cruisintwinsmom

I am looking for a not so crowded part of the beach that rents chairs and umbrellas. Does near the Klimpton fit that? I like Cemetary but no chairs. Thanks for any help.

On 2/1/2024 at 8:03 AM, bookbabe said:

Technically, yes, I guess it's possible.. Routes run around both ends of the island as well as in town.
 

It would be pricey, at $2.50pp a leg.  There's no day passes or anything like that as buses are independently run.
 

Practically, I personally wouldn't try it when visiting by cruise ship.  Especially in the further reaches, buses can be infrequent and sometimes skip areas if they are full or don't have anyone to drop off at a certain stop. Not really supposed to, but they do.

 

Your better bet is to rent a car and DIY an island tour that way, so you have control of your route and return timing.

Thank you, Bookbabe.  I was afraid that would be the case. Appreciate all your knowledge on this forum.

Is it possible to take the bus around the island and do a "hop-off, hop-on" type of exploration? We will be visiting on a Wednesday in February.

Thanks in Advance.

2 hours ago, lynncarol said:

I saw a lot of people right down the beach on very similar chairs, so I am assuming you can rent but don't know how much it costs.

Thank you for the prompt response!

On 1/28/2024 at 2:32 PM, lynncarol said:

Following the advice of a previous poster, we took the bus to Eagle Beach but got off on the very next stop AFTER Eagle Beach.  Much less crowded, has shade and really cool blow-holes.  We didn't rent any chairs or umbrellas, so can't comment on that, but brought our own water and spread out our towels beneath one of the unique Fofoti trees that line the shoreline.  Total cost of us was $10.20 for roundtrip bus for both my husband and myself. There was no charge to get on the beach.

Thanks for the info. Are chairs available to rent?

Thank you for the information. What is the name of his company?

7 hours ago, Happyface60 said:

In Puerto Limón, there are several tour operators, which offer various tours. On my trip I chose Your Lucky Tour, excellent tour

Thank you for your recommendation!!

16 hours ago, elbodans said:

You can walk out of the port. There's a very small town park and a local shopping area. Beyond that it's a road leading out of town past some grocery stores and schools--your typical suburban strip mall sprawl,....

Thank you so much for your response!

On 12/27/2022 at 6:34 AM, Mary229 said:

Yes you can. Take it to the front desk and apply it to your account 

Thank you, Mary229!

Thanks. Good to know. It worked out okay, but I probably would not have bothered with the gift cards. 

Can I use any left over amount once onboard?

2 hours ago, Mary229 said:

Yes, you can’t combine credit card and gift cards in a single shore excursions transaction.  It takes a little algebra to figure out how to optimize your purchase.  One thing to note is you can buy a HAL gift card direct from HAL for any whole increment.   So let’s say you need only $3 you can go to the HAL website and buy that $3 gift card. 

I did not know that when purchasing excursions online before the cruise, you cannot combine gift cards from aarp with credit cards to make the purchase.   It caught me by surprise because I paid for the cruise with gift cards from the HA website and credit card combined.  Not sure if it made a difference due to  the gc's where from two different vendors or if the difference was in the excursions and payment for the cruise.

Y'all are great about providing information and it was probably on here somewhere, but I didn't see it. It wasn't something I thought to research before purchasing the aarp gc. Sorry if I have duplicated info.

Wishing you all smooth sailings!

On my many cruises, I have usually explored on my own or hired a private guide. I'm having trouble finding info on exploring Puerto Limon on my own. I see many suggested private tours. Are they the only way to see the area?

Thanks in advance.

thank you for all your responses. When I first posted I was not able to get onto HA's website. I found this answer under the faq's - "Fully vaccinated means that a guest received all the doses in an authorized or approved primary COVID-19 vaccine series at least 14 days prior to embarkation. Up to date means that a guest is fully vaccinated, and received at least 1 booster dose, if eligible before embarkation. Guests are considered “up to date” from the date of receiving their booster dose."

I imagine this definition would apply to both 2022 and 2023. 

Reading my notice closer,  it doesn't say your have to be "up to date" just "fully vaccinated".

Appreciate you all taking the time to respond.

1 minute ago, Crazy For Cats said:

Our experience is the first two doses or the single J&J shots.  No booster required. 

Thank you. I have been boosted, but my partner has not. He wasn't sure if he needed to get tested. 

Thank you, Julia!

If you have cruised to Columbia on HA, what is considered "fully vaccinated"? I have researched  and am still unsure if it means first 2 shots + 1 booster or do you need 2 boosters. What was your experience? TIA

I emailed mine yesterday and got a response within an hour applying the credit. In a separate email, I got an updated statement showing the obc had been applied to my account. 

1 hour ago, rkacruiser said:

 

I have done both and agree with this gentleman ....Whatever you decide, it's a pleasant, and fun, decision!  The Eurodam is a lovely ship as well.  

Thanks! Will check out the book.

8 hours ago, Turtles06 said:

I can only speak for myself, but I would not stay on the ship....
 

2 hours ago, BillB48 said:

While staying on the ship is not a waste of your time, it is a repeat of what you saw that morning.  You will have seen about 8 miles of a Canal, twice!😁.  If at all possible, a shore excursion at this stop is a good move....

 

Thank you both for your prompt responses! Your insights are much appreciated. I'll have check out the locks options.

Smooth sailing!

We are having some difficulty deciding on an excursion for Gatun Lake.  

1. Is it worth taking a cruise through the portion that goes to the Pacific? This would be similar to a complete canal cruise?

2. What about a walking tour through Panama City (Old and New)? To see something more than just the canal? Is it safe?

3. Just stay on the ship?

I realize that part of it is what we would enjoy more, but I would hate to go all that way for what might be a once-in-a-lifetime trip and miss something that would make it a more well-rounded experience. 

Thanks in advance for your help!

2 hours ago, LadyBerard said:

I emailed them and received a confirmation for reservations for us.  They knew I was from the US.

Thanks! Enjoy! Please let me know how it goes. 

3 hours ago, friendswithdave said:

Reviewing the link shows the deal is for Curacao residents only.

Yes, I noticed that also.

On 7/12/2022 at 6:10 AM, LadyBerard said:

We are scheduled to go to Curacao during our Summit repo cruise in Oct.  Unfortunately, Celebrity canceled the excursion which we had purchased.  So we are considering doing a day pass to Avila Beach Resort.  Cost is approximately $10 pp and includes use of two beaches, chairs, and pool.  Can't find any reviews for the day pass, but reviews for people staying there are excellent.  It is approximately a 25 min. walk from the pier and located between the pier and Mambo Beach.  My only concern would be that we would not walk it, but would want to take a taxi.  I'm just wondering if taxis would be readily available to take us back to the pier when we are ready to leave.  If you've gone here, could you please tell us your experience.  Thank you.

 

Suzanne

On 7/20/2022 at 6:56 AM, pamkev said:

We are are the same cruise as you and have been looking at this resort the reviews on TA about the day pass have been good and they stated plenty of taxis maybe we will see you there.

Did either of you use the day pass for the Avila? If so, did you enjoy it and how was transportation to and from? TIA

1 hour ago, tamsno said:

Yes.  Excursion certificate transferred automatically. ....

Tamsno, thanks so much!!!