Ports u love and ones to avoid.

[JoAnn&Mike]

Originally Posted by paluni

What is HMC? I racked my brain but couldn't think what it meant. I assume it is a Caribbean port.
As far as a favorite port, Venice! Wonderful. See the quiet island of Torcello there if you can. As far as a bad port, I would say the one in American Samoa. Yes, it's safe, but the island was very, very littered. Some very neglected dogs here and there. We took a tour with Alofa tours from the pier, and the young man guide was virtually silent the whole drive! Part of the time there was a rugby game playing on the van TV, which interested him. The worst strangest tour I have ever been on.

HMC is Half Moon Cay...Carnival's Private Island. That island is probably my most favorite island so far!! The beach there is absolutely stunning and the water is so so clear and the sand is so white!! I love renting a cabana when we go. Everything is provided for you....snorkel gear, snacks, soft drinks, water, fruit.... padded loungers.... a fresh water shower to rinse off in. It's just perfect!!!!

I loved Grand Cayman and swimming with the sting rays!!! That was awesome!!! St Thomas - Magen's Bay is stunning!!!!

We're getting ready to go to Grand Turk. I've never been there before. Anyone have any suggestions as far as what to do there?

[River4]

My wife and I have only been on one cruise, and only been out of the country this one time (if Canada doesn't count). We did the Western Caribbean cruise with stops in Cozumel, Belize City, Roatan, and Grand Cayman. We enjoyed all of them, but didn't see much of Cozumel itself as we went to see the Ruins in Tulum.

Belize I could see how people might not like the city the port is in . . . The capital is very poor, and the tender port is something like four blocks long and one block deep with guards armed with semiautomatic machine guns at the gate. People that just go to the port and shop at the same t-shirt stands or jewelry store that they have at all of the other cruise ship ports probably won't enjoy this one. However, we booked an independent cave tubing tour and had a pretty good time. We stepped out of the gate and got right on a bus, they drove us through the city showing us the sites, then a forty five minute drive out of town. Then we stopped back at their thatch roofed hut and had a nice tamale lunch made in banana leaves instead of corn leaves. It wasn't a bad time, although not everyone had a good time. This also would have been a great port to go snorkling from, but again, you have to get on a boat and leave the port area.

We LOVED roatan, and would vacation there without a cruise (although it will probably be overrun with people just like us that fell in love with it on their cruises). We did a private zip lining tour with over two miles of zip lines, followed by a couple hour beach stop.

We enjoyed Grand Cayman, but it was a little bit expensive. Ate lunch there, and shared a sandwich (Fried Grouper) and appetizers (Conch Fritters) and I think had a glass of water and it was $40. But the ocean and beach were beautiful, we didn't do any excursions here (luckily there were no armed guards so we felt safer to roam around).

[Mikey22]

1. Mystery Island, Vanuatu
2. Lifou, Loyalty Islands
3. Isle of Pines, New Caledonia
4. Dunedin, New Zealand
5. Sydney, Australia
In no particular order

Not a Port but scenic Cruising would have to go to Milford Sound in New Zealand's Fiord land.
Breathtaking scenery in a largely untouched part of the World.

[Sharon I]

Our favorite would be Antigua our worst would have to be St Croix

[Fydlstyx]

Originally Posted by mikel24m

I have been to Ocho Rios 3 or 4 times and loved it every time.Pushy vendors are everywhere in the world and because someone is trying to make a living it does not make an entire country or port of call a "dump".

Like I said, my post was MY opinion. Can you please point out to me exactly where you see me saying the entire country or port was a "dump"?

Pushy vendors are NOT everywhere in the world, by the way.

[mikel24m]

Originally Posted by Fydlstyx

Like I said, my post was MY opinion. Can you please point out to me exactly where you see me saying the entire country or port was a "dump"?

Pushy vendors are NOT everywhere in the world, by the way.

Never said you called it a dump ,maybe you should read post #9 the poster you agreed with