Puntarenas (Puerto Caldera) Luxury Cruises Reviews

I am leaving this review to help people who have maybe looked at Windstar, but are unsure or unable to find much information outside of their website. I had been looking for months for a special trip for us, and I did as much research as i could before choosing Windstar. My boyfriend and I chose this cruise for a special anniversary trip. And my goodness, it was the best trip we have ever taken! ...

This was our 14th cruise, the second on Ponant, and we sought it out because we are tired of the large ship cruises. Ponant offers expeditionary experiences, rather than the traditional "rest, relax and party" cruise, so we approached our time with that expectation. We were incredibly impressed. The ship is graceful, beautiful and very comfortable. Appointments are sophisticated and of the ...

We are on this cruise now via a Tauck trip. Our room is spilled with sewer gas. We finally figured out that if we run the shower constantly over 24 hours, at a low rate, it keeps the trap from allowing sewer gas into the room. The concentration of sewer gas was really bad, only 2ppm can cause bronchial construction in people with asthma, 10-50ppm you get headaches. Higher concentrations you get ...

We were tired of staying home and have always loved Windstar. Although we were somewhat put off by the COVID restrictions imposed by CDC and other governmental authorities, foreign and domestic, on the cruise lines, we decided to give it a try. It was probably the best cruise we have ever taken (and that is a lot of cruises). We boarded after a mandatory COVID test and stayed in our cabin until ...

Ditto other reviews: delicious food, few onboard activities, personalized service, beautiful sail-away events, phenomenal cabin storage, nice L'Occitan toiletries, great shower with 2 heads, great spa with massages, & best of all--fantastic talks by naturalist. But the ship seems tired--1 of 2 generators that power propeller went out, so kitchen was an hour late in preparing dinner the first ...

I was totally excited to be going on this trip with Ponant to Costa Rica. Afterall great destination, French wine and french food... what is there not to like. Well was I sorely disappointed. The wine was mediocre and limited variety. At dinner many nights there was only one red or one white. The food was good not great(except for the special nights) and some of the meals were downright poor. I ...

Hubby & I chose the cruise because we wanted a short cruise that included a Panama Canal crossing. This cruise was an expedition cruise focusing on national parks in Costa Rica & Panama. Started in Puerto Caldera, Costa Rica and ended I. Panama City, including a Pacific to Atlantic crossing of the Panamá Canal. We’re not naturalists but thought it may be an interesting experience. This review is ...

Everyone has different likes and dislikes. I’m going to summarize what we look for in a cruise vacation which we felt Ponant came closest to an overall exceptional experience and why. My sister n husband ( late 50s very active non drinkers) and my husband (70) and myself(62) - both drinkers and not super active wanted a Xmas holiday experience together. We didn’t want to travel too far from USA ...

I chose this cruise because I have traveled with NG/Lindblad before and wanted to see Costa Rica with this group of naturalists etc. The timing was right for my daughter and I to travel together. we were looking forward to seeing the wildlife primarily. Unfortunately, the brochure which specifically promotes seeing sloths in the wild was a total misrepresentation. I was told by the naturalists ...

This is the first trip review that I have ever posted. I felt that it was necessary because of the extremely negative customer experience. First of all, I booked this cruise in February 2019. The cruises line claims that you get the best pricing when you book early. Not true. They discounted this cruise right after the final payment date by USD$1000 per couple. When we asked for a refund ...