Caution about Puerto Quetzal Ship Tour

[Hawaiian Mongoose]

We took the CEL tour to Guatemala Highland, Panajachel and Lake Atitlan (GQ14) in Puerto Quetzal,Guatemala on the November 7 Infinity cruise.

 

The bus ride was long but enjoyable. The lunch in Panajachel was excellent.

 

The boat portion of the tour was another story altogether. The dock was a floating contraption in many pieces and bounced worse than any tender landing we have ever seen. Several passengers nearly ended up in the shallows before getting on the boat. The boat was decrepit, with broken windows and missing guardrails throughout. It would not start so they brought in another battery and it still would not start. So they took the battery out of the tour bus!!. It started and we puttered across the lake and back. We and many of our fellow passengers, were anywhere from apprehensive to frightened the whole ride. At the end, the battery was reinstalled in the tour bus. Because of the 45 minutes of delay we were late heading down from the highlands. So we got caught in a tropical storm that had water, trees and rocks flowing down the hill sides and roads. No incidents thanks to the driver, but still more adventure than we would have preferred.

I gave a verbal report to the Infinity tour desk and waited 36 hours for a reply. When I didn't receive any reply I submitted a detailed written comment. I got a call from the director of marketing and a letter from the hotel director. They said they would not run the tour until the situation was fixed. However we were B2B on the next cruise on the Infinity and the tour was still offered.

 

Thus this cautionary tale to my fellow CCers. :(

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Do you have any info on other tours? Did you feel safe @ this port?

[Keith1010]

Thanks for sharing your experience.

 

Keith

[PCWalton1]

Do you have any info on other tours? Did you feel safe @ this port?

 

Nov 21 we took the Self Guided Antigua tour through the ship (Legend of the Seas). We were taken up into the mountains to Antigua where we were dropped at the Jade Museum. They gave a couple minute orientation and pointed out there were certified guides you could use for $10 per person that could take you on a walking highlight tour of Antigua. Four of us opted for that and enjoyed it as the guide gave some commentary on what we were seeing.

 

We did see others that were on their own and they seemed to be enjoying themselves too.

 

We were there about 4-5 hours then boarded the buses for the trip back. About 1 1/2 to 1 3/4 hours each way but very comfortable buses.

 

Felt extremely safe walking around Antigua, now and then vendors attempted to sell you things but they walked away quickly. Was one of the highlights of our cruise. :)

[OCruisers]

We took the CEL tour to Guatemala Highland, Panajachel and Lake Atitlan (GQ14) in Puerto Quetzal,Guatemala on the November 7 Infinity cruise.

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Thanks for the warning on this excursion.

Glad you still had a good time for the most part ... but does seem it is one that is best avoided.

 

Like you, we enjoyed Puerto Quetzal as a port stop ... just glad we weren't on your excursion. :)

 

LuLu

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Edited December 13, 2013 by OCruisers

[Hawaiian Mongoose]

Do you have any info on other tours? Did you feel safe @ this port?

 

Short answer, "yes". It is a safe port.

 

The immediate port area at the end of the passenger ramp has a "cruise" area with vendors etc. While the rest of the area accessible to cruisers is a marina and restaurant. The cruise port is adjacent to the commercial port. You would have to take a cab to get to the nearest town.

 

Everyone we have encountered in Guatemala has been very friendly. Excepting the boat ride we always felt comfortable.

 

A number of passengers on our cruise took a ship tour, "Antigua on your own". The down side is that Antigua and most sites in country are 2 to 2 1/2 hours in a bus from the cruise port.

 

Beyond the port area, the vendors are very, very aggressive. They do not seem to understand no in English or Spanish. :). A fellow passenger likened them to vendors in Tunisia.