Costa Rica Shore Excursions

[blanca2]

We need some suggestions on which shore excursions to take. Since we will only be there for ne day, we want to make the most of it. I have heard of so many beautiful places to see, it's hard to make a decision just based on the description Celebrity gives you.

 

We are considering one of these: 1. Manuel Antonio Park ( but it's a 2 1/4

ride each way to get there)

2. Tabacon Hot Springs and Arenal Volcano

( also a long drive to get there)

 

3. Ultimate Costa Rica Expeirence (includes nature,

traditions, history entertainment and coffee

plantation

These are all offered by the ship, if you have experience with any of these please , would love to hear from you. Moderate walking is ok for us.

[wrp96]

I did the Tabacon Hot Springs and Mount Arenal excursion and thoroughly enjoyed it. The drive there and back was beautiful (but very long drive, just be warned). We saw banana plantations and other beautiful sights, plus much more of the Costa Rican countryside than anyone else on the ship. Plus once we got to the resort we had the opportunity to relax in the wonderful hot springs. And you truly could find your own private pool. The food provided at the resort was very good (a buffet lunch is provided with the excursion) and there is a small gift shop there to buy things like coffee and souvenirs. We were very lucky and Mount Arenal came into full view just as we were leaving, so our guide stopped the bus so we could all see. It something like less than 15% of visitors get a full view of the Mountain.

[deb18]

Hi. Which ship will you be on? I will be on the Infinity in Nov. We booked with Charlie Soto for Villas Lapas. I did speak with a gentleman who lives in CR and he highly recommended going to Manuel Antonio Park, but because of the long ride I am going with our cc group with Charlie Soto. Also my first time there.

[edste]

We also did the Tabacon Hot springs and Volcano. The volcano was active at the time and the Hot Springs was worth the long, long ride. We stopped for a few minutes going and coming to break up the trip a little. We didn't get back to the ship until 6:30 and there was some traffic on the highway so I would hesitate to take an independent tour. enjoy your cruise - I did.

[wrp96]

We didn't get back to the ship until 6:30 and there was some traffic on the highway so I would hesitate to take an independent tour. enjoy your cruise - I did.

 

Oh yeah I forgot to mention that. Because we stopped to watch the volcano and it started to rain on the way back we didn't get back to the ship until 7:30 - they had to hold the ship for us.

[du2cruise]

I posted this on a different forum (HAL) but didn't get any feedback - perhaps the wrong choice of forum.

Has anyone done, or heard others comment on, either of the aerial tram excursions listed here.

http://www.hollandamerica.com/dest/port.do?portCode=PU3&dest=T

(Pacific Aerial Tram, or Tropical Forest Aerial Tram). I would also be interested in knowing what the difference between the 2 is, since the descriptions given are almost identical but activity level and price are different. To me they sound pretty interesting, but would really like to hear the opinion (even second hand:) ) of someone who has done the tour.

Any information would be much appreciated.

[LuAnn]

We went with Charlie this past spring...and it was great..it was fun since we were in a van with only 4 other passengers...saw "sloths" (don't even go there!), a baby monkey, banana farm and the "inland waterways" with monkeys in the trees etc. Please let me know if you have any questions? LuAnn

[lyndaedris]

Hi Luann,

I just read your posting regarding Costa Rica We will be doing the Panama Canal starting out of San Juan on Nov. 25 on Celebrity.

 

Was this a private tour you took with Charlie Soto. It sounds like you had a good time.

 

Could you email me his web site or email address. How much was it for all of you in his van. I imagine he charged per person.

 

Thank you Luann. I appreciate it. We are leaving Tuesday for 6 weeks and I wanted to get this out of the way before I left. I went on strike here at home. This is the only tour I am even looking into!!!!!

 

I just coordinated 4 weeks in Europe and then the 18 day transatlantic back from Venice. I am just a weeeeeeeeee bit stressed out!!!!

 

Thanks again!

Lynda

[LuAnn]

I know what you mean about getting a little stressed with all the planning for these great adventures!...when we go, Kenneth my DH, always says I can't believe you have all this organized!...like we have just sat around and the "travel fairy" did it all !! :) Anyway, I did book Charlie on my own, I had heard about him from the CC boards...it was a full day..(also we went shopping for coffee and he took the time (at my request and with the thoughtfulness of our fellow passengers) to stop at a church so I could light candles for my parents...NOT on the "schedule"..) Charlie was very aware of the ship schedule and we were back in plenty of time..he is a very sincere, delightful person! Hope you go and enjoy! His website is okeydokeytours.com....if you go .please tell him Hi for me! LuAnn ..don't remember how much the tour cost but it was the same or less than the "massive" bus tour offered by the ship!!!!

[lyndaedris]

Thank you LuAnn!!!

 

I am emailing him right after I finish this. I will surely tell him hello from you as well.

 

Thanks for his website as well.

 

And, you are so right, the "travel fairy" does it all!@#$%^:eek: This is me right now!

 

Lynda

[lyndaedris]

This is what I got back for you from Charlie.

 

thanks a lot to LuAnn, too, (This was in the first sentence)

 

 

thanks again , blessings for you LuAnn and your family to (this in the last)

 

Lynda

[me@sea]

Any opinions on the Sloth Adventure tour that Princess offers? I am interested in the hot springs but don't see that tour offered. I figure I can at least outrun a sloth after a week on a cruise ship (maybe) :D

[LuAnn]

Don't know about the Princess tour...but I do have a VERY strong opinion about sloths! I am a MAJOR animal lover, and have NEVER met an animal I didn't like....until the sloths! I don't know what it is about the way their faces look but..it's like ET gone WRONG! I'm sure they are wonderful animals and they are UNIQUE...I think, if I remember correctly, the hot springs are along way for a day journey..please see my previous post to Lynda re tours with Charlie Soto (which we took but not to the hot springs) ...I THINK he might offer the hot springs!!! Have a wonderful time...and watch out for those sloths!!!! :) LuAnn

[mytime53]

Both are wonderful places. I've spent 3 days at each. Totally different ecosystems. You'll probably see more monkeys at M.A.--3 kinds: howlers, spiders, white-faced. Howlers at Tabacon, and more types of birds, including toucans. Beautiful beaches at M.A., beautiful hot springs at Tabacon. Both are looooong trips. Sloths possible at M.A. Coatimundi likely at Tabacon.

[macusr]

Will be on the Regal Princess in Feb 2007 and am looking for feedback on any of these four excursions:

Manuel Antonio National Park & Beach

Tropical Forest Skywalk & Pura Vida Gardens

Exclusive Rain Forest Tour to Bosque De Paz with Lunch

Jewels of the Monteverde Cloud Forest

[me@sea]

Any insight into the bike ride to a fishing village? Sounds like it would be less touristy.

 

Lisa

[kathy16]

Anyone have any suggestions on tours from Windstar itinerary- booked for Feb 3, 2007 cruise.

[FloatfromSF]

Will be on the Regal Princess in Feb 2007 and am looking for feedback on any of these four excursions:

Manuel Antonio National Park & Beach

Tropical Forest Skywalk & Pura Vida Gardens

Exclusive Rain Forest Tour to Bosque De Paz with Lunch

Jewels of the Monteverde Cloud Forest

 

We may be on the same cruise. Any info so far?

[macusr]

A coworker of mine did the Jewels of the Monteverde Cloud Forest tour in Oct. They really enjoyed it and said the skywalks are very impressive (and also very sturdy!). So, we decided to pick this tour. I didn't come across any other CC reviews of the other three tours.

 

So FloatfromSF if you are on the 2/9 Regal cruise, be sure to sign up on the roll call thread!

[teacherkim]

You really cannot go wrong with an excursion in Costa Rica. We spent a week there on a land vacation. Like Wrona we were one of the lucky few to see Arenal volcano and the hot springs are amazing. Any of the nature reserves you choose will have a huge variety of wildlife. The coolest thing we saw was a flock of about 30 scarlet macaws flying up and down the beach! Don't worry about a long drive the countryside is beautiful and the tour guides informed. I would advise a ships tour though, as mentioned above traffic can be an issue. This is mainly because of the one way bridges...there are quite a few and rather than taking turns (one car from one side then a car from the other and so on) the "side" that is going just keeps on until someone from the other side is brave enough to play chicken and then that side keeps going!!! Backs things up a bit. One tour guide we had said there are 3 types of bridges in CR-oh my God, no way Jose, and oh s#%t!

Enjoy the adventure!

[Mparis184]

We were on the Zenith last month..............

 

Have read that a lot of people are having concerns about being safe in Costa Rica after the recent problem a cruise tour had with muggers.

 

We hired a private tour guide in Puerto Limon and had a Cruise Critic group of 11 people from the boards. Eduardo Humphrey was our personal guide and he also had a driver- both of them never left our side. We stopped at the local supermarket on our way back to the ship and they even accompanied us into the market to make certain everything was OK!

 

If you want to feel safe with a local guide who gives an excellent tour give him a try , he was great and very inexpensive - we paid $45pp for the all day tour. We did a Canal boat tour of Tortuguero (tour boat has a covered top), went to the Del Monte banana plantation and also visited the National Park of Cahuita, with its white sand beaches. He has other tours available too, we selected what our group wanted to so. Check out the website....

 

http://www.costaricaindigenoustours.com.

 

Please contact me if you have any more questions that I can answer:

 

cruiztime@yahoo.com

 

Marion

[mrralga]

Someone asked about Charlie Soto's tours in Costa Rica

 

We had a very good experience with them. We did the Zip Line, banana plantation, jungle river, jungle flora and fauna, beach and coffee shopping tour. Our guide Carlos explained things and showed us things that you just won't get on the ship tour. We took a lot of pictures on this tour and had a delightful experience. Even after a well deserved tip, the cost is very reasonable. We felt totally safe and would take this tour again.

 

Rick and Gerri Lingsch

 

If anyone wants more details email me at rlingsch@eapps.com

 

Charlie's web site and email are:

 

http://www.okeydokeytours.com/

 

okeydokeytours@hotmail.com