Just the canal trip and nothing else - don't want bundling

[shamrockace]

My DH has a disability and long tours are too much. We are interested in the canal boat trip but want nothing else. Everyone wants to bundle with the banana plantation and shopping. Does anyone know of a tour that includes ONLY the canal?

[Loonbeam]

I will assume you are not on a cruise ship making the transit (or not on a cruise ship at all?) Which side will you be on?

 

My DH has a disability and long tours are too much. We are interested in the canal boat trip but want nothing else. Everyone wants to bundle with the banana plantation and shopping. Does anyone know of a tour that includes ONLY the canal?

[shamrockace]

Actually, we will be on a cruise ship. I need to clarify, we are interested in the Tortuguero Canal trip only. All the tour guides want to include with the banana plantation and shopping along with a fruit stand. We only want the Torguguero Canal trip.

[Loonbeam]

Got it. You should post in Costa Rica. I remember a thread about that quite recently. --

 

Okay, either I thought I was in the wrong forum or this was moved :)

 

That said, here's the thread:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1638347

 

Unfortunately, based on more current feedback, I can't recommend JJ right now, but I would still email around.

 

Unfortunately, the canal tour only lasts about an hour to 90 minutes max, there's no profit in a tour provider just offering that, and I didn't see any open to the public facilities that did it.

 

 

 

Actually, we will be on a cruise ship. I need to clarify, we are interested in the Tortuguero Canal trip only. All the tour guides want to include with the banana plantation and shopping along with a fruit stand. We only want the Torguguero Canal trip.

[tarheelmjfan]

Got it. You should post in Costa Rica. I remember a thread about that quite recently. --

 

Okay, either I thought I was in the wrong forum or this was moved :)

 

That said, here's the thread:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1638347

 

Unfortunately, based on more current feedback, I can't recommend JJ right now, but I would still email around.

 

Unfortunately, the canal tour only lasts about an hour to 90 minutes max, there's no profit in a tour provider just offering that, and I didn't see any open to the public facilities that did it.

 

You linked to my thread. :D We are on the cruise with shamrockarse & neither of us can find a tour that works for our situation. My DH & I would be happy to join them in a tour, if we could find someone willing to skip the plantation & shopping.

[Loonbeam]

I checked around but I couldn't find anything either. The problem as I noted seems to be that just the canal tour is not really profitable for the tour guides since its just an hour or so and a van ride, and then they are done for the whole day since everyone else is already out most likely.

 

Unless you can find a public boat operator who will set up the trip and take a cab there, I can't really see a way to do this.

 

 

You linked to my thread. :D We are on the cruise with shamrockarse & neither of us can find a tour that works for our situation. My DH & I would be happy to join them in a tour, if we could find someone willing to skip the plantation & shopping.

[pilotdane]

Unfortunately it is common for a good portion of a tour operators income to come from "kick backs" for the places they visit. Attraction and entrance fees are held gringo high then the operators get a amount back for the people they bring. Why does your bus stop at this touristy shopping place or why are you stopping for lunch at this restaurant?

 

Hiring a private car & driver for the day might be your best bet. For the best price I don't think it's the kind of thing you can arrange before hand over the Internet. You might just have to walk off the ship and negotiate a price with a driver for where you want to go. Many attractions are not set up to sell tickets directly to the consumer (you) since the culture to go through a tour guide is so well entrenched but it can be done. They may have all their boats contracted to the cruise line or other operators so don't assume you are assured of getting on a boat when a big cruise tour bus pulls up but... things can be made to happen. Rules are often flexible if you are as well.

[Christine Frances]

We have done this tour (private) and the banana plantation is on the way to the canal, maybe a 20 min stop. There is nothing to purchase, nothing being sold but it is very interesting to see the huge bunches of banana's coming in on overhead tracks from the plantation and going out of the other end of the open-aired building in boxes with the little stickers on each one:D I am sure if you ask the driver will park the van so that your DH can see everything from the comfort of his seat. There is a little restaurant at the start the canal tour and maybe some handicrafts and fruit but definitely nothing that I found intrusive or hard sell. Most of the time of the tour is taken up by just getting there. We stopped twice on the way so we could get pictures of monkeys in the trees beside the road.