How well travelled are you?

[calliopecruiser]

LOL, I've gone on cruises and liked certain ports enough to go back and spend several days there.

 

Great you followed up on it! I think there are a lot of people who unfortunately don't.

[SeagoingMom]

I compare cruising to eating at a buffet. You can sample the foreign ports and countries and if you really enjoyed one, you could go back for an extended stay.

 

I keep hearing people say that, but I rarely hear anyone say that they actually did it ;)

Perhaps that is because you are reading posts on a cruising website, not a general travel website?

[h_blond2]

I have never traveled out of the country, other than on my cruises. I have, however, traveled to many places in the US. I have been all over the south and the southwest. My favorite land vacation so far was our trip to the 2002 Winter Olympics! That trip definitely ranked up there with my cruises! :) I do hope to travel more of the world, but right now I'm a teacher on a budget, so cruises are the best bang for my buck.

[calliopecruiser]

Perhaps that is because you are reading posts on a cruising website, not a general travel website?

 

But I wasn't just talking about people here, but people I've met in real life too.

[psbtrvlr]

I keep hearing people say that, but I rarely hear anyone say that they actually did it ;)

 

We have, and currently have plans to again. Also, we've really enjoyed just spending a day from a cruise in several places that we've already done land based vacations.

[SeagoingMom]

To be honest, I dont think cruising is the way to visit most areas and regions. You need to be at a place more then 5 or 6 hours to say you were really there. You are far better off visiting places and staying for a few days then just a port stop from a ship. Nothing wrong with cruising, but you really cant say you really love an area or island when you only spent a few hours there, as you have not really experienced the area

 

I fully agree with this. There's nothing wrong with cruising, but when one says they've done extensive international travel via cruising, I just laugh and roll my eyes.

I've traveled extensively throughout the US and Canada, via road trips, and throughout Europe as well. My passports are well stamped.

Everyone has their opinion; I just wish folks would not imagine themselves superior to someone else just because they have a different perspective or a different experience.

[travelnap]

I used to do a lot of organized land trips and longer road trips in the US and I enjoyed them all. The only thing that I did not care for was the packing up and unpacking each day, as most of the trips involved moving from place to place every day or every few days. I think you do get to see more of an area with the land trips than you do with the cruises, but with cruising, the "hotel" moves every night and you only have to pack and unpack once each trip.

 

Both have their pluses and minuses. I have traveled to all 50 states, quite a few of the Canadian provinces, and have been on 6 different continents. (Haven't made it to Antarctica yet). I do know there are a lot of places I would like to see yet, but most of them would involve land based trips as a cruise ship wouldn't be able to reach them.

 

I have enjoyed all my trips, whether they were land based or cruise ship based, but they are different from each other in what you are able to see and experience.

[RoxnDox]

Been to most of the 50 states (missing a few in New England) and Puerto Rico. Spent a week in England visiting friends. Been to (western) Canada many times. Spent a year stationed in South Korea, unfortunately very little travel in-country. Looking forward to my first cruise which will touch a few spots along the edge of Alaska and let me claim more "visit" than a few hours in Anchorage airport on my way to Korea. :-)

 

Jim

[jocap]

I keep hearing people say that, but I rarely hear anyone say that they actually did it ;)

:) It was Santorini for us....one brief stop and we knew we had to return for a land holiday, which was wonderful. Each time our ship visits Croatia, we decide it will be our next holiday resort, but it still hasn't happened....:(

And also the other way around....after tiring ourselves out touring Hawaii, we now feel that we'd like to do a cruise around all the islands.:rolleyes:

Edited April 24, 2014 by jocap
After midnight....yawn....

[Michael P]

Even though DW and I love cruising, we do a lot more regular traveling. No military or in the travel industry, we're just passionate about experiencing other cultures. Also, as a hardcore scuba diver, we often travel to paradise like places for diving, like Micronesia, Malaysia, Fiji, or the Philippines. I have been to well over 100 countries, and consider traveling the best education in life. In terms of specifics, we spend a lot of time in Bali, Thailand (Phuket and Khao Lak), and OZ (love Sydney, and of course the Great Barrier Reef). Cambodia (Angkor Wat), is a favorite (amazing), along with India, HK, Japan, Morocco, and Singapore. DW particularly loves Jamaica for the great food and people, France, and the Cayman Islands. Seeing major historical sites is another reason that we travel, and having had a chance to walk the Great Wall several times, see the pyramids in Egypt, and the Terra-cotta Warriors really made an impression on me. We also travel for specific events, like concerts, or sporting events, like during March Madness (especially if my alma mater, Syracuse is making a deep run). We also love the theater, and when we're not seeing Broadway shows here at home in NYC, we're in the West End in London. I would say however, that our three top travel experiences have been safaris in Kenya and Tanzania, going to the Beijing Olympics, and going to the London Games.

We definitely do love cruising, though. Compared to land travel, It's so multifaceted, and so very addicting (it's also a heck of a lot easier than trekking through Nepal, for example). We love the service, and it makes me very happy to see my DW being pampered. We love just having the carefree cruise life, from having smoothies on the balcony watching the water go by, to doing the Wobble on the Lido Deck at 2 AM. Cruises are just so much fun! But even with that being said, it's only one facet of our traveling experiences.

 

 

Sent from my iPod touch using Forums mobile app

[Gail & Marty sailing away]

I think cruising is the way to visit most areas and regions.

[gooch47]

I keep hearing people say that, but I rarely hear anyone say that they actually did it ;)

 

In our case it hasn't been extensive, but we have been to Aruba, Dominican Republic, St. Martin and China for extended stays. We'd like to spend more time in Australia but it hasn't happened yet.

Edited April 25, 2014 by gooch47

[Stelladoro]

I'm originally from Europe, and enjoy returning every year or so, which includes visiting friends. While we were working, vacation time was usally limited to one or tow weeks. We used to do lots of land trips by car, in Canada and the USA. Our favourite drive was through the Rockies.

Since we retired, we discovered cruising, but still take land trips, and combine them with a cruise.

Eg. Spent 3 weeks travelling by train in Belgium, Germany, Austria, Czech Republic and flew to Copenhagen to catch a Baltic cruise.

We also did a coach tour in New Zealand, Australia (on our own which involved 3 flights), and then sailed out of Sydney to Honolulu, where we stayed for a few days, before flying home.

Another trip involved a British Isles cruise, and a 3 week stay in England, incl. 1 week in a cottage in Cornwall. Loved Cornwall!

 

Our wish list still is to see some of South America, Asia (not sure yet, but probably by cruiseship), a cruise to the Norwegian Fjords, an Eastern Med. Cruise, which includes Istanbul, and a land tour of Croatia, Slovenia, and Bosnia (have relatives in Bosnia).

[SeagoingMom]

But I wasn't just talking about people here, but people I've met in real life too.

That's hilarious -- you contrast Cruise Critic posters to "people in real life!":D

[calliopecruiser]

That's hilarious -- you contrast Cruise Critic posters to "people in real life!":D

 

Hey, maybe you are chopped liver, animated by some magical spell......after all, how would I know.

[SPacificbound]

We are making our first trip to Alaska in August, 7 days on Radiance of the Sea, South to North. Following the cruise we will spend 2 weeks on DIY land travel in Alaska. This is how we see cruising being an addition to land travel but not replacing it.

 

I have visited all but 4 states in the US including Hawaii. Canada two trips soon to be three. Mexico a gazillion times, Aruba, Belize. Spent 7 weeks in Western Europe in 2008. Spent 10 weeks in New Zealand and Australia in 2013. I do not think of this as being "well traveled", I have only barely stuck my pinky is a humongous tub of water, but I'm working on it. :)

 

Trips that we are talking about but not yet planned, Canadian rail East to West and a photo safari in South Africa.

[LynnTTT]

I would never use a cruise to see Europe or any other country. You're fooling yourself if you think a Mediterranean cruise that stops is Rome for one day is anything like seeing the country. If you want to go see Europe, do a nice guided tour or do it on your own.

I do Caribbean cruises and have taken transatlantic cruises to return from Europe. Very relaxing after weeks of hectic siteseeing.

[mawmawmaw123]

To visit family: Texas, Atlanta, Nigeria

For vacation (other than cruise): Disneyland (we drove there)

[preschool teacher]

I'm am pretty well traveled and love to see old places and new places.....one of my favorite trips was a land vacation to Denmark....and although it is here in the U.S. It's a toss between Adak, Alaska or Barbers Point Hawaii, where we lived for 3 years in each place.....Yes we were in the Navy! Oh and England was nice too, another 3 years there.....now I will take any Caribbean island.....there are many more also.....of course my husband who was in the Navy much longer I, has traveled a whole......lot.....of ...the ....world......

Edited April 26, 2014 by preschool teacher

[cruisemom42]

I would never use a cruise to see Europe or any other country. You're fooling yourself if you think a Mediterranean cruise that stops is Rome for one day is anything like seeing the country. If you want to go see Europe, do a nice guided tour or do it on your own.

I do Caribbean cruises and have taken transatlantic cruises to return from Europe. Very relaxing after weeks of hectic siteseeing.

 

I don't think one can say it's NEVER a good idea to use a cruise for sightseeing in Europe or the Med. There are plenty of smaller Greek isles, for example, where a long day can give one a very pleasant experience and a pretty good idea of the place. I probably would never have visited places like Ithaca or Monemvasia if they weren't cruise stops -- but I enjoyed them.

 

Also, many people (myself included) have taken multiple Med cruises. Instead of running around like crazy, trying to see everything in a day, one can concentrate on seeing just one or two things. And places like Rome are frequently the starting or ending point of cruises, so one can spend extra time there as well.

 

Finally, there are some places where I might want to see only one thing (such as the Roman ruins at Butrint in Albania), without spending a lot of time in a country that's not really ready for mass tourism yet.

 

I'm not saying cruises are the best way to see most places, but they CAN work pretty well sometimes (e.g., my example above for seeing the Greek isles).

[Gail & Marty sailing away]

Thanks to cruising 66 country"s

[greatam]

Twice, totally around the world literally. Been on all 7 continents. 31 days on an Icebreaker around the Western coast of Antarctica. Saw McMurdo, the Dry Valleys via helicopter. Something they don't even offer anymore-I would go again in a heartbeat!!!

 

Worked in Iraq, Kuwait and Afghanistan (not exactly tourist destinations). Been all over the Middle East except Saudi and Iran. Been all over Asia for business (only a short stop in Singapore-boring and not much time in Indonesia). But have been in a lot of "non touristy" places for work. Took the Trans-Siberian from Vladivostok to Moscow with a detour to Ulan Baator for a couple of days.

 

Never spent any time in the Caribbean-have no desire. Been to Fiji (land trip). One island looks the same to me and I lived in Hawaii for a year. We did a cruise from FLL to Valparaiso one year. Stop in Aruba. DH stayed on the ship-I got off and bought a pair of tennis shoes because I left mine at home. My great Aruba excursion. Spent darn close to a year every month shuttling to Australia for business. DH always wanted to go. I wasn't ever going back after all those LOOOONG boring trips although we did land in Sydney on the way back to Kuwait on NY Eve. Just a short stay and DH didn't see much of Australia.

 

Been to most European countries but Europe doesn't much interest me (other than I would like to spend about 3 weeks in Italy). I still want to take the Orient Express train sometime.

 

Combined a bus trip and a helicopter from Tibet to Mt Everest base camp 2. So got to see the mountain although shrouded in fog and actually landed in all the crap that people leave at the Everest camps. Do I have any ambition to climb it? Your nuts it you think so. The helicopter ride was fine although very pricey.

 

Been up and down the Mekong in every type of conveyance you can think of-ferry, fast luxury boat and one time on a true family freighter which was neither luxurious or fast. But oh, what an experience.

 

And I have been spending anywhere from 2-6 months out of the USA for the last 12 years working in South America, the Middle East and Asia.

 

Guess I have hit the high points of my bucket list.

Edited April 27, 2014 by greatam