La Fantastica Cartagena Pirate Ship - Cartagena Sunset Skyline Bay Tours - Rosario Islands Day trips — Attraction in undefined

We, two adults and two children, went on the Pirate Ship Tour to the fort and beach on Isla Boca Chica. We had a good time and are glad we did it.

What was good about the trip was a smooth ride compared to the speed boat tours. The theme of a pirate boat was great for the kids. It was almost like a private tour as there were only a small number of us on the boat, our family of four and another family with one child, as well as the crew. The drinks were plentiful and they did not hold back on the rum. The fort was impressive and German was a lively guide. He was happy to answer questions we had. Both German and Jefferson made sure we got some pictures in front of the fort. Lunch was very good and it was nice to see fresh fish being prepared for us. The kids enjoyed swimming on the beach.

What could have been better was if at least one of the guides on the boat and at the fort spoke English. Several of us spoke Spanish so we could translate for the others, but we were expecting there would be some history of the boat and area or pirate story shared with us and the kids while we were on the boat. The crew did not interact with us other than to bring drinks. Also, many of the photos and videos online show some pirate garb being worn and guests at the helm. We thought maybe the kids could pretend to steer the boat or get a tour of down below. We also thought there might actually be sails, but it looked like there was just one and the ropes attached looked in bad repair so I don't think they really use the sails. We all had to move seats on the boat and sit together in a small space because there was black smoke coming up from one side toward the rear. On the way back, it took some time for the crew to get the boat started. There was some issue with the battery. These things happen and we waited patiently, so it was not a big deal but in short, the boat may need to be better maintained.

We very much enjoyed lunch and the beach. Some things that would make it better would be if there were not so many plastic bags in the water. I know this is common around the world and I have seen it on other Latin American beaches, but it is sad. Also, it was unclear whether a drink was included with our lunch. We were offered water, soda, or beer. Our group of 7 had 4 waters and three beers. We did not get a bill for those at the restaurant. When we got back to the boat, the other family gave a tip to the guides and we offered Jefferson a small tip, though German was the better guide, but Jefferson happened to be the one standing there. Jefferson then said we needed to pay 55,000 COP for the drinks. I don't mind paying for things that are not included, but it was unclear if a drink came with lunch, water at least. It just felt a bit like a shake down since we did not get a bill at the restaurant and were asked only as we were boarding the boat to leave. It just left a bad taste in my mouth. It was also unclear if the restaurant would really get that money or if it would just go to the guide. Maybe the guides could explain how this works in advance, so it is not a surprise. Though we were not in the market for handicrafts, we did buy several bracelets and necklaces from the other guys there to sort of help support the local economy and we did leave a tip for the crew at the end. This tour was one of the pricier tours we looked into and we were willing to pay it for the smooth ride and the pirate theme for the kids, but it lacked a little in terms of quality guiding, professionalism, and pirate flare for the kids. I've seen other great reviews in which it sounds like people got that flare so I'm not sure what happened this time.

In the end, we enjoyed ourselves and the kids have good memories of swimming at the beach and meeting a friend on the boat. I think La Fantastica has the potential to be...

I booked the tour of the Bocachica fort expecting a history lesson with a fun twist and didn't end up getting much of either. We had one crew member that spoke some English, but didn't seem to know anything about pirate-related history, though he did his best to point out landmarks we passed by on the way to the fort. When I booked, I was asked to tell them in advance if I didn't want fish for lunch, so I emailed them right away to let them know in both Spanish and English (I do speak a bit of Spanish, enough to get by when traveling) that my husband and I are vegan and don't eat fish, but no one on board was aware of this when we got on and we struggled to communicate about lunch. It turned out we were the only two people on the tour that day and it seemed nice of them to take the whole boat out with just the two of us, though it did feel pretty silly. No sails were raised and no one explained anything about the sails, we just chugged along with a slow motor.

When we got to the fort, two local guys met our boat and were introduced as guides, but I guess they didn't speak any English and went and got someone who did. A third guy showed up and we all walked up to the fort with the three of them arguing loudly - I didn't catch anything they were saying but as the tour went on, we worked out that the first two guys wanted money for going to get the third guy and they hovered around the whole time. The fort itself was pretty cool and the guide had some interesting things to share, but it was all very rushed and at one point we were ushered toward a group of people trying to sell us various unrelated trinkets.

The beach at Bocachica was covered in trash and dog feces and populated by a pack of miserable-looking feral dogs, children who amused themselves by throwing said trash into the water, and more people trying to sell us stuff. We sat around drinking pirate punch because there was nothing else to do and getting hungrier and hungrier. Finally I checked in with our crew member about whether or not we were going to have anything to eat for lunch, and at length we did get some tasty patacones, rice, and salad. We finished eating and asked to leave.

We ended up having to tip the "guide" and the people who cooked lunch and I don't begrudge this extra money because all of these people were obviously struggling to eke out a living on whatever they could glean from tourists, but it's not what I was led to expect based on the tour description. It sounds like other folks have had much better experiences with this company, but unfortunately this was a real disappointment for us and I...

This is NOT the large pirate ship you see in the port. That is a different company. This is a little one. It was our own fault for not doing more research when we booked online, but we did feel deceived.

We enjoyed ourselves talking to another couple we met on the boat, but if not for them, this tour would have been boring. The crew did their best with English and kept the drinks (strong) coming, but they had very little interaction with the passengers other than that. I do feel like the boat crew all did their jobs very well however, they just seemed under staffed. There was 1 guy driving, one guy making drinks, and one guy taking drink orders. In my opinion they needed one more person who could deliver the promise of the tour that was left out of our trip - information about what we were seeing around us, historical pirate info, and, in general, someone to just interact with the passengers. There was no cannonball show or costumes as listed in the tour details, but everyone on the crew was busy. They need another crew member!

Ultimately it was just boat ride around the port with alcohol. Views are lack luster from the perspective of a New Yorker, who sees the New York City skyline all the time. If seeing Bocagrande skyscrapers from the water seems beautiful to you, then this trip would be worth it. For us, it was...