Panama Canal

[stanberys2]

We're sailing the Island Princess 4/4-10 and I'm planning the island excurions.

I need to know about Limon, Costa Rica. I've looked all over and don't find anything about it specifically. What is there to do?

Thanks!

Stanberys2

[Shari2]

Hi stanberys2!

Welcome aboard!

We were tendered ashore in Puerto Caldera, I believe(it was supposed to be Puntarenas, so, I don't know how far away Limon is, but I think it's close to where we came ashore. On our cruise, my husband and BIL took the rain forest tour, and they thought it was great. There is a lot of walking on that one, and my SIL and I, were wimps and took a Sarchi shopping tour, but we got to see a lot of Costa Rica on the tour because it lasted for about 3 hours. The shopping was just at a local place where there were a lot of hand made things, which I like, and I really only wanted to see the country, anyway.

So, if you have any tours of the rain forest offered, or just any tours that will show you the countryside, they would both be nice. Costa Rica is a beautiful country. Some people went on a tour that went over the rain forest in an aerial tram of sorts.

I think you may be offered a white water rafting tour, also, and maybe a tour to San Jose, the capital. We were on Celebrity, so I'm not sure what Princess offers, but it may be some of the same.

Hope you have a great cruise!

[Dan]

Limon is on the Caribbean side ( I think Caldera is Pacific, not sure though).

You can see a list of tours Carnival offers in Limon, at http://www.carnival.com/ShoreTours/ShTours.asp and select Limon. Princess will more than likely offer the same type of tours.

It's a definite "take a tour" kind of place. We did a private tour, and thought we were going to be robbed or killed when our driver stopped at the side of a road where 4 guys were standing, and started talking to them in Spanish. That was the height of stupidity, and we'll never do that again. Limon is a working-class city, and there isn't too much going on there, except for a straw market at the pier, and some bars in the immediate vicinity. I'm a big guy who can take care of himself, and I didn't feel very good walking around once we got more than 2 blocks in from the pier.

[pschimke]

We will be getting on the island princess when you get off. We arranged a private tour guide by the name of oscar brown who will take us to a banana plantation, monkey canopy zipline at Almonds and Corals Lodge, see monkeys, sloths, etc I got hooked up with him through the message boards on ######, do't know if cruisecrazies likes us to reference other message boards, but I search the message boards looking for recommendations. good luck and have a great trip. Pat

[sailinglisa]

I was on the Island Princess this past fall and we stopped at Limon. I highly recommend a ship's tour in this port, unless you are absolutely positive that your private tour can guarantee your safety.

I did a tour that took me to a resort and we boarded shaded pontoon boats that took us out to a large river that enabled us to see lots of wildlife - birds, gators, etc. It was a 3 1/2 hour tour. I will say that the crew on board the Island Princess did tell me privately NOT to go off on my own in Limon.............that some crew had been robbed. And if the crew were robbed, what would they do to "rich" American passengers? We were told NOT to go beyond the pier at all on our own. Now, I realize that maybe some would say that they were just trying to back the cruise's ship sponsored excursions, but from what I heard on MY cruise, I would stick with a ship's excursion. jmho

[stanberys2]

THank you all - good information and suggestions. I think maybe we'll book a tour through the cruise line - better safe than sorry. We've cruised all over the world and always made it back to the ship in time (but sometimes it's been pretty close!) Limon doesn't sound like a port we'd want to be stuck in till we could get to the ship.

Thanks again.

Stanberys2 :smiley: