actually went to Cartegena in 2005 on an NCL repo cruise though the Panama Canal. I was skeptical as to whether we'd get off of the ship, but I did a lot of reading about the area and decided to go. We wound up with a taxi driver/tour guide who negotiated a price to take us for 2-3 hours, including a stop at an emerald store we wanted to see.

There are some armed guards around the city. They didn't bother me all that much as I've seen them in other ports before. The vendors were a little pushy, but we found them a lot more pushy in Cozumel or Acapulco.

Cartegena is a beautiful city with a lot of history. I enjoyed it very much. We wound up taking home two BEAUTIFUL emeralds from the city (one for me and one for my mom).

If anyone has any questions about touring Cartegena you can send me a PM and I'll give you whatever info I have.

 

[dahuffy]

The armed guards actually wont bother me after already encountering them on two DCL cruises. In Cozumel we saw them as we got off the ship & walked off the dock. In Costa Maya we saw them and even had to go thru a military road block to get to the ruins.

When we went to Jamaica in '88 the island was covered with armed guards and their M16/AK47's, especially near the ports. They didn't bother us at all.

Dh is looking forward to stopping in Cartegena, how cool to tell our friends that we've been to South America!

 

[justmestace]

Cartegena is a beautiful city with a lot of history. I enjoyed it very much. We wound up taking home two BEAUTIFUL emeralds from the city (one for me and one for my mom).

You just said the magic word! Emeralds

 

[Mrs. Jumbo]

Oh yes, emerald....we received a certificate for a free emerald when we attended the ship's shore excursion talk. In the jewelry shop, the lady gave me and DD each a free rough uncut emerald, pretty neat. DH didn't get one.

 

[Andrew DEREK UK]

Best buys Emeralds, Leather, Native handicrafts, loved the little buses! very colourful, gold, coffee. Please do not take any other powder other than coffee.

Pierino Gallo shops for cruisers about 3 miles from ship, currency Colombian peso but dollars accepted, best beach near Hilton down Avenida San Martin along the Bahia de Cartagena peninsular.

 

[pearlieq]

If you took DCL's Western Caribbean cruise, you wouldn't be able to donate, either.

At least at my donation center (LifeSource in Chicago) that hasn't been the case. Key West is obviously still US, Grand Cayman is OK, Cozumel (the resort and port area) and Castaway Cay were all OK'd as being outside of Malaria zones. I've donated at least 3 times since and it's never been a problem after they consulted the maps.

 

[justmestace]

At least at my donation center (LifeSource in Chicago) that hasn't been the case. Key West is obviously still US, Grand Cayman is OK, Cozumel (the resort and port area) and Castaway Cay were all OK'd as being outside of Malaria zones. I've donated at least 3 times since and it's never been a problem after they consulted the maps.

I know....my mistake. We did one of the 2X Castaway Cay Westerns....so I was thinking about Costa Maya. Sorry!!

 

[sejejoemmiev]

I posted on another thread yesterday that I had been to Cartegena, I went on Princess cruises and I found the port very nice.

Now we were all on escourted shore trips and controlled a bit, I remeber being taken up the mountain and we had a great view of our ship, then around the beautiful old town and ended up in jewerly shops of course specailist in Emeralds.

Now at parts the locals did try and come up to us, they are poor and want anything they can from you, people did swam around a bit at the port entrance but in the stops it was very controled and safe.

The Jewerly shops were good value we had our purchases valued in London afterwards in Hatton Garden our center for this and they were a good price, but care on stones with a slight flaw. Size and weight good but there could be slight imperfections.

The place was hot but ok with that and we were taken also to a beach and treated to drinks etc. There were and maybe more development with lots of new high class hotels.

On organised trips you will be ok with a local tour guide, I would not recommend doing it youself here there are security risks, but also not to worry its an enjoyable stop close to panama and will break up the long sea days from 2005

Thanks for your reply! My initial thought when I saw this port listed was wow that would be really neat to see. Then I read the travel warning and was scared. That is why I posted the initial question. I wanted first hand experience from someone who has traveled there. Thank you for your input. I think I might actually think about taking a organized DCL shore excursion to see this beautiful place. I would not venture off the ship any other way though. The travel warning got to me. I might just leave my kids in the kids club too. Just to be extra safe. I didn't mean to offend anyone who loves Colombia by asking if the port was a Dangerous Place. You have to admit the travel warning is pretty frightening. But from reading some of the posts from people who have cruised there on other lines, it doesn't sound as scary and looks like it might be a beautiful new place to visit. Cautiously that is.

 

[Andrew DEREK UK]

I could see why you asked the question as Columbia has a reputation hopfully you are less worried now