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Beware booking tours in Panama.....!


Ivy86

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MY Mother in Law was in Panama this past week on a cruise from RCCL and some 50 passengers book an excursion w an independent tour operator instead of the cruise line ...they were heading to the tour when a group of men stopped their van and they all got robbed. lost passports,cameras, money ,jewelry etc.:(

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  • 2 weeks later...
  • 2 weeks later...

This article did not say which cruise line. It could not have been Royal Caribbean. They do not allow anyone to get off the ship in Panama unless they booked it through them. They can control this since the ship is anchored in Gatun Lake. You must have excursion tickets to take the tender to shore.

 

The ship docks at the pier for several hours after 3:00pm. If this tour was then, they would have missed the ship leaving.

 

Just did the Panama Canal is December on RCCL-Jewel.

 

From my understanding most ship do not allow private excursions in Panama for the same reasons.

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From my understanding most ship do not allow private excursions in Panama for the same reasons.

 

Carnival Freedom does allow it... anyone can get off for whatever shore excursion. Does not have to be a ship's excursion at all. I had been booked on the Freedom for March up until a couple days prior to final payment, which is why I had been curious about this thread...

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Carnival Freedom does allow it... anyone can get off for whatever shore excursion. Does not have to be a ship's excursion at all. I had been booked on the Freedom for March up until a couple days prior to final payment, which is why I had been curious about this thread...

I was reading a few articles about this too, and some cruise lines companies let you book with private agencies.

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I agree totally w/drdaddy. It's not like there are armed guards on the cruiseline's tours. Even if there were, you just never know . . .!) Smart things to do are: don't wear ANY "real" jewelry or a "good" watch; take very little money w/you; use a disposable camera; have a little "mixed" money you can turn over if confronted; and if you feel you MUST bring money, you can TRY sticking a few bills in your sock or pin it to the inside of your shorts or pants in a place where it's not likely to be noticed much. Or maybe you can "stash" it to the bottom of your bus seat w/elec. tape or something. Just don't forget it!

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I think the implication here is that a private guide could be part of the heist by telling the robbers where and when they will be and getting paid to do so. You would hope that scenario would be less likely with a ship sponsored outing.

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  • 2 weeks later...

As I was reading this thread I kept wondering the same as others, why would a tour booked through the ship not get held up and others do. But then again the ship may be very careful who they book with and that company could face consequences if security for the tourists is compromised, like losing the business. You just never know, maybe the tour operator alerted the thieves as to the route they would be taking. We usually take little cash, mostly credit cards that can be cancelled. When we have carried cash, we put a little bit in different areas of the body. I know this is not funny, but just picturing the tourists taking photos of the thieves.... :D:D:D

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But why couldn't an excursion booked and taken with the cruiseline NOT get held up? If the independent went into an area that is dangeous, that is one thing but I am sure it can happen anywhere anytime, no?

 

I did the Canal Experience with HAL-Zuiderdam in mid December. Once we got back on our buses (4 filled) and headed for the ship, we had a 2 car police escort for more than 45 minutes of an anticipated 2 hour ride. The ride only took 1:45 with the escort. We also traveled with an empty bus which was provided as a back up, if one of the other buses broke down. I'd say we really got our money's worth!

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Unfortunately this kind of thing is a fact of life in that part of the world. Costa Rica is another place big on highway hold-ups. Unfortunately, use of cruise-line excursions is not a guarantee. Two years ago a cruise-line sponsored excursion bus was boarded by two armed gunmen. The passengers eventually overpowered them (and in fact killed one). Costa Rican authorities thanked them and sent them back to the ship in time to depart. As in travel everywhere, it pays to be aware of your surroundings, always pay attention and blend in as best you can. If you book an independent tour, be sure you know who you are dealing with.:)

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Unfortunately this kind of thing is a fact of life in that part of the world. Costa Rica is another place big on highway hold-ups. Unfortunately, use of cruise-line excursions is not a guarantee. Two years ago a cruise-line sponsored excursion bus was boarded by two armed gunmen. The passengers eventually overpowered them (and in fact killed one). Costa Rican authorities thanked them and sent them back to the ship in time to depart. As in travel everywhere, it pays to be aware of your surroundings, always pay attention and blend in as best you can. If you book an independent tour, be sure you know who you are dealing with

 

First,neither Costa Rica nor Panama are "third world", unless you define everything outside of your comfort zone as "third world." Both are definitely "second world" moving toward "first world."

 

This type of thing is NOT common! "Two years ago. . ." in Costa Rica. Common? This type of thing happens in New York, New Orleans, everywhere there are poor people who see a bunch of rich tourists as targets. I believe the incident in Costa Rica "two years ago" was a group of independent travelers from a Carnival ship who were doing their own thing and asked to be taken to a "remote beach." Dah! Both of these countries value tourists and make every attempt to take great care of them. On a recent ship Embera tour from Madden Lake where these independent tourists encountered problems I noticed that there was a uniformed tourist policeman with us, as well as a plain clothes policeman.

 

You are right that a tour purchased through the ship is not a "guarantee" - ever read your "cruise contract" lately? - the cruise lines do pick the best and most reliable operators and if there is reason for safety concerns will either not use that operator or tour, or even not go to the port at all. When you choose to be "on your own" you are "on your own."

 

As in travel everywhere, it pays to be aware of your surroundings, always pay attention and blend in as best you can. If you book an independent tour, be sure you know who you are dealing with

. . . EXCELLENT ADVICE!

 

Regards, Richard

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Richard, you are right and I guess I should have been more careful in my use of terms. I apologize if I offended. These types of things do indeed occur everywhere. My, not very well made, point was that there are no guarantees and to not think you are in your backyard when travelling abroad. I have extensive international travel experience, both pleasure and business (including a couple of real third world countries) and one of my pet peeves has always been Americans thinking the world should adapt to them rather than them trying to fit in to the country they are visiting. Thanks for the clarification.

 

As an aside, are you going to be on board the Zuiderdam at the end of March? I've read wonderful reviews on your Panama talks, and we are really looking forward to the trip.

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  • 5 months later...

WOW, I just happened upon this thread. Just returned last week, did not take a tour. Just got off the ship for a little while at the port. Was suprised to find an armed guard (shotgun) at the entrance to the grocery store. My Mom overheard some passengers talking about being on a tour and being stopped by the police; and everyone had to give $5.00 to cotinue on the tour.

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dpm321, Hey, great! Look forward to meeting you. You can give the speech about being "street smart" and leaving all your Rolexes and diamond tennis bracelets in your safe on board the ship! Regards, Richard

 

Richard, i hate to ask, but in light of this thread, have you hard of my friend mario tours? I was going to do a private tour with them for just 2 of us. Is that safe? We were going into Panama City to see old panama and new panama for 6 hours or so. Is this safe? should i just stick to a cruise excursion rather than private?

 

I really appreciate your help on this, this info has made me second guess taking a private tour.

 

Thanks again.

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I don't think is a problem of which tour operator to choose, is a problem that this area is dangerous to do with anyone. I would just book through the cruise line.

 

Wis

 

And that makes it safer how?

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Richard, i hate to ask, but in light of this thread, have you hard of my friend mario tours? I was going to do a private tour with them for just 2 of us. Is that safe? We were going into Panama City to see old panama and new panama for 6 hours or so. Is this safe? should i just stick to a cruise excursion rather than private?

 

I really appreciate your help on this, this info has made me second guess taking a private tour.

 

Thanks again.

 

I'm looking into booking a tour with myfriendmario as well. I've heard a lot of good things about him on these boards but now I'm nervous because the tour I want to take (locks tour and beach break) only has three other people on it and I'm not sure that's such a wise decision? :confused:

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Richard, i hate to ask, but in light of this thread, have you hard of my friend mario tours?

 

First, note that this is rather "old news" . . . an old post which someone, for whatever reason, has resurrected.

 

Second, note that Panama is a country of 3 million people . . . most of them are wonderful, but a few crooks thrown in just like your home town I suspect. For everyone's information, since this episode the National Police has been putting officers on many of the tours, including the ones in the area where this took place, but other ones as well. The cops that sometimes escort buses back to the ship have nothing to do with security, but are just getting the buses through traffic so the ship will not be delayed in sailing.

 

Third, I know absolutely nothing about "Mario" other than what I read on CC blogs . . . and he does get a lot of press here. So I have no basis to comment good or bad. I do know the operators that most of the cruise lines use in Panama. They do a good job, are carefully monitored by the cruise lines, must carry adequate insurance, etc., etc. Maybe you can save a few bucks with an independent operator, maybe not. The itinerary I was on for four months disembarked folks in Gatun Lake where the Canal Authority, not the cruise lines, for security reasons does not allow independents to disembark. We'd get in Colon 3-4PM, really too late for any independent trips. I would note in Costa Rica, where it was often pouring cats and dogs, the independents would have to walk through the rain to the end of the pier and often wait, scouring around for their independent tour operators, whereas the folks from the ship on ship tours could step out and get on the buses. It's a vacation: you want as little hassle as possible. I could never understand folks who went to all the trouble, and risk, of booking independent tours in advance to save a few bucks. There are some places - Portofino for example, where you can just go to a sidewalk cafe and spend $40 for a cup of coffee and soak up the ambience - where I say, why book a ship tour? But in general the ship tours are going to be the most efficient, cost/time effective way to see the most, be safe, enjoy a predictable experience, and be back to the ship on time.

 

Just my thoughts on the subject.

 

Regards, Richard

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Richard, thanks for your opinion. I think I will book directly with the cruise rather than private. However as a side note, I dont book private tours to save any money, usually it is more expensive for me, I do it to set my own schedule and stay at each site as long as I like, rather than follow a pre-set schedule.

 

Thanks again.

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