What port have you felt the most uneasy??

[JP4GA]

Progresso- lots of military trucks, armed men on the roofs of buildings and patrols posted along the roads with BIG guns. We felt safer after getting out of town on our tour bus and we really enjoyed our trip to the ruins. However, the second half of the trip was a beach break-- the beach was awful, the drinks and food were scary. Everyone on the tour voted to go back to the ship early.

 

Talking to others on the ship later that night we found that those who did not book ship sponsored excursions had a horrible time, and some were scammed by the locals and booked tours that did not exist.

 

Sometimes it is better to book through the ship.

[jacksmom09]

Jamaica!

[realmccoy]

Unfortunately, I will have to say the Mexican Riviera and expecially Mazatlan. Have cruised the MR many times as I am in SoCal, but won't do it again. Now our closest port is Seattle...so looks like we will be doing a lot of Alaskan cruises!

[Mel23]

It would be Jamaca - BUT it was ONLY in the security area! Once out of there and on our tour everything was just fine.

 

I agree; it was bad for me and FH inside the secured port area too. I don't ever plan to visit Jamaica gain.

[cruzlovr75]

Thanks for calming me down, I was getting nervous reading all these bad things. We will definately be cautious and have a good time as well.

[jayscore]

Oh, my.....

When I am visiting a "new" island, or port, I try to get some sort of tour that will take me through a "typical" area of the place. Yes, we get the feeling of being the "rich Yankee bastards" when going through the neighborhoods from the locals, yet it makes me feel a bit better that my tourism dollars are helping a little bit. (Very little) :o

That being said, appreciate what you have, and don't be an "Ugly Tourist", if you catch my drift!;)

[Steamboatin]

Samana, Dominican Republic was the worst place I've been too. We tendered in and walked about an 1/8 of a mile before I felt like there was a risk to the safety of myself and family. It is a port that you are fine if you are on an excursion but should be leery of venturing out on your own.

 

Agree with you as well as those who mentioned MoBay.

[BenjiRodney]

Barbados, the tour of the Island was great, glad we did it. But hated the downtown area and the shops outside of the cruise terminal. Taxi drivers every 5 feet yelling to take you somewhere and some blocking your path. After 15 minutes we relented and told one to take us back to the ship.

[abisha]

You're all freaking me out here! I am getting scared. We are going on a Carnival day tour when we are in Belize. :(

 

Same here!!:eek: I'll be in Jamaica in a month on the Freedom. DH were going to book through Carnival to go to Magic Mountain to do the Sky Explorer. Please tell me this should be ok. I'd also like to know what people mean about how bad security area is. What security area? Do I walk down the pier and go through a "building" and then get on the excursion bus? I hear Mystic Mountain is close to get to (pier is in Ocho Rios). Would like to know step by step where we are going once stepping on the ship so I know what to expect and same for getting back on. I will assume having passport in hand on this island is a must ???

 

It's been several years since I've been to Jamaica..I only remember pushy natives following us when walking to nearby stores, etc.

[skinslvr26]

Yawn !!! Southern Calfornia- Miami FL New York Ny Chicago il STlouis Missouri Detroit Michigan and so on and so on... Im not scared of any of the Ports And ive been to Jamacia Eww scary.

 

I'd much rather Walk any Port in the Caribbean than any mid size town or large town in the U.S just sayin. IMHO people are only scared of Ports * Jamacia* b/c they've heeard they should be. If it wasnt safe they wouldnt dock there just saying. Some crusie Companys are pulling Western Mexico towns off crusies b/c of danger. There will be Crimes in every place in the world you go. So why be scared IMO:)

[MochaZen]

We've never been anywhere where we were "uncomfortable", but Ocho Rios was close...Luckily we had an AMAZING tour guide who knew local culture and was from there. We never felt unsafe or in any type of danger. I would however, avoid Mexico until things calm down, we have chosen cruises that do not go to Mexico the past few years for this reason.

 

 

I agree with passengers that didn't care for Belize. We went deep sea fishing first and If I had never set foot on the port, I would have had nothing but good things to say about the people.

 

We had some time to kill and went ashore. We wanted to get some local food and decided to leave the "compound". We were accosted by vendors as soon as my right foot hit the pavement. I didn't feel unsafe. More irritated as I don't like people "in my face". Period.

 

My beau took me by the elbow and made a beeline back to the port.

 

Some people have commented (not necessarily in this thread) about Roatan not being safe. We had a good time there. I noticed the line up of cabs at the front entrance of the port terminal so be snuck out of a side/back entrance. We ran into a cabbie that wasn't pushy and had a great lunch and tour of the island. :-D

 

I will recommend that wherever you go, be mindful of people that sidle up next to you or behind you. A literally had to pay two girls (under the age of 9)that were selling bracelets to back away from me. My gut feeling was that they were trying to get close enough to reach in my pocket.

[OCruisers]

Caracas.

 

Agree .... Caracas was rather awful. :mad:

 

OMG, have you been to Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic? It's even worse! :eek:

[Sunnymom02]

Worst port I would say is Jamaica. Just too aggressive for my taste. We were there in 2005 and took a Juta taxi to Sunset Beach Resort. That part was ok, but then we went to Margaritaville and outside there, it was aggressive. Felt a little uncomfortable.

 

Belize ~ My husband did a reef fishing tour through carnival. The tour picked him right at the ship and took him back to the ship. The tour was safe and fine. then we took the tender to the town. Inside the gates it is ok. Outside, not so fun. I was a little nervous. My friend also did a bus tour through Carnival and had no problems.

 

Nassau~ Felt a little uneasy here, but not threatened. Aggressive here to, but not as bad as Jamaica. Not my favorite port.

 

Acapulco~ Did a Carnival tour here and glad that we did. We did a beach break tour here and the place that we went to the beach, they keep the hagelers away from you. They were annoying, but harmless. The town is kind of creepy and cops going around with guns etc. After beach tour, we shopped in the gated area. Did not like this port and will never go back.

 

Just my opinion :D

[Jeafl]

Belize by far was horrible. I thought it was the armpit of the Caribbean. Some people from our group had a positive experience but they had excursions that wisked them away as soon as they stepped foot on land. Others of us will never step foot on that place again. I would rather stay on the ship.

 

I completely agree with you, and all the others who mentioned Belize. If we are ever on a cruise that stops there again I will not leave the ship.

[Laurin612]

I have been to most of the ports mentioned and I'd have to agree about Jamaica. We love staying in resorts there, but we don't leave the resorts any more now that we have done Dunn's River Falls, etc. The vendors are just too aggressive there. I didn't feel unsafe or threatened, but I just prefer not to deal with that (like timeshare salespeople!). We're going on the magic in 10 days and we are staying onboard in Mo Bay.

[Psych NP]

I've been to Belize twice and never felt unsafe. I did a ship tour to the ruins and a private tour cave tubing. Felt very safe on both. Even walked around outside the gate a little. We are two women and my teen daughter. Didn't feel uncomfortable at all.

I've never been to Jamaica so I can't speak from personal experience, but I choose not to go on a cruise that stops there because I do not want my money supporting this government because of their treatment of LGBT people. I am not saying this to start a debate, but I have found that many people don't know how oppressive the Jamaican government is. Government sanctioned murder of gay people by police is not something a lot of people would knowingly support.

[Laurin612]

I've never been to Jamaica so I can't speak from personal experience, but I choose not to go on a cruise that stops there because I do not want my money supporting this government because of their treatment of LGBT people. I am not saying this to start a debate, but I have found that many people don't know how oppressive the Jamaican government is. Government sanctioned murder of gay people by police is not something a lot of people would knowingly support.

 

Ack! I didn't know that...:eek:

[83tonio]

I will have to say Jamaica. But after i got away from that flea market i had a great time there.

 

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[lax mom]

We stopped in Jamaica last spring on our Freedom cruise. We did the Magic Mountain / Dunns Falls excursion but didn't make it to Dunns Falls because we were enjoying the view from the infinity pool too much. We had such a great time in Jamaica and everyone we talked to was so friendly that my husband and I went back for a week in December. This time we made it to Dunns Falls. I will definitely go back to Jamaica again.

[parrothead74]

Ocho Rios cruise terminal should extend the fence or build a floating bridge to Margaritaville. The 300 yard walk is a constant hassle and bombardment with pushy and obnoxious peddlers with dollar signs in their bloodshot eyes. As you approach the gate it looks like a prison yard with people pressed against the fence yelling for you as you approach. Hands and fingers through chain link pointing at you and yelling.

 

I am certainly not scared, I work in some of the seediest neighborhoods in the NYC Boroughs, but am immediately tense and on the defensive. Not my idea of a relaxing vacation. I am more comfortable in the Bronx. That is saying something. Next time a cruise that I am on stops there, I am on an excursion or staying on the boat.

[momof4boys]

It's been 15 years ago but, Cartagena,Columbia had me nervous. Especially seeing the Policia toting machine guns with large drug dogs in tow.Been to both Moe Bay and Ocho Rios and except for the pushy people, I never felt threatened.

 

 

Did you not see Romancing the Stone?? :eek: Yikes! :)

[Colorado Kat]

Marseilles, in southern France. Do not venture outside the immediate port area.

[TMWTim]

Galveston! Worst time ever. Each and every visit:cool:.

 

Least uneasy....

 

Cozumel

Jamaica

GC

Pregreso

Key West

Bahamas

 

 

 

 

We love Jamaica and it sucks that a lot of people won't even get off the ship there. It is amazing and beautiful! Q- "You looking for weed?" A- "No". End of the problem.:rolleyes:

[kingoftheicedragons]

For me, it was Ensenada on our third cruise. We sailed out of San Diego, and when we told local San Diego people we were going to Ensenada, they started giving us warnings and horror stories.

 

The rest of Mexico, we felt very safe and wouldn't even think twice about going to the Caribbean Mexican ports.

 

Second would be Colon, Panama, where even Carnival had warnings in the Fun Times stating that if you weren't on a tour to stay in the port area. If Carnival felt it necessary to warn passengers, I had to wonder how bad Colon is.

[H82seaUgo]

Ocho Rios cruise terminal should extend the fence or build a floating bridge to Margaritaville. The 300 yard walk is a constant hassle and bombardment with pushy and obnoxious peddlers with dollar signs in their bloodshot eyes. As you approach the gate it looks like a prison yard with people pressed against the fence yelling for you as you approach. Hands and fingers through chain link pointing at you and yelling.

 

I am certainly not scared, I work in some of the seediest neighborhoods in the NYC Boroughs, but am immediately tense and on the defensive. Not my idea of a relaxing vacation. I am more comfortable in the Bronx. That is saying something. Next time a cruise that I am on stops there, I am on an excursion or staying on the boat.

 

you should have visited there before they built that pier. would have really freaked you out.

 

us? we've even walked right into town. the people there just want to sell you stuff. and a no thank you always works.

 

but have never felt anything close to "threatened".