Equinox - Ultimate Caribbean - How good for people with medical probs

[minsterman]

I'm asking this on behalf of my parents who are thinking of booking the Equinox Ultimate Caribbean Cruise for March 2013.

 

My dad has Parkinsons and has good and bad days which means they cant always do whatever they originally plan to do in ports. Sometimes they dont get off the ship until lunchtime and just have a wander around the local area, rather than doing a trip. Sometimes they plan on doing a trip but dont always make it and so have to just wander around where they are docked.

 

They are thinking doing the following ports next year:

 

George Town (Grand Cayman), Cartagena (Columbia), Puerto Limon (Costa Rica), Colon (Panama), Belize City and Cozumel (Mexico).

 

Are these ports suitable for wandering around locally or do you need to book trips?

 

Also asked on the ports forum.

 

Thanks

[backyardponder]

My personal opinions, having been on this cruise in 2011 (we didn't stop at Belize)...

 

Grand Cayman, very safe and easy to wander around. It is a tender port, so if getting on and off a tender is a problem, they may not be able to go into port.

 

Cartanega: A wonderful stop. They would need to take a taxi to the old city. I did notice that the lines to get back into the port were very, very long at the end of the day. We did a private tour with Claudia Vidal. It seemed the private tours were able to by-pass the normal entry gate and she drove straight in and dropped us off right next to the ship.

 

Puerto Limon, a port city without too much to see or do in port other than the vendors which were inside the port gates. We did go outside the port and walked around. It was very safe and folks quite friendly. Pretty typical of Costa Rica.

 

Colon: Not much there. There was a small shopping area inside the gate. The port is not considered safe to wander around outside the gate. Shore excursions are great, but can be quite long since most are focused on seeing the canal.

 

Belize: I was there about 10 years ago. At the time quite safe to wander around. It was a new port at the time, so I don't know how it's changed.

 

Cozumel: Very safe. Short cab ride to the downtown area. Lots of shopping at the port.

[Lsimon]

They are looking at the Western Caribbean 11 night itinerary and I'd suggest they switch to the eastern Caribbean 10 night version of that cruise. They switch between these two itineraries every other cruise. In general I think the ports on the Eastern side include more options a short taxi ride from the dock and/or some limited options right at the dock, than the ports on the Western Caribbean itinerary do.

 

In George Town you have to take a tender. Occasionally the seas are a little rough there making it difficult for those with slight mobility issues to get into and out of the city. Tenders dock right in downtown Grand Cayman so plenty of shops and restaurants withing walking distance once on land.

 

Cartagena is probably a good port with the old town area a cab ride away (don't recall if there was shuttle service there).

 

Puerto Limon - I could be wrong but I don't recall the area being all that nice to walk around near the port - Ok for excursions which mostly go to natural areas like the canals or rain forests.

 

Colon - Very limited shopping, and not too interesting, right at the port. Area outside of the port gates does not look tourist friendly. You can take a cab to see the locks but I'm not sure of the cost of a private cab, as opposed to an excursion, as they are not real close.

 

Cozumel - Interesting downtown area a short cab ride away and a few limited shops and restaurants right at the port.

 

On the Eastern Caribbean trip there are nice downtown areas, or shopping, a short cab ride away at most of the ports as well as better sightseeing from the back of a cab. And if they aren't even up to that there are decent shops right at the port at 3 or 4 of the usual ports on this itinerary. Only exception is Dominica where there the town area by the port isn't that great for walking around and the shops near the ship are very limited.